Here’s how my lazy Tuesday went down.
Oh well, life goes on. I tried out a new blueberry muffin mix yesterday.
Completed my weekly grocery shopping at Royal without incident. Bought less than usual and still spent $200. Can’t think of a better definition of inflation.
School begins here on August 22. How do I know, and why do I care? Well, I don’t particularly care, but I know because I’ve received several desperate pleas from mothers saying they need to buy school supplies, uniforms, etc., for their kids. I helped a couple that I thought were worthy. That includes the one who pleaded not for a donation but begged to give me a massage in order to earn money to outfit her son for school. I respected her willingness to work for the money rather than have it just given to her. She came over yesterday afternoon and rubbed me the right way. She sent this photo later, thanking me for helping her.
The other recipient just sent me this photo:
Facebook memories reminded me that I first met this woman six years ago:
I am reminded of the trip we made to the Philippines in September 2016. Eun Oke had a great time, but at the end of our vacation, she woke me up early one morning and said, “we don’t have a future together.” I asked her why and she told me, “because you want to retire and move here. Who wants to live in a poor country?” I responded that you could live in your rich country and pretend this world doesn’t exist, or you can live here and try to make a difference for some people. That’s what I want to do.
We wound up staying together for a few more months, but it didn’t work out for us in the long run. But she did render this drawing of me before we broke up:
Everything happens for a reason, I suppose. I enjoyed her company while it lasted. Most of the time, anyway.
I thought for sure I would be in a relationship here, for one thing. Actually, I had trained Loraine to be my caregiver, masseuse, helper, and companion. She dumped me, too, a few months before I arrived. And as regular readers know, I haven’t had a successful relationship in the four-plus years since I moved. Saw this today and thought maybe I’m going about it all wrong:
During my internet wanderings, I came across this map showing the degree of poverty in different parts of the Philippines:
I guess I’ll start calling my bar crawls charity runs. Last night’s efforts to improve the lives of thirsty bar girls included stops at It Doesn’t Matter, Cheap Charlies, Outback, and Cameltoe (Kamto).
I also took a dinner break along the way at Sit-n-Bull.
And there you have the story of my Tuesday thoughts, ramblings, and activities. It may not be a perfect life, but it is the best life I have. I’m going to enjoy it while I can. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
That quote on relationships doesn’t make any sense to me. A partnership is just a type of relationship, not a completely different thing. Many of the ingredients of a relationship (except a basic sense of commitment) appear in that quote, so it’s almost as if the writer is saying, “I don’t want a relationship, but I want everything that comes with a relationship. I want all the fun, but none of the responsibility (i.e., the hold-you-back part).” Weird. But hey, whatever floats your boat, right?
(And the punctuation in that quote’s first sentence… grrr.)
The sandwich looks damn good! And it’s nice to see you actually smiling in that photo with Lydell and Heidi—instead of doing that puffy/pursed-lips thing you normally do.
Eun Oke the artist! I’m trying to remember whether you’ve displayed that picture before.
When does your lease run out on your current place? Time to start scouting for a new abode?
Lease expires June. I’m keeping my eyes open for something, but I’ve been spoiled living in Alta Vista.
Yeah, upon reflection, there is not much difference between a relationship and a partnership other than how it is labeled. The qualities described were all positive in my view and indicative of the equality of giving and taking and sharing the same values. I didn’t read the “hold you back” line as an abdication of responsibility; to me, it was more of a “we’ll support each other in achieving our goals” kind of thing. Anyway, I’ve failed at so many relationships it seemed appealing to try a “partnership” instead.
The girls insisted that I smile for the picture. It was kind of forced and fake, but I guess convincing.
Yes, I posted that drawing right after she gave it to me. In the comments, you asked if she drew it from memory or a photograph. It was from a photo.