REPOST (2006) - To the Batcave

The best thinking has been done in solitude.
The worst has been done in turmoil.

- Thomas A. Edison -

When I was a kid, Batman was my hero. He was an ordinary man – no superpowers. He was simply strong, agile, innovative and fearless. He was a loyal friend and an idealistic crusader. Whenever he had problems, he would retreat into The Batcave. Here he would in his solitude ... find peace, see things for what they were and find the wisdom to hurdle the obstacles that lay before him. Here he would come to his “eureka” moments ... and find the strength to carry on. The Batcave was his real source of power ...


In my adult life, I have always had a “batcave” .
A place where solitude allows me the space to find my bearings ...
A spot that allows me a meditative cleansing process ...
A location all my own ...
A “sanity corner”.

My “batcave” is a concept of solitude, rather than a specific place.
It has over the years been a shaded portion under a tree, a place by the sea, a section of a library, a favorite table in a coffeeshop, a specific bench in a mall, an al fresco restaurant, a wine cellar, a hotel room, a sofa in my own house, a friends apartment ... and lately, at the foot of my fathers grave. Anywhere that allows my mind to be alone ... to recharge, to pause, to reboot.

Quite often, the best way to see better is to step away. From the distance created by solitude comes the vision that sees through the clouds of life. Mastering the state of being alone without being lonely leads to a self awareness that can give one a sense of perspective in a world that is spinning ever so rapidly around us.

I find in these quiet “alone” moments a peacefulness that allows me a chance to renew myself ... to foster thinking and creativity ... to appreciate nature, people and life itself.

So whenever life starts to overwhelm me ...
I disappear into a state of inner richness that allows me to contemplate on whatever it is that lies ahead .

Do not be afraid of the darkness ... for therein begins the light.
... “to the Batcave ... there’s not a moment to lose” ...

I am reposting this piece while in the shadow of fear and sadness ...
Searching for the rainbow that has eluded me as I stand drenched in the storm of life.
Bear with me ...
This too will pass

-daguldol-

Without the Guilt

I turned on the television to relax at the end of a long day
It was time for the news...
I have always marveled at how news anchors will always start with "Good Evening ..."
And then will proceed to tell you exactly why it isn't ...

Tonight was no different
War, suffering, misery, poverty
Dirty politics, lies, corruption
Crime, death, theft, blood and gore ...
"And that's the news, Have a great weekend ... "
A great weekend indeed

As if the evening news were not bad enough,
I also received the results of my last medical check-up ...
Elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides
Ayayay ...

15 pounds overweight, no exercise and with fat floating around in my blood pa ...
I really needed to eat healthy
... at least for the weekend :-)




Healthy Kitchen is a newbie in the Serendra neighborhood
I was just passing through having crossed the street from Market Market,
When the smiling server called out - "sir, subukan nyo ho dito - it's healthy"
Huh - did he say that knowing I needed a healthy meal?
How did he know?
I checked my waistline - making sure that I had tucked in my fat properly
Took a deep breath and tried to hold it for as long as I could ...

"Is it vegetarian?" - I asked
My tummy immediately bounced back out with a big boinnnnng
"No sir - it is healthy food ... " he answered
"Eat good, feel good" - he added
Hmmmmmm

I walked in and immediately fell in love with the cozy country look
Mismatched chairs and distressed wood
A black menu writing board
Flowers
Candles
Colorful art on the wall
It felt like home
I was hooked ...




My heavy ass sunk into the soft sofa seat
I started dissecting the menu and ordered cautiously

Bangus Sisig - boneless milkfish, garlic , onions, chili peppers
Chicken Adobo Brown Rice - chicken adobo with apple cider vinegar, lots of garlic, deboned skin off,
into organic brown rice
Father Oops Monsignor James Salad - a combination of two favorites at the Brown Bag resto in Guam - pesto chicken and mango salad - romaine, cucumber and mango slices in berry vinaigrette

The meal was expectedly light and easy
The flavors were interestingly familiar
Tasty and tangy
A good meal without the guilt
I felt healthy already ...

