Alms Alms Alms Alms

An eighty five year old woman; wrinkled and stooped by time regularly climbed the third level of the building with several stops and pauses to catch her breath to peddle her cheap food snacks to me and rest of the building occupants.

A couple of teenage boys; tall, lean and muscular presented to me papers from the Barangay and the Office of the Mayor allowing them to solicit for their team uniform for the basketball intra-murals in the city.

A hunky young man who I knew from the distant past sent me a text message in the usual shortened manner, politely asking me to loan him cash (write it on water) so he can facilitate the issuance of his passport.

A boy of eight years, neatly dressed in an oversize politician campaign shirt with his hair neatly gelled and parted on the side came to me and innocently asked to help him buy the notebooks he needed for the school opening. In a childish manner he specifically describe the type of notebook he wanted.

For the teenage boys I turned them down without batting an eyelash. With a raised eyebrow I told myself "if they can not afford to dressed up themselves, then don't play basketball or play with their underwear." It is as simple as that.

For the hunky young man, I didn't even bother replying to his text message and deleted his name from my friends list.

I know I should not be giving further comments since I ignored their request but i can not help but to give a piece of my mind.

I can not stand parasite people who depend on alms and dole outs to sustain their needs. Money is not easy to find... it's not like picking pebbles by the shore. By the sweat on my brows I earned my every centavo and it would be a big foolishness and a sin to squander the hard earned money to people stronger than a carabao.

I never fail to buy from the eighty five year old woman. People who knew me knows I am quite picky when it comes to food stuff being peddled ... no street foods for me, please. The old woman has a soft spot in my heart and patronizing her foods is the best and easiest way to help. Its been months now and I haven't seen the familiar bended figure who labored hard with her fragile bones climbing the stairs step by step to earn a few centavo. I miss her and her soulful gaze to express her gratitude.

After analyzing the chain of sad stories he told me, I gave my pledge to the eight year old boy for the note books he needed with his specifications on my mind. I can not afford to dose cold water to his burning desire to attend school.

Honestly, I am not a generous person ... but I am a happy giver.

June 2

Not so interesting day, I call this fruit salad day when everything is mixed up, no direction even my emotion I don't know if I'm happy or sad...just let the day passed with a blank face. Even the food I ate seemed to be boring much more the people who crossed my way were all such a bore. But I am not complaining, just wondering.

A kaleidoscope in black and white

Stumble & Fall

Of all the things I hated most is getting a scratch on my skin, any part of my skin for that matter. God knows how I take care of my skin ... Vanity. Today on my way to work I suffered a bad fall in the parking lot in front of our building. I tripped on the chain placed to prevent others from using the parking lot. I got bruised knees that it almost scrapped my epidermis. I casually got up, walked away and pretended it was not a bad fall after all but when I was alone along the corridor and no one could see me, all can do was a soundless scream of pain that I got misty eyed and limped my way up to the third floor. I could stand the pain, what worries me the most is the mark it will leave on my knees...

Lesson learned: don't walk with your nose up in the air.

Socialization hour

What was intended for a short snack after working hours turned out to be a very interesting evening of free wheeling discussions from politics to showbiz to religion to lifestyle to love & relationships to sex to food to travels to social & civic consciousness to domestic problems. All this in seven hours lasting until mid-night with no alcohols around but with bottles of sodas & coffee. Normally we do this on a weekend but to people like us who always do things on an impulse find ourselves in the middle of fun and almost forgetting we still have works on the following day.

Thanks to our gracious host.

A New Beginning

This is something new to me, this is some sort of journal so I must be honest and candid in all my entries. No holds barred; I do not encourage onion skinned people to view my blog for I am brutally frank in my opinions and most of the time I am a non conformist. I am an opinionated individual and I have opinions on everyday issues and even to issues that does not concern me. I dip my fingers just for the heck of it and sometimes it serves as mental exercise for me.

I have high expectations and this site will surely broaden my horizon in meeting people with great ideas, but please don't get me wrong. I am also open to some corny stuff, some sentimental reasons, tearjerkers, and even the shallowness of showbiz is welcome here.

At this stage of my life I learn the art of hypocrisy... so hypocrites are very much welcome, I might learn a thing or two from you.

Many people find me difficult, I find them dumb. They say I'm out of fashion, I find them fashion victims. They say I'm talkative, that's true because I am intelligent.

In reality, I'm the type with a simple taste, simple joys and simple pleasures. Just look into my heart.

Welcome to Top of the Gil.