Well, it is the rainy season after all. And compared to last year it’s been pretty mild. Mostly just afternoon thunderstorms. Like the one that is raging outside my window right now. Into each life some rain must fall I suppose.
Really nothing of significance to report today. Everything is the same around here and my life, imperfect though it may be, is still the best thing that ever happened to me.
I did enjoy a nice hike with my Friday walking group this morning. We started and finished here at my house. I provided post-hike cold beer, chips and dip, and chicken nuggets to my tired, thirsty, and hungry guests.
I won’t leave you with nothing of substance today, don’t worry. Here’s an article talking about President Duterte’s ham-fisted efforts to control COVID and in the process destroying the economy. Now there is talk of delaying the 2022 elections and keeping Duterte in power beyond the constitutional term limits. Fun times! I had to laugh at this tweet from the Foreign Secretary expressing his displeasure with the idea:
“You don’t cancel elections for any reason. That’s treason,” the top Filipino diplomat tweeted.“We are a democracy or a s*** slave colony. Hold elections period. Those brave to stand in line & vote—even if only 12—decide the next President. Elections=democracy or F*** U. You fucking s***,” he added in a less-than-diplomatic, expletive-laden tweet.
Tell us how you really feel! Funny how someone forgot to edit out one of the “fuck” words. Ah well, only in the Philippines. I am a guest in this country so none of it is any of my business, I understand that. But I also can’t close my eyes to the suffering of the Filipino people due to these idiotic policies. I think my neck is permanently damaged from shaking my head in disbelief so frequently.
I’ve been hearing from my friend in Cambodia and life there seems so much more, well, normal. Of course, too many hoops for me to jump through to get there now but it remains my Plan B should things go totally to shit here.
Shit not of my own making I mean. I carry that with me wherever I go!
We’re undergoing more and more restrictions on our liberties here in South Korea, too. The whole “wear a mask!” thing is increasingly becoming a matter of law and not merely a guideline. I don’t like the way things are trending. The leftist government, up to now, has handled the pandemic with a fairly light touch, especially compared to the blue states in the US. That’s changing now, unfortunately. But I don’t plan to mask up during my hike unless I’m inside a city’s limits. Lucky for me, I’m never in any city for very long.
In French, Cambodia is le Cambodge.
Keep on a-weatherin’ those storms!
Yeah, I wear my mask around my chin in town and only pull it up when I see someone in uniform. How can I vape with a mask on?
These are scary times. I’m not afraid of the virus, what will be will be. But these power-hungry bureaucrats aren’t going to want to let go of the authority they’ve enjoyed over all aspects of our lives.
I guess the mask thing here is personal preference. Went with wife to soccer field where she runs the dogs. 3 groups of kids, by age group, maybe 200 and many parents. Not a mask to be seen. Of course beautiful weather and lots of open space.
Yeah, I wear the mask for appearances’ sake. The way I wear it renders it ineffective.