One Ear to the Other

Joke #1 It was allegedly circulated among senior White House officials, and one of the jokes even made it to then-President Ronald Reagan himself, according to The Daily Mail. The joke goes as follows: “An American tells a Russia that the United States is so … Continue reading →

Shadow of your smile

Out of Solitude

As she looked at her own face in the mirror, she suddenly recalled the sorrowful widow. It was at that moment that she wrote the opening lines of “Solitude“.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own. ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

In giving shape my view of the world having a solitary person in the foreground suggests that it is okay to be alone but not lonely.

All work and no rest makes a man boring. Rest he did in his three-wheeler taxi cab. Who needs money when one is too tired to enjoy life. When he wakes up from his solitude, life becomes bearable again.

And what on earth is he doing down there alone? Fishing! Men prefer to reel a fish similar to playing golf, alone. So why do men enjoy fishing alone?  Because the fish are bigger and the stories are better with no witnesses!

In a crowd of a million tourist, he just have to sit down with a non-verbal companion. Maybe he had enough listening, blah-blah-blah. Or maybe he is just like me observing how silly tourist really are. Or maybe he left his wife in a store shopping. Or maybe…

Ah, solitude, such sweet surrender.

In Praise of Men

There are certain movements men do that I can see how graceful they are. More graceful than females do. It’s their feminine side that they do not want to admit.

They are beautiful. Beautiful in the sense that they don’t have to prove their masculinity. The beauty that oozes with sublime humility where fellow-men can watch with quiet admiration.

Where is the beauty in them?

The beauty exists in my mind how rounded they are. Not just how nice they are to stop, pause and be photographed. It is how gracious they are in accepting a stranger in their environment.

Emerging elegantly from the depth of an ancient tree enriches how life mysteriously unfolds my memory of Cuba ever so gracefully.

The temple bell

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The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers ~ Matsuo Bashō We can tell when Catholic churches in Cuba are no longer use to celebrate mass, tower bells were taken down and displayed beside … Continue reading →

What a good life!

Do we travel in order to be moved or is it that we travel in order to move around?

We check around the surroundings in search for a perfect ambience, our eyes darting from one object to another, our whole body tasting, breathing, feeling, smelling, touching, hearing, listening all in one instance taking it all in.

But…. there is no but. We can only focus on one that will transport us from a lot of movement into our inner world with conscious measure of calmness and clarity.

And then, I could feel the air pulsing and be one with the hummingbird, heart beating as fast its wings yet hovering still to the sweet aroma of the nectar beckoning it, kissing and drinking the elixir of life.

A Narrow Path

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I keep my eyes, mind, and my heart open the minute I wake up. When I step out of my apartment door going out to the open world, in my mind, I say a prayer: “Let every step I take, … Continue reading →

At the end of the day, I just want to be a cat

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Oh, there were resolutions to keep a low profile to pace myself to take it easy, because nothing is so important anyway but yesterday there was an inertia that got out of hand like a rolling thunder and good people … Continue reading →

What lies ahead without Fidel

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The earth expanding right hand and left hand, The picture alive, every part in its best light, The music falling in where it is wanted, and stopping where it is not wanted, The cheerful voice of the public road, the … Continue reading →

Relax by relaxing and be relaxed.

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Does this sentence make sense? It does not matter, relax. Focus on these photos that will provide you many forms of relaxation. First, think like an animal. It’s so natural for them to remain calm, cool and collected. These are … Continue reading →

Believe it or not!

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Have you seen Dr. Strange movie yet? Well, it’s full of magic. 3D and all. Very entertaining and worth watching. Filled with magic. Speaking of magic, I must say the chamber maids in Cuba can work magic. Being on a … Continue reading →

Whatever you do, don’t look at your phone, instead…

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“My mind echoes a chant: Don’t look at your phone. Whatever you do, don’t look at your phone. I sit alone on the bench, outside of a café as I wait for a friend. The lines on each passing face, … Continue reading →

Calvin and Hobbes would be perfect in Cuba

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In the mind of Calvin and Hobbes, they could easily fly anywhere they want to be. Imagine them riding this catapult and thrown into oblivion and beyond! One of the belief system in Cuba is to call on a witch … Continue reading →

SHINE!

