First things first! November 1, obviously the first day and the first Sunday of the month, is the end of Daylight
Saving Time. Lest you forget, rewind back clocks one hour, from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m., and be in sync with regularity.
It’s really no big deal but I still brag: The Philippines is ahead of Canada by 12 hours. Yehey!
Naikuwento ni Micko. Eight years old ako nuon nang isinama ako ni Inay sa isang lamay. Hindi ko kilala ang
nakaburol o pamilya nito kaya naupo ako sa gilid at nagmukmok.
May tumabi sa akin at nagsabi: “Alam mo, iho, hanggang nabubuhay ka, maging masaya ka araw-araw. Hindi
mo alam kung kailan ka babawian ng buhay.”
Ilang sandali pa ay sumenyas si Inay na aalis na kami at nagsabing magpaalam na rin daw ako sa yumao.
Tumayo ang balahibo ko nang makita ko na ang nakaburol ay yung kumausap sa akin.
Matagal na umukit sa isipan ko ang pangyayaring ito.
Kamakailan lang, nalaman ko na ang yumao ay may kambal.
Jane Lynch, host of game show The Weakest Link, could not wait until December 26 – Boxing Day – to show
contestant Rachel her way to the nearest cemetery.
In a recent episode, Rachel went mum when asked to name a world-famous pugilist turned senator.
Rachel might have fared better if she had friends who could have told her how Manny Pacquiao gained
international respect with his gloved fists.
Later voted out and on her way to the exit, Rachel commented that she knew more about burial grounds than
boxers.
Earlier in the show, Rachel impressed her fascination with cemeteries, describing tombstones as works of art
and as communicators and representations of history. She also described graveyards as zones of silence and serenity
for ideal meditation.
Modern burial grounds, I must add, are also glaring examples of pandemic social distancing finales, six feet
under but not so crosswise. Like it or not, wearing a mask is not required indoors. Staying home in undisturbed self-
isolation is the norm and timeless quarantine is a bonus.
For sure, a square ring would never have crossed Rachel’s mind when she was engaged in deep thought. But a
boxing fan could not help but ask: Paquiao is a respected national legislator? He has a twin?
The only instance that I begin to feel really scared to have a twin is when I stare at the mirror.
Poor mirror! It recently fell and broke after I twice greeted myself “Happy Halloween.”
Was that supposed to mean an impending case of bad luck or an affirmation of bad face?
Someone once told me: If your problem is your face, face your problem. I stopped facing mirrors.
Never ask me if I have been to the Toronto Zoo. Mirrors in my place may become a thing of the past.
Filipino Tradition. Visiting the grave of the faithful departed and giving respect for the dead on November 1
(All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls Day) are traditional for Filipinos in the homeland and elsewhere.
Although November 1 and 2 are not legal holidays in Canada, members of the Filipino-Canadian community
will likely take all available time (including the 60 minutes moved back) and opportunity (in pandemic fashion) to
recall the good and happy times shared with family, kin and friends reunited with Bathala in the Great Beyond.
Many Filipino-Canadians cherish with special reverence the memory of loved ones buried under foreign soil.
A special candle will light up a doorstep and an altar; the scent of fresh flowers won’t be afar.
A picture will get a hug and a kiss; those in the Better Place are sorely missed.
A tear will fall and likely roll; a deep sense of longing pervades over all.
A sincere prayer will be whispered; repeated before the breaking of bread.
An extra plate will adorn the table; a ring, a watch, anything a beloved once owned will be visible.
A fleeting thought says they are gone for sure; but in the heart, their memory will forever endure.
Many say that the departed is in a better place.
Pray tell me where most of the living are.
Broadcast media meteorologists and weather forecasters predict cloudy skies and sunshine twinning with the
cold autumn air on November 1 and 2.
The conditions and the occasion may prove right Rachel’s cemetery insights.
Refreshing and reinvigorating, a stroll in a memorial park may ring as true the parting words of “Kambal ng
Yumao”: That we should enjoy and be happy while we live. And forever be still in peace and silence when we pass.
Be reminded that life is worth living.
Who knows? A red maple leaf may yet glide our way.
For once, dare walk through a cemetery gate with a sign that says “Entrance Only.”
Chill out while invading the privacy of the dead that, anyway, won’t mind.
Let it be a moment of communion when everyone feels wanted, dead or alive.
And when arriving home, accept that you just came from a place we will all be heading to in due time.
Lest We Forget. Conversations about freedom, democracy and the western way of life are incomplete without
recalling the death and destruction in wars that nations went through to build a spirit that defines contemporary life.
On November 11, Canada will mark Remembrance Day to honour the men and women who fought for their
fellowmen, who defended and secured the homeland from threats and who faced and defeated evil men that tried but
failed to rule with gold, guns and goons in legal and moral, medical and spiritual wars of global reach.
For God and country, valiant men and women stood guard, marched proudly, fought gallantly and died
honourably in battlefields of all sorts, guided by the common desire to make Canada and the world a better and safer
place to live in.
When they moved forward, never did it cross their minds that they were enlisted to measure the breadth and
width of plaques and trophies or to see the glitter of medals pinned to their uniforms. Never did they also expect
oratorical praises and citations to be heaped on them.
The lasting legacy and memory of the brave heroes who winged with doves would forever be etched in the
hearts and minds of those they left behind.
The same legacy and memory would resonate among all who still have feet on the ground.
Likewise on Remembrance Day and every day, it is fitting to praise and thank front liners who perished to keep
us standing in these trying moments.
It is also proper to respect, care for and keep safe all living modern-day heroes who continue to risk their own
lives and happiness to keep us healthy in this era of Coronavirus.
Bang the pans. Ring the bells. Sing the hymns. Thank You for Your Service. You are always remembered.
What We Worry? Hear ye! Hear ye! A car-sized asteroid called 2018 VP1 will swing past Earth on
November 2. Researchers discovered the asteroid in 2018, using telescopes at the Zwicky Transient Facility,
Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in California.
Two months ago when the asteroid dotted its radar, NASA quickly put any fears of an imminent disaster to
bed: “Asteroid 2018 VP1 is very small, approximately 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth!”
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said the asteroid has a 0.41 percent chance of entering Earth’s
atmosphere. If it does, it will likely burn up, he said.
What we worry? No one is expected to disintegrate from a planetary mishap that may not even happen on
November 2.
Good news: Our neighbours south of the border will definitely have an election on November 3.
Be safe and healthy, friends. Don’t get hit by hemorrhoids. #####
