Pounding The Keyboard

       Once, I saw a meme that says, “the truest sign that she secretly loves you is when she (unreasonably) blocks you (on social media).” And a lot of people agree, some even commenting that ignoring or not reading your message is the most intense and most loving kind of response. And these people show no signs that   they are joking.      It is something that will send you reeling and confused or exasperated.      Can you really express love with indifference or hate? I mean, you like someone, and you show it but all this someone does is ignore you and avoid you for years, blocking you on social media not only once or twice—and then, one day, it will turn out that this person actually likes you back. Is this thing really a thing? I mean, can it really happen? Someone running away from you when all they actually want to do is run to you and give you the tightest embrace?      Why would th...

       This is a true story:      He, arrogant and loud, drives cargo trucks for a living, while she sells banana and camote cues for a living.      Her husband works for him as a helper. Both—the driver and the helper— are rumored to be drug users. And then one day, a few days before Christmas last year, tragedy strikes: he figures in an accident, killing his helper, who is her husband. Another helper is killed in the accident.      They agree on a monetary settlement.      A few days after New Year’s Day, she and the driver are seen talking animatedly to each other, she laughs as he cracks a joke while she fries her bananas and camotes, which she overloads with cheap sugar. Her children, now paternal orphans, play beside them. A diabetic customer approaches and buys two sticks of banana cues. She attends to her and then, she laughs at his jokes again.      ...

       Every day the world gets sadder.      The Ukraine-Russia war continues, COVID-19 is still having its heyday in many countries (especially China, its alleged country of origin), problems re hunger and climate change persist, and global icons (Pele, Barbara Walters, Pope Benedict XVI, etc) and some of my favorite musicians are dropping dead (Terry Hall, and it was just announced today, Jeff Beck).      I remember the time when my ears would almost bleed due to uncontrollable and repeated listening to the songs of The Colourfield (the band Terry Hall co-founded in 1984) and Roger Waters’ greatest solo album, Amused to Death (1992, where Jeff Beck played lead guitars). Amused to Death introduced me to Jeff Beck and urged me to listen to his albums.      Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jeff Beck as one of the five greatest guitarists of all time (alongside Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapto...

  How do you spot an introvert in a crowd? You don’t.        So yesterday, January 2, was World Introvert day, and as expected, no one came out to celebrate and party. Every celebrant decided to just stay home. Lol.      I don’t know if I’m an introvert, but until now, starting from when I was in grade one, as much as I can, I reject invitations for me to attend parties or any event or happening that would require 20 or more people to gather. If ever I acquiesce, expect me to want to go home every minute while there. I prefer being with a small group of people who I know very well. And while in a group of people I am not close with, don’t expect me to initiate a conversation. I prefer observing the people with me, and then writing about them later. Lol.      Sometimes, I think I’m just asocial because I am of the opinion that I’m ugly, poor, and inarticulate and that no one would be pleased with my presenc...

       Coins, they say, are a symbol of prosperity and riches, so it has been a tradition in many Filipino homes to scatter (contemporary) coins inside their homes at New Year's Eve until the New Year arrives.   Putting coins inside your pockets and shaking them as the New Year arrives will also attract financial luck, so  they say, so a lot of people also do this. My family scatter coins around the house every year but I don’t remember ever shaking the coins inside my pocket as the New Year makes it presence felt.      But the scattered coins still did its job as we had a fairly good 2022.      But New Year or not, I love collecting coins, local and foreign. There are no superstitious reasons behind it and I’ve no intention of selling them as I don't think they are worth anything, I just love to collect them. But since a lot of people attest that coins bring (financial) luck, I’d feature coins on my first ...