IMHO

Memoirs of a 3G

Day 9
10 March 2006

Chose to stay at home today, and, after reading a serendipitous book (see my other blog for more details), I put on the Memoirs of a Geisha DVD I’d brought along. Sidebar: I like to call the BPBs "geishas" (which means "artist" and because they are happy and "gay," hehe); Amats calls me "3G": gorgeous ganda geisha, mwahaha. Anyway, I read the Memoirs book in one sitting on one of our dive trips a few years back, only because someone had left a copy at the resort and I had nothing better to do that afternoon, but it enthralled me…and I’ve hardly ever read fiction these last several years. The film version had me spellbound as well – I *heart* Ken Watanabe (siiiigh) – I enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the most memorable lines was at the end of the film, when Sayuri tells the Chairman that she started to live her life with only one purpose, from the moment that his path crossed hers. A purposeful life, even if that of a geisha’s…how truly fascinating. To be aware that every single action in one’s life is directed towards a singular goal; now that’s focused determination. Hmm.

Before I cleaned the bathrooms (I’ve scheduled this chore as a Friday ritual), I also saw Rent today – the musical movie (I unfortunately never saw the stage musical), which was quasi-fascinating (this is exactly why I watch Hollywood movies only on DVD) and not as riveting for me to mind that the Quiapo version refused to function properly towards the end. But I still love the opening song, Seasons of Love – how indeed do you measure the 525,600 minutes that make up a year? I measure it perhaps in the moments to value my loved ones – my family and the friends I truly hold near. Funny thing now that I’m away is that my Mom and I talk every day on SMS (too cheap to call, hehe), about everything and nothing – whereas most days we’re in the same city we hardly see each other, much less communicate. It’s always been the same every time I go away…I guess absence makes a mother’s heart grow fonder and a daughter’s heart more appreciative of the little things and chismis Mommy has to share.

In the middle of a busy Manila day I will suddenly think of a beloved friend and regret that I’ve had neither the time nor the energy to devote to him or her…but now that I have a lot of time (and some energy) on my hands, I’ve been able to make good use of it reconnecting and paying attention, by mobile phone, to people I hold near to my heart. Even, in one case, to someone I have not really spent much time with since 1994…and that particular friend has surprisingly been very helpful and encouraging “company” on this BC-move. I in fact owe him, next time he comes up and “back home” to BC, a beer (or two, three, four – uh, cases?) – the only vice we still have in common by virtue of the passage of time (among other things, we used to smoke the same brand of disgusting menthol cigarettes once upon a time, a long long time ago, which is how we became “friends” and then truly friends, in the first place). 525,600 minutes…and not a second to waste.

posted by Honey Oliveros @ 1:57 PM