Stamps in the City

Just recently, I received a birthday card from my mom, my siblings and their kids. It was so touching and absolutely unexpected. (Thanks Ma and sibs!) It could easily be one of the best birthday gifts!


Call me traditional or old fashioned but I enjoy getting (and sending) cards via the postal mail. In the age of email, sms texts and Facebook message, it is great that the messages are sent and received almost instantaneously. However, there are elements missing in electronic messages.

There is something personal, classy and timeless in a card with a postmark on it.  Imagine and compare these - getting an email from a friend who is visiting Paris or getting a postcard mailed from Paris by the same friend. 


It must be the smell of the ink, the texture of the paper, the distinguishing quality of the stamps that have been worn out by the arduous process of stamping the letters, sorting, then delivering them. 


Did you know that I send myself postcards when I travel abroad? Part of my touristy experience is a visit to the postal office and of course, sending the postcards complete with the stamps.

The birthday card I just received came in an envelope with five or six small stamps affixed. Not just metered stamps but real stamps! I get excited about things like this.  Why not try sending a postcard when you travel and rediscover the difference?


To see the rest of my stamp project, click here.

Moving trains in the city

He noticed the shape of this man's left ear first and then he instantly felt a tinge of sadness. It reminded him of his father's big, wide lobed ears, which is almost out of proportion with the size of the face. After discreetly staring at the man, he realized that not only his features made him an an obvious look a like of his father but also the way he holds the newspaper, the way he raises the eye brows and he tilts his head back, the way he wears his reading glasses and the manner he clutches his bag. The man is a bit younger and a little more corporate and western in clothing compared to his father. He liked what he saw because this is how he imagined his father in a big city setting but he knows this is not going to happen. How he wished he had brought his father to the city for a visit, among other things, when he was still strong, healthy and living. While taking note of the time on his way out of the subway, he realized it is the 2nd of March. Suddenly, the chilly draft created by the moving trains starts to sting his eyes. ~rl

(The photo above is taken at the De Young Museum during the Flowers to Arts exhibition in San Francisco, CA).

Sleepless in the city

I woke up way too early.

It was 3:52a when I glanced at the alarm clock. The heater was on so it must have been freezing cold inside. We've set it to automatic so that it will only go off when the thermostat registers 36F (approx 2 Celsius) and only at dawn so it would be warm and toasty when we get up.

I decided to pray all over again hoping that it will lull me to sleep. Surprisingly, I was wide awake as if I just had a couple of shots of espresso. This is not a battle that is easy to win, I thought, so I gave up and decided to make this time worthwhile. As I get older, getting over a jet lag seems even harder.

The wood floor was freezing as I walked into the living room. I leafed through last week's magazines to catch up on what's happening in the city and the country. I could sense a mixed feeling of optimism, because of the new administration, and caution because of the shaky economy.

The house was so quiet. It was so quiet I could hear a minute ringing sound, almost deafening. This is so different from where I was two weeks earlier. No more roosters crowing, no more dogs yapping, no more children laughing.

Finally, a faint dark-blue hue started to appear on the horizon. It is almost 7oclock on a saturday morning. I decided to make what would be our first home cooked meal of the year.

~ral

(The photo above was taken around the Embarcadero area of San Francisco.)

Salamat sa Diyos at Biyernes na

Kausap ko si Mama sa telepono nang tumawag ang Salvadoran. Mula nung pumanaw si Papa, naisip ko na palagiang tawagan si Mama tuwing biyernes. Tutal, telecommute naman ako nang araw na yun. Nakakatuwa lang, di kami nauubusan ng kuwento. Ang laging bungad ni Mama pag-angat ng telepono ay ang American boy. Tumatagal yung kuwentuhan namin ng kalahating oras. Nakakausap ko rin ang kapatid kong si Nene kapag nataon na nasa bahay siya. Huwag nyo na lang itanong kung magkano ang phone bill ko kada buwan.

Sabi ko sa Salvadoran na tawagan ko ulit siya mamaya kasi kausap ko mama ko. Alam niyang aabutin ng siyam siyam ang usapan namin kaya nag-text na lang siya. Magkita daw kami sa harap ng GAP sa Powell.

Pagkatapos ng isang oras at kalahati, nasa harap na ako ng Gap. Kinakapa ko yung cell phone ko para tawagan siya na andito na ako nang may nakita ako sa di kalayuan. Sa gitna ng mga tourista, empleyado sa opisina, at mamimili - agad ko siyang natanaw.

Tumayo na lang muna ako sa isang sulok patuloy na nagmasid sa malayo nang tumunog ang cell phone ko. Nagtatanong ang Salvadoran kung nasaan na raw ako. Bigla akong napangiti.

~ral

(Ang larawan sa itaas ay ang tulay na ang tawag ay Bay Bridge sa San Francisco.)

Arctic weather in the City

Northern California is having a cold spell. The weather is going to be subfreezing again tonight. The forecast for the weekend is even colder. I used to joke about winter being the time of year for showing off stylish clothes. It is nice for one day but two, three, four days? That is too much.

It is too much if I have to wear four layers. It is too much if I have to wear a pair of gloves and a hat. Where has the mild winter gone to? This is too much for someone who just came back from sunny, warm, paradise. By spending Christmas in the Philippines, I thought I skipped the coldest and longest night of the year. Apparently, more cold nights are coming.

I am back to my routine. The party is over. Since I am staying indoors to keep myself warm, this weekend is probably a good time to start reading the books I had bought earlier. Maybe review my basic Italian from ITAL1A before I start ITAL10A for Spring Semester. Anything just to keep myself busy. Homesickness is setting in already.

~ ral

(The photo of a hawk bathing in sunshine was taken around the backyard. I work from home on Mondays and Fridays and I was taking a quick break when I spotted the bird behind the leafless trees. I quickly but quietly ran to the bedroom to get my camera and my 300mm zoom lens. How often do you see a hawk in your backyard, in the city? This is priceless.)