145- Breakfast.

When I lived in Manila, my default breakfast during hectic (or extremely lazy) days, was black coffee and cereal with whole milk. In London, this has transitioned into a combination of black coffee and some type of bread and/or yogurt.

It's crazy how much of a "meal" traditional Filipino breakfasts are, though. In Manila, it isn't uncommon to see office workers, students, and all sorts of other folks having rice, egg, and caramelised pork slices (Tocino) for breakfast. My friends from Europe and America who have been to the Philippines are often surprised at Filipinos' appetite for "full meals" regardless of the time of day. I noticed that residents of Western countries tend to abide by specific quantity distinctions in line with different segments within a day. Filipinos aren't always as strict in this regard. To them, if you're hungry, you eat. It doesn't matter what time of day it is. It's part of an almost esoteric gastronomic doctrine for Pinoys. Many think it's crazy, but to Filipinos, it makes perfect, basic, sense.

I've been really lazy to cook lately, and this has not boded well for my meal spacing over a 24 hour cycle. My circadian rhythm has also been a little bit off kilter, ergo, my "breakfast time" tends to be pushed towards odd hours of the day. I think it may be a byproduct of the cold weather. The cold climate makes it hard to move.

I look forward to breakfast the most not only because I love to eat, but, also because there isn't anything quite like the perk up one experiences after getting the gurgles because of a long, calorie-less, slumber.

I guess this means that I have at least one reason to look forward to every morning, eh?

MC

144- Today at the Coffee House

I decided to have lunch today at a coffee house around five minutes away from where I live. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a friendly waitress who, judging from her physical features, was clearly of Asian descent and roughly between 20-24 years old. She asked me where I was from. When I said I was Filipino, she was surprised and said she thought I was Japanese. That was a first. I have been mistaken to be Portuguese, Malaysian, Spanish, Singaporean, Chinese, and Indonesian during my time in London. Somehow, me being thought of as Japanese was fitting given that I have recently pondered on a trip to Tokyo to no end.

London is, without exaggeration, a melting pot of people. The diversity is staggering. A fellow postgraduate student from the Philippines once told me that the thing he would miss the most about being in the UK was how open people generally were to diversity. As with any country, I am pretty sure that GB has its share of folks who are not all too accepting of what they perceive to be "different". In general, however, people around here are used to a multicultural and multiracial mix. Taking the tube everyday should provide ample evidence of how people from different backgrounds exist side by side in London. A Filipino exchange student thumbs through his notes in preparation for an examination. A Swedish girl nervously taps her fingernails together as she prepares for a modelling audition. An African banker stares wearily out a darkened train window, dreading another 8 hour showdown with his worst enemy- spreadsheets which show low annual productivity. Different folks, different strokes. It's quite beautiful when you get right down to it.

As I sipped on my frothy cup of coffee, I tried to rationalize points A and B. People are inherently competitive, yes, but also seem to be inherently peaceful creatures when push comes to shove. I think people really do care about each others' welfare. This is brought into the realm of doubt, however, whenever we hear of cases of modern day racism, and instances involving senseless violence being perpetrated upon the weak for the sake of eliminating the weak. This embodies the age old conflict between faith and cynicism. Why trust when you can be alright on your own? Why help when you probably won't be helped when your time to fall, comes?

One cannot always be expected to be a Good Samaritan, but, whenever we do manage to right by our neighbors, we sleep more soundly at night. Peace, it seems, turns out to be the most valuable of all currencies. Many may deny it, but it's the truth. With togetherness, with acceptance, there is peace. With peace, there comes a chance to truly make the most of ourselves, and bring the world closer to "essence", as is mortally possible.

Deep, eh? It's amazing what a vegetarian platter and a relaxing lunch can do for the reflective process.

I really should avoid skipping meals.

MC

143- Bus Journeys

I usually take the bus alone in London. In many ways, I like being alone while being so far away from home. It gives me a chance to think without being burdened by the usual stresses that being in "familiar surroundings", brings.

So there are the 29 and 141 buses which I take when I want to go into Central London from where I live. I connect to the 12, 176, and/or the 133 or 35 if I want to go further South, to where I USED to live and where my university is at. When I resided in Southeast London I would hop on the 68 or 148 whenever I wanted to catch a show in town, and I would grab the C10 whenever I needed to go to Victoria Train or Bus stations for a trip outside of London.

Living abroad has made my senses attuned to the smallest of details. Years from now, when I will likely find myself far from the British capital, I will probably remember small things about my time in London and the UK. How one need not own a TV set to be entertained (thank you, Netflix, Prime Video, etc.). How one who enjoys running has a seemingly endless supply of amazing spots to pound the ground on when in Britain. How I bolted off to Chesham one random summer Saturday to run several miles, only to later hop back on a Metropolitan Line tube train to Wembley Park later in the day to, well, bask in the glow of (sports) outlet stores. And oh, the many trips to the British and London Transport Museums, how could I forget those. The thrill of having run a full marathon in Brighton- a race that saw the demise of my Samsung S6 mobile phone (maybe it has gotten wet?). So many, many, stories to tell.

