A Peace Offering

One day, with 5-Star on the job with me, a mishap of travestic proportions happened. (I tend to exaggerate, so "travestic" should not be taken too seriously here.)

Here is the recap of what happened.

The next day, he gave me a peace offering.

He drove us to the waterfront...

He RARELY obliges me with a take-out meal on the waterfront. This time, he pulled out the works.

He gave me a bag of my favorite potato chips...

... my favorite soda...

... and dessert...

It didn't end with the KitKat.

The following morning, he made me breakfast, which was served in bed.

Three is Pie

James is now three years old. What's great about three year olds is that they are so easily entertained. 

Give 'em a ball and take 'em to the playing field, and they're happy as pie.

Show 'em a little dog - key word, LITTLE - and they'll dance with the wolves.

Show 'em a jungle gym, and they'll wear out the seat of their pants on the slide.

Ah, what I'd give to be a kid again.

Tatiana

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, 

Who in the land is fairest of all? 

You, my queen, is fairest of all.

Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true...

But Tatiana is fairer than you.

Bisyo: Tabako

It was one of my last nights in Bohol. I was sitting on the front lawn, watching the Perseid meteor shower in the sky, enjoying one of my favorite vices when Engineer Alex walked past me. 

"Mag-nigarilyo diay ka Nett?"

You smoke [cigarettes], Netty?

"Dili," akong gi tubag, bisag nag gunit ko ug tabako.

"No", I replied, even though I was holding a cigar.

What makes a person a smoker? Is such status defined by what that person smokes? 

If smoking - whether it be a cigarette, a cigar, a pipe, or Mary Jane - is a regular routine, then yes, the person in question is a bonafide smoker.

Engineer Alex asked if I smoke cigarettes, literally. Sigarilyo is cigarette, as opposed to tabako, which is  cigar. There is a world of difference between a cigarette and a cigar. 

Cigarette:

1. chemically processed, and therefore

2. cancer-causing.

3. machine-made composition - the paper wrapper and filter.

4. physically addictive because of #1.

Cigar:

1. natural, virgin leaves.

2. grown by mother earth.

3. hand rolled with tender care.

4. smells like my lola (grandmother).

Is cigar-smoking a regular habit for me? During my last vacation in the Philippines I smoked one Don Juan Urquijo, and one 1881, both from La Flor De La Isabella. I haven't smoked another cigar since then. Thus, negating the habit definition for me. 

Back to Engineer Alex's question, "Mag-nigarilyo diay ka Nett?"

I say again: Dili jud, sir!

Hear My Dragon Roar!

As all my warrior weekend adventures are born, the dragon boat races started with a Facebook comment posted by Cousin Abby on Facebook.

Abby   Oh so this is how I paddle? I wish I knew that before I went to the first practice. I just hit my thumb twice on the metal siding. Argh

Dragon boat: How to paddle?

www.youtube.com

Dragon Boat Technique Dragon boat: How to paddle? Technique step by step with key phrase.

August 23 at 1:38pm 

Long story short: I ended up joining a team who needed paddlers to complete the 20-man roster.

Less than a week before race day, I went out with a group of women on the Survivor Sake team. 

As I paddled in the waning twilight of evening, through choppy waters, in the rain, battered by wind and cold all that went through my mind was "I am crazy... I am crazy... I am so very crazy..."

Why did I let my crazy relative bring me to this?

But after forty-five minutes in a rocking boat, on treacherous waters  --  well, "treacherous" is a bit far fetched, but it sounds more gung ho  -- with these strong, brave, fun, loving women I was resolved to let the dragon in me out. 

Hello Lake Washington, Castro Mercedes is back!

For the weekend anyway...

With only two practices under my life jacket, I arrived at the Seattle Celebrating Life Dragon Boat Festival bright eyed, bushy tailed, nervous, and still in shock from committing to this milestone feat.

For competition, dragon boats are adorned with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails.

The drum, the heartbeat of the boat.

I quaked at the sight of our competition. Such strong and bold names like...

SURVIVOR Sake...

PIRATES of Pissants...

AUDUBON Owls...

SAKECCINO...

Kac TIGERS...

Kent DRAGON Boat Association...

My team's name was Patchwork Paddlers. So cute. So innocent. If Oz had dragon boat races, this would be the Munchkins' league name. 

Thank goodness my biggest fans were there to support me. James and Henriette, you are such bossom friends.

It's not an "oar", it's a paddle.

And you PADDLE, not row.

See that lime green team behind me? That's Team Bruno. If the Smurfs had dragon boat races, that would be their league name.

I made it my personal goal to beat Team Bruno, because my crazy relatives are paddling on that team. The very same culprits that got me into this oversized, musty life jacket in the first place.

Listen up, Patchwork Paddlers! I ask only one thing of you...

That we beat Team Bruno.

And please do not, I repeat, do not tip the boat.

Ok, so there are two requests.

Hai is our drummer, and our coach. He had a grand strategy to beat Team Bruno on our last run.

His strategy worked. Just look at that photo finish. Team Bruno was behind us by almost a boat length!

And that, Cousin Abby & Cousin Ain, is how you paddle a dragon boat! Huah!

Ah, the morale on our boat was high!

We had great cause to celebrate!

In a post win interview with Survivor Northwest cameraman, Jimmy and Saul summed it up very well.

"There is no me in this sport. The best thing about dragon boat racing, that we all work together as one, a unit, team."

Paddlers are a group of individuals that function as one unit, a team. There is no greater team work than one that fosters mutual trust and camaraderie.

On Three! One, two three!

PATCHWORK!

Cousin Abby, Cousin Ain, and spunky Doctor Hiromi, thanks for dragging me to the boat races!

My name is Castro, hear my dragon ROARRRRRRRRR!