07.10.07

2007 July

Posted in Uncategorized at 1:09 am by Miracle ♪♫

                        "Not a Day Without a Line"

   Starting on June 25, 2007 The Daily Pliny
  will be an attempt to discipline my writing
              habits the Older Pliny way.

     As you may have surmised, the title is
       a nutty variant of The Daily Planet. 

Until I reach another inevitable writing fermata,
I shall do my best to update this post everyday.
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July 1, 2007
Katipuneros Meet Rizal
Today was an uncommon Sunday for me. Our whole family and Haidee went to Katipunan
with the very kind and accommodating Eguia-Alanos as our guides. Having equipped ourselves with cameras, we
were all ready and psyched up to glimpse significant national treasures that
were quite sequestered in the silent town of Katipunan.

A remote tree-lined dirt road led us to a quaint house
surrounded by mahogany trees. There lived an old woman named Josefina who
worked for Dona Trinidad (Dr. Jose Rizal’s sister) for thirteen years, and she
had inherited a generous number of the Rizal’s possessions. The old woman’s home was unbelievably a trove
of valuable museum objects and relics! She even displayed more items compared to the museum in Dapitan City’s
Rizal Park! From Jose Rizal’s prison clothes which Misha had the liberty of trying
on, robe, toothbrush case, a tea set from O Sei San – his Japanese girlfriend, Josephine
Bracken’s skirt, three sets of family silverware, Dona Trinidad’s bed, and a
very long list of precious belongings. The most amazing privilege the old lady gave us was the permission to
touch and take photographs of these treasures!

We are very grateful to the lady Josefina and the
Eguia-Alano family for giving us this exceptional experience. Although I have never been much of a Rizal
fan, I have to admit that today’s events left me in awe.

For photos, please Click Here.
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July 2, 2007
A Weak Week
My tonsils seem to have worsened! I can barely utter a word properly and being
in bed the whole day makes me feel handicapped. I feel so lazy and sick… but I worry about graver things than
myself. My thoughts are often with
Gretchen who is still in the hospital for Dengue fever. Her platelet count is alarmingly low and how
I wish I could visit her.

Since I’ve also had a fluctuating
fever, Papa and Mama
brought me to the hospital to have my platelets checked. With God’s
grace, I was above the 150 border. Although the med tech on duty
advised us to
continue observing my condition, I am quite confident that my fever
could just
be side effects of my tonsillitis.

How frail we humans are…
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July 3, 2007
Doted Antidotes
KissPirin and Yakapsule - prescribed remedies by Dr.
Franz. Yeah, if only I could easily grab
that over the counter of some pharmacy.  Thank God, I have a mom who gives those out for free. =)
———————————————————————-
July 4, 2007
Recuperating
After Gretchen’s emergency last night, I am now relieved to
know that her platelet count has progressed. I continue to pray and hope that her condition will improve until she is
fully recovered. Even with my fever and
tonsillitis I already feel quite helpless, and it always saddens me to think of
someone younger than I to have to suffer a more severe disease.

I am still weak but am blessed with extremely caring and loving
parents. The sponge-bathing mama takes
care of, and I have papa as a masseur. This is making me feel a bit guilty… but on the other hand, I think they
just miss treating me like a baby. =)
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July 5, 2007
NuttyCracker
Mama says she is positive that I’m already well since she caught me cracking jokes today a couple of times already. =)

I thank God because I’m gradually regaining my voice, and
Gretchen’s condition is much better.   

Oh, I can’t wait to go back to my daily schedule!   
———————————————————————-
July 6, 2007
Rainmaker
I have my voice back! Weee… I can sing again and that explains the rain and cloudy skies that we’ve been having.
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July 7, 2007
Auf Wiederzein
Click Here to Read
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July 8, 2007
The Red Amaryllis Blooms Today
The Red Amaryllis blooms today.

It is as red as my allergies – conceivably offshoots of my
antibiotic intake last week – but enough of the pessimism!

The Red Amaryllis blooms today and I feel fine.
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July 9, 2007
Not Tzigane
Not Ravel’s Tzigane.
No, not some other grand piece,
nor was it Massenet’s Meditation from Thais.

Just some neglected Baroque violin largos and adagios that I
plucked out from playlist-oversight early this morning.

They are the sublime works that convince me the violin has
wings.

Yes, we are aware that music has wings. Music naturally has wings,

But the violin needs the musician’s aid for it to grow wings.

I am doleful in realizing that I have not yet been able to
bestow my poor, wonderful violin any wings.

I will not cease trying…
———————————————————————-
July 10, 2007
Baby Baby Grand
I assembled a piano today!

Well… sort-of…

Ahia Winston came by this morning with those amazing wooden
puzzles. Ha! I felt as excited as a child clutching a brand new toy.

