My one-year-old nephew is staying with us. He has very few toys and I have not gotten around to buying him more. His favorite among his toys is the teddy bear I bought him last Christmas. It is really fun watching my nephew’s diaper clad bottom stuck in the air while he wrestles with the hapless bear. My mom has been urging me to buy him a new teddy bear, one that is made of cloth, because of our family’s history with asthma. The bear’s fur might irritate him. I am also thinking of buying him toys that will also serve as learning tools, helping his mental and physical development. I just hope I will finally get around to buying him new toys soon.
Last May we went to Vigan from Baguio. The trip took around four hours. When we entered Ilocos Sur, it started to rain heavily. I was so busy talking to my officemate that it was only the next day that it dawned on me how dangerous the ride was. The wiper was not working that was why the driver and his companion took turns in wiping the condensation from the windshield inside the coaster. During the ride, I was amazed how the driver could see through the heavy rains and the dark outside. Looking out, we could only vaguely see the approaching headlights from the on-coming vehicles. It was almost zero visibility. It was a testament to the driver’s skill and familiarity with the roads and of course, God’s protection, that we arrived at our destination safely.
The next day we started our Vigan tour at Baluarte, Chavit Singson’s Zoo. We’ve been there three years earlier and a lot has changed, except for the very healthy boy who drove tourists around in the pony cart. During our previous visit, my guy officemates gave him the nickname “Extra Rice”. When we saw him again, they began murmuring, “Si Extra Rice”. A colleague of his heard us and he said that “Extra Rice” was called “Itlog” due to his rolly polly looks and almost bald head. A lot of animals have been added since our last visit.
My entry for the LP Back to School theme was a picture of ball pens. When I was in college, I noticed that even the most indifferent of students came to class armed with a ball pen and nothing else. No bags, no notebooks, no readings or books, only ball pens they whipped up from somewhere.
I remember one embarrassing incident involving a ball pen in college. It was already late afternoon and I and the other members of the registration volunteer corps were already sitting around resting after another grueling enrollment day. I was digging from my backpack for my Parker pen when a condom fell out of my bag. (The condom was one of those distributed in the school during the World Aid’s Day and I just stuck it in my bag.) My org mates looked at the condom, then they looked at me strangely. Then they went back to what they were doing. I was so embarrassed but I acted like nothing happened. Hehe.
The first ball pen brand I can remember was Kilometrico, from Papermate pens. My uncle was a sales representative for the company and he gave us free samples. I can even remember watching one of the lunch time variety shows that featured a game sponsored by Kilometrico where the contestants would see who could say Kilometrico longest. I do not know if the brand is still around but I have not seen it in the past few years.
