One of the nicer things that had happened in the past year was that my brother got relocated at work next to my building. Every so often we'd try to meet up for lunch, occasional dinners, or coffee breaks. Some weekends he drives up to our place with his adorable brood of three. Years ago, we had missed happy opportunities like this, for the simple reason that he was living and working in another country. At our recent get-togethers, I would sit across the table with him and become a bit lost in thought--recalling the years when he was in college in far-flung Marawi, living alone, living on his meager scholarship stipend, and making ends meet for himself. I imagine the hardship he must have gone through while his immediate family was never around to care for his needs. Today, he works as a senior software analyst in a huge firm, has set foot to many places, and proves to be a very valuable part of his industry. As siblings, we share a lot of loves--for Tolkien, for Tracy Chapman, for the cult classic X-files, for torn Levi's, for Harry Potter, for Scrabble, and yes for coffee.What makes me inordinately proud of him however, is the fact that he has hardly changed, and had remained a quiet, unassuming and modest person. And, if I have to be my sentimental self again, I feel an effusive sense of happiness and deliverance for being one-third part of that tie that eternally binds us together, the other two-thirds being him and my youngest brother.
I took pictures of him while we shared muffins and coffee at the nearby park this afternoon. I am not too happy with my shots, as I faced some focusing problems when I switched my camera settings. It occurs to me that I might have to be more mindful of my shooting now, and aim to get more quality photos rather than fancy about colors or bokehs. And saying that, I realize that sooner or later, I will have to consider upgrading my camera body.
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| urban sunset... |
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| muffins and americano for a quick fix |
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| taken by bro |
As an afterthought, I am including this last photo, because the city where I live is now officially plastic-free. The incumbent mayor has done a good job of putting up street lights, paving roads, bringing Maynilad to our households, creating jobs in the first years of his office, and recently passing an ordinance to disallow the use of plastic and styro at any establishment. And for good measure. In effect, we happily go around in recyclable totes and brown bags feeling more like civilized human beings. There's ample amount of inspiration in that, to finally do away with useless, hollow platitudes, and just really walk the talk.
