When it's love that saves the day (or the kid)

Superheroes get acquainted with pop culture

Thor's gung-ho disposition -- so charming :-)

Dreadlock

Few conversations have been more interesting – in an anxiety-inducing way – than the one I had with the locksmith who worked on my bedroom door one afternoon. I had unintentionally locked myself out of the room, and when I realized that the key was inside the room, I asked my mom for the spare. For some reason, there wasn’t any in the bunch of carefully labeled keys we perused. Okay, no problem – one can find everything on the Internet, I told myself. All I had to do was look for a video on You Tube on how to pick a lock (thank God my laptop was in the living room). 

Little did I know that they only make it look easy in movies – just a few seconds of tinkering with two little tools on that knob then the door magically opens. The burglar is in business! At least that’s how it always is in cop shows and suspense flicks I’ve seen. Why couldn’t I do it? I even tried using an old credit card, sliding it up and down the narrow opening while testing the knob if it yielded to my cajoling. 

By this time, I was silently begging the credit card not to let me down. Was I going to have to break down the door? And how in the world was I going to do that? Again, my only reference for this would be movie scenes that depicted cowboys or big, heroic gentlemen in suits or the Marines who successfully kicked down doors at the first attempt. I wasn’t about to try that and make like a stuntman.

When nothing worked, I decided I would have to get a locksmith. It happened to be a Sunday, so looking for an available one was more difficult than usual. I followed a few leads given by friends, tracking some of them down only to come upon padlocked booths or kiosks. 

Finally, this unassuming man whom I had seen several times with his cart and “key duplication/shoe repair/umbrella repair” signage at a street corner about 10 minutes away from our house was up for the job! Hurray!

Within half an hour he was outside my room, working two little tools on the keyhole. It was fascinating to watch and I instantly wanted to learn the skill. It would definitely come in handy for just the fix in which I found myself! 

I have forgotten the exact exchange we had that allowed me to unearth the facts pertaining to his admirable talent, but in those 3 or so minutes I asked him how he learned to do the lock-picking and was nonchalantly told his being in prison enabled him to acquire the expertise. Now hearing that from a man who was inside your home and fiddling with the knob on your bedroom door has the potential to make beads of sweat instantly form on your forehead and give you that sinking feeling. That’s what happened to me in the next few moments. I also froze (metaphorically, of course). 

I don’t like this conversation, I seem to have thought to myself at that point. Note that I seem to have thought it because the details of those moments escape me now. Everything just became fuzzy from then on, swimming inside my head – did he build a career on picking locks in illegal situations and got jailed for it, and perfected the skill while in prison? Or did he do time and simply taught the “craft” to the other inmates in a skills training of sorts? I just know the word “prison” was somewhere in there, and visions of him in a group engaged in a lock-picking demo remain in my mind. 

I don’t remember what I said after that, but my sinking-feeling-in-beads-of-sweat-and-frozen-demeanor would have lasted longer than a few seconds had the locksmith been less skillful – shortly after revealing the circumstances pertaining to his expertise, he casually turned the knob and gave the door a slight push. Open sesame! Seeing the door slowly swing toward my bedroom gave me the feeling of witnessing the parting of the Red Sea. It was a welcome sight indeed, mostly because it meant I would not have to spend another minute with the dude whose honesty was admirable but whose timing in revealing unsavory aspects of himself would be funny only if it happened in some movie, not in real life (and certainly not to me)!

I did thank him for his service (he was fast, too, unlocking that door in 4 minutes tops), paid him and promptly showed him the way out. Thank God nothing untoward happened. I was grateful, too, that I didn’t have to break down the door or ask one of my brothers or nephews to kick it open, stuntman-style.

When I see my keys, sometimes I’m reminded of this lock-picking incident. I even wonder about the talented Mr. Locksmith from time to time. What has become of him? How much does he make in a day? Has he saturated the market in our area and decided to move to another location? He and his cart are no longer on the street corner that used to be his regular post. I sure hope his key duplication and umbrella/shoe repair services generate plenty of customers and enable him to make ends meet, whatever his needs may be. His lock-picking expertise sure is awesome; let’s hope it’s used only for purposes that don’t deserve another stint behind bars. Well, for all I know, he could have just said those things to get a kick out of seeing the expected reaction. It’s possible none of it is true and that his talents and interests simply lie in keys and locks – and getting careless key owners out of their predicament is just something he does on the side.

 

When it's sizzling in the tropics

For about a month now, the summer temperature has been unmistakable in my country -- so seeing photos of snow-covered driveways and reading complaints from fellows in parts of the United States in March about the cold was a little disorienting. It's summer in the Philippines and it is scorching hot (and humid!), particularly the past several days.

