Orange like a burnt sunset.

I have a client at work that later on became a very close friend. She gifted me several fountain pen inks two years ago. She told me that it was for my soon-to-be promotion at work. I told her that I will open it once the promotion is official so that the event will not be jinxed. 

Two years has past and I haven't opened her gift. 

This friend keeps telling me how much she anticipates to know whether I like the inks or not. 

The pandemic sucked all the good things that this 2020 has to offer. And I badly needed a pick me up event. So I decided to open her gift. But promised to myself that I will only try one of the three inks. I am reserving the other two for my promotion. 

One of the inks she gave is the orange ink of pilot. In particular it's called Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-yake (sunset burnt orange). It is a wet and flowy ink that performs well on a medium nib to show a range of shade (red-orange to pale orange). 

I decided to use the Scrikss pen that I bought during my layover in Istanbul, my last out of country flight before the whole pandemic. I think it perfectly matches with the ink called burnt sunset. A sort of culmination of the happy times. 

I have also been writing a lot of prayers on my notebook. Frustration. Wishful thinkings. All the thoughts that has been piling and decaying in my mind.  

I sent this photo to my friend. And I told her I very much like how the orange ink changes its shading as I write on the paper. I also told her that I am very much thankful for her. She cringed. Just like when eating burnt orange. 

Very appropriate. 

Kwentong ROTC

Ganito kita nakilala. ROTC class noon. Freshmen tayo. Pareho tayong nasa Infantry Battalion. 

Exempted ako sa CAT noong high school pero interesado ako sa pag assemble ng riffle. Kaya pagdating ko ng Kolehiyo, habang malayo sa pamilya, nag-enlist ako ng ROTC. 

Pareho tayo ng dorm kaya nagkakasabay din tayo maglakad ng madaling araw papuntang training. Sabay din umuuwi na pawisan at amoy araw. 

Lagi mo ako tinatawanan dahil ilang beses ako nasisigawan sa session. Palibhasa, naging kapitan ka noong CAT mo noong high school kaya basic na sayo ang mga military drills. 

Gusto ko lang naman mag-shooting at mag disassemble ng riffle, sabi ko sayo. Hindi ko trip yung mga martsa at pag-ikot ikot ng kahoy na baril. 

Package deal yan, gago. Libre ako ng Martes ng hapon, turuan kita, yaya mo. 

After one year ng ROTC natin, at nag-iba na tayo ng dormitoryo, hindi na kita nakita. Nag-drop ka na rin pala ng University. Bumalik ng probinsiya. At tumulong sa pamilya sa negosyo niyo sa palengke. 

Di ka na sumagi sa isipan ko hanggang nito lamang ng in-add mo ako sa isang social media platform. Nagmessage ka, Kumusta?

Sumagot ako. Gago, ikaw pala yan. Kumusta?

Mahabang kwentuhan tungkol sa buhay mo at buhay ko. At kung paano naging walang kabuluhan ang mga military drills natin sa ROTC. Binato ko sayo na natalo kita sa pabilisan mag assemble ng riffle sa military science class natin. At hindi mo pa nababayaran ang pustahan nating trenta pesos na fishball, sampung piso na kwekwek, saka isang bote ng mountain dew. 

Kapag mas ligtas na ang panahon, bisitahin kita, sabi mo. Covid pa e.

Lamy bronze ink, spotify and the f*ed up year

Through contact tracing, the health liaison officer informed me that one staff who I interacted with tested positive. 

I don't have any COVID symptoms (e.g. fever, sore throat, difficulty in breathing and loss of smell and taste). But I am on isolation as a precautionary measure.

The one who tested positive was very apologetic. We followed all the protocols of social distancing at work. So I told him/ her that he doesn't have to say sorry. Nobody in their right mind wants to infect someone else. 

Spotify has been my company lately while in self-isolation. Here are some of the songs that I've been listening to lately.