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Old Bottles
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My grandmother has been "recycling" for a long period of time. I remember as a kid when she used to tell us to save bottles and papers, metals (like scrap iron and aluminum). Plastic hasn't really gripped society then so I don't really recall saving plastic containers.
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The shapely bottle of Coca-Cola® was seen all over and they took place in dark corners of the house, waiting for the next trip of the bottle collector. One used to cost a few cents and that will add up to another new bottle of refreshing bottle of the soft drink from the corner store. To my surprise, they even accepted broken bottles and found out later that there were used to top a fence with sharp glass to deter thieves from climbing over the block wall. |
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Newspapers were saved not for the purpose of actually recycling them but for reuse--they made (and still do to ths day) good wrappers for goods at the market. Some might remember those days. As children, we even used them to make kites and of course, other kids used them for paper hats, paper boats, or paper cups. Cans were also recycled. Those tin cans of margarine I remember so well. We used them for toys depending on what they they were. "Kick the can" was a common game during after activities around the neighborhood. Yes, and I remember lighting up a firecracker slipped under a tin can and watching it get blown way up and watching it come back down! And this was repeated as long as we had the firecrackers. |
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Old clothes were cut into rags for stuffing pillows, or sewn together to make a very colorful doormat. Yes, we make do with what we have. Somehow that's all it takes to think RECYCLE although in a different version. Next time you buy a bottle of vinegar at the store, smell it again... it just might have been an old Tanduay rum bottle! |
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YOU CAN AGE IN STYLE |
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We age differently. And we go through different stages in our aging process. Our approach to it changes as we round up more numbers. Remeber the days when you used to say, "I'm eight-and-a-half?" That "half" was so important that somehow we had to stress it--over and over as often as we were asked how old we were. Somehow we wanted to be in a higher bracket, some kind of seniority, if you will. But those were the days. Days when we played with tiny cars and some figures that seemed to have originated from a movie somewhere. And it was fun! We knew we weren't going to age that quick. That is, considering if we had the slightest concept of the aging process. And there was a lot of time to kill. Ahh, childhood days. Who can ever forget them?
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Being a non-musician, and unbiased, probably qualifies me to talk about different kinds of music. I have always equated music with time. My interpretations of them metamorphosed surprisingly and as I grew older the music I enjoyed are still in my mind--gently activating some of the brain cells that used to absorb them. Only now I might have to turn the volume down just a little bit. |
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Birthdays. I have seen others celebrate certain holidays with bigger parties: 18th, 40th, 50th. Not only do they give you confidence to stand taller but they also give you the power to hold yor future in your hands as you reach these milestones. |
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The four seasons--although they come around the same time year in and year out, we stilll crave for each one's arrival. Maybe it's the thrill of change. Or the anticipation of better things to come. Or perhaps a vacation is due after "hibernating" the whole winter long. We all deserve that certain trip somewhere even if we stay where we are. The mere thought of celebrating another page of our lives just erases sad memories and relives the good ones. For isn't it nice to look back at a good scene, knowing you were there to enjoy it? The accumulated years should be the significant notches on your little stick to show yor accomplishments--things that made you where you are. Things that somehow were overlooked when you were there. But now, looking at them certainly deserves a second glance. Be proud of your years. No one lives forever but we have to be thankful for the years that are given us. So next time someone asks you how old you are, you should not "quiver" and lie about it. Besides, maybe they already know your age but probably just wanted to see how you would react to it. Or maybe they're jealous that you're older than them. And more experienced? |
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(March 1999) |
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IT IS YET ANOTHER SPRING |
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Spring has been depicted in a variety of things--songs, paintings, poems, plays. Other things come into focus as well: flowers blooming, birds singing, and of course, we (at least here in the continental U.S.) advance our clocks an hour.
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I reflect on the preceding season when spring comes. It actually gives me time to look back and recollect on things done over the past season.. Thinking about cleaning up? Well, this is the right season to do it. What do you think the term "spring cleaning" came from? There's a breath of fresh air and besides, it's time to get ready for summer, one of the favorites. |
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So in a way I greet spring with such gusto that I want to breeze through Lent and move on to summer. Time when I feel so free and easy. The gentle summer breezes, the bountiful fruits, the many activities that we so craved for during the last several months. |
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As a nature lover, I yearn for the outdoors. Not that I go rock-climbing or down-the-canyon hiking but because I love to immerse myself into a feeling that would bring me back to where I started... as a little boy. Yes, the mountain was a constant caller and I have climbed "our own" piece of it when grandma used to make her regular trips to see her tract of property. With a big bolo knife holstered and around my waist, I followed her. There in that spread, I have laid down and looked at the canopy of trees with the sun peeking through their branches and leaves, accompanied by the staccato chirps of birds. |
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It's time to sort things out. Be it from the attic, the garage, or from our innermost self. We can always remind ourselves that somehow along the path to glory, we shall inherit some of the things that were left for us to repair and deal with. The fruits of our labors shall satisfy the basic needs as we continue to follow the dreams and aspirations that we so relentlessly pursued. Through life's trials, we shall endeavor to uitilize all we have for the moral, social, spiritual and economic welfare of our land. But let's not forget our families. And friends. |
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As another season draws us closer together, we shall try to keep reaching for the stars but keeping our feet on the ground. In so doing, we just might get what we have been aiming for. |
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(March 1999) |
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The Lechon Scare |
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Is lechon still the pearl of the Filipino table? Does it still make mouths water? Or has it lost its magical attraction as most of the world's population continue to be health conscious? |
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Lechon has been downgraded at parties that I have attended. It has been several names that connotes its effect on our health and possibly to our life spans. Some tell us that if we eat lechon, we "wont get old." It won't make you forever young. What they mean is that when you devour lechon (and keep doing it) you might never be a senior citizen someday. Another term I have heard was "killing me softly." |
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There were times when the ubiquitous pancit was barely touched because of the love for lechon. It might have been the icon of a lavish party, or the ultimate dish. As the butcher chops through it's crispy skin, people with manicured nails pick at it for abre gana of sorts. Then they wipe the glistening fat off their fingers only after they were licked clean. |
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Excessive fat and cholesterol could be a killer. They would eventually be the cause of clogged up arteries and can cause a stroke or a heart attack. "Killing me softly" is indeed appropriate, if you come to think of it. So next time you dig your fingers on that glistening pig, think again! Perhaps you should consider alternatives by eating a little healthier. Get some of the oink out of your life. Eat right. |
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