During my childhood the story told us was a simple fairy tale.
With a powerful sound track and a new version, the popular classic received a great boost.
At one point in the movie, though, I did expect Snow White showing her fangs. (laughs)
Tag: Opinion
Dandy
I almost forgot.
Earlier, at the same event, I overheard an out-of-town visitor complaining about his allergies concerning certain foods, particularly those coming from the sea. He was too vocal to tell everyone that his taste buds were choosy to the point he would vomit when given food that disagreed with his stomach.
When he first arrived, people thought he was a big shot. Later, we found out that he was not even wealthy nor overly educated. Pretentious was the word for him. I could sense he was acting the part to get the notice he did not really deserve. Such creatures appear once in a while, more so in village celebrations where many folks were easily duped by dramatic ostentation.I was sure he would be caught in his own lie when the time came.
Lunch was over but a late relative came over with big plateful of spring rolls. They were still warm when served in the middle of the table.
Mr. VIP did not wait for any invitation as he picked first, ready to munch what to him looked like French fries. Before we could eat our first, he had already devoured four.
“If you want to excuse yourself to go outside, feel free to do so.”
He was perplexed why I singled him out.
“I am fine,” he remarked, pretending not to have heard my advice. “These are delicious.”
I stood up, approached him and whispered, “Can I talk to you outside?”
He probably thought I would reprimand him for eating too much, though I did consider the same. But I had to point to him a detail he forgot to take into account.
“You said you are allergic to seafood.”
“Absolutely! I can’t stand the taste.”
“So why are you eating squid?”
At that instant I was ready for his outburst, of not being informed of the ingredient that could trigger his allergy, then belatedly throwing up in front of me to complete the farce.
To my surprise he did nothing of those scenarios I was afraid of: he simply smiled, caught of his charade but never verbally admitting I uncovered his scam.
“I’ll be on my way,” he said politely, eager to ease his way out from the embarrassing situation he dug himself into.
“Where are you going?” I asked automatically.
“It’s early in the afternoon. I can still make several rounds.”
“I suppose you’ll give them the same treatment like the stunt you pulled here.”
He did not need the scolding but I was offended by his impertinence.
“I am not a bad guy,” he reasoned. “Just a bit of fun, man!”
“I’ll let you off this time,” I conceded. “Next time, please come as you are. We are simple folks but we’re not naive.”
Incited
The intervening period between Christmas and New Year went like a blur. Without the online incursions I was supposed to busy myself with when indoors, I had no excuse when invitations came from various acquaintances. I was never a party animal even when I was young, though this time around, most of the gatherings I attended provided more of eating and singing. One such occasion happened two days before the year ended.
In the local setting, drinking is never absent in celebrations. Even though I could claim to be the most capable person who could turn down offers of sprees without hurting feelings, I could give in once in a while but for only several shots.
By accident, I passed by in front of the video karaoke after a song ended. It was the quickest route out the door.
“I dare you to sing Hotel California,” someone shouted from the crowd.
Murmurs followed; the kind that provoked the challenged to defend his honor.
No way, Jose! I had already my plan of escaping the scene when the chance presented itself. I would not make myself the main attraction, belting out a rendition of a classic like I was Don Henley himself.
“I have a sore throat,” I lied convincingly, clearing the passage with the corresponding sound.
“Drink this,” my kumpare took his cue and handed me a glass with yellow fluid in it.
“What is it?” I asked, frowning to show my disinterest.
“Pineapple juice,” he replied, grinning from ear to ear. He looked like a ripe tomato, his face glistening with perspiration.
“I have to go home. I am not feeling well.”
“That man is from the city. He kept on boasting that village people were no good in singing. You could prove him wrong.”
Like a conspirator, my kumpare whispered more compliments to my ears, trying his darn best to force me to take up the challenge.
“Drink this and you’ll make him eat his words.”
The imp on my shoulder won: I drank.
Guess what? I was not that bad. Clapping of hands accompanied my performance. I was like a restless body on my chair, twisting and turning to the rhythm, slurring the lyrics as if the American accent was my own since birth. 😀
Roars of glee erupted when I was finally finished. I was not sure if they liked what they heard or they were simply happy that I entertained them.
“I am impressed,” the man approached me, patting my shoulder.
“By the way, how did you know I could sing?”
“Your kumpare boasted that village people are better singers than city folks.”
“One for the road,” my kumpare intruded in our conversarion and gave me another shot. “Here’s to our champion!”
What the heck! Such indulgence would be over once I left the place.
Strategy
Well, I am still bugged by slow connection. To add insult to injury, we have just survived a five-hour power interruption. Swell!
