E-book or paperback? A million-paged question.

I wanted to buy a Catholic Study Bible online and was just about to when I found myself at a crossroads. The online store sells both format. I made a comparative analysis:

A real book offers the OG feel of reading -licking a finger, flipping pages, smelling the pages every now and then, bookmarking creatively, warding off insects, keeping crisp bills crisp, battery-free reading, among others. But I can’t share it with others without giving it away. I can’t read without light. Pages can be torn out.

The e-book offers reading at any desired font style, size and color, multi-tasking is easier when using the same phone or tablet or desktop, multiple device, multiple user (I can share or give away without losing a copy), read without ambient lighting. But I can’t use it to kill a cockroach and if not charged, can’t do any reading. People who see you reading will think you’re spending too much time on FB, IG or KD on Netflix.

The latter offered a free sample for testing so I took it. The former has not sent a single page for trial.

I know the Good Book tells not to pass judgment but I will soon have to make one. In order to avoid being judgmental, I’ll just toss a coin. I could flip a real one or use an app. Oh dang, crossroads again.

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes

"…𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔…" 𝑱𝒏6:13

#CommunityPantry

This was circulated in many social media pages recently: A resident in this city placed a bamboo cart full of veggies, rice, canned goods, alcohol and other basic necessities in a sidewalk near a market where many pedestrians, pedicab drivers and their passengers can see and help themselves with. Note written on cardboard says, "Take only what you need. Give what you can." People in need took only a little every time. But a lot more contributed to the cart. Last update, there were more goods than the sidewalk can handle. As of today, many others did the same in their communities.

Amidst the bad and the fake news that pepper our daily existence, there is hope in the goodness of man. I know this because the Source of all things good will never forsake His people. I believe we are His people.

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes #CommunityPantry

What do you call those plastic tubes or plugs to fix screws into masonry after drilling? Andre and I didn’t have a name for them so we just call them by their color. "𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨." "𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦?." "𝘕𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦." We understood.

While my wife was chopping veggies, I was asked, "𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘱𝘭𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭…" - it’s the think-of-your-own-ending-to-the-sentence request. No problem. I gave her three cloves of garlic. We understood.

When you’ve been living with homo sapiens in the same household for centuries, a new language is developed. One that only you and the household members understand: hand signals; eye movements; tongue twisters; eyebrow raising; mumbles; strange and familiar bodily sounds. Even complete silence.

Actions and silence connect us in a way that words never could.

It’s called familiarity. And understanding.

I raise this cup to family. Cheers! #MyCafeNotes

When I was new in this industry, a Japanese company was one of my biggest clients. In one appointed visit, I got in the meeting room just in the nick of time.

"Good afternoon!" I cheerfully announced.

But was opposed with:

"You’re two minutes late!"

Japanese sense of time, I know, right? But there’s another trait the Japanese are known for: nationalism.

I answered back, "But according to my Japan-made Seiko watch, I’m on time!"

It was immediately back to a good afternoon. I thank God for a quick mental reflex.

When pushed against a wall, know that you can still kick where it hurts. Then you’re pushed no more.

𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑝𝑎𝑖! #MyCafeNotes

P.S. As I was escorted to where I was parked, I showed them my Japan-made car that helped me arrive there on time. 𝐻𝑎𝑖!

Accidents do happen, and almost always, like a flash. A few years ago, I was walking cautiously towards a local Internal Revenue office to pay my quarterly taxes on a rain-wet sidewalk that was still being paved. I took a misstep, slid without control with my head landing 3 inches away from a re-bar sticking out of an unfinished pedestal. I suffered minor bruises. A few weeks ago, my wife slipped and fell on the bathroom floor. She also suffered minor bruises. We were both thankful that, although these accidents could have left us with broken bones, or worse, lifeless bodies, we escaped serious injuries. And lived to tell this tale.

Those accidents could also have been avoided: if only I skipped paying taxes that month or if my wife skipped taking a bath, we may have avoided them.

You do good, you do bad. Same results, different results. It’s always a choice.

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes

I found some old chocolates in one of the drawers in our fridge. I knew they were not new because I remember where and when we bought them from one of our travels. They’re one of my faves that I really enjoy. I immediately checked for the Best Before or Expiry date. It says 30.Mar.20. Now, I know that dates are written differently depending on the country of origin.

So this one can either be March 30, 2020 (past) or March 20, 2030 (future).

I never bothered checking the country of origin. It was crystal clear, obvious. A no brainer. They’re still good for 9 more years! Yummy.

It’s pointless arguing with an active appetite.

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes

This happened pre-online days. There were 5 of us in the car going to a fish market in a nearby port. Got there safe. Did some chit-chatting and hag-haggling with the locals. And got what we wanted. After loading our catch, we took off. Halfway on the road back, it was noticed that only 4 of us were in the car, not counting the fish. I was the one driving and hence, absolved from the guilt of neglect. Or was it my duty to ask, "All in?" before driving off? What happened next is what you usually see in movies in fast-forward: car pulling over, passengers getting out, opening the trunk, checking the fish container (just in case), looking at each other mouthing OMG, going back in, speeding back in the opposite direction.

We got back faster than a sailfish in the open sea. And there he was, no doubt with his self-esteem lowered by the abandonment. Spotting the car, he immediately jumped in, relieved to have been given importance, delayed despite. Before driving off, I looked at the rearview mirror in front of me and bellowed, "Count off!"

How would you feel playing Kevin (Home Alone) in real life? Forgotten, disregarded, overlooked, neglected. There were only 5 of us -not 50, not 500. Not too easy to process in the mind of the one dismissed, albeit unintentionally. I guess if you take what others think of you more seriously than what you take yourself for, then that’s tough.

It could be an entirely different perspective if you’re the one left out. But, if ever, I’ll give myself more credit and sulk less.

Cheers! #MyCafeNotes