The Roving, Ronin Hare

  A small and simple villa Stands at the tip of a peninsula Near the border with Liguria But well within French Riviera Its remote location is a gift On top of a treacherous cliff Is a full view of the mild sea And the nearby quaint city The place was called Point Idyll A well-deserved, covetous title Visitors, guests are mesmerized By such an astounding paradise The exteriors of the chateau Were stylized in Art Nouveau And when you walk inside Impressionist paintings hang side by side Built near the end of 1899 The furnitures will take you back To the days when good, old ragtime Was everybody's favorite track Out into the comely garden Bees frenetically play with pollens Rare and exotic flora bloom Beautifying loved ones' sacred tombs Into the disorganized kitchen Through the thick walls aromas transcend Titillating guests' appetite Ready for sumptuous dinner every night Centuries-old heirloom dishes Preserved through loved ones' dying wishes Are served on the dining t...

  Young and sweet. Only seventeen. That is our dancing queen, our sweet and beautiful mother. She can dance, she can jive... Having the time of her life... Our mother was born on May 3rd, 1954. She was originally named " Maria Cruz Venus Mapusao " but our lola changed her mind when our mum kept falling sick. The name sounded ominous as it reminded them of the "cross" so she was renamed " Nancy ," a name that sounds simple and easy-breezy. Excited for her first dancing party after the pandemic. February 2021 Our mother is celebrating her seventeenth birthday today somewhere in Japan so she is not dancing with her friends and buddies as she would usually do on Saturdays. As you can see, our mum loves dancing, and "Dancing Queen" is one of her all-time favorite songs. She would always sing this song on Karaoke or Magic Sing. All the time. I don't get tired of listening because she has a beautiful voice. Mama Sarah joined one of our mum's dan...

Shinsaibashi Shopping District in the heart of Osaka Our first stop was Osaka. We arrived at Kansai International Airport at about 30 minutes after sunset. It was comfortably warm inside but, after stepping out, we immediately felt the cold winds embracing us like crazy. It was my first time to experience 12 degrees. Ironically, I was able to withstand the cold by just wearing my IBP jacket. Took a selfie to prove that IBP jacket was enough for 12 degrees 😅 What can I say about Osaka? It's a huge metropolitan city. I thought it was just some city. It's actually so huge, it could be bigger than Metro Manila. I didn't check and compare the two cities anymore because I'm that lazy. What I'm saying is, Osaka is huge. Train to Osaka from Kansai Airport Because of this, I felt that I will not be a hundred percent here and I would not be in my element. I was simply reminded by my experiences in Metro Manila where the crowd and traffic drove me home.  Osaka wasn't real...