I SHOULD be in New Zealand as you read this.
I would have finished my tour of Sydney and its vicinities.
I could very well be in Auckland.
I will start going around (down to Wellington, and maybe even Christchurch) after August 3.
***
I don’t know what to think right now.
I’m still in Manila as I write this.
Saturday today.
Came in last night.
But because of flight delays, and the traffic from the airport to my aunt’s house, I decided not to party last anymore.
***
I still party some at my age.
I’m only 54, and I don’t have kids.
If I were still married, my spouse would have to party with me.
Or else, stay and remain at home.
***
Sister came to the Philippines in late July.
She missed the Solis Grand Family Reunion in Antique.
But we agreed to checkout Australia and New Zealand together.
Well, with her family ideally.
But nieces backed out.
And brother-in-law got tied up with work.
***
My nieces are 23; and 21 (going 22 in September).
They are wonderful girls.
Talented, but a little unfocused.
They want to do so many things all at once.
Just like all the other Gen Zs.
***
Because they got some money, they jump from one course to another.
I’m not sure that they have earned a degree at their age.
But they’ve been earning money, so I really don’t care.
***
Girl 21 is now a tattoo artist.
While pursuing Kinesiology.
Sister did not understand kinesiology, but niece insisted on that course.
“Insisted”!
In the Philippines, she could have been smacked into Nursing or some “real” course.
***
Girl 23 is now doing Culinary Arts.
After Computer Science.
She’s taking her time.
And why not?
They’re Americans.
It’s not like they have younger siblings to send to school, or parents to support after college.
***
Sister really didn’t travel much in Panay this time.
Well, there was the strong winds and the low pressure area.
For a long time, I wondered about “low pressure area”.
Low pressure area what?
But it’s a meteorological jargon to mean an atmospheric condition associated with inclement weather.
***
I was becoming such an expert tour guide on Isla Gigantes, Boracay, and Guimaras.
But due to inclement weather, sister didn’t want to go anywhere.
She met several classmates from our local high school, and her Nursing school in the city.
All events (at least three) were merely eating parties.
***
One of it I helped host.
It was rainy, so we stayed at our ancestral home.
We ordered lomi from our restaurant.
I asked her classmates if we could skip the rice.
Then, I bought some roasted liempo and chicken.
Trying to be healthy.
Low carbs; just mostly proteins and fats—like a keto diet.
***
And what about some red wine?
Who cares if it’s just California Red?
So they drank, and had so much fun.
Unli liempo, unli chicken, and unli wine.
Only, they only finished two bottles.
I ended up finishing the rest of the liempo and chicken, and drinking yet another bottle after they left.
***
The next day, sister took another batch of friends at a local restaurant.
They wanted some view, some new ambience.
Which was okay because the weather was better.
I told them they should go.
(I got a date!)
***
Of course, they ended up not eating everything they ordered.
Some of them had to “take home” some of the food.
Which is not likely to happen with me around.
Me? I think only poor people should take home leftovers from a restaurant!
Real people should eat everything.
Unless they are poor people who ordered something they didn’t know how to eat./PN
