Visited my sisters next door.

Almond confections frommy sister Lourdes.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are tall, stainless-steel, barbecue grills.

11:00 PM. An entire office group descended on M.'s cafe to order food and hold a meeting. There were so many of them that there weren't enough chairs. I decided to oust myself and settle for having leftovers in the kitchen.

Caught this week's installment of Asia's Got Talent 3. Looking over the past few installements I note that the group dancers' moves are derivative of last season's DMX Comvalenos' moves, among them:

--using flips as emphases for long passages
--switching genders
--flopping on the floor like rag dolls and keeping still

I am always hoping that derivative acts never win.

Everyday, think of and act on:

--three things you can repair or fix yourself
--three things you can give a thorough cleaning
--three things you can sell or give away
--three pieces of junk you should throw away.

Aubrey and R. arrived from the Science Week fair at university.

Longinus is one of the most interesting Moriones characters. He is the principal figure in the Pinugutan, which is preceded by a chase. During the chase he climbs trees, runs into buildings, and goes through the marketplace. He uses the audience as a shield against the centurions who are out to get him, which is an art in itself and is always part of the spectacle. He normally gets banged about during the ritual chase, that is why his mask always gets damaged.

Visited my sisters next door.

The February leaf falls off my planner.

Always take back a prodigal son, but never take back a prodigal servant.

Intelligence may shine like the firmament of heaven, but we have yet to conquer all that outer space beyond it.

The lilies of the field neither toil nor spin, that is why they have a restricted wardrobe.

It is days when you think that the chips are against you that turn round and become superb days for you.

Tony Perez's Art of War: The sun shines on both you and your enemies, but whether you plant more, celebrate more, work more, achieve more, hold up a parasol, or lie in the shade is really your call.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are repositories of unrecorded dreams.

Always perceive your life as a series of accomplishments and joys, never as a series of regrets and losses.

Dropped by M.'s cafe for a light snack. There were lots of patrons even at this hour and on a Wednesday night, at that. Some people were unwinding from a hard day's work with bottles of beer.

Sat in my favorite corner and was able to write some.

Tomorrow is the last day of February. I can't believe that two months have already gone by since I Posted New Year messages on my Wall.

The month of March looks very promising. I hope that Dana's portrait will be completely dry soon, so that I can set up another canvas and commence work on yet another painting.

Your Messenger message:

"Good evening Sir. I would like to seek an advise. How can I talk to a person who refuse to understand and is power tripping? I know he is into magic or spells too. This person is a supervisor who thinks he knows everything. Our talk this morning was not good, but I remained calm. Tomorrow, I plan to talk to his supervisor and tell how our conversation went today. We are not friends, but we have to talk because of work. Is it a good decision to talk to his supervisor and tell what happened? We work in different offices. Ang galing lang talaga nya Gumawa ng story and to make it appear that he is the victim, innocent. At napakaamo kapag kaharap ang boss. Pero kapag Pinoy na kaharap bastos talaga. Thank you in advance sir."


My reply:

Hello _____________!

No, do not talk to his supervisor--that is an act called bypassing, and it will be taken against you. Instead, go to HR and seek counsel from someone there whom you trust. It should be on record that you went there to present your problem. The HR counselor will know what must be done next.

If you do not have access to the talisman called dilang-pagi, go to this blog and see what kind of arrangement you can set up to protect yourself:

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=tony+perez%27s+magic+for+squares+1&oq=tony+perez%27s+magic+for+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39.4743j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Today was one of those days when the granddaughters came home early from school without my knowledge. Aubrey and R. arrived mid-afternoon from their Science Week fair, then Angelique from college soon after. I was napping all throughout and was surprised to discover, on a weekday evening, that I was not alone.

Ordered dinner for the three and we had exquisite chocolate bonbons from my sister Lourdes after.

I recall at least two instances in which I left home for a while, thinking that I was all alone, then coming home to read Messages such as "Grandpa, where are you?"

These are cases indicating that a single grandparent must stay home as often as is possible.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and R.

