Ice Creaman

If you're walking down Rizal Street, you may have come across this restaurant/ice cream shop. It's directly across Merco Bolton and right beside Mandarin Tea Garden.

I discovered Ice Creaman last 2010. Like many others before me, I was curious if they offered rice meals on top of their desserts. Because I was already fed up with Jollibee, Taps, Merco, Mandarin, and the various fried chicken eateries or burger bars in the vicinity, I tried Ice Creaman. 

I never looked back since.

Getting Old

I'm getting old. This thought occurred to me this morning when I looked back at the things I did before that I couldn't do now. 

Last night, I vowed to wake up early to resume jogging. This morning, I woke up at the right time but went back to sleep immediately. Waking up early was now an impossible task.

I've stated before that I don't drink unless I'm invited. Now, I try to avoid situations that require social drinking. I don't welcome karaoke nights anymore either because they impinge on my sleep (and I don't sing). 

One classmate told me that this cliche is always true: that you always pay for the sins of your youth.  

In other words, whatever you do to your body now will exact its price once you're older. Even though he's still in his early thirties, he's already falling prey to various maladies from his previous vices. So he definitely knows what he's talking about.

Getting old then, at least for now, is not exactly seeing the wrinkles in your face or the spots on your skin. It's first accepting the limitations of one's body and mitigating the damage by cutting off the activities that one once enjoyed. It means letting go of youth's frivolities and turning oneself to other more healthy and meaningful forms of entertainment. 

Bente Sais

Gandang lalake. 

I so love myself. 

Renovations

Some things I intend to do with the house before 2015. Since I'm no longer paying rent, I might as well compensate my parents for accommodating me:

Do A Canal Makeover
Dredge canal, cover canal with concrete slabs, transfer soil to depressed parts of the home lot, landscape frontage

Polgas At Garapata
Have a new doghouse built, have a veterinarian do a hard-core clean-up of the dogs' fleas and ticks ( I believe they have services like these)

Second Floor
Replace the rotting wooden floor planks on the second floor

Ceiling
Replace the ceiling on the ground floor

First Floor
Put tiles on the floor (subject to the homeowners' approval, of course)

Tote Bags

Last Monday, I bought a tote bag, a "lady's accessory". It wasn't a fashion statement. I was simply being practical. 

Back in college, we had this one classmate who sported spiked hair and a gangster image. What struck me however was his choice of apparel. He was bringing a tote bag. Not the ordinary bag, mind you, which had a sling and was otherwise inconspicuous. Instead, he brought a bag with gold metal links adorned with intricate royalty patterns reminiscent of Luis Vuitton or Chanel. To say he was breaking a convention was an understatement.

As for me, I think I got tired of backpacks, small sling bags, and pouch bags so I bought a tote bag. So far, I haven't regretted my purchase. All my things fit inside and I can see and reach all my items with just one stroke of the zipper. 

The purchase also is a social experiment for me - Would people notice? If so, what would be their reaction? Would they assume that this is a telltale sign of homosexuality? Or would they assume the opposite instead? Finally, will I spawn a trend later on of guys carrying tote bags instead of cumbersome backpacks? If so, how will it affect the behavior of the product's current market, the ladies?

To close, I remember something I read about a man who, against societal norms, chose to use an umbrella. Back then, umbrellas were only for women and you weren't a man if you used one. He ended up being harassed by the public but, eventually, his example soon spread like wildfire across the civilized world.

I fancy my preference of the tote bag will bring the same result.