Tuesday, August 23, 2011

August 23, 2011: A really bad day --

It started with a really bad night.

Seth came home yesterday with a cough.  It worsened during the evening and you could hear phlegm-y sounds when he coughed.  He slept nicely but you could hear him whimper and cough intermittently.

Our pedia is out of town today and tomorrow.

We're leaving for Cebu tomorrow.

The pedia-allergologist was also out of town until Wednesday morning.

Then there's news of a bagyo.  So I called Cebu Pacific to see what our options are in case the bagyo comes our way.

Since our tickets were bought during a promo, they are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to a travel fund if we cancel.  To rebook our tickets to next week would cost almost the same amount as buying new tickets.

Thank goodness the hotel is willing to extend the expiry of our vouchers to next month so that's one less thing to worry about.

Then Seth puked.

Then we missed Anya's class because I mis-read the note from the teacher.  I thought their practice was on Wednesday from 830 to 1030 -- apparently, it was for today and tomorrow.

Then we discovered one of our helpers has lice (kuto) and the kids' pedia advised all of us to shampoo our hair in Kwell.  Tried to get to kids to sit still with eyes closed for 10 minutes with Kwell in their hair.  It was hell inside the bathroom.  I was shouting and cursing.

It was especially difficult to wash Anya's hair because it's long -- I'm thinking of getting her hair cut short later.

Then we had to strip all of our bed linens and had all of our comforters taken to the dry cleaners.   (Added expense.)

All this happened before lunch time today.

Monday, August 22, 2011

RIP: Edith Tiempo --

This weekend was a sad one for Philippine Literature -- we lost both Kerima Polotan Tuvera and Edith Tiempo.

Of the 2, I am more affected by Tiempo's passing.  I remember reading her poetry and being left breathless by her very modern/post-modern style.

(Polotan's The Sounds of Sunday was a wonderfully powerful story.)

I think I've posted this poem on my blog a few times before:

Bonsai (Edith L. Tiempo)

All that I love
I fold over once
And once again
And keep in a box
Or a slit in a hollow post
Or in my shoe.

All that I love?
Why, yes, but for the moment-
And for all time, both.
Something that folds and keeps easy,
Son's note or Dad's one gaudy tie,
A roto picture of a queen,
A blue Indian shawl, even
A money bill.

It's utter sublimation,
A feat, this heart's control
Moment to moment
To scale all love down
To a cupped hand's size

Till seashells are broken pieces
From God's own bright teeth,
And life and love are real
Things you can run and
Breathless hand over
To the merest child.

She has another poem that I love -- I remember some of the words but not the title.  I will try to look for it and post it here as well.