Retrieved three TinTin comic books to reread in bed later: The Seven Crystal Balls, Prisoners of the Sun, and The Shooting Star.

Found this lone, coral earring while clearing out stuff in the studio foyer. I'm certain, it belonged to Aubrey when she was but a toddler.

Spent an hour visiting my eldest sister next door, then went home and took a two-hour, afternoon nap.

Afternoon broadcasters are always cackling like the witches of Macbeth. Their open mouths and wrinkled noses are both annoying and disgusting. All they need is a boiling cauldron between them to convince us that they are hexing the news.

Back from lunch out with my sisters and a brother-in-law.

Went window shopping and had a belt repaired before going home.

In the Philippines, when it is election time, there is more ill will than nationalism.

Since the year 2000 these have been the requirements I set for the Spirit Questors:

--Must be a college graduate
--Must speak fluent English because of the voluminous readings I assign
--Must know the I-Ching and The Mah Jong Oracle
--Must attend regular, Thursday meetings
--Must be wearing one of my magical rings
--Must be a mature and responsible individual
--Must be mentally and psychologically healthy

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are white delivery vans.

I don't like MSG and we certainly don't use it at home. But, when I walk into a restaurant that serves food with MSG I don't make a fuss about it. What's a little MSG every now and then, anyway, considering that a lot of Asians have been taking it all their life and have lived to the hundreds? Unless you're already sick and dying of a lot of other things to begin with.

I find that people who raise their eyebrows at and are vociferously against MSG are some of the most pretentious people I've ever known.

Dinner at home with Angelique. Then Aubrey arrived from university and dinner out.

Sent some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Old-style, twentieth-century songs always begin with a melody, lead to a yelling reprise, go back to the melody, then end with even louder yelling.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Three deliveries arrived.

Visited my sisters and brother-in-law next door.

A day of home admin duties.

Gradually changing our coil fluorescent ceiling lamps to LED bulbs in sockets, though our coil fluorescents have lasted as long as ten years each. My reasoning is that it is easier to switch to chandeliers and hanging lamps from LED bulbs in sockets.

Today, when you browse through an on-line shopping store, Click on an item, then exit after deciding you don't want it, you receive an eventual prompt reminding you to buy the item or Chat with the seller.

Now Ben is doing a general cleaning of the kitchen.

Boy arrived and changed the two-way light fixture on the studio foyer ceiling.

Roof work is complete. Ben painted also the roof gutters inside and out, the downspouts, and the extension pipes.

Ben and I cleared out a lot of stuff from the rear passage prior to giving the passage a good scrubbing.

Lunch at home with Ben; granddaughters in school. Was going to invite Jayjay to have lunch with us but he was already taking his lunch at the cafe.

Ben reported for work early this morning.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are trayfuls of white wafers.

11:45 PM. Everyone in bed and all's well.

Frankly, the best and the most effective dance numbers on Asia's Got Talent are those that do NOT use flips, somersaults, and other cheap, acrobatic tricks.

This is the fake account our former houseboy created:

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J. Sent some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Our former houseboy stole many things from me. He was into magic but I refused to teach him anything. Now he has been creating false accounts filled with all sorts of false and negative information.

He cloned my deceased daughter-in-law's account (with a List of Friends my daughter-in-law never knew) and is currently using that pretending to send messages from the dead.

What a pathetic loser.

Lunch at home with Angelique. Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are plastic storage bins for sky fairies' toys.

11:05 PM. Everyone in bed and all's well.

Finally caught the first episode of NCIS: New Orleans Season 5 last night on FOX. Am so glad I'll be following this series again. I even intend to buy the DVD sets of all five seasons. I like the stories, the performers, the performances, and the settings.

Dinner at home with Angelique, Aubrey, and J. Angelique bought our food at Taco Bell after a study session at her favorite Starbucks branch.

Still a weekend night, because tomorrow is a holiday.

There is a lot of mediocre art in this world, not because there are mediocre artists but because that is what most people prefer.

Mediocre art makes people feel secure.