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What can a man learn from sitting in a cell? Can a cell really teach a man everything? When the light shines on you, will you remain faithful living in your cell? Going into a tunnel with little lighting to … Continue reading →

Faithful to Our History

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Home of the locals in Havana, Cuba, is rife with history. It’s written on the walls, it’s written on their faces, it’s written on the wind. Fieles a nuestra HISTORIA: Faithful to our history. Let it be written, let it … Continue reading →

Water is water, no matter where you are.

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First, I must have a Cuban water or Cuban Water! Water has so many uses from cooling off your feet to washing your car, from an empty huge swimming pool to small fountain, from catching fishes to growing rice. And … Continue reading →

Far away from home, make it memorable.

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It’s not even a day, I miss them already; my family, friends, neighbors, cats, and the comfort of home. Leaving them behind to travel for my annual pilgrimage creates a nostalgic moment. Far away from home, I want to make … Continue reading →

Quest to domesticate a pet

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Just to get the child to go to school, sometimes the parents will condone their children to bring a pet. Not a teddy bear or barbie doll. One day a parent and student show up for school with their pet. … Continue reading →

Arts living in a frame

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Welcome. A roll of toilet paper and towel. A supply he received upon entering the frame. His arts live in a frame called “The Hole”. Three out of fifteen I managed to capture, between wiring. The exhibits are all inside … Continue reading →

English as second langauge

I can relate to Ricky Richardo as english is my second language. I ‘ought’ to know this. Philippine language has no “f (we pronounced this as p instead of ph),c, j, x, v, q. z. Very easy to learn. You … Continue reading →

Not for the faint of hearts

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CAUTION: Enter at your own risk, the sign says. Somewhere in the jungle of Cuba, to reach the other side of the mountain, we have to enter a narrow cave. This is not for the faint-hearted. Scared? We are the … Continue reading →

Minor Details

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The land, a block away from the mainstream, inside street of Havana. Dare I walk alone? I did. By ocean side, the sign reads “terminal miritima, Club Los Marinos”. I wonder what it means? The sky, I wonder lonely as … Continue reading →

Perfect Body

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When joining a beauty pageant, one must have a perfect body with a curve. In Cuba, the street is lined up with beautiful curves preserved in time for hire. A show stopper. It comes in so many shapes, sizes, and colours. … Continue reading →

Countless

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Who is counting? I for one, not. It is enough for me to see the numbers of thank you notes left here. One. One is the best number. It only takes one to be touched by many filled with gratitude. … Continue reading →

It is rare.

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Somewhere in the forested area of Cuba, it was a delight to see a homestead. It was a simple dwelling. Inside, the interior is spare.  My first thought, how quaint. It’s good to see someone who exists in very little … Continue reading →

The Earth is Our Sanctuary

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Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light. Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory. Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning. Earth teach me caring ~ … Continue reading →

Hunger Cues

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When I was in Cuba, it seemed that I was always eating because the food is one constant when I travel. Needless to say, after dinner, I go for a walk. One night, we found a mother cat nursing it’s … Continue reading →

The land that glows

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It is the land that glows and expands. There are so many possibilities what one can do here. It is one of the most beautiful lands I’ve ever seen. Cuba meaning “Land”. In its simplicity, this is a place that … Continue reading →

Unmasking the illusion

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Yes, I am a smoker. When I tell people that I smoke, some of them are gracious enough to say that I don’t look and smell like a smoker. That is the kindest thing to say to a smoker. However, there … Continue reading →

Seasons in the sun

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I love the sun. I want to catch it, if I could, keep it for myself. As I was about to reach out for it, a boy races towards the sun, beckoning to come along to play with him. Soon … Continue reading →

Life is an Art

In Cuba, Che Guevara is bigger than life. The Cuban artistically erected a monument for him even though he is not Cuban. Che revolutionized Cuba. No doubt, he is their hero. “Silence is argument carried out by other means.” The … Continue reading →

Finding Time

Joining a guided walking and sightseeing holiday in Cuba with Walker’s World is not actually a pilgrimage. However, I made sure that I consider it as one for I always consider myself a pilgrim on this earth. Visiting Churches is … Continue reading →

Timing is Everything

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All I wanted is to take a photo of a blank wall. This is no ordinary wall. It’s a Cuban wall. It’s a Cuban blue wall. But in a place considered to be a tourist trap, it was next to impossible for … Continue reading →

Hi There…

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I’m back from walking the land of Cuba. Home Sweet Home. So what did I miss in the blogging world? Do tell.