I was gonna go to work but then I got high

Dreadlocks courtesy of dreadlocks masterman Jake Louie Canedo



Today we’re having some sort of corporate holiday so I’m not going to work. I’m often late coming in but when there’s no work, I’m always the first one to not go. The timing could not have been more perfect, I already had two days off (the regular ones) and I’m just breezing smoothly through my third day.

I did a 7km run this morning. I wrapped my hair with a cloth because my dreadlocks often attract attention from uneducated people who always associate locks with marijuana, Bob Marley, and Rastafari. I’m really indifferent about them but what I really hate is their ignorance, I hate ignorance whether it pertains to hairstyle or anything else.

So after I did my run, I went out to Titay’s to buy some rosquillos. I have bought some Titay’s rosquillo’s a number of times before but this morning was my first time to actually go to their famous store in the town center of Liloan.

I like how mellow the light was inside, sort of reminds me of that Ernest Hemingway short story about a guy who always goes to this café. Anyway, there was a blind man playing harp inside the store. His eyes were closed softly—the muscles of his eyelids were as calm as a windless afternoon sky—, chin raised slightly up, as if in a solemn longing—yes longing, not prayer. A distant gaze with eyes gently shut.

A blue cup noodle container lay beside his harp, holding what a few people could spare for a solemn man’s solemn music. I don’t know if he played really well and if I just felt really good this morning, but I did want to stay longer there. It’s just difficult to find a place to stay there without having to look odd. I had the feeling that when you’re inside, you should always be checking on some stuff or asking for expiration dates.

I rode Russ’ trail bike on the way to the store. I normally would have taken my cross-country bike because it is faster on the road. I had a feeling though that the earth would swallow the road the leads home and turn it into a trail so I rode a full-suspension bike to buy biscuits. Better have it and not need it than need it and not have it, my friend Wagz once said. The cement road going home is so ugly, it would have more dignity if it was a trail. Well, I made it by and forth and nothing apocalyptic happened so I guess this will go one to be another easy day.

Yesterday I did a mid-range cross-country ride to Mulao, Compostela. I wanted to take a photo of myself that is a non-selfieand since no one was around, I invoked the help of the almighty self-timer. I feel overweight lately so I’ve been doing a lot of cardio riding.

Last night I watched the movie Mama while drinking Red Horse. I was like, why do these people go to scary places when it’s dark. Can’t they wait until morning? I also realized that when we watch horror movies, we’re more scared for the characters than what’s actually gonna surprise-pop on our screen. So horror movie-makers don’t actually bank on our fear of the unknown but on our overpowering empathy. Paul Bloom has a really nice video about empathy at YouTube courtesy of Bigthink.com so I’m not gonna talk a whole lot about empathy here.

Speaking of Bigthink.com, I read an article yesterday about how most people are engaged in occupations that they do not really like. So we spend a good deal of our day doing things that make us wish we were doing something else. Anyway, they wrote it better than that so I guess you guys should go to their website and look for it.

Being among the “most people” bunch of the population, I’m not very excited every time I go to work. I mean, I can have fun while on the job because I always find someone to bother, even if I don’t know them. Yeah, I’m Mr. Congeniality 2013. But when I actually have to work, that’s when it gets boring. Can anyone tell me if I should still go to work tomorrow? PS: Here’s a photo of a box of Titay’s rosquillos, it’s 49pesos each. Titay’s real name is Margarita, by the way. There’s some sort of a story about at the back of each box. I haven’t read it yet because I’m pre-occupied with this whole biscuit-munching thing.