February 23, 2019

February 21, 2019

From my facebook Album titled Sunlight In Cubao.

Night classes

4:30 AM

Spent the afternoon visiting my sisters next door, then took a two-hour nap.

Back from  lunch with sisters, brother-in-law, Angelique and J., and Aubrey and R.

Light two YELLOW joss sticks for EACH person you know who recently passed away.

Next, year, two RED joss sticks.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a coil of yellow, sandalwood incense.

Moseyed over to M.'s cafe and had tuna sisig and a Pepsi for the night. Didn't stay long because there were a lot of patrons and I was actually hoping to sit in my favorite corner and enjoy some solitude.

It is loads of fun being psychic, watching political candidates being interviewed on TV, and knowing exactly who is dishing out platefuls of lies.

She was a female director's secretary in the past, but now she is a complete and miserable nobody.

Let your loved ones dream, for the act of dreaming is a joy, a blessing, and a grace in itself.

Every parent and grandparent will always be called upon to make sacrifices for his/her children, even at the expense of his/her pride.

Your body will rest only if your mind also will.

Everyone is beautiful, but not everyone knows how to make his/her unique beauty shine through.

Sent some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Angelique and J. went out to have dinner.

Then Aubrey arrived from the family dentist's.

Dinner at home with Aubrey.

A quiet Saturday night.

Took a one-hour, afternoon nap, then visited my sisters next door again.

Put yourself together. Then help others put themselves together.

Trust direct postings only. If you see an announcement online promising to reveal a great product, a great solution, or a great secret and then makes you go through several steps or several links and several ads before you come upon what you think you want, abandon it completely. It is never worth all the bother.

Look back and see that 2018 was The Year Of The Thief, and that most of the thieves in your life were those whom you trusted.

Find solace in the fact that 2019 is The Year The Thief Is Punished.

Visited my sisters next door.

Aubrey off to the family dentist's.

The sun alone will not destroy your house.

The rain alone will not destroy your house.

But the sun and the rain in steady alternation will.

Some of the many goodies from my sister Lourdes.

I love Elizabeth Taylor perfumes, especially _Passion for Men_ and _White Diamonds_, and am quite sad to hear that all of those are being phased out. Presumably since Elizabeth Tayor's demise.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey. They are looking forward to the extended weekend.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a golden basket cart pulled by a white ox.

The head of a family should neither practice favoritism nor take sides. Instead, he should allow every family member to be himself/herself and be the best person that he/she can ever be.

A true artist should never tell a young artist, "It's your turn to shine"--for he himself never stops shining. Rather, a true artist should tell a young artist, "Also shine."

Three-hour, afternoon nap.

Lunch with sisters, brother-in-law, and younger son Chito and family.

Angelique off to college and Aubrey off to university.

Home alone.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a necklace of yellow amber.

This year, come August and September, remember what I always say: Do NOT celebrate Christmas before All Souls Day.

The afternoon sun casts shadows like Chantilly lace on my sister Alice's front door.

From my facebook Album titled _Sunlight In Cubao_.

Spent some time with my sisters and my brother-in-law next door.

Lit afternoon joss sticks.

A late lunch alone. Granddaughters in school.

Did second batch of my laundry. Scheduled an electrician to come Sunday afternoon.

Punishment inflicts suffering, but suffering in itself is an intrinsic part both of life and of being. As such there is no one place where suffering does not exist, whether it be beneath the earth or in outer space.

There are men for whom, when they accomplish something big, their bodies make them lose a tooth.

The sun is a fancy menu folder in a cool, tropical restaurant.

Good day, Cubao!

Today I rose 12:30 NN. It just felt so good to sleep on and on.

Now Angelique arrived from college and dinner out.

Dinner at home alone.

Then Aubrey arrived from university and dinner out.

Sometimes, when you are in a group of friends and something unusual occurs such as a heavy cloudburst, the same thing will occur when you are together again. It has to do with the collective, magnetic field generated by your bodies.

Another old photo

February 2012

With Teow Li and Rosalind of Ikkan Art Gallery, Singapore. Photo taken in the lobby of the Carlton.

