In Need

I needed something coconutty

But intensely warm

Not sharp

But calming.

I needed the plumpness of prawns

And the smooth sea scent of squid.

I needed hints of lemongrass

Ands kicks of red

To gift-wrap the everyday as if a special occasion

As do fairy lights on park benches during a mid-August evening.

Homely

They make waves

- not whiffs -

Of scentful honey.

Dainty and frecklish...

Nonetheless,

They are

Proof of how 'tiny' can

Attract from miles,

And how

'Homely' can linger for hours...

If not a lifetime. 

Public Libraries

I was browsing through the morning paper and stumbled on an Op Ed titled Without Public Libraries (Sin bibliotecas públicas). After lamenting on how limited governmental efforts are towards the betterment of libraries throughout the country, the author of the article quotes Humberto Eco's raison d'être of a library experience:

...an adventure, in the sense that many times a user goes for a book and finds a different one, which attracts him more.

This reminds me of my early visits to the school library...

Green library bag over my shoulders,

Savouring every second of the walk- 

Thinking and rethinking on what three books to borrow this week-

Tracing my fingertips along the shelves so satisfyingly abundant with new adventures,

Just imagining  worlds vaster than Swallows and Amazons , had me blushing and going 'oh, boy'. 

There was just so much, too much, to explore. 

As a ten year old, I dreamt of visiting the selection on the second floor, exclusive for high school kids

(Unfortunately,  I never got to tick this box off my  'When I am older...' to-do list, since I ended up not only changing schools but moving to another country before the seventh grade).

During my university years I frequented Guayaquil's Municipal Library for it had the cheapest photocopy rates ($ 0.02 a page). On a few occasions, reminiscing on the good old days, I tried to submerge myself into the library experience and was greatly disappointed, for it was one helluva hassle. But if  you are interested these are the steps you shall follow:

House Tour

Welcome to my crib.

Linger a while longer for dinner-
Only if you understand my mess.

Silent Strolls

When daydreams go
Mono
Chro
Matic
Under the moonshine.

To go for a dip into the dusk of this fading summer, [click here]

Morning Sex

Sheets of French toast

With freckles of an unrecognizable herb

Drenched in maple syrup

And lavishly coated with European-style butter

When folded and forked into the mouth

Is as if a sandwiched spin-off of a croquembouche.

Seoul Summer

It’s been almost a week since I arrived in Seoul and I feel stingy with every minute passing by. There is so much I want to do- so much of the city I want to soak up. I feel this way every time I come here; yet this time around I’m smitten not by the endless shopping there’s to do or by the thought of seeing relatives but with the (surprisingly pleasant) Seoul Summer.

The last summer I spent in Seoul was in 1995- the most memorable summer of my entire life…

Running around in flowery dresses catching dragonflies...

Eating an exaggerated amount of red freeze pops...

Biting into a thermometer and almost swallowing mercury...

Playing hard and dirty with used coal briquettes and having my cousin take all the blame, because he's the boy and the one known to be michievous while I'm thought as the dumb and quiet girly girl...

Laughing,

Oh there was so much laughter back then.