The Roving, Ronin Hare

Everybody wants a holiday. The more holidays there are, the happier the people. Simple as that. However, it is not always the case in the Philippines where not all holidays are the same. Arbol Tree Club members celebrating Earth Day at Mirisbiris Garden and Resort, Sto. Domingo, Albay There are regular holidays. Then there are special non-working holidays and some special working holidays. Among the three, Filipinos can only afford to rest well and easy on regular holidays and special non-working holidays, but we definitely could not afford to be absent on working holidays. Why is that so? On regular holidays, even if we don't go to work, we'd still be paid nevertheless. If we do get to work, we would be paid 200% of our daily rate. Meanwhile, on special non-working holidays, we will be paid 30% of our daily rate if we report to work, and in case we don't, we would still be paid if the employer feels generous. This is not the case with a special working holiday because if w

Own Image, September 2023. A tiny vivid city Rising from the sea Where villas dot the scene With pink, yellow, and pale tangerine Its roads are filled with stardust On wintry summers each passing year Blown everywhere by howling gusts And gentle whiffs music to the ear The rains of the island play jazz As they pitter-patter everywhere Like yesterday, like the other day Every day, as it always has At sunset, a lingering aroma Invades every corner, every villa With a quaint blend of sangria, Lavender, and a touch of vanilla In the middle of the island's forest Is some secret garden Where the most exotic, rarest Flora and fauna are hidden Meandering through the forbidden garden Where the way follows a scent Is a small cascading waterfall Hiding precious gems unknown to all There is a woozy labyrinth Somehow, somewhere underneath Leading to another island Where marshes and swamps expand The islands are riddled with enigma Every corner, every villa Has a strange story to tell Written in

  A sea serpent, perhaps descended from the four-legged creature  that  lured Adam and Eve,  spoke to me and said: "Come, the netherworld is actually as blue  as your   most vivid dreams..." Tikling Island, Matnog, Sorsogon Own Image. All Rights Reserved. The snake continued to hiss... "Dive into the blueness of the sea where you will find the luster of each and every creature of varying colors and shades. You will see them swimming and crawling amongst the most vivacious of corals where a pearl of pinkish hue is hidden. Take it. It's more valuable than your future dream house! It is so precious that it is worth all your sought-after desires and more! Oh, what festive paradise you will have when you find that one pink pearl!" Temptations abound on this exotic island, as if telling me to liberate myself from the bounds of the earth... To forget work, to forget everything... And go yonder, to the deepest reefs of the ocean, to the farthest of the islands, to get l

FotoSearch/Getty Images Image Source Chapter II,  Timeless Casanova . Gertrude could not believe she slept with the same man her very own grandmother slept with sixty-four years earlier. “How come?” She wonders. They could not sleep well that night, staring blankly at the ceiling. They slept in the same room as the situation made them feel uneasy to be alone.   She wanted to ask, “how was it?” She was very curious, but the mere thought of it made her puke.   “Oma, are you sure?” She finally inquired, breaking the long, awkward silence. “Are you really, really sure?”    “You ought to stop, Gertrude,” Oma was still awake, who, like her, couldn’t sleep well too.    “I tell you, I cannot be mistaken. I remember him vividly. He was the most handsome man I have ever talked to! How can I forget?”   “But how come? How has he remained the same all these years? Young all throughout? How is that possible?”   “That is what I also want you to know. If you ever happen to see him again, ask him. That

 Lumiliwanag na buwan Sa gitna ng kadiliman Sa kalalim-laliman Ng malawak na karagatan Kung nais mong alamin Kung nais mong tuklasin Mga sikreto kong damdamin Ang dulo'y iyong sisirin   ©  kittisun kittayacharoenpong / Getty Images Akala mo ba Wala kang makikita Aba, aba Huwag na huwag kang mabibigla Pagkat sa pagbuka ng liwayway Magliliwanag ang iba't ibang kulay Ng mga isdang buhay na buhay Sige, abutin mo nga ng 'yong kamay? Huwag nang mahiya Binwitin. Lutuin. Kainin. Ubusin. Simot-simutin. Hanggang sa wala nang matira, sa aking damdamin Copyright, Raymond M. Andes. 29 February 2024 All rights reserved

  Image Source: Presidential Communications Office through Phil. Star In another world, Leni won the 2022 elections by the same margin she won 6 years earlier. Her vice president, however, was not Kiko Pangilinan. It was Sara who emerged victorious, locking down the first time in history where the two highest positions of the land were both held by women. Bitter exchange of statements were hurled in the next six years, both making claims about the latter's incompetence. Soon, rivalries emerged, coups were staged to unseat Leni. Meanwhile, BBM remained jobless for the entire period of Leni's rule. Predictably, Enrile outlived her administration. He was still alive by the time she completed her presidency. By then, the pandemic is over. He was already 104 years old but he still ran for president with the same tagline he had in previous elections --- "Gusto ko, Happy ka." The masses loved his campaign jingles but it was Sara who snagged the presidency, making another f

  As we continued to explore Italy, we realized that this peninsula alternates between beauty and idyll. Some parts were dazzling such that everything's smothered with things that shine resplendently. The other parts, on the other hand, were so much simpler. But make no mistake, a simple view of farms would breathe stressors away, giving you nostalgia for older times you will never live through... In Tuscany, it's the latter part that was more common. This idyllic region will whisk you to a bygone era that still exists to this day, somehow preserved while all the rest were completely obliterated by ravages of time. Tuscany is a region so popular that it is regarded as the birthplace of Italian Renaissance. On its countryside, we saw dozens of vineyards, scattered among countless rolling hills. Tuscany, after all, is also known worldwide for its wines, wines, and wines.  En Route from Siena One of the more noteworthy sights in Siena, which we saw while our bus was drifting away.