About daily life… or nothing in particular.
WARNING: these posts have not yet been proof-read. It’s difficult to find decently priced internet connections here. The actual posting time of these entries is April 22, in Jerusalem – in the Olive Tree hotel… with free WiFi!
2005.04.10
*Pilgrimage Day 1*
All packed and ready to go!
I’ll be leaving my cell phone off most of the time, so if there are pressing issues, then you can try your luck calling/texting me (it’s on auto-roam last time I checked). But but don’t expect an answer. If it’s a business concern, then the people involved can take a hike… at least for the next two weeks 🙂
I’ll try accessing my email as regularly as possible, so you can try mailing your concerns there too.
We heard there was a bombing in Cairo, four tourists dead. Its one of the places we’re going to. We are aware of the dangers and are still going through with the trip. You may pray that our trip be safe if you feel like it… but as we all say here: If it’s your time, it’s your time.
We are about to embark on a pilgrimage that will follow the Old Testament’s Exodus account, and Jesus’ Ministry in the New Testament. That’s practically as holy a place a “holy place” can get. And considering the “dangers” we’ve been hearing lately, I guess it’s fitting to assume that we are leaving our fates to God’s will.
If all goes well, we should return to normal programming in two weeks… If not, then I’d just like to give my last shout-outs to the people I care about. You know who you guys are. Any regrets I’ll have should we meet our demise? I’ll find out then… but off the top of my head, I should’ve asked for that damn hug hehehehe.
In any case: We’ll see you soon 🙂
To another someone:
I see myself in you, with one detail that suddenly makes my problems seem so small compared to yours. But given that you understand my situation completely, you know these problems are more than significant – and I appreciate that… I really do.
While your process is for the sake of ending something, mine turns out to be a foolish attempt at hope. I guess at the end of it all, these so called “hopes” of ours are never given the chance… and are always diminished to “wishful thinking.” How sad is that, no?
But I refuse to be like the rest of them… and so with sound mind and heart, I’m assuring you that I’m here for you if you need me. Not out of guilt or conscience, courtesy or responsibility. Not to avoid trouble or uneasiness – but because you are, and have always been a friend. And though you say you wouldn’t blame me either way, I cherish you as a person, not a situation.
The cruel irony (for you and for me) here, is that I’m not so lucky as you, with respect to that last paragraph. I guess God is only being fair 🙂
I told you being skeptical is the way to go: its the only thing that can protect us… admit it. This is just too messed up a world to be looking through rose-colored glasses.
Good luck to us, and all people like us. And more importantly, kudos to people like us! It certainly is worth commending don’t you think?
I just found out today that I make a pretty damn good teacher. The only requirement being that those I teach should want to learn. I can’t imagine being in a room full of kids teaching them stuff I know they wont remember, but learn as they go along anyways (wether too late or not).
I just finished training some people today about programming. Looking back in the day’s events, I often noticed myself generously explaining more than was required, and that magis was taken in a positive light. I even noticed new people who had nothing to do with our “session” who had just popped out from the other offices to hang out and listen to what I had to say.
Third texted about a friend of ours who met her untimely demise on her way to the US Embassy. At first I was in denial… hoping that somehow it would be corrected as a false alarm. After Jem posted, I guess that was that.
She was a batchmate of mine and math classmate. I distinctly remember her patience with me as I kept on asking her questions and having her tutor me (I was a lousy math person in college).
As Jem would say; it’s surreal that a bunch of innocent people seem to be dying one after another. I could think of a couple of people more deserving to go, take me for example (and one other “Che” in particular). You can read the details:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=1888
Public transportation is the bane of our society… or at least one of them. Stupid-assed drivers allowed to drive big, powerful machines. They should just blow up every goddamn bus and jeep. You could leave the trycicles – they may be annoying, but they’d die first if they ever tried to go against normal traffic and fail. The trains, LRTs, MRTs are fine too since they’re isolated.
Remember when people say that there is no hell, because we are already in it? That may be true, since God seems to be calling the good people. And I’m in total fear that I may be immortal!
