Ang

Life of Pi, about survival and faith, is more upbeat. It's also adapted from a book, and it requires a willing suspension of disbelief. For the shots in the boat, the production team created a digital tiger. Oscar-winning director Ang Lee enchants us with his other-worldly cinematography.

On Sunday morning, most of us were Skyping or calling home as our families had their reunion dinners (morning in the U.S. is evening back home). My family reminded me that although it might be my first Chinese New Year without "yee sang", they would be keeping my "ang pows" for me when I get back. Hopefully! 🙂

These days, I am wearing my red touque with orange letters in Tagalog, "MGA AWSTRALYA ANG MGA ESTRELYA," alluding to space colonization and the cold and hot deserts of other worlds. These days, I talk with Greg, my religious Filipino friend, at Starbucks café. We talk about travelling, anthropology, international food, and religion. This morning, I played in the midst of dense fog in a neighbourhood grassy field. At Starbucks café, in the foggy morning, I was drinking my reddish Passion Tango iced tea, which contained hibiscus, lemongrass, cinnamon, passion fruit, pineapple, and so forth. Greg gifted me a chocolate croissant. At Starbucks café, in the grey-sky afternoon, I was drinking the seasonal Oat Nog Latte. (Incidentally, Nog is a dwarf-like Ferengi alien character in the Star Trek franchise.) Kristina, part-Inuit part-Norwegian, was my barista. She has a handsome face, and her mannerisms and style reflect some things about her Inuit ancestors. "Viktor, it's like you're part-Inuit," she told me. She knows that I am from the Philippines. At my table, I exercised with my hand grip strengthener, which I carried in my army jacket pocket. At the café, I greeted Don the alluring white man and Květa the solitary Czech lady, as I exited. It is the 4th of December of 2024.

I talked to Greg the Filipino this morning in Starbucks café. Greg was drinking Mocha and I a Passion Tango iced tea. I saw that seemingly "Greek" muscleman again, in and out of the café with his coffee. "Ang laki! (So big!)," I said to Greg. His body is like a Greek god sculpture. (I am not really sure if he is Greek, but I heard him talking in his cellphone in a language that sounded Greek to me.) I took my second walk in the grey-sky morning: At Yummy Slice pizzeria, Sachet the Gujarati vendor and Tharsan the Sri Lankan owner were there, as I was drinking my grey-can Diet Coke. At the Subway sandwitcheria, I got a Turkey Ranch "Snackwich" with spinach, tomatoes, fried onions, cucumbers, and honey mustard sauce. Simran the Punjabi Sikh was my vendor. She talked about the coming Lohri Festival in January for Punjabis. It has to do with celebrating with bonfires and honouring childbirth. I greeted Don the head-shaven white man at Starbucks café, where I was eating almonds. Today is the 9th of December of 2024.

This winter has been warmer than usual, so far, without snow, here on Lulu Island. In the morning, this 27th of December of 2024, I walked twice to Tim Hortons: Firstly, I ate two hash browns with an oat milk iced coffee. Secondly, I ate a sausage egg English muffin meal, including a hash brown and oat milk iced coffee. I went to Starbucks for an oat nog latte. I missed Greg, my Filipino friend, who left just before me. Then, I went to Yummy Slice pizzeria for a red-can Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. The Filipina vendor Rose was there, so we said "Happy New Year" to each other. I passed by Kin's Farm fruteria. On my way home, in the park's alleyway, I met and talked with my ufologist friend, Michael J., a Dane-French. He amused himself with the red touque on my head, with orange letters in Tagalog: "MGA AWSTRALYA ANG MGA ESTRELYA" (The stars are Australias). I told him it was about "space colonization." There are the cold and hot deserts of other worlds. Then, I went to the house of my "auntie" neighbour, Tita Zeny, to pick up her homemade "dinuguán" or Filipino pork blood stew to bring home. Lunch at home would include Filipino chicken "adobo."