discussing the state of matter

a good conversation fuels the mind. reading a book, watching a good movie or a tv series that makes one think beyond the recesses of our leanings, filling in the boxes in the crossword puzzle, traveling, learning about other cultures and habits, these are various forces that make us widen our circles and broaden our horizon. a favourite, is picking someone else's mind, actually learning something new and substantial by merely a phone tete-a-tete, a text, an e-mail, a letter (snail mail), a subject in internet forums, a blog, a tweet.

in a gathering of colleagues, not necessarily like-minded people, in a cafe or pub, i cross my fingers that the talk would not turn into the common denominator of work. nor politics or religion. they're quite fiery subjects. it's to each his/her own when it comes to preferences, in sports, especially sports, club before country, roller hockey or gymnastics. one end keep their opinions to themselves, the other end cannot stop sharing their thoughts. but it's not only in discourses that we learn and substantiate our knowledge. the power of observation is vital in our capacity to grow as individuals. maybe it was a former boss, who equated how fast a person's walk to productivity and efficiency. nonetheless, i've been using that as a gauge as well, not only in proficiency but in fervour and enthusiasm in performing one's tasks.

it's important not to limit ourselves within a sphere. but we shouldn't be too competitive, especially with our friends. we should help and rely on each other, accept our unique abilities. we may not be able to subscribe to the letter of max ehrmann's desiderata, but we endeavour, to grasp, to be kind and joyful.

is it overcast?

a little bit of rain wouldn't surely hurt London, the heat wave is pushing the citizens into vests or tank tops overload.  i don't mind shorts and the likes but walking along the sidewalks or pushing prams draped only in vests seems odd.  or i'm just too prudish for my own good.  i know it's hot out there.  it's very hot even for me.  the weather forecasters been discussing and predicting drizzles and more showers in the early evenings or late afternoons this week but where are they?  these rays of sunshine and a bit of wind are just giving the neighbors upstairs ammunition to parade their undies in our common front garden.  i miss the old neighbors.  the single ones with no children.  the ones who didn't raise their voices in ordinary conversations.  someday, we'll move to a habitat where the neighbors are a little less tacky.  at this point, all i could do is wait for rain.

not just taste

as a child of Bacolod, the tantalizing aroma of a chicken inasal is a saving grace from a bad day.  it tastes so good, this chicken on a stick  it's not available in London but the Philippine archipelago has fallen head over heels with its wonderful flavour, hence this list.  in my household, unless it's not  the chicken du jour.  i couldn't find istewetes anywhere, or am i deft hand with the grill.

on that note, let's dive head-on with this culture-divide ditty.  as people of the world and different countries, we cater to our homegrown flavours, mashed potatoes probably are great, but not for two meals a day. nonetheless, it's a western staple.  although the hubby reckons it's silly to eat every single day.  we hardly have mash pots in a year.
my weakness is rice, here, there and everyday if possible.  with chicken inasal, adobo, hardly any vegetables.  although i now delve into salads these days.  growing up, the only salad i was aware of was macaroni with kaong and mayonnaise, super bad for my blood sugar.  that is maybe the reason why type 2 diabetes runs in my family.  we were not educated about our triple-carbs habits, including desserts. coming from an all-sugar delights capital, there's no way to go but insulin injections.

now, i have to do some ironing, just had some chocolate ice cream in this very hot weather.  i feel guilty.

hurry, hurry rain

woke up early this morning, trawled the web, read this and that in the lifestyle pages of Philippine papers and basically went back to sleep.  i have stuff to do.  there are always stuff to do. and my blood sugar levels don't like sleep that much, i need to iron clothes and uniforms from the clean hamper box.  nevertheless, i  feel sleepy and tired.  who knows if it's going to rain or shine today, i still don't like clothes being hanged in front of the house (as dwellers upstairs do).  i think it's tacky.  at the back garden, go ahead (not having a back garden is no excuse). but in front? no.

 as i'm getting really older, we need to save enough money for a new abode.  the thfc friends and acquaintances are great.  who isn't happy and lighthearted in the company of friends? but they not only expensive, listening and reading their posts on a lot of issues in the forum sometimes, is desolating.  is blonde really more beautiful than all other hair color?  is the caucasian exterior the be all and end all of  beauty?  mostly the banter about team dominates talk and proceedings.  i guess for the hubby, it's better than staying home and catching it on the telly, like all other plastics.  my company is not that entertaining, or alluring.  but an away match specially, costs hard-earned cash and the eurozone is imploding right this very minute.  recession is not a nice word.

now, i have to check my BP and blood sugar.  hoping for good results.

discard

was trying to declutter last week and found a box full of old articles from almost ten years ago.  what am i doing keeping and hiding them under wraps and leaving to wither amid the mold and the ever-changing  room temperatures?  i hoard a lot of clippings, i just love to read stuff.  these files were accumulated during the years i didn't own a printer. quite ironic as the one we have now is not functioning, such a hassle when one has an essay to submit.  there are still a few boxes that are in dire need of  despoiling.  i had let go of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant articles, even Lee Young Pyo. and a GQ (was it Esquire?) cover of Kirsten Dunst.  i reckon, i may have also thrown away a Vogue cover of  Reese Witherspoon, it was a profile before she won an Oscar. i  wasn't too disappointed or cried a bucket of tears because of that, it's just a magazine.  i could chuck a few more periodicals in the bin, i just get distracted in taking a look back at the cool writings, that's all.

all drought, all rain

it's going to rain until the end of may, if we're thinking of the worst case scenario.  yet the drought continues because it's the wrong month for rain, it does not refill the underground deposits of water companies. what is needed is rain in the winter months.  there wasn't enough winter rain during the past two years, hence the drought and hosepipe ban.  if only it rained during winter . but when it's freezing, one hardly ever noticed the rain.

it's different from the sunny climes of last year. or was it  madrid in april or greece in september?  at least it's not yet the time of the year for the denizens to exfoliate and show some skin.  although there's nothing really wrong in not wearing our coats anymore. however, i still feel cold, especially in the mornings.

snacking on cheese

i'm not allowed sweets. or double-carbs e.g. rice and potato in one meal.  afritada with rice is a no-no.  but i had some of pie's cupcakes, with her innovative pacakaging and sumptuous falvours, who could resist?  i promise myself every single time i'm faced with sugary temptation, to vanquish my weakness, sometimes i'm strong enough to resist. there are moments, i forget my single carbs limit.  the dietitian recommends snacking on cheese.

the april weather is not helping.  it's too cold in the morning or it's raining.  when the hubby catches a cold, i get the sniffles a few days later and i become too weak and feverish, nose blocked, breathing through my mouth. that has been the norm during freezing winters, which is like the whole year round.  all i really want right now is to be back on my feet, facing people, walking a little bit faster, lowering my sugar levels, not my blood pressure.