The last supper?

So it would appear…

Happy Maundy Thursday everyone! It’s Holy Week here in the Philippines, albeit a very reserved one this year what with the quarantine and travel ban. I recall my first ever trip to the Philippines was during Holy Week. I got to Cebu only to discover everything was closed! I asked what was going on and was told it’s Maundy Thursday. Had to look it up as I’d never even heard of it despite being raised a Christian. Of course, the next day was Good Friday and places remain closed. I was finally able to take a girl out of the bar on Saturday night. Early the next morning she told me she needed to leave in order to attend Easter services. Bless her heart. At least I got what I paid for. Ah, sweet memories indeed.

What else have I got for you today? How about some photos from yesterday? My hiking partner Scott posted these of our hike on his Facebook page:

We encountered more people than usual while we were up in the hills. Quite a few were harvesting bamboo for whatever pocket change that might provide them. That’s one of the things that feed my paranoia when I’m walking alone…hungry men with machetes. Yikes!
Speaking of being robbed, these gals relieved me of some of the candy I carry when I hike. Actually, they were very friendly and even offered us some of the mangoes they had just picked.
It’s a simple life…
…people work hard…
…but take the time to offer you a friendly smile and greeting as you walk by.
Sadly, the Hash won’t be climbing Easter mountain this year. Heh, maybe that’s a good thing. It’s a tough one!

Speaking of walking, today I earned a new badge from my friends at Fitbit:

The “Pole to Pole” badge–given in recognition of having walked 20,003 kilometers with my Fitbit. That’s the equivalent of walking from the one pole to the other apparently. It took me from August 2016 to get there!

And then there is this:


A suspected Covid-19 male patient is lying in bed in the hospital, wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. A young student female nurse appears and gives him a partial sponge bath.

“Nurse,”‘ he mumbles from behind the mask, “are my testicles black?”
Embarrassed, the young nurse replies, “I don’t know, Sir. I’m only here to wash your upper body and feet.”

He struggles to ask again, “Nurse, please check for me. Are my testicles black?”

Concerned that he might elevate his blood pressure and heart rate from worrying about his testicles, she overcomes her embarrassment and
pulls back the covers.

She raises his gown, holds his manhood in one hand and his testicles gently in the other.

She looks very closely and says, “There’s nothing wrong with them, Sir. They look fine.”

The man slowly pulls off his oxygen mask, smiles at her, and says very slowly, “Thank you very much. That was wonderful. Now listen very,
very, closely:
“Are – my – test – results – back?”

Bada bing! And while we are on the subject of the Wuhan virus, I saw a mask that will surely keep everyone at a safe distance:

Best of all, I can make my own!

Time for those afternoon steps. Is it further around the equator than pole-to-pole?

UPDATE: Well, I’m nothing if not unoriginal. Or so it would appear. I’ve used “the last supper” title FIVE times over the years.

April 2018 when I said goodbye to my friends in Seoul for the last time before the move to the PI.

September 2014 when I made my semi-annual return to the USA. This was the first time Jee Yeun didn’t go with me. Said she needed to stay behind to take care of her sick mother. Little did I know that this was the beginning of the end. Ouch!

August 2013 I wrote about the Korean supper Jee Yeun had cooked for me the night before. Stop! You’re killing me with these memories!

January 2005 was the last supper before flying to Korea for the first time and irrevocably changing my life forever. Despite everything, I don’t regret that decision.

Ah well, I’ll chalk up this repeated title to old-timer’s disease…

7 thoughts on “The last supper?

  1. Whoa. That’s one shitty mask. As for this:

    Is it [farther] around the equator than pole-to-pole?

    The distance around the equator is longer because the earth is an oblate (squished-down) spheroid, probably as a result of its rotation, which produces a slight bulge around the equator.

    So you might have an “Equator” badge coming to you pretty soon!

    One online reference says this:

    Earth’s polar radius is 3,950 miles (6,356 km) — a difference of 13 miles (22 km). Using those measurements, the equatorial circumference of Earth is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km). However, from pole-to-pole — the meridional circumference — Earth is only 24,860 miles (40,008 km) around.

    So that’s a difference of about 40 miles. Expect an Equator badge VERY soon!

  2. (NB: I do realize your question might have been posed in jest, but I chose to put on my Mr. Spock hat and answer it like the nerd I am.)

  3. Not to be pedantic (though I guess I am anyway LOL), but pole to pole reference is probably only referring to eg. North Pole to South Pole, not a complete circumnavigation along the “vertical” axis. So, if John is expecting a equator badge, he is only halfway there.

  4. HaHa! Honestly, when I asked the question about the equator I thought “hell, I can look that up”. And then an evil voice in my head said: “Kevin will do it!”. Thanks for that! 🙂

    And good point, Brian. I’m sure I’m only halfway around the world. I don’t know if they even give an “equator badge”. Although I did get one for walking the equivalent of going through the center of the earth…

  5. Congratulations on walking from one stripper pole to another. Jeesh! It took you almost 4 years. I don’t want to brag but in Anjung-Ri back in the eighties I could walk from one pole to the other in about 2 minutes. Not that I’m bragging or anything. Keep up the good work. Peace Out!

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