After a cup of tea
I marveled at how much I had actually enjoyed eating healthy
Perhaps it was a start
Perhaps I could actually keep myself away from foie gras, lechon, crispy pata, burgers, spaghetti, rice bowls, ice cream, cake etc.
Perhaps ...
We will see
I will be back next month ...
Maybe

Muscles come and go
Flab lasts
- Billy Vaughn -

Healthy Kitchen
141C, Serendra Mall
Global City, Taguig
+63-2 9006514
FREE WIFI available

Pitbull

I remember learning in science class that "the speed of light is faster than the speed of sound".
That may explain why,
Sometimes you will encounter someone who may appear very bright until you actually hear them speak.

I shall not go into details,
But yessssss - I had a very bad day at the office.
I had an encounter with a pitbull posing as a an office head
And she did something very irritating
She opened her mouth ...

I gave her the benefit of the doubt,
She was obviously confused as to whether she was in an office or in a marketplace.
I walked away
Took two paracetamols
And spent the rest of the day at my desk soothed by the music flowing out of my iPod
If ever I needed a good after-office dinner ... this was the day

Marciano's is the latest in the chain of restaurants put up with the involvement of entrepreneurial showbiz hunk Marvin Agustin
I was walking slowly with my head bowed in tired and frustrated desolation,
When I noticed this looker of a resto.




Elegant blacks and silvers
With lush patterned curtain dividers
And sparkling chandelier lights
Very New York ...

Attracted by it's voguish appeal
I took a seat and reveled in its casual sophistication
The servers smothered me with flattering attention ...
I scanned the interesting menu
"New Age Italian-American Cuisine"

Puffed Mozzarella Sticks (with smoked pomodoro and prosciutto)
Rudy Giuliani minestrone bean soup
Feels Like Barney's (portobello, crisp greens, prosciutto, gorgonzola, sundried tomato, and grilled foccacia)
Gransvoort seafood truffle pasta

New York indeed ...
Kinda'
The portions were generous
The flavors were very interestingly fused
And the sparkling wine was soothing and relaxing ...

As it should properly be, for a restaurant named after the famed boxer Rocky Marciano - this is a potential knockout
I will be back
With friends, family, associates, officemates ...
(Anyone except the pitbull)

Marciano's
2nd level
Greenbelt 3, Makati
(telephone to follow)

Craaaaaaashed

My laptop zonked out
My hard disk - craaaaaashed
Right while I was working on a blog post
First a hum, then a clink
A gush of hot air from the vents
Then nothing
Just - darkness on my screen

Panic
I must have pressed control-alt-delete a thousand times
Switched the on-off button a hundred times
Jiggled the plug tens of times
And smashed my head on the keyboard a couple of times

My whole life wiped out in a millisecond
No data
No back-up
No nothing

Without my laptop - I found myself so brain challenged.
Instead of the overly protective security of artificial intelligence,
I was now left with the nakedness of my natural stupidity

I realized how much I really didn't know (anymore)
I felt like I had to call my high school teacher to teach me how to add and spell again ...

I felt so clueless
Depressed
Useless
Incompetent
Incomplete
Impotent

A sad day indeed ...

There was no sympathy at home either
I announced to wifey that my disk had died
With a playful smile she said - "it's been dead for a while now"
I shouted with an irritated tone - "I meant disk with an 's' "
She sighed ..."ohhhhhh"
I could hear some snickering
Then there was silence ...





I brought my old laptop to the computer hospital
And hoped that it might be discharged in good working order

But ...
I found out that "maintenance free" -meant that it couldn't be fixed

So after a week of denial - I sadly came to the realization that I had to buy a new one

Today, I came home proudly bearing my shiny new laptop

12 months to pay at 0% interest

Ouchhhhh

My confidence though - is back
My day has regained it's spark
My virility is restored
Romance is back in my life

So I cuddled up to wifey and whispered - "may I enter your domain?"
"Whats the password ?" - she playfully asks
"Hard disk" - I tease
"Is that with an 's' or without?" - she coos as her hand crawls up my thigh
"Without" - I triumphantly declare
She turns around, looks me in the eye, musses my hair
And just when my goosebumps start to settle - she pushes me away and declares
" Your password is too short. Access is denied ... "

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Cold shower ....

Crash Time

I am just squeezing in a little blog time on a loaner.
My laptop craaaaaaashed a little more than a week ago - sometime after my last post.

Just trying to juggle my finances to get a new one.
In the meantime - I am out in the cold ...

Will be back in a couple of days.
Thanks.

In a world where we are trying our best
to break down walls and fences,
- why the heck are we so dependent on Gates and Windows ?