I am now on the 243 that goes from Waterloo station in the London Borough of Lambeth, all the way to Wood Green. Many people detest long bus rides. In some ways, I do too. However, it is these long bus rides that tend to ignite my creativity. Such represent moments of silence, away from the maddening crowd.

Riding buses in Manila could literally cost you your life, and driving in the same city definitely kills one's patience. Needless to say, I am enjoying as much "bus ride solace" as I possibly can.

MC

142- Holding Pattern.

From what I've observed, there is a bit of a trend at work here. Think Luke Skywalker in a medical tank after being bludgeoned by a wampa in Hoth. It's all about being in suspended animation.

I, along with a number of others, have just finished our postgraduate courses in London. So what becomes of us now?

Some of us never want to go home. Some of us see this as a time ripe for change. This is easier said than done, but certainly possible.

Some of us want to go home, but, want to fly again just as quickly. The allure of the "journey" is absolutely enticing. There are pros and cons, but, seemingly more advantages as opposed to downsides. The UK has its share of problems, but sometimes, its problems are dwarfed by those of our home countries. People instinctively go to where the "predators" are furthest from. Ergo, migration to lands anew happens.

This next month is set to feel like those annoying mandatory military training sessions in high school. Whether you like it or not, you're forced to march around parade grounds in circles, over, and over, again. Do you achieve anything, apart from supposedly learning the meaning of "discipline" and sweating off a few pounds? Not really. This next month will be chockfull of job applications, and yes, some travelling. Will I actually end up achieving anything of note? I'm not sure, actually. All I know is that it would be amazing if I could end my stint in the UK with bang, while landing my dream job, too.

MC

141- Friends

God gave us friends for us to understand the intermediate area between love and apathy. Friends provide a unique brand of support that transcends terminology, and convention. To love is to feel both empowered, and pained. To have friends is to exist within a threshold of appreciation that tends to stretch further than with what those who claim to have "deeper" relationships with you might care to give.

Don't get me wrong- some friends will absolutely die for you. Some will give up their last biscuit for you. Some will hand you their brand new designer hanky when you find yourself fresh off a good cry. Friends are just that- friends. These are associations with limits- good ones. Meaningful ones. Limits are made to be surprisingly shattered in positive ways.

Friends are just friends, no more, no less. And yes, a life without them would be far too ordinary.

Keep the friends you have. Be a friend to those who need friends. Don't ever be a stranger. Mean something to someone.

MC

140- Songs in My Head.

When I go on long trips, I love staring out of windows of cars, trains, and planes. When I do that, I tend to hear songs in my head, echoes that represent a mish mash of memories, emotions, and random bits and bobs. I recall places I have been to, and people I have met- both held in great fondness in a narrative full of smiles and cheer, and those whom you would rather not remember, distant flashes from time gone by.

I look back on near misses, victories, moments of loss, neutral instances, strengths, weaknesses. I tell myself that I need to bask in the glory of moments, because these are increments of time and space that are forever gone once they have passed. It is both tragic and beautifully poetic.

Today, I find myself on the road again. As I sit on this Greater Anglia train, with a large cup of joe and a silly looking beanie hat, I almost want to blurt out into the air:

"Hey world. What wonders do you have for me today?"

Breakfast, for a start, would be good. :)

MC

139- Beautiful Days

There's an old saying which basically says that we should appreciate the beauty before us, lest it vanish forever.

Well, I think I might have made that one up, but, you get the point.

Here's a photo I snapped with my Samsung S7's camera one nondescript afternoon in North London. The sky was perfectly azure that day, and there wasn't a drop of rain in sight. After over a year as a Londoner, I've learned that good weather, beautiful skies- all that can sometimes be a rarity.

Soon, I'll be travelling again. I have a home to return to. At the same time, London has been my home for some time now, and I've seen, experienced, and learned a whole lot. I've grown to become more logical than emotional in recent years, but who knows. This farewell might be more predicated on feelings than I had initially anticipated.

Good times folks, good times.

MC

138- After a Pint...

A little over a month to go. The last few months have dissolved into memory so, so, quickly.

Schoolwork, other bits and bobs, health setbacks due to the winter, trouble going to sleep, stress. The cold. The cold wind is the worst. Being lazy to do groceries. Not good. Retail therapy. Headaches. Life.

It's funny that in a couple of weeks, I will find myself saying goodbye to London and saying hello to a new life in an old place. It's scary and exciting at the same time.

2018 will be interesting. Based on the rules of fate, the complexion of the year could go either way.

We have no recourse but to live in a perpetual state of flux, and perpetual state of having to adjust.

That's the way it goes.

MC