Andare, Partire, Tornare ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cats, Manila I decided I couldn't justify packing a bag of birdseed, so I opened up the bag and spread a little out on the sidewalk in front of our apartment. The result has been one little squirrel stuffing his face, followed by a brilliantly red male cardinal, who sat and chirped loudly inbetween eating. The cat was overjoyed, and sat at the window chirping back, and lashing his tail. Poor boy - about all he gets to stalk these days is a stray moth, so this is nice excitement for him! Watched a movie on tv today - I didn't get the name because I came in halfway through it, but it was set on the island of Leyte, in the Philippines, during the Japanese occupation and shortly before MacArthur's return. It struck a few interesting nerves in me, since I was born in Manila to a Spanish/American family that has been settled in the Philippines for ages. My grandfather's family had to flee into the mountains to escape, and several of my greatuncles were killed by the Japanese. It all seems very distant - even the movie, although in color, was made at least a decade before I was born. The Philippines has a definite social hierarchy, although that is starting to blur - there are the wealthy Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino families, who intermarry only at their level, and then the poorer classes who are maids, street vendors, or laborers of some kind. But recently, a middle class has been growing larger. I think computer technology has facilitated that, but it could simply be better education for a wider spread of people. It's been a few years since I've been to the islands, although I have a lot of family there - I do miss it, although what with the feuding that's been going on between all the brothers and sisters of my mom, I probably won't be visiting anytime soon. T is coming up this weekend to visit, and to go to a wedding with me. Can't wait to see him. It's been three weeks, and phone calls and IM'ing just isn't enough. 6:21 p.m. - 2001-06-20 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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