apology accepted?

For the first time in history, the Americans are making an official apology for their institution of slavery - one of the most malevolent acts of men ever. We'll hear about its repercussions in a day or two or maybe hours from now. We must remember that slavery and its sub-forms, racism for one, did not only hold bondage the Africans but also Asians and other non-Caucasians who have immigrated to the country of milk and honey. Well, as simplistic as I may sound, they have come a long way to restitution to the point that an African-American may be elected president of the USA soon. Here is one that echoes my sentiments and it quotes a Filipino-American who was born in the States and grew up seeing the challenges of racism.

"And if Obama becomes president, it could become a much easier choice to make. Perhaps a choice that is even celebrated in a society with a painful history of rejecting those who are different -- but which is now evolving into a community where people with strange names, who come from strange lands and who speak strange languages are not just welcomed, accepted and embraced, they at times can even have the seat at the head of the table."

loves of my life

This is the picture that makes my heart skip for a second. My treasured piece of memory of sheer joy is etched on these grains of colour and on those glorious half-smiles. Nothing else matches this.

keeping in touch

My laptop is many times my refuge, solace, escape, my reservoir of information - and would you believe info about my own kin. Most days I am rummaging, googling for the how tos of life, examples of which are----how to ease your teen' s first heartbreak; how to get rid of drama queens and the pachydermal riders of your gravy train; how to lower your bp; how not to get old disgracefully, etc. And just an offshoot - a mom gave a Coach bag to her thirteener just as she was breaking off with her boyfrend. That little carrier surely eased her little heartache. Meeza would want a cat for her first heartbreak, she says. Okay, I'll remember that.

My other 'possession' is the Astro where at the moment, I see Old Mc Cain telling us for the umpteenth time how inexperienced Barack is in foreign affairs. Well, it would not budge a leaf or to that effect because people are not thinking about what to do with the Chinese for bullying the Tibetans but rather they are listening to the growling of their stomachs as they settle down for dinner that costs them more and mooning because they are half out of their wits with their mortgages, and the rising cost of living. Think domestic - that may win more votes.

prankster mom

I had forgotten that Meeza never did appreciate the times when I became the prankster- mommy. Could be that she had a preconceived notion of what a mom should be - prim and proper. When Meeza was even less than a year old, she did not like it when I made faces. She bawled at the slightest change in facial demeanour and she detested clowns in birthday parties. Last night, in a moment of abandonment, I slipped on the green vege in my miso soup to my front teeth and gave the widest smile ever. While Aunty Cathy and Uncle Dennis rolled into tears and laughter, Meeza gave me the scolding. STOP IT, MOM! It was absolutely the Bruneian virtue of modesty lording over her. Sorry, darling, I have forgotten. Mommy will not do that again - for a day maybe?

to visit the queen

where to?

newsbit

Oodles of money found......

deja vu

This is the A380 that brought us back to our mundane lives. It was a nice holiday, really. We had the good luck to stay in a glorious flat just several feet away from Hyde Park. On the first morning, I woke up to the clippety-clop of the horses and...the familiar smell of manure that they heap in vengeance.

The A380 was cozy and the flying time was shorter than usual but long enough to allow me to watch "Atonement" twice, thrice...

wishes come true - bournemouth revisited

That was last year when we had this conversation. Bournemouth is what I imagined to be. The air was biting cold but it was sunny - enough to embolden young girls to don their bikinis.

a tower raven

Ravens at the Tower of London have a lot of history - mostly ominous.

in Oxford

We came from Paddington Station and arrived at Oxford to visit friends; ate scampis; heard stories about our friends' first visit to the Royal Ascot days before; and showed Meeza around in case she would want to go to an Oxford institution for studies. She seemed interested and I was quite pleased, I just had to cross my fingers.

stonehenge, close-up