Therapy

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I cooked brunch today then I slept again after that. It’s unbelievable that I was still exhausted from yesterday’s trip. Then I woke up a little past noon when I was asked by my daughter to sign a proof of delivery as some industry friends sent me baked lasagna and blueberry cheesecake so I didn’t have to cook a midday meal or even dinner. My daughter, Twin I, and I gardened in the afternoon. I transplanted this flowering plant (I wasn’t able to get its name) and herbs I bought yesterday along CP Garcia Ave on the way home from UP where I bought our vegetables.

Basil and dill in our “dirty kitchen”. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Then we planted some vegetable seeds in new plastic pots that I will transfer to our “dirty kitchen”/laundry area because this area receives so much sunlight all day. The vegetables and herbs will be protected from aphids outside plus we can just pluck leaves from our kitchen “garden” when we cook.

After gardening, I slept again and when I woke up, it was already dark.

Gardening is some kind of therapy for me these days as I still couldn’t go out due to fatigue. Watching something you grow and nurture is also fulfilling, like having my girls with me.

Speaking of nurturing, the stray cats that reside outside our compound have moved inside the compound as our neighbor had also been feeding them and tamed them. We also have been feeding these cats since we moved in here in October 2018–exactly three years ago! Our neighbor had put pet collars around them so people would know someone had already adopted them and think twice about abusing them.

Brushing him with a toothbrush. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

So this white cat has been trying to make himself cute to us while we were gardening this afternoon. He would lie down and go belly up and curl, something that my inside cats would do when they’re begging for some petting. Of course I didn’t pet it with my bare hands so what we did was we got a toothbrush and brushed it so it can have some grooming and belly rubs. It loved all the attention and loving touch. The girls were begging me if they can give the cat a bath, I said no because it’s not yet tame enough and we don’t know what kind of diseases it has. We have to tame it completely before we can do that. The compromise was we brushed on flea powder on it and the cat loved the brushing so much that it begged for a repeat tonight when I was checking out my partially charged fairy lights.

Kittykat waiting for us to play with him. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

When this cat finally becomes tame, I would bring it to PAWS to be neutered, checked, vaccinated and de-wormed. Then we will give it a bath. However, it will still have to live outside because I don’t want to have chaos in my house. We will just make some kind of cat house outside so they will be protected from the elements. I would have to buy wooden crates and I have some fiberglass roofing here that I used for my “dirty kitchen”.

They say a woman who has sworn off marriage and choose to live single the rest of her life would become a crazy cat lady. I guess I’m turning into that now…which is fine by me. Cats are obnoxious animals but when they do give you love, it’s real. They don’t give you bullshit.

Mockery

Duterte’s camp is really making a mockery of the electoral process. They fielded a clown to run for president alongside another clown, Bong Go, as vice president. Because you know what they will do? The last minute, they will do a substitution, with Sara Duterte running as president with her demon of a father as VP. They will make so much drama out of it, and the script would be like “people are clamoring for us to run so we will be making the ultimate sacrifice so we will, for the country.” And all of the DDS would be all applause.

OR

At the last moment, they will make a substitution, Sara Duterte will run alongside Bong-bong Marcos as his VP. If her ego can take it.

They have done it in 2016, they will do it again.

God save our country from idiots.


It has been two months since I last been in UP campus to buy vegetables and milktea for my kids.

In front of Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Prices have gone up. I could feel the rising inflation month-on-month and the problem is this is a supply-side issue that cannot be addressed by monetary policy alone. It is structural that requires some fixes in the real economy.

Anyway, after the veggies and the milktea, I went to Sarang Mart because I am running out of shampoo. Even before J came, I had been buying shampoos and side dishes in that Korean grocery store. I had been using either Korean on Japanese shampoos (Japanese Lux or Shisheido) for several years now even if they’re more expensive initially but they do last a long time. I remember in my last trip to Japan, I lugged several shampoo bottles of Lux back home because it was way cheaper compared to anything I saw in Singapore and even in HK. Then I found Lux in SM, which was much more expensive than the Korean Kerastase sold in Sarang Mart but a lot cheaper than Lux in Singapore (which I often bring back home whenever I have to report for work there).