Sampaguita encouraged me to Google-search images similar to those of the antique box she gave me.

Sure enough, it's a 19th-century Indian damchiya, or bridal dowry box.

My sisters Lourdes and Remi visited. 

Lazy Wednesday. Woke up 10:00 AM and rose 10:30 AM.

Lunch alone. Angelique in college and Aubrey at university.

A good time to do my laundry. I usually can't get to the washing machine when the grandchildren are here.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is an antique armoire filled with golden treasures. 

Night of the Festival of Lanterns.

The brilliant moon taken through the trees in our driveway.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Visited my sisters at Alice's apartment, then went home and paid Ben for the day.

I received more gifts from my rock idol Sampaguita today, the day of the concert at Araneta Coliseum, where she is singing as a guest at the 100th-anniversary celebration of Jose Rizal College: an antique chest made of chased copper that she referred to as an "ark of the covenant", patchouli and sandalwood for our oil lamps (she produces essential oils and perfume comprised of blended scents)--and a most unexpected Sony digicam from her daughter Jacinta.

I gave her a necklace of antique, Mexican-Galleon-trade beads that she might wear for her concert tonight, but she is still deciding whether to wear red or gold.

To say that something is wrong is a judgmental statement.

To say that something is right is also a judgmental statement.

Simply sit back, observe, and remain open.

Lunch at home with Ben. Angelique in college and Aubrey at university.

My sisters invited me to have lunch with them at the center but I couldn't leave Ben alone.

Bought food at the hawkers' stands. John had something special today, bamboo shoots cooked in coconut milk. I recall that the last time I brought home labong was many years ago, when the Embassy sent me to do a workshop at a drug rehab center in Quezon Province. Behind the center was an old bamboo grove, and a staff member harvested shoots for me before I went back to Metro Manila.

In the Philippines, there are two Trees Of Life: the bamboo and the coconut.

Ben reported for work early this morning.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a glass jar of lemon drops.

More old photos found in the filing cabinet: Passport photo taken in junior year college for the floating university; 1972 college graduation photo with Communications professor Father Bert Ampil in the background; 1972 college graduation photo with my Mom and Dad; and 1981 photo taken in my office at the U.S. Embassy by the _Philippine Star_ to accompany an article written by Rosalinda Orosa.

Rendezvous with My Favorite Rock Star

Back from jalan-jalan. Finally Sampaguita was able to travel from her home in the south to Araneta Center because she has a rehearsal today for a concert that will be held tomorrow, an auspicious day because it is the Festival of Lanterns, at Araneta Coliseum. We had coffee and exchanged gifts at the Cubao Leaky Cauldron.

During the short span of time that we were together I was very amazed to discover many wonderful things about Sampaguita that I never knew before--that she was born in Indonesia and cooks great Indonesian food, that she is a proactively practicing interior decorator, and that she makes oil paintings. An art exchange is in the offing.

Also met her equally wonderful daughter Crista, who is an antique dealer.

Yes, definitely my kind of people.

Finished cleaning out two drawers of a steel filing cabinet, threw out stuff and replaced them with stuff I want to keep for now, and so the pile of manuscripts on the table is shorter.

Lunch at home alone. Angelique in college and Aubrey at university.

Will resume cleaning out the studio foyer for now and go jalan-jalan later.

Fourteenth day of the Chinese New Year celebrations: Today the family should create and decorate lanterns, for it is the eve of the Lantern Festival.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are curtain rods on which hang translucent sheets of rain.

Dinner at home with Angelique. Then Aubrey arrived from dinner out with R.

I still have a very big bag filled with old knitting books and magazines. If there's an avid knitter out there who wants them, he or she is very much welcome to take them.

Finally succeeded in reducing the three piles of manuscripts to one pile of stuff I want to keep.

In the meantime Aubrey and R. are having a very late lunch out and possibly dinner out later, and my sisters came back from doing groceries.