After about an hour of dedication and exhaustive attention,
there it stood… my imagined baby Bose…

My loving thanks to the Uy family. This surprise was one of the pleasant things that made my
day. =)
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July 11, 2007

They’re Beckoning
Oh my poor babies! I
cannot believe I’ve neglected them for weeks! When I entered my library today I could almost hear their pages shuffle
to beckon my attention. Now, if I can only
decide who I should be immersed in first…

…oh Gaarder, just one novel left on your list and it will be
the culmination of your works…

…and Fowles! How did I dare set you aside?

Hesse!!!
You don’t deserve to wait …

Tom Robbins, you are the most seductive… b-b-b-but…

I only
have two eyes!
———————————————————————-
July 12, 2007
Franz is Coming

My bestfriend is arriving today!

Ah, the pleasant anticipation of music, tête-à-têtes, laughter, sweet insanity, coffee and food, bottomless photo taking…

Grant me to dupe myself into believing that the purpose of his coming
is not to say goodbye…
———————————————————————-
July 13, 2007
Broken

Dear Pliny,

You’ll have to excuse my scarce lines today. 

I am rather broken…

—   —   —

This plays on my mind…

Where did summer go?
How’d I miss the change of  season?
All at once the wind blows rough
It’s cold enough to snow

In the street below
People laugh, they’ve got no reason
Don’t they know?
It’s cold enough to snow

When we were together
And you were staying
Funny but the weather
Still felt like May in mid December

Now the chill wind blows
Sunny skies are only teasing
You won’t show
And it’s cold enough to snow

On the radio
There’s a man says
It ain’t freezing
What’s he know
He didn’t watch you go

Now the sun can’t shine
If it wants to, fine
But it’s cold enough to snow

———————————————————————-
July 14, 2007
Not UberWoman
Broken. I fairly sensed the awkward vibe that this word
emitted out to readers yesterday.

Into my mind tumbled flashbacks of feedback for this
blog. Most of them in approval for the
inspiration and strength they find in it.  

Strength. I am
stricken with the realization that somehow, I have unconsciously and
unintentionally made weakness taboo, when this should not be the
case… when after all, I am unfortunately not some kind of UberWoman.

I am also just a little girl… who sometimes gets her soul wounded, too…
———————————————————————-
July 15, 2007
Suddenly
All at once… I miss them even more…
———————————————————————-
July 16, 2007
I am a Tree
To read, please Click Here.
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July 17, 2007
I am Called Black
To read, please Click Here.
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July 18, 2007
Coffee Bean Butter

In a number of previous entries, it is evident that I am not
such a fan of commercial ointments and cosmetic salves. Advertisements have not
even helped lotions and other sorts of “beauty” products on my dresser from a
fate of staying untouched for years following tragic expiries and trash bin
dooms. Nevertheless, one certain product
has caught my attention recently. Coffee
Bean Butter. (No, coffee bean butter isn’t among my metaphors. There really is coffee bean butter.)

Since I’m very much behind pertaining these matters, I
might
be making a fool of myself thinking that this product is so new while
in fact
it has been in the market for quite some time. For those who know about
it already, ignore me. For those who don’t, let me burble about
these trivialities. Besides, it is only once in a blue moon when you’ll
notice
me talk about skincare commodities. For a
coffee lover, finding out about a moisturizing product made out of
coffee beans
is something. Hey, I’m not called barista
for nothing.
———————————————————————-
July 19, 2007
I am Not Me, But Eternally Thee
To read, please Click Here.
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July 20, 2007
I am a Pause
To read, please Click Here.
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July 21, 2007
Lines
Dear Pliny,
I have quite a multitude of cares today.
I
have many thoughts and so many lines to wish to write, but they are all
jumbled and crisscrossing each other.  I need a little quiet.
———————————————————————-
July 22, 2007
Rachmaninov All By Myself
To read, please Click Here.
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July 23, 2007
Arvo Part
I am loving Arvo Part…
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July 24, 2007
Fine Tuning
Finally, the piano tuner came today.
Ahh… who doesn’t love a finely-tuned piano?
———————————————————————-
July 25, 2007
=(
I miss Franz… I miss that shmuck whose insanities make me sane.
———————————————————————-
July 26, 2007
Pamuk Once Again
I’m reading a book  that begins with the sentence "I read a book one day and my whole life was changed…" Pamuk does fascinate me.
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July 27, 2007
IMSLP
Thank goodness for IMSLP for in there did I find the complete score of Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor!
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July 28, 2007
Saturday
For
me, Saturday means a busy day.  It means a day filled with students.
It means feeling the essence of being a teacher. It means exhaustion at
the end of the day, but it also means satisfaction because of the fact
that once again I lived another day as a teacher.
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July 29, 2007
The Alano
Ahh… yet another Lester-caused impulsive trip. It’s funny how this month  began and ended with trips to the Alano farm in Katipunan.
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July 30, 2007
I Call Him "The Mosaic of My Past"
To read, please Click Here.
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July 31, 2007
Goodbye, July
How poignant of you to end with the rain…
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