This somehow sums it up:

Now, if you were out for some fun on the seashore on a hot summer day and someone nearby suddenly fainted, would you know what to do? The dude could be suffering from heat stroke (also known as "sunstroke") and you're standing there clueless as to how to help him!

Here are some guidelines if you should happen to give first aid to a person suffering from heat stroke:

While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the person to an air-conditioned environment -- or at least a cool, shady area -- and remove any unnecessary clothing.

Try these cooling strategies:

• Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or garden hose.
• Apply ice packs to the patient's armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
• Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water, or an ice bath.

Read more about heat stroke symptoms, treatment and prevention  here

Summer is upon us in the tropics once again...

... and even my dog finds the temperature too much to handle without a hat.

Good thing dogs don't need topical sunscreen. But we could use some of it everyday, particularly if our days have us going out in the sun even for just minutes at a time (unless you're an infant getting your daily dose of vitamin D in the early morning sun).  Concern about sun exposure goes beyond skin-deep, after all.

Music, madness and Manila driving

When news of buses being banned in the city of Manila came out, how did you react? Were you the picture of unbridled fury, feeling like the female version of the Incredible Hulk in mid-transformation? Did you simply whimper, imagining the chaotic daily morning commute to the office you would now have to bear with? Were Mayor Joseph Estrada and Vice-mayor Isko Moreno the target of your verbal darts on Facebook? Or, did the news go ignored since you don’t pass Manila anyway?

Well, the news was totally unexpected for a lot of us. What was expected was the barrage of protests as a result of the move aimed at addressing the perennial traffic problem in the metropolis. Frankly, after getting over the initial incredulity over the news, my dismay turned to delight. No buses in Manila? That means... Taft Avenue without those horrible things that zoom and zigzag down the road as if each of them was designated Manic Driver of the Day? Yeheyyy! And now they’re even cracking down on colorum bus units!

If you get behind the wheel at least once in a while, you know that driving in Manila is a test of virtue. In fact, “patience is a virtue” is one helpful slogan to keep in mind when plying the city’s streets, as you are bound to encounter temptations of various kinds. Since people of different persuasions and temperaments are on the road, expect differences in driving styles and even in definitions of words – such as courtesy, right of way, one way, no parking on this side – so you can more easily adjust to those differences and overcome temptations to yell invectives or shoot dirty looks at the other driver to show your displeasure.

After having driven around these streets for over 20 years now, I’ve discovered some things that help make the driving experience more pleasant, less nerve-wracking, and most important of all, safer. One of them is the fact that music can make a lot of difference.

So you like listening to the radio or your own carefully compiled playlist while driving through traffic. That’s good. Music can do wonders to calm the senses, lead to positive feelings, facilitate focus, and keep one wide awake. God knows a drowsy driver has no place behind the steering wheel of a moving vehicle! And positive feelings are definitely vital during the daily rush hour. But have you considered that your choice of music can spell a big difference when it comes to calm, focused and safe driving? At this point, let me exalt the merits of classical music, which not everyone relishes and which can even put some to sleep (not good in this case). There is reliable data to back up my claims but first let me tell you why I opt for Mozart, Bach and some of the other classical giants when I drive through routes that include Taft, Edsa, Espana or any other major road in the city:

The resonant strains of violins, the melodious patterns played on the piano, and the cadence the instruments in an orchestra produce as a result – these soothe the soul. Minutes after this kind of music starts playing, it’s like I am enveloped in serenity. And it doesn’t matter if I’m with three other people in the car or driving on my own. But it has more of an effect, I suppose, when it’s just me and the music.

Someone said that classical music can draw people closer to God, and a friend theorized maybe that’s because it encourages contemplation. Well, this is something good because contemplating things of God is crucial when the only other thing you feel like doing is getting even with the driver that almost hit you as he swerved to your lane. I mean, a clear head and a clean heart should be constant – whatever situation you’re in – but on the road, when tempers can flare, when pride has led disgruntled drivers to resolve situations by shooting, and a corrupt system issues driver’s licenses to people who seem oblivious to traffic rules and road courtesy, those Godly qualities become even more important to keep your sanity (and to stay alive!). Can you imagine having the one with the horns and forked tongue serve as your “inspiration” whenever you encounter drivers that cut you off or motorcycle riders that zigzag down major roads as if they were stuntmen in action? You will want to contemplate God, not the one whose goal is to make you do wicked things.