I have really given my blogging tactics a lot of thought while I was offline. I have to beat the odds and keep publishing posts without letting the drawbacks getting on my nerves.
From this day on, I will be using the schedule post feature to get around the inefficient systems. Unfortunately, I could not respond to comments in real time, which I really want to do. This may appear rude on my part. But what can I do if I am prevented to reply by factors I could not control?
I am still tinkering with my new theme, updating old pages while checking old posts before writing new content. I checked my email account and I am beginning to get double vision looking at thousands of notifications. 🙂
Also, I am trying to figure out the best time to stay online. I have to change my sleeping habits once more: early to bed and to rise since the start of the year. I could be a night owl again. 🙂
I might be slow reading blogs for the time being. However, you know my former pattern. In time, I will drop by your sites and check out everything I missed while I was away. 😀
It’s ABOUT TIME (a new page) I get back on my rhythm!
Unplanned
An idea comes to our mind, formed to satisfy a necessity or solve a particular problem. That’s true up to a certain extent. There will be factors beyond our control that we would be unable to continue what we set out to accomplish.
Since Christmas Day, I had this notion of spending my time surfing the Net during the holidays. I wanted to celebrate the festive season with my global family, so to speak, like the year before.
Fat chance! The same idea circled the minds of millions of other users, more particularly my countrymen who clogged the system. Social media platforms could have been overwhelmed with heavy internet traffic that the local service providers did not know what hit them. The slow connection came to a halt in some parts of the country. I was a victim in the mayhem.
Instead of giving myself a headache of waiting (too long) for a smooth connection, I decided to cut myself off from the air. (Unfortunately, I could not reply to most of your Christmas felicitations.)
Paying for the service which most likely would be unsatisfactory was self-defeating. I chose the smarter (forgive the pun) option.
A day stretched to weeks, then more until one thing led to another. The festivities and field work replaced the urge to go online. Daily, at the back of my mind, the ‘itch’ was egging me to reconsider.
The on-off connection made the decision to stay offline more acceptable. I did not like it but I had to.
Most times reality sucks. 😦
Review
Waking up in a peaceful place is part of the allure of provincial life. We do not need to watch out for anything unexpected, contented to live as simple as possible.
On the contrary, all those people in areas with conflicts could not claim the same: fear of the unexpected torments their hearts and minds. They need all their survival instincts to escape various threats against themselves and their loved ones.
We should re-examine our current situation. It is a must.
Let me take this opportunity to plead for the cause of peace, to denounce violence in all forms, and to exhort everyone to refrain from stoking the fires of ongoing hostilities.
We should learn to live together in harmony. It’s not an impossible task.
Please! Let us do away with the constant recriminations and animosities that divide us. We should instead work together to elevate our existence to a higher consciousness, an advanced specie in the universe, worthy of greatness we hope to achieve as a civilization.
I believe, we will prevail.
Merry Christmas to all. A wonderful day to everyone.
More
Our daily affairs affect us differently. Sometimes, all the stress of living deny us peace of mind. Perhaps, we should begin to realize that life is what we make of it.
Goodnight everyone!
Sleep tight. Dream well. 😀
Memorable
We should never forget those who shared happiness with our lives.
They will always be in our hearts and minds.
Booster
Feeling down? Hopeless?
Don’t be!
You’re alive because you can make a difference for others.
Casual
It’s hours before the DAY but it would seem the celebrations this year lack the traditional cheer we are accustomed to enjoy in the past. I am not really surprised for the austerity most people observed: their practicality won over their former happy-go-lucky behavior.
Sure, they will celebrate Christmas but not the way they used to. Belt-tightening is the primary reason people resorted to the downplayed holiday.
The loud fireworks are gone, either they became too expensive or too dangerous for all concerned. The flickering lights that once adorned every house, are less of a sight to behold because too few homes have them. Even the elaborate decorations which every family took weeks to assemble are conspicuously absent.
Years before, carolers often met each other on the road, eager to outdo one another with their singing prowess and flair in serenading households. Today, they need to send envelopes first to their prospects, veering away from tradition of surprising their hosts with angelic renditions of Christmas songs. On the extreme, families ignore them altogether, considering their annual practice as obsolete.
I am not sure what will Christmas be next year. But I am afraid, more and more people will consider it as an ordinary birthday celebration.
However, we can still look forward to the silver lining, so to speak. We can celebrate Christmas in our hearts everyday. That means we have 365 days of peace and kindness instead of just one.
Not a bad idea, eh? 😀
belsbror 