Finished rereading Murder in Canton. One of the best Judge Dee books--actually the last in the series.  Mah Joong has retired and is married with kids, Chiao Tai dies, and there is a suggestion that Tao Gan will eventually marry the cricket girl.

Our eldest sister Lourdes and brother-in-law Maning arrived from Sydney last night and visited this morning. Lots of chocolate candy and even a dress shirt for Keiko Kashigawa. 

Thirteenth day of the Chinese New Year celebrations: A day for cleansing.

Photo shows two lions controlled by four dancers. Taken on the eve of Chinese New Year, February 4, 2019, at Gateway Mall.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a lake of frozen syrup.

So strange, but, ever since those men died of moonshine lambanog I've shifted and stuck to Johnnie Walker.

It is safer to grant extraterrestrials more intelligence than they actually have.

When starships are sighted in one location, it is because they do not want to be seen in another location, where they really are.

That is why, as compared to other countries, there are always fewer sightings in the Philippines.

Love the ending of each McGyver episode whenever it's set in Angus McGyver's house, specifically his back porch with an octagonal fire pit.

Aubrey and R. had a very late, 4:30 PM, lunch.

Angelique, J., and I had dinner 7:30 PM.

Aubrey and R. arrived from NSTP.

Everybody home.

Started clearing out the piles of sketches, notes, and manuscripts in the storage area. Threw away old translation work, TV scripts, and plays (_Rebecca Defensor_, _Kislap-Kislapan_, _Onesimus_, etc.). Shredded and disposed of everything I don't want to be remembered by. Now these things no longer exist. Done for the day, but three more piles to go.

In the meantime Angelique and J. arrived from lunch at J.'s parents' house.

Friday, February 15, 2019

Cecile sends me autographed copies of her books via LBC.

In almost ALL movie and TV scenes where a character is taking a necklace or pendant from someone else's neck, that character is shown yanking off the necklace or pendant so that the chain snaps.

Why not take the necklace or pendant off the NORMAL way?

Don't the directors know that it is expensive to have a gold or silver chain repaired, and that it is almost impossible to find a smith who can repair it properly?

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun's trapeze acrobats descend to the earth on ropes of braided light.

Finally emptied our old, aluminum-and-glass art supplies cabinet and had it moved to the laundry room where I'd always wanted it. It is heavy, and I had to hire two men to move it. It used to be a sales display cabinet for Elvencraft through 2004. Now it will contain laundry room supplies.

There is something fishy about the video.

--Shouldn't the camera have been shut down in seconds?
--Why are the lines in English?
--Why are the lines clear despite being spoken in a low voice?
--Why is the verbal message over-articulated when a threatening finger pointed at the cameraperson's face or a threatening glare would have sufficed?
--Why are there no atmospheric sounds?
--The whole thing seems scripted and directed to me.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is a field of white daisies.

Aubrey and R. arrived from dinner out.

Locked up for the night.

Aubrey and R. are having dinner out. Angelique and J. went to one of the Korean grocery stores after college and cooked Mongolian barbecue at home.

Placed J.'s Valentine roses for Angelique on our family altar. According to them there are huge crowds buying flowers at Farmers Garden. Would have been interesting to photograph, but I stayed home the whole day.

Ordered food from M.'s cafe for Aubrey's and R.'s lunch.

After resting, they are off to an afternoon and evening out.

Wondering when culinary experts will finally change the name "ice cream" to a more appropriate one.

Aubrey and R. arrived from a morning out.

Lunch at home alone. Angelique in college and Aubrey and R. spending some time out because they have no school today.

Continued cleaning out an old art supplies cabinet--and discovered a lot of things I thought I'd lost.

It is futile to employ intellectual reasoning on non-intellectuals.

Like promoting caviar to people who will always prefer shrimp paste.

Two very black cups of Mawil's Cordillera coffee.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun conducts his orchestra of planets.

It is the eve of Valentine's Day. Yet, if you listen beyond the normal sounds of TV, music, conversations in the street, and traffic, you will hear the voices of spirits, yelling. What do you think they are trying to warn all of us about? 

Angelique and J. arrived from college and dinner out.