As for empirical data showing the benefits of classical music on human behavior, yet another recent study has yielded findings that show how listening to Mozart enables people to concentrate more. This time it’s a research led by scientists from Kyoto University and Harvard University and which involved children aged 8-9 and adults aged 65-75. Participants demonstrated significantly quicker reaction time and committed less errors on tests when taken with a Mozart minuet playing in the background. The two other times had them taking the tests in silence and with a modified version of the minuet (with dissonant or irregular intervals). 

So is it any wonder that institutions turn to classical music as a means to alter behavior? They have found that listening to Mozart helps restless and agitated people – children and adults alike – become more relaxed. In the case of Manila’s exciting streets, unless there is a way to feed Mozart’s minuets into the headsets and speakers of every driver for some mind control, it’s only you who can benefit from the soothing sounds of the Austrian composer – or any classical composer for that matter.

Regardless of scientific findings on the effects of this musical genre on the brain, listening to Strauss waltzes as well as pieces with titles like “Canon in D Major” and “Symphony No. 9” frankly makes me unconsciously adopt the demeanor of someone like Elizabeth Bennet rather than Lady Gaga or Rihanna (Who is Elizabeth Bennet, you ask? Think “vulgar,” coarse,” “crass” – words that do not describe the protagonist in Pride & Prejudice). So, would a lady from the 1700s yell at a rude driver? No, she’s likely to inspire courtesy on the road – and any other place she graced with her presence. Would someone like the pop performers inspire courteous behavior on the road and good manners anywhere else they showed up? Well, let’s just say ladylike bearing brings out the gentlemen in men, and I certainly don’t want to bring out rough attitudes on the street (in myself and in others). If it’s the likes of The Nutcracker Suite and Fur Elise that will inspire virtue in me whenever I’m on the city’s major roads, then this type of music will dominate my playlist. Let’s leave Call Me Maybe and other pop staples for the times I’m a pedestrian or a passenger far from the steering wheel.

 Woman Today magazine
November 2013

Of mice and men

What a funny way to promote a product -- and to demonstrate grit in the process. Though I'd much rather look at the likes of Mickey and Remy (from Ratatouille) instead of real-looking rodents like the one in the commercial, it's ads like this that I enjoy and find effective.






A couple of years ago, Google also launched an ad campaign, and one of the spots debuted at the Superbowl. You can see two of the ads in a previous post.

Using blurred analytical lenses?

This is all that I'll point out about it for now. More informative and detailed materials to come soon.

On the dark side

Ah, young Skywalker, anger management could have helped...

Looking back

It cracks me up everytime I hear of some anecdote about young fellows being clueless about contraptions or simple everyday objects from a previous era. One instance had a teenage girl stumped by a rotary-dial telephone. "Grandma, how do you use this thing?" she asked, obviously born in the age of push-button

appliances or probably mobile phones already. I read that in a magazine article that had a collection of stories of such cross-generational inquiries.

Then there was another young girl who, upon seeing a vinyl long-playing album for the first time, quipped something like "Wow, grandma/grandpa! You sure had big CDs back then..." I read that, too.

And a few years ago, a colleague related how his preschool-aged daughters came running to him and excitedly reported, "Dad, we found something weird," and showed the "weird" thing to him. It was a cassette tape.

I've blogged about vintage stuff several times already. This and this are a couple of posts about it, which I hope you enjoy reading.

Humor in black & white

If you'd like something that's not static, here's a silent film that is bound to give you a few laughs. Nearly 23 minutes of Buster Keaton comedy -- The Goat (1921):

Bravado

You learn something new everyday...

A couple of days ago, I realized that I had been breaking the law for some time already without my knowing it.

As I was on the road on my way to work, a friend gave me a call. It was about some things pertaining to election matters and those were pretty important, so we continued talking as I made my way through Espana and approached the area of Quiapo church. Traffic was so-so, neither bumper-to-bumper nor free-flowing enough to enable motorists to zoom on the road without occasionally hitting the brakes.

As I passed the church, one of the yellow-clad traffic enforcers a few meters ahead seemed to look my way and pointed at me. When the vehicle was within arm's length of the traffic enforcer, he gave the windshield a strong tap and flashed an exasperated expression. I quietly wondered what it was about while still conversing with my friend on the phone. My car is not coded today, so what could that have been about, I silently asked myself.

"Bawal ba makipag-usap sa cellphone habang nag-da-drive?" I asked my friend.

"Oo," he replied.

"Bawal? May law ba?" I countered, stunned by my ignorance.

"Oo, Buhay nag-initiate niyan!" he blurted out, chuckling, obviously amused by my ignorance of the law.

