Imagine Life (with money and lots of it)

I am racing with time; the underwriter of my life insurance policy is betting that I won't die in the next 8 years (when my term policy expires)and I am betting that I would get my hands on their money even sooner. But then again, what would I do with that money? I'd be so dead to spend it.

This scenario played out in my head on what I'd do with that money.(if I didn't have to die to get it.) I'd want a vehicle for my place in the mountain; a nice pick up truck like those of farmers in California with a gun and rifle slung on my body and a dog following me, then I'd stop and pull out a cold beer from the back of my pick up and munch on some carabao cheese. Oh wait. This picture is more like an immigration border guard in the borders of Texas and Mexico. The only thing applicable to me are the carabao cheese and pick up truck. But since I can't spend my life insurance money yet, this is all I can afford---some Japanese lady's surplus.



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Local Job Opening

A new position just became available at Matrix, a local company here in the Philippines that manufacture small kitchen appliances. Bring your resume' and see the CEO or the COO or whoever is at the door who's awake, and tell them I sent you. If they tell you there is no job opening, tell them yes, there is--- that you're applying for the Technical writer position. If they insist that they have one, you tell them that he/she won't be there long because I'm going to murder that fool. You see, I just bought this pressure cooker and you know how I loathe reading instruction manuals--and I say that even with English speaking technical writers. So my frustration level was at its peak this afternoon when the pressure cooker I bought came with this useless piece of paper that I was trying to understand. Is it cryptic? Or am I just that dumb? Here's what it says:


1. If you cook easily expanding food such as beans, corn, kelp etc, they can not outstrip the one-second of the pan body in height. (Is this an engineering lingo or some crap you picked up from the village idiot?)

2. Nothing else can not be placed onto the limited pressure valve. (What did your English teacher say about double negative?)

3. It can not be used to cook without water or it will not be used as a pressure pan. (uhmmm, I got it)
4. Using gas or stove to cook, you may obey the above ways. But don't use a big flame. ( No, I won't use a big flame. Ever)

5. The parts of the pan cannot be changed at will, the parts in our company can only be used. (I think not just parts of your company but the whole company should be changed. At will.)
6. The children below 13 are forbidden to use the pan. ( American or Asian children? I will Definitely forbid Bin Ladin's spawns to come near it.)
7. The limited age of the pan is eight year. ( You mean, if I don't use it, right?)

It took almost 6 hours for me to tenderize a kilo of ox tripe, so I bought this pressure cooker to lessen my electric bill. But reading this manual raised my blood pressure to a boiling point, I think I'll use charcoal out in the yard, using a pot 100% pan body and height, but not in the big flame.

I'm drowning

"I was farther out than you thought/and not waving but drowning" Stevie Smith

Someone once told me that total freedom is "financial freedom". I agree. But then again, who wants to have total freedom? That would be too boring. You'd want at times to walk over land mines or cross the line and see if it's a welcome banner or guns that awaits you on the other side of the fence. Or, see what Broke Ass Mountain hut really looks like.... because that's what makes life more interesting. But just be careful that you don't suck the oxygen out of "interesting."

And I think I have. I am way overbudget on my hut construction in the mountain and it's starting to....not feel interesting. An acquaintance asked me at church today why I would want to live in the mountain in an island with less than a hundred thousand people. "Would you not miss the sound and the smell of the city?" I told her that I have to use my mountain eyes, that I can't use my city eyes in the mountain if I am to engage the experience at all. She nodded her head in a calculated nod, like, yeah. right.

Anyway, this decision to build something in the mountain was done like a knee-jerk reaction; I have a land there, therefore I should build. So now, I have to see it through. With my mountain eyes, I guess.
I am glad to be able to give jobs to these people temporarily, though I may have to skip meals myself to afford finishing it. Here are some of the worker's kids who came to join their father for lunch.

Urgent living

When my husband died unexpectedly, some things in my life changed drastically too. And one of those things is my outlook in life; I have since then lived my life with urgency. Then last year when 2 close friends also died unexpectedly, I started spending my pennies like it's going to be banned. Like, there's more where it came from, afraid that I may not live long enough to spend them. I don't even buy green bananas anymore as I may not live long enough for it to ripen. With this urgency, comes boldness and liberation and throwing caution to the wind.

Yesterday, Chat asked me what my plan for this week is and I said: "I will be going to the mountain tomorrow to take the salary for my carpenters." "How can a jobless person offer people a salary?" Was her reply. "Aaah, you're still working aren't you?" I asked back. She told me again that raising a mother is very difficult and giving her gray hair and bad skin. Anyway, here's what I've started. Note: I said "started" because I may not live long enough to finish it. Or, I may outlive the pennies.

I am trying to replicate my childhood so I'm building a hut in the mountain.

In my replicating I am also slowly collecting animals. And we start with chickens my caretaker gave me. I name her Sanders and she's here with me in the city, her husband Colonel is still in the mountain and will be here when I pick him up.

Complain now or forever hold your peace

As you can see, I have not blogged quite as often as I did. And that's because I am finally overworked and not paid. Everyday, I have to cook at least 2 meals for the kids, then I have been assigned to be the adviser to the 2 leaders heading the "Young Adults Ministry". And then there's my new obsession--my farm.

Anyway, whatever you're thinking, the deadline to file your complaint was yesterday. But I am licensed to complain 24/7 so you have to listen to mine. When I go to my farm, I have to take a jeepney to catch the boat up north, because am too broke for a taxi ride. It doesn't matter what time of day I ride the jeepney, it seems that all jeepney drivers and the passengers like the blasting sound of the radio. Or why has no one complained and get it stopped? I once asked the driver to tune it down or turn it off and he told me to go back to the hole where I came out of.
So why is it that wherever I go, Filipinos seem to not mind the blasting noise; whether at restaurants or other public places. They make me feel like I am the abnormal one whenever I complain about the noise.

Here's at 4 a.m. inside the jeepney. The jeepney is packed like sardines even the middle aisle is full, everyone's quiet and sleeping in their seats.

Animals

He's the cause of me going more broke. He's what makes my heart shiver from glee and render my brain useless, unable to control my separation anxiety when I am away from him. I know, I know you're dying to see pictures of my cat lately. When there's nothing to talk about, there's always my cat. Or myself.

I was in the mountain yesterday to stake out the area where I will build my hut and I saw chickens walking around the property. When I commented about them, the neighbor said I can have this one. I said, "Well, as long as I am asking can I have a female one too?" Of course, he said.