One-hour, early evening nap.

Aubrey arrived from university and dinner out.

Ninth day of the Chinese New Year celebrations: Birthday of the Jade Emperor

Photo of dragon dancers at Gateway Mall on Chinese New Year's Eve, February 4, 2019

My Thai palakit talismans. They are phallus-shaped, like the Hindu lingam, but power animals are attached to them as well. Above, a lion palakit I purchased several years ago; Below, a crocodile palakit, a New Year's gift from John.

Note the similarity between the Thai word "palakit" and the Tagalog "paakit". Yes, they are meant to attract others to oneself.

The Wands must continue pointing to the ground.

Today is the 23rd Anniversary of the Spirit Questors.

Your Messenger message:

"Hi Sir Tony. I did not notice any orgone pictures in ur posts. If i may i ask, do you have any? Do you have any idea if they really work?thanks"


My reply:

Hello ______!

I used to have them but considered their work, like the work of crystals, to be too slow, too slight, and practically useless. I like faster-paced magic that socks you immediately--somewhat like the directness of hard liquor rather than the gradual creep of beer and table wine.

In the end, all those crystals and orgonite muffins were nothing more to me than curios, tabletop decor, conversation pieces, and fancy jewelry. I gave all of them away.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center with hardware supplies and other stuff.

Actually, the entertainment industry helps a lot in creating atchays. So, don't expect to be completely wowed by entertainment and mingle with politically intelligent people at the same time. It just can't happen. 

Lunch at home with Angelique.

Two cups very black, espresso blend.

Going jalan-jalan in a few.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are glass china cabinets filled with blue-and-white porcelain.

I just wanted to watch this again:

https://youtu.be/aGn1T8KuCa0

When you're retired and have a clear vision of everything you need to do before you die, you cross no more bridges, build no more houses, and establish no new relationships, for all of those are mere excursions from your life's work.

Your shower will be more thorough if, when you scrub your body, you do it with your eyes closed. The sensory deprivation of sight improves your scrubbing by a hundred percent.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Having grown into an old man in Metro Manila, I've noted that Presidents' detractors try all kinds of manipulated disasters to sow discontent with whatever the current government is. In the past they cut off electric power, shut down the water supply, and let garbage rot in the streets. Today it seems to be fires gutting down factories and entire neighborhoods--quite sad because children and senior citizens perish in them.

The real disaster, though, is that NO ONE will ever be satisfied with the President, WHOEVER HE OR SHE IS AND WILL BE. Meaning that we have to suffer manipulated disasters again and again.

Is it the Latino temperament that the Spaniards endowed us with?

There seems nothing left for me to do today but nap, continue reading _Murder in Canton_, or go shopping.

Can't begin another painting for Maryhill School of Theology yet because I've consumed all of my small cradled canvases and will have to order really big ones for the paintings next in line. (Yes, will have to go on the scaffolding again, which I dread because I always end up with scratches and bruises whenever I slip.)

Lunch at home alone. Angelique in college and Aubrey at university.

Brought two street urchins to John's and bought them lunch there. They were begging at a hawker's stand and received only a measly two pesos from a passerby. One of them was peeking into the hawker's bread basket like a cat above a fishbowl, possibly considering whether it was worth it stealing some bread and wondering what the consequence would be. I suddenly heard the voices of Kittibun and Daw--two of my kuman thong--that is why I bought them lunch.

_Portrait of Dana Lam_
Oil on unstretched canvas
45" x 28.5"
February 9 - 12, 2019

Worked an hour on seventh glaze.

Two cups very black, espresso blend.

Eighth day of the Chinese New Year celerations: Celebrating the Birthday of Rice.

It is said that Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, had such great compassion for humans that she squeezed milk from her breasts so that they could fall to the earth and become rice. She continued squeezing even after she had no more milk and began to bleed, that is why some grains of rice have streaks of red on them.

Photos:A bove, my old, traditional collar de mazo honoring ten gods and goddesses; Below, a new collar de mazo honoring 43 gods and goddesses.