65 and 60

Ten years. Time spent waiting for the jeepney bound for España to take off.

Not today. Since it's a little early in the morning and a school/work day, I was confident to board the jeep exactly 10 minutes before the time I have to be at UST (travel time from Tayuman to UST usually takes 5-10 minutes).

Totally a fool of me to think like that. The jeepney was almost full when an aged and weighty lady tried to get in the jeep. It was taking her forever. I almost thought of walking to UST instead.

Minutes had passed. With the help of almost all the passengers in the jeep, she was at last seated inside. I could hear her breathe heavily, as if she ran ninety-nine miles to get to where she is now. The lady in sneakers sitting between me and the old, fat lady spoke to her.

Lady in sneakers: How old are you?

Fat lady: I'm 60.

Lady in sneakers: I'm 65.

Everybody's eyes were thrown to the lady in sneakers. Even mine own eyes. I could not comprehend what my senses are perceiving at that moment. She doesn't look 65 at all! But everybody had the same reaction.

Fat lady: I already had a stroke. I also have diabetes.

Lady in sneakers: I guess it's in the salt you use. Don't use iodized salt. Don't believe in the lies of DOH. Rock salt is a lot better for your health...

Then she had this whole lecture on salt. I don't know why she had to emphasize the use of rock salt that much, but that shows her big concern on health habits and lifestyle. My destination was not very far so I wasn't able to hear what else she talked about. However, what I saw and heard was already enough living proof of how the body's age is just a number. It's what you do to your body, to your life, that intensifies the "age" of your body.

We all have a choice to let our body age gracefully, or wastefully.

Now tell me, how "old" would you want your body to be, 65 or 60? :)

Photo credit: http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-asian-senior-old-woman-doing-yoga-image12598687

The Burglar

Many years, I have stayed in all-girls dormitories. Since we are all girls, one of the things we fear most: Bad guys breaking in our dorm.

Weeks before All Soul's Day, we've observed traces of breaking-in attempts around the dorm. Footsteps in the porch, unfamiliar knife lying near the back window, etc. We immediately informed the landlord hoping he could tighten our security. To our great disappointment, he left for the U.S. without taking action. Thus, we had to do the necessary steps ourselves. We've put additional latches and locks on the doors, strict implementation of curfew, and hanging of men's underwear at the laundry area (our lame way of deceiving the bad guys that we have hunks in the house).

Still, it happened. We woke up one morning with doors wide open, jalousie windows broken, missing gadgets and wallets, and a terrifying sight of a knife left on the dining table. We called the police and they came looking like they were forced out of bed to do the investigation. Thumbs down. They said they've been after this young and unprofessional group of thieves who's been very active for months now. We're the 5th victim so far. "They've been after this YOUNG AND UNPROFESSIONAL GROUP OF THIEVES." Another thumbs down.

In my last year of staying in a dorm, it wasn't exactly a dorm but a house I rented with two co-teachers. One night, while we were staying up late talking and laughing, we heard a commotion outside. Our neighbor, a teenage boy who was using his laptop at their porch that night, was hit in the head with a clay pot and instantly lost his consciousness. Laptop stolen. We started calling him "Clay Pot" or "Paso" since then. Days after that, it was the water tank of another neighborhood that was taken. We can't help but be anxious that we might be next.

One morning, I found one of my co-teachers, Vrinda, restless at the door. All her clothes she hung outside were all gone! We were very quiet during breakfast (which was very unusual). "I know who did it." Vrinda said in a voice that suddenly broke the prolonged silence. "That mentally retarded guy who lives across the street, he always stares at our house like hell. He freaks me out." "Maybe he's just really in love with you, Ma'm.." I said just to lighten the dense atmosphere. "..to the point that he had to steal all your clothes, an obssession!" (I call her Ma'm since she was my former high school teacher.) We laughed and were able to go through the day as if nothing happened. Although throughout that day, I really thought about what she said.

The guy she was talking about is in his 20's. He really is freaky at times due to some mental problems. He greets anyone he meets with a bright smile and I always see him working in the garden. I thought he was more of a mellow and harmless guy. But yes, looks can always be very deceiving...

Before bedtime, I suddenly remembered that I forgot to hang my clothes I washed that morning. "My clothes might get stolen too if I hang them tonight. I'll just rinse and spin-dry them tonight and hang them tomorrow." I thought. After rinsing.. "Oh my God! Ma'm! Ma'm!!!" My two co-teachers came running from their room. "What happened?" They asked with wide worried eyes. "I found the burglar! I found who stole your clothes!" "Who?" Ma'm Vrinda impatiently asked. "The spin-drier." I said, with a big big smile. She turned around, went back to her room and we endlessly laughed that night.

Thus ends the story of "Paranoia and False Judgement."

Photo credit: http://lickyourlip.blogspot.com/2011/07/apologetic-burglar-breaks-into-wrong.html