Iced Water. Sip Slowly.

Remember the heat that sipped in so unexpectedly after the cold months of January and February, whooahhhh, the temperature soared so high the country is now toasted. Yup, the heat is so unbearable the Filipinos are begging the archipelago that seemed to have drifted towards the sun to come back to earth. Talk about Filipinos finding humor despite the inconvenient circumstances.

Of course our little brown brothers did seek all kinds of solutions: go to the beach where they only got more fried, stayed at SevenEleven for ready to eat meals that became unpalatable soon enough, tried McDonald’s or Jollibee a few hours till the food chains became crowded, bought cold beverages from Starbucks till their allowance for the month drained, or simply gallivanted from mall to mall till they realized time had been wasted doing nothing. The elderly were lucky enough to have free movies at the cinema Mondays and Tuesdays, so that’s where they are snoring.

As for my survival, I simply stayed put in the comfort of my home: sipped iced water every two or three hours, hit the shower for quick hot baths that cool the body, and sit with the electric fan directly at me throughout the day. I also got my hair braided and clipped, wore white shirts and shorts, and ate a lot of pakwan or watermelon. Believe me, I consumed one whole in just two days.

Hmmm, this heat spell seem to have taken my country aback and social media suggested to plant trees! Not now, folks. Should have done that years ago. But of course you could do so come rainy season.

Hay, my fellow Filipinos! So silly! The only situation that could be more disgusting than our shortcoming and absence of foresight is Dubai! Wow, that hot Arab city has no water drainage and with the huge volume of rain that flooded their city roads, sail on, sail on…

Memorare This Difficult Time in Man’s Story

Eight days now that I had fervidly tuned in to the news about the ‘Sword of Iron,’ a war Israel declared on the terrorist group known as Hamas operating in the Gaza Strip, with the Gazan Palestinians as their shield. How can I not be so passionate when the massacre that transpired in the surprise incursion of Israel villages sounded so biblical…

Elderly friends sent me messages asking about the prophecies in the book of Revelation, especially Armageddon, which I would not dwell on because of a forewarning that no one should add nor subtract anything from that final book of the Bible. So, I’d let you read for your self..

What I would like to delve about is a prophecy from an Old Testament book called Ezekiel which foretold of the Gog and the Magog….

“14Therefore prophesy, son of man, and tell Gog that this is what the Lord GOD says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not take notice of this? 15And you will come from your place out of the far north— you and many peoples with you, all riding horses— a mighty horde, a huge army. 16You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the latter days, O Gog, that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy in you before their eyes.…”

Biblical scholars have studied that “Gog is a person who rules over the land of Magog (Russia). Magog means the “Prince of Rosh.” (Gog) Rosh is the old root word for the land of Russia. God informs Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38:15, “You will come from your place in the far North” (the Hebrew word means “the uttermost part of the North.”

It was also foretold that nations will pepper down Israel till the small nation is down on its belly, and when Israel can no longer fight, help will come.

Just reminding everyone of this biblical prophecy so we know whose side must we be on, for Muslims have already amassed in key cities round the world in their so-called ‘day of rage!; What is the rage for when the terrorists of militant Muslims were the ones who decapitated babies, molested young ladies, and killed ordinary, peaceful citizens.

Let us call on the intercession of our Lady of Guadalupe, aka as Our Lady of Victory on this very difficult time in history. Let us pray the MEMORARE.

Remember of most gracious Virgin Mary

that never was it known

that anyone who fled to Thy protection,

implored Thy help,

or sought Thy intercession,

was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence

I fly unto Thee,

O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.

To Thee do I come,

before Thee I stand,

sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

despise not my petitions,

but in Thy clement hear and answer me.

Amen.

The Globetrotter.

A few months back, my daughter received an invite to explicate an article she wrote that landed as a chapter in a German publication. The presentation of her work, with a fellow Filipino, a mapper, would take place in Frankfurt.

Thus she packed her red stroller of a luggage again and flew Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi to Germany. The airline was a treat, she said, with personal amenities that did suit her taste, like and individual screen for viewing during the lengthy hours or the trip, and the food that caters to one’s preference.

My daughter has probably commenced her globetrotting adventure. Right away, she explored the local central train station, the local stores, and the cuisine the ultimate goal of which was to find rice to satisfy the stomach. Nada!

But she settled well and good in a modest hotel that offered Asian breakfast of hot rice and miso soup.

At the conference she was given a tankard of beer, as in the picture, albeit she probably sipped just a bit to learn of the taste, Germany being famous for that Octoberfest.

And of course she received a copy of the book with her name on it.

Germany is a beautiful country, she said, she’d been to a stunning cathedral and a museum, walked through some forest grounds, but she still has to tell me what kind of art those padlocks on the bridge rail is called.