My New Eyeglasses

     I had to change my eyeglasses as the lens of my old pair had problem. Thanks to good friends in the US whom I asked for financial help, as the glasses cost is 9,000 pesos. They actually sent me 25,000. I opted for no transition lens since I am seldom outdoors now, as long as it is progressive. My friends Mylene, Malou, Mario and Dory, who coordinated the sending of the moolah to me.

     One of my US friends who donated cash to me was my closest friend Mylene in Dutch Boy Philippines when I worked in the Philippines. We were so close, we took our lunches and meriendas together that production people thought we were on a relationship. It was pure platonic one. 

     She sent me a card that made me cry when I read it. I am very lucky to have them as my friends whom I can run to for help when needed. I must have done right in my earlier life to have these people in my life.

 

French Open 2024 Predictions

     The finalists for French Open Grand Slam 2024 has been set. It's an Alacaraz-Zverev(Spain vs Germany) final for the men and Swiatek-Paolini(Poland vs Italy) for the women. If I am to make a prediction, my heart goes to Zverev for the men for his first Grand Slam ever, and Swiatek for the women cementing her dominance on clay courts. 

Great Wall of China

     One of the perks of working with a multinational company is travelling, especially in my last job as regional marketing manager for Asia for an American chemical company. I organized various marketing events in many cities and usually after the events, was sight seeing when the locals are proud to show what they have for the world to see. I was enjoying my job until a stroke stopped me from working.

     One time we had a road show, a marketing event providing technical seminars, in Beijing. After the event, our Chinese colleague was so nice to bring us around including the Olympic venue when China hosted it in 2008 and the famous Great Wall of China.

     We had the chance to walk a portion of the Great Wall which was swarming with tourists. It was exhausting I found out.

There were many tourists

Looks like I got tired

Seeing this sign made me realize I was defintiely in China

    In 2008, China hosted the Olympics in Beijing. We visited some of the venues which they maintained for tourism I guess.

With the huge Olympic torch

With Dr. Nootens and the Olympic rings

     The rings are colored and only yesterday I got to know the colors stood for the continents, although it has not been used by the Olympics for reason that I don't know.

Black = Africa

Red = America

Blue = Europe

Yellow = Asia 

Green = Australia/Oceania

A Journey, a Filipino Movie

     For some years I've not watched Filipino films for the simple reason of its predictable plots. With the recommendation of a Filipino-American friend, I watched A Journey, that my friend said as outstanding in Netflix

It is a very touching tale of love and friendship

     Three childhood friends were still bonded as friends when they grow older, even as two of them, a boy and a girl, became a couple and the third guy was their close friend. The girl was dying of cancer so she had a bucket list to do at least before she died, which included a trip to Australia in an effort to meet her long-lost father who separated from her mother for some melodramatic reasons. She met her father and they had a wonderful time on her last happy moments on earth. After their journey, ticking all those in the bucket list, they returned to the Philippines only to experience a tragic ending. The husband died of a stroke suddenly, dying ahead of the sick wife, and subsequently the wife died of cancer peacefully.

First Typhoon of the Year 2024

     Finally, after months of super hot and dry weather, there is rain courtesy of typhoon Aghon, which may landfall soon, the first typhoon of the year. It feels good to feel cold after all the sweating and humidity. The rain came this morning, although it has stopped now. Cloudy skies 

     The rain is a blessing from heaven, my Malaysian Chinese friends say. In this case, it really is a blessing to the parched farms and fields. Many poor farmers are suffering from the drought affecting their plants and preventing them to plant anew.