# 25 you've got mail !!

mr. postman, look and see if there's a letter in your bag for me....

when this beatles song was number one, the post office was the only way to send mail.  no one called it snail mail in its heyday.  when was the last time a postman came knocking on your door? centuries ago? then again, who sends mail via the post office nowadays? anyone who submits a post office-stamped envelope when asked for a self-addressed envelope for a college entrance examination cannot expect the test permit to arrive before the date of the exams. when there is much to be desired with  the local post office, as it is in our part of the world, you just have to grin and bear it.  ours may not be as slow as a snail though.  a sloth perhaps.  once again,  our postal service is filipino pacing at its worst.

time was when writing on someone's wall embodied bad behavior.  in the  twenty-first century, someone's wall is the new post office. in this time of tweets and posts, e-cards, email and e-everything else, real time is of the essence. sending that birthday wish or congratulatory greeting is done in a nanosecond. touching base with someone using a stationery or specially-designed card is abandoned in favor of the digital kind of correspondence.

handwritten cards and notes warm the heart.  it may come in ordinary envelopes but the coziness and familiarity that exudes from longhand scribbles transcends  trite acquaintanceship.

how many times have you heard yourself say that you have not written anything on paper for the longest time. you have forgotten how to write legibly.  this is true.  sad but true. the keypad, keyboard and for that matter, the touchscreen has paved the way for the extinction of the pen and paper. this progression is inevitable. without doubt, its benefits far exceed its handicaps.

once in a while, however, you long for the warmth of a handwritten card.  out there, someone you know may be on the same wavelength as you are. someone may be homesick for your handwriting. go ahead, send that card.  never mind if your writing is illegible. she will figure it out.  put in a little smiley all drawn out in ink. paint it with those highlighter pens that come in different colors. that will surely put a smile on someone's face. a smiley for a smile.  isn't that awesome?

# 24 twinkle, twinkle little star !!

not up above the world so high but like a diamond on the road, she is.

yesterday was the first of a three-weekend half marathon spree for the local running community. you read that right - three sundays in a row!! it is enough for others to turn green with envy. it is wallet-busting, too - insanely and incredibly so! the full marathon distance top-billed yesterday's race but it is the half that is featured back to back to back. twenty-one kilometers makes a half marathon. twenty-one kilometers pounding on asphalt is no joke, much more the full 42.

most often in cebu's road races, one would see a petite runner garbed in full costume taking flight in the cool morning breeze. mid-flight, the unforgiving sun takes charge.  she is a prominent figure on the road. twinkle is her name.  on my first few races, i would run beside her. i would match her every stride from start to finish. along the route,  many would call out her name. humble in her fame, she would wave back.  many would want a picture taken with her at the finish. she would gamely pose.

last year, at the first staging of yesterday's run, i ran my inaugural half marathon. as the faint rays of the sun started peeping out, i stood with hundreds of other runners, jittery and already sweat-covered even with the starting gun yet to be fired.  in the sea of eager road warriors, i found myself beside twinkle.  she asked if it was my first half.  the nerves must have shown on my face.  she cautioned me to take it easy. just take slow but steady steps and you'll get there, she said.  i did.  i took slow but steady steps. by her side.  i could have taken shade under her tiara of a mango tree heavily laden with fruits.  

following a few strides behind twinkle on the homestretch of my first 21k,  the finish line venue comes into view. the sense of fulfillment is overwhelming.  never have the blue skies been so breathtaking, the gentle waves of the water so comforting.  i bask in the early morning sun.  i am almost there!

twinkle is uncontested in the best costume category. she takes on different characters befitting the concept and purpose of the race, much like an avatar to a screen name.  photo credits go to the owners of these pictures pulled out from race albums posted online.

twinkle adds color and zing to local races. true to her name, she is a jewel of a road warrior who twinkles not up above the world so high but like a diamond on the road, she is.

a severe vertigo attack late last year set me back a couple of months. when i got back on the road, twinkle had conquered greater distances. full and ultramarathons became her turf.  i am stuck with the half.  she is faster now than when i was running alongside her.  i would have my tongue hanging out in no time if i even attempt to be at pace with her. speed remains illusive to me. my time yesterday was slower than my inaugural 21k but it is okay.  i am not complaining. i am thankful i am back eating asphalt when there was but just a glimmer of it a few months back.  i still see twinkle on the road in some of the weekend races. she is on her way back, effortlessly weaving through while i have yet to make the turn-around, relentlessly kicking into higher gears. i wave at her and she waves back.

the full marathon is in my bucket list. when the mind says 'yes, i can do it!', an old pair of legs questions 'can i do it?'  mine is an old pair of legs but my wonderful mentor (thanks, voss!) who got me into running a couple of years back believes mind will prevail over body.  i know the voss is right. i will get there. someday before my legs turn rickety and wobbly on me. perhaps i will run alongside twinkle again - stride for stride - just like i did on my first half.  isn't that awesome?

# 23 bursting a bubble !!

literally. bursting. a. bubble.

let us keep things simple. no confusing techy talk analyzing the bits and bytes of the internet bubble nor the highly philosophical interpretation of the bubble of happiness.  we are not experts on these. let us talk gums. not the one inside your mouth. leave that to your dentist. it is the one that is blown out of your mouth. the one that bubbles. bubbles and bursts.

big in flavor and color, bubble gums are a constant companion in good times and bad.  we pop one into our mouths when anxiety threatens to knock us out. stress levels are kept low chewing on an artificially-colored piece.  overflowing joy over some good news blends in with its savory and sugary smell.  yes, artificial smell, too.  the cluck and pop of a burst bubble is a source of amusement. when we have nothing to do, we chew. when we have tons to do, we chew even more.   we start out young with them and blow bubbles well into adulthood.

despite the shrill shouts of gugud and wawa to keep blowing, yangi can't make the bubble grow any bigger.  her air-busting effort is but a small fraction of the 26-inch bubble that holds the guinness world record.

messy remnants of a burst bubble

 a burst bubble and a mess - they come together like coffee and cream.

once in a while, we face up to the challenge of blowing the biggest bubble. we know it is a losing game but we give it a try.  just for the fun of it.  we start out small. and end up small.  simple joy!  isn't that awesome?