So I had to replenish my stock. Bought Korean curry (which my girls liked), dried seaweed, dried kelp (which I use as kombu in some Japanese dishes), beef strips for hotpot, mandu, side dishes, furikake, ramyun, and I no longer remember what else i chucked in my basket.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

When I was going back to my car, I lost my balance, sprained my ankle, grazed my foot on the pavement (was wearing slippers), and fell flat on my back. I didn’t realize that I was that exhausted with my short trip to buy foodstuff.

I am NOT yet ok. I’m still sick with Covid symptoms, mainly fatigue, even though I am no longer infectious and I can function somewhat normally. I still easily get tired and right now my head is aching. I woke up this morning coughing and wondered whether this was still Covid or allergy.

I think I will be sleeping my weekend away.

Knocked out

My Totoro collection. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
They make me smile. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

And just like that, my Sunday passed by like nothing. I slept the entire day. Literally the entire day. Covid is a traitor. Just when you think you’re already well, it suddenly saps your energy and knocks you out. I also thought my coughing is gone but here it comes again. I woke up this morning coughing like crazy. So all my good intentions for this day flew out the window. I was thinking of going to Quezon City Circle to buy gardening supplies but I could barely keep my eyes open today.

I don’t know how long I will be like this. Whenever I feel annoyed with my condition, I remind myself that I am one of the lucky ones who didn’t have to go to the hospital considering that I have asthma. Many friends’ and acquaintances’ family members, despite being fully vaccinated and young, have succumbed to this disease.

In other news, the live action series of Cowboy Bebop will soon be shown on Netflix. At least they kept the music of the original (how can you replace Yoko Kanno???) and is faithful to the campy intro of the original anime. Years ago I was hyped to learn that they were thinking of having Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel but he’s too old now to play Spike and instead they got Korean American actor John Cho, who looks too broody.

I hope this doesn’t disappoint. At least they could try to be the live action of Ruruoni Kenshin, which turned out ok for a super fan of the original anime and manga like me.

Lazy food

Been subscribing to cooking vlogs on Youtube to expand my repertoire. But I still easily get tired so I resorted to lazy cooking today.

I made mushroom doria based on Kimono Mom’s shrimp doria

10 mins for 250 degrees. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Lots of cheese on top. Basically doria is a Japanese rice gratin. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I shouldn’t have eaten rice tonight. Now I feel so full and heavy. I normally just eat soup and veggies at night. This one below has fried spring rolls with the veggies.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

No more rice for me at night ๐Ÿ˜ถ

Another vlog that I religiously follow is Imamu Room, which has a lot of ideas for bento.

Another one is Nami, a vlog that combines cooking and her daily life as a single working girl in Tokyo.

She gives me ideas what to do with vegetables.

This guy, Kominka, shows me several ways to cook seafood and grill other dishes. And what to cook during camping trips. I want to buy a big claypot to cook rice with like his so I can serve fluffy white rice.

Nyangsoop, on the other hand, has hybrid western and Korean dishes, which are easy to follow. I like her utensils.

One of these days I will have the energy to try some of the recipes. As my mom said, Covid really affects you in so many ways you wouldn’t thought it would. She also feels not energetic enough for the usual physical stuff that she normally did before like using the treadmill. We are both on the same boat.

I am now currently waiting for my Zennya massage to arrive. Because I deserve it. My therapists usually wear PPEs so I’m not worried about them.

After this I will zonk out. ๐Ÿ˜ด

Worst place to be

I don’t have to elaborate how and why. I mean, my household is very careful given that I have unvaccinated children with me and the three of us are asthmatic people and yet we still caught Covid from somewhere we couldn’t trace. My mom’s household is still quarantined because all of them got it. And my sisters rarely go out. I have a lot of my friends who are Covid-positive now. Many of my kids’ teachers are sick now, probably with Covid, and couldn’t hold online classes.

As I said a few months ago, it’s just a matter of time when we will get it.

Then we will have clowns running for president next year

There were too many news about Pacquiao yesterday that I dreamed about him last night. In my dream I was supposed to buy one of his cars and we were supposed to meet in a hotel lobby to do our transaction. However, his car fell from the hotel’s elevated parking space and it was already beyond repair.

