PARADOXICAL

Draft photo dump for May & June 2026

I know I am way past my prime to be taking and posting photos of myself, so the only reason I do so must not be because I am so fond of looking at myself (I am not; napapangitan nga ako sa sarili ko eh). It is more out of gratitude for being able to take in new experiences and new challenges day by day without going through an episode (if you know what I mean). Being able to show up for anything, especially the most important events, means a lot to me who suffers from a debilitating malady.

(Captions in individual photos)

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At the 2026 Independence Day celebration--always a formal, elegant affair organized superbly by our tourism department

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It is such a rare treat to eat out these days. When will it be normalized?

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At the BPRP Recalibration, which became extra-challenging because we had to adapt our old plan to the new mandate of the Magna Carta of the Poor: the five basic rights to adequate food, adequate housing/shelter, decent work, relevant and quality education, and the highest attainable standard of health.

On the occasion of profound grief, there's the consolation of instant family reunion.

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Amazingly, I was able to give a public speech in tribute to my mother--twice, without the usual stage fright. Maybe because the audience at St. Peter's Funeral Home was manageably small, and I knew almost everyone present: family, relatives, old friends, and neighbors.

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Congratulations to my dearest niece! She's a DOST scholar like yours truly, take note.

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At the AIP Training Meeting, a highly technical affair that I sat through. Respect for our new MPDC!

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Heard about this trending app, so I just had to try it with at least three lucky kids as subject. 

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At the CBMS Monitoring Board meeting--the day we stressed out PSA reps with seriously difficult but most sensible questions from 2 former PMS staffers and a former NAPC staff, a former freelance writer-editor (guess who), and other LGU people with various expertise. Buti na lang, our new MPDC, a former department head from Palafox, was a moderator with a calm temperament.

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Wow, may pa-malunggay pandesal si Mayor kada Lunes! Napakapalad naman namin dito, lalo na nung nakuhang vendor.

Pati kaya ito kakikitaan ng kasamaan ng mga taong maiitim ang budhi and yet feeling mabait? Tignan nga natin kung ano na namang kamalisyusohan ang gagawin nang dahil lang sa pulitika! Hahaha. Sana magbago na kayo--end of the world na o. Wala ba kayong takot sa Diyos?

What if you suddenly died and faced God--how would you rationalize everything? Would all the lies invented have been worth it? 

Answer key: No. Stop it already while there's still time. What legit thing you can do is propose an alternative program that would surely be even better than the existing ones.

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I survived this mentally taxing and emotionally challenging talk about the differences between and among internal auditing, accounting, COA inspections, and auditing for ISO purposes. Whew! Congratulate me for finishing it under severe stress--thanks to my armory of anti-stress things: cold water, lavender oil, magnesium oil, and Gaviscon chewables in case of sudden unexplained tummy ache.

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Ang galing-galing talaga ng PSU Matalunggaring Dance Troupe (now under Mr. Jordan Neri)! Pano pa kung may explanatory note yan? Because folk dances are not just skillful movements; they have history, symbolism, interpretation, meaning, relevance...

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This is one of the flowers my mother suddenly left behind. 

Speaking of, let me recount something unusual that happened lately.

A day after the burial rites for my mother, I half-expected something supernatural to happen like the usual 'paramdan,' but not like this: I woke up one day, for three straight days, and retired for the night, for at least two nights, smelling the distinct fragrance of dama de noche flowers around and inside our home. 

While this can be readily explained away by the possible presence of such a plant in our vicinity--there was none that we were aware of. I repeat--there are no such plants within our vicinity until now, as far as I know.

So nothing can explain it away. What's more--nothing can explain why the same mysterious smell could be smelled as well in Pook ni Urduja Resort in faraway Brgy. Zone 2 where my sister and her kids were billeted (because our humble abode couldn't accommodate a lot of people), and at another sister's place in another barangay, and later on, in my brother's place in faraway Sariaya, Quezon.

I was half-expecting the sudden emergence of strange butterflies or moths but there were none so far. 

What happened instead was that a juvenile golden-bellied gerygone, whose song or call delighted my mother no end, suddenly turned up one night and flitted into the living room, the kitchen, and my room. We were able to catch it, but eventually released it outside in the terrace.  

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Since I am also a serious food writer, hindi mawawala ang appreciation post ko about the novel food I tried lately and things given to me as present by kind folks around me.

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posted by Resty Odon  # 6:52 PM