Not having the best of days today, so let’s get on with this post about yesterday. No other Wednesday Walkers except for Swan and me, so we decided to pay a visit to the lola (grandmother) we help out once in a while. We took the riverwalk from WalterMart option to get there. (Ha-ha, my spellchecker says it should be Walmart. Nope.)
Swan declined to join me for the weekly Baloy Beach excursion, so I went alone.
I had one beer on the Kokomo’s floating bar, then left because of the crap music. I noticed they changed it as soon as I got on the departure raft. Hmm.
So, I dropped into the seldom-visited Kim’s Place on the beach.
Then I walked further down the beach and had a beer at Tropical Garden.
Walked back to Treasure Island for some grub.
After my meal, I walked to the highway and had my nightcap at Snackbar. Then I triked home and went to bed.
Onward to the August 2018 LTG archives, and in a post on my three-month anniversary of living in the Philippines, I list the top ten ways I’m likely to die here. Almost eight years later, I’m still kickin’, so there’s that. Oh, and I predicted that I was heading for a train wreck with Marissa. But of course, I didn’t get off the train.
Today’s YouTube video discusses how different life in the States feels after living in Asia. I haven’t been back for seven years now, but sometimes in the sports bars I see American television commercials, and it seems like another world. I’m pretty sure I won’t ever be going back “home.”
Funny or not, here they come:
Okay, enough of this. Until next time.
Not much of a river this time of year.
Barely a creek, I’d say.
A shady spot to rest in peace.
I like the tree, guardian of the dead.
The beach view.
Nice sunset shots.
After my meal, I walked to the highway and had my nightcap at Snackbar. Then I triked home and went to bed.
I don’t know what the problem is today, but I hope you’ll be over it by evening.
Oh, and I predicted that I was heading for a train wreck with Marissa. But of course, I didn’t get off the train.
You don’t need to wish for a do-over life because you’ve been doing the same shit over and over and over again already. But you’re lucky with Swan; she ended the samsaric cycle, at least as far as love/romance/teh krayzee goes. Quality person. Only problem is… since she ended the cycle for you, you didn’t end the cycle for yourself.
There’s an analogy with Ozempic in there somewhere. If Ozempic ends the cycle of temptation, it’s not you doing it for yourself, so backsliding remains possible.
I’m pretty sure I won’t ever be going back “home.”
Is there any reason still to root for or to defend the country, then?
Note that the non-Filipino-sounding man you mentioned died in mid-April, 1942. That’s precisely the time of the Bataan Death March. Lest we forget.
He would have been 65 years old then, a bit long in the tooth for a soldier, even a senior officer. But of course numerous civilians, American and Filipino, were also butchered in that awful ordeal.
He would have been 21 when Dewey and co. blasted the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay back in 1898, and American colonization soon followed. So perhaps he was a sundowner from the early days of empire who fell in love and decided to stay, then paid the ultimate price. It really makes one wonder….
Drain, I was also thinking his death was likely war-related, even if he was an American civilian at the time. I wish I could know his story. I’m wondering if the other three are his kids.
Kevin, yeah, I’ve pretty much given up the do-over fantasy. Now, I just want to be young again so I can fully enjoy those inevitable fuck-ups.
Yes, I’ll have to keep my guard up about backsliding. If that fails, there is always the life of an Ozempic addict.
I’m still an American and proud of my heritage. I wish my homeland nothing but the best. I just don’t want to live that vanilla lifestyle.
Maybe Felipa was his wife (24-years younger, been known to happen. Ahem) and the other two were their kids.
Sure wish I knew the story. At any rate, I’ll raise a glass to him on April 11, and a few more throughout the week in remembrance of all Death March victims.
By the way, it’s pretty amazing that you noticed that grave on Araw ng Kagitingan, the day designated to commemorate the Fall of Bataan. Good on you!
Drain, yeah, I’ve walked by those graves many times without noticing the significance of the date he died. I did another search today, but was unable to find anything about him. His being buried with his wife and kids sounds right to me, too.
John, You never learned. So expect that you do your do over life, love life to Swan, because you never learned, because you’re fault. You’re selfish. You don’t care about the feelings of other, all. You care is yourself. You don’t listen to other but only to yourself. YOU Are Selfish.
Anonymous, yes, you’re right. I am a worthless human being. Thanks for reminding me.