Was I flabbergasted. I knew there was some guideline or maybe a small ordinance or some equally insignificant (legally speaking) thing about refraining from using one's mobile phone while driving, but I was unaware that there was actually a law prohibiting the use of the mobile phone while driving. While part of me had an inkling as to the possible dangers one was exposed to in simultaneously driving and having a conversation on the phone, I in fact thought I was being responsible by refraining from texting while driving.

And I thought I was a responsible citizen *sheepish feeling here*

While I'm grateful for lawmakers having that kind of concern for the lives of the country's citizens (I'm told the same party list formulated and had the law on motorcycle-riders having to wear helmets passed as well), realizing my "you learn something new everyday" discovery led to some momentary contemplation about the assumption that one knows when he really doesn't. It reminded me of the oft-used line "Malinis ang konsensiya ko" or "I will decide based on my own conscience." Malinis nga ang konsensiya mo, pero formed naman ba ito? O deformed? O kaya ill-formed? Misinformed? One's conscience can be a reliable guide for one's judgment and choices if it is formed well -- and based on the truth and not someone's version of the truth. A version that can change according to one's whims or circumstances. I was confident that I was being responsible and could even declare that I was a responsible citizen... but it turns out the knowledge on which my actions were based was sorely deficient.

I'm just thankful that traffic that day wasn't so bad that crawling at snail's pace would've surely enabled the traffic enforcer to apprehend me! Well, what do you know? The very next day, I caught myself making a call again while I was on the wheel! I realized it after I had ended the conversation, and told myself that some things can really be hard habits to break. But it can be done. And since then I have been more vigilant about it, resolute in doing the lawful (and sensible) thing.

I wonder what other laws I've been unwittingly violating...


*Artwork from Creative Loafing Charlotte

And voila!

Vintage alert: Bits of an era of genuine connection (not online connection)

Reminiscing and reading old blog posts brought me to this one about the differences in lifestyles between today and a few decades ago (entertainment, doing research, communicating with friends...) brought about by the presence of more sophisticated technology. So once again I remembered that graphic that was shared widely on Facebook sometime and which brought back a lot of pleasant memories for many of us who were already alive and past our preschool years by the time these things were part of mainstream culture:

Then of course how can I not remember doing library work in school without the practice of pulling dozens and dozens of drawers and sifting through hundreds of index cards?

Vintage seems to be my favorite word these days...

Plain and simple

Mr. Schulz

Proverbs and sayings about hope, overcoming disappointments, or perseverance can be quite inspiring when one comes across them under ordinary circumstances. In other words, when things are going fine. But for some reason, sayings such as "Every cloud has a silver lining" or "Triumph is just 'try' with a little 'umph" (at least it goes something like that) don't seem to have that much of an impact during moments when the best way to describe your situation is "pasan ko ang daigdig."

The cloud, the lining, the rainbow, the storm -- even the most beautifully phrased quotes from prominent figures in history can ring hollow for some folks even when the message these convey is needed the most. Ironic, huh?

But when you hear of a successful person who experienced setback after setback and then ended up excelling in his field despite the odds, it can make quite an impact on even the most broken spirit. Probably many know of Thomas Edison's thousand or so failures before he perfected the light bulb. Abraham Lincoln is also known for one disappointment after another (death of a fiancee, failing at business twice, eight-time defeat at elections). Talk about perseverance.

I learned just recently that the drawings of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz were rejected by his high school yearbook. But then he went on and continued to draw, eventually coming up with his famous cartoon strip featuring Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Today, a 5-foot statue of Snoopy stands in the main office of the school that rejected his art work decades ago.

(I also learned that the Little Red-Haired Girl in the strip was based on a woman named Donna Mae Johnson, an accountant with whom Mr. Schulz fell in love and who turned him down after he proposed (Donna Mae decided to marry another man.)

Recently, I watched the movie Snoopy, Come Home again partly because our puppies have a habit of running out of the gate whenever they see a chance to do so. It's like they hunger for "the great outdoors" -- meaning the street. And once I wondered what would happen if they actually stayed out and roamed the streets wherever their noses led them, never to come back. Chuck was certainly at his wits' end when he couldn't find an explanation for Snoopy's rushed departure in the movie.

This is one entertaining flick. Thanks, Mr. Schulz :-)

Pilipin showbiz... and "mental colony"

I was all set to echo the sentiments expressed in this hilarious video by Mikey Bustos, but then there's no need to (I'll just end up ruining the whole post).

Addendum: After publishing this, I realized that the "frozen image" from the video that appears may give the impression that the content is inappropriate. It isn't :-)

Bye-bye, buko pie!

French roast

Hoping for (good) change till now?

Worthy of your support!