That was weird.

It’s probably an omen.


I went out to withdraw some cash from my bank on Tuesday. Feeling too confident, I walked from my apartment to my bank and back. I didn’t realize that was already too taxing for me that I fell asleep that night with my lamp and PC on. Then yesterday I did nothing but sleep the whole day. Lingering Covid fatigue hits me hard. It’s sneaky like that.

So I had to order groceries again from Puregold to be delivered at home and my cat supplies via Viber to my suki vendor from Tiendesitas today. Tomorrow will be meat shopping from Monterey Community Market via Viber again. My problem are fruits and vegetables because the vendor on Facebook who has a stall in Nepa Qmart has duped me. A lot of items were missing and she sold me two small potatoes when I ordered 1/2 kg of those. Either I will brave it tomorrow and drive to UP or let my househelp buy from the nearby Robinsons (and veggies there are sometimes not that fresh, they cannot be stored that long in the fridge).

Now I’m back to buying random shit again online. Bought a new protective case for my phone because my old one was already falling apart.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

China’s Golden Week starts tomorrow so we will be out of three or four editors. It will be a week-long holiday for them so I guess I have to work twice as much in the coming days.

CCP will again will have a show-to-the-world-we’re-tough ceremonies in Beijing sometime next week.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to my own birthday holiday towards the end of October. Since I’m still weak, a biking or camping holiday is out of the question. Dining out is also a risky endeavor. I guess I would have to pull the trigger and buy that movie projector and just binge-watch Youtube videos and Netflix on my blank white wall during my vacation.

My girls are begging me to spend the Christmas here in the apartment instead of spending it with their grandma in my hometown. They don’t want to leave the cats.

Let’s see how the world will flow in the coming months.

Good vibes

Fairy lights. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

The first batch of fairy lights I bought from Lazada arrived today and we installed it in our living room. It’s sending good vibes to all of us tonight. The led light bulbs are as small as rice grains and the wires are very delicate. I hope none overheats because my curtains may catch fire. So far my cats have not played with it…yet.

I love my cats to bits but they’re the reason why this is the second year I’m doing away with the Christmas tree. The tree may not survive my cats.

Gotcha, cat! Kimchi killing my toilet paper. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I’m waiting for the solar-powered fairy lights to arrive and will install those immediately in front of the house. Then some patio furniture so we can have barbecue outside. With lots of mosquito coils and anti-mosquito candles.

Thinking of alternative Christmas decor this year because I want the holidays to be as festive as I could make it because 2020 and this year have been challenging for everyone, especially me on a personal level. I’m still learning, I’m still growing. I’m still trying to heal. This is the first time in 21 years that I am making big and small decisions without having to consider the approval of another person. Or the welfare of another person (aside from my kids). It’s just me and it is somewhat liberating.

Other people have not been nice to me so I need to be extra nice to myself. Love myself more. Once the rate of infection is down and some businesses have opened up, I will see my chiropractor in Makati, check in I’M Hotel and book myself an overnight spa package. Onsen all I want, three hours of head to toe massage, buffet dinner and buffet breakfast. I did that before for my mom’s and my birthday a couple of years ago.

I’m nearing the one-year mark. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I’m going to train myself to be physically stronger so I can go hiking and camping again. Then on to Mt. Pulag. In between I will go to Moalboal in Cebu or Coron in Palawan to freedrive there. I don’t think travel abroad will be possible next year. Let’s say the chance is 50%. After experiencing Covid, I don’t want to be that sick again.

Let’s see what will happen…I need to post a job opening for correspondents in Bangkok and Singapore tomorrow. At some point next year I might need to fly to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, and Singapore because of the said requirement. I’m not looking forward to it. This is the same feeling I had after coming home from Shanghai-Xi’an-Shanghai with bronchopneumonia in 2014.

Drats, I need to renew my passport now! It’s expiring in March 2022.

Until then, I’ll just savor the time at home. Will soon be planting creeping roses that I will let grow on a trellis that I will construct between me and my neighbor so I don’t have to see their mess and I will just have the beautiful view of my roses, cosmos, petunias, and vegetables.