Friday Blues...(not that Blues)

Friday and feeling a little down. It’s because of money, lack of it. No matter how I try to be a little aloof, or stoical (?) about money, still  the lack of it could sometimes put me down. Hmmm… The feeling is quite natural especially in this age where the temple of materialism and consumerism abounds promoting materialism and consumerism, what else? One pastor calls them SM or Satan’s Mall. But I wouldn’t go that far…maybe Satanic Malls would be better. Just  kidding. Malls are amoral, they have no idea what is right or wrong or evil or good, etc. They are just buildings filled made up of matter for heaven’s sake.

SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is a shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall developer and owner in the Philippines. SM Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines after SM City North EDSA, 3rd largest shopping mall in Asia and the 4th^[1] (Ref. Forbes' World's 10 Largest Shopping Malls) largest shopping mall in the world.

We just received our Christmas compensation and even before the money could land on the table (I put my salary on the table in front of my daughter and wife, and we all do the budgeting to let my daughter see how every cent is accounted for). Before the money landed on the table, it already went to bill enevelopes. But there were still some debt unpaid, waiting for the next compensation before finally being settled, I hope. At least I have given my wife and my daughter their Christmas money. But as my co-teachers and master teachers always tell me, “at least there is money that passes by your hands” (Sounds better in Tagalog).

Money sure can't buy happiness but at least they could buy stuffs.

I was planning to buy two sets of guitar strings, nylon and steel, for my guitars, but I guess it will have to wait for hmmm…ever. Good guitar strings are quite expensive. I hope instrument makers will develop strings that do not break or lose their  tone.

Guitar strings, especially nylons, lasts long but they tend to become dull and lose their tones because of the stretching and the contracting.

One of the reasons I miss my childhood is that I missed the naiveté (not the nativity) of Christmas. I grew up during the martial law era. Life was quite simple then because there were not that much stuff around. There were no TV lifestyle, or reality shows that promotes hedonistic living; shows that makes one want to rob a bank so that he/she could get money and at least get a taste of high living. Most of the TV shows then was Marcos proclaiming something on the TV, all stations both TV and radio. Even Voltes V was banned from being shown; may corrupt the youth’s mind. I suspect Marcos was afraid that some genius would create a robot or something that could challenge his security force.

Out you go...you Japanese invader. I think one of the reasons why many Filipino supported Cory Aquino was because they despised, deeply hated Marcos for pulling Voltes V out of air . The family was not forgiven and the act not forgotten. Voltes V is a cult here in the Philippines.

Compared today, there are a lot of stuff everywhere. Of course its not that I miss the martial law days. What I really miss is the childness of Christmas.

Anyway, I am thankful for Christmas because, really, Christmas means grace…and I should be writing my lesson plans!