Our workweek was shortened to three days this week. The city observed Jeune Genevois (Genevan fast) last Thursday, but the ILO decided to close office until Friday, therefore, a four-day holiday. I've been dreading this long holiday since last month for the simple reason that I have no idea where to go with who. I'm not sure if I will thank the weather for completing the picture for me. Rain started pouring down since the start of the holiday, today being day 3. It seems that I'm holing up indoors after all. I did manage to go out yesterday afternoon and strolled along the old town before heavy rains started hammering down again. I won't risk doing that today, though. It's minimum 10 degrees low outside. I got up late this morning, thinking that it's still dawn, when it's already past 10. That's how dark it was (and still is) outside.
Since I've known this dreadful holiday for weeks, I somehow anticipated everything. I stacked up for the rainy days, so to speak, not even knowing that rain is going to come down. I have more food than usual
. And now that I'm stoned in my room, I am again full of random thoughts.
I was reading the news over Inquirer.net earlier on. The article about the anomalous C-5 project made me sigh. Then I listened to the episodic noise of cars passing the avenue nearby. "Circus pa rin sa atin (We are still in circus)", was what came out of my mouth. Many people are still greedy. Whenever I see the very efficient transportation system, the electronic police monitoring the roads, and the disciplined motorists here, I can't help but feel the pangs of cruel treatment, especially of people in power, back home. My collection of ifs is slowly piling up. "Kung ganito lang sana sa Pilipinas (If only the Philippines is like this)...". "Siguro kung sa Pilipinas 'to nangyari, malamang (If this happened in the Philippines, maybe)..." . I can only pray and pray hard for my country.
On a totally different subject, I remember asking a friend here if she has ever seen Swiss miss or St. Ives apricot scrub in grocery stores and pharmacies here. I thought these are supposedly Swiss made and for the longest time, I've never caught sight of these in stores. She said neither did she. I told her, maybe these are US made. Today I learned that indeed, they are. They're just Swiss-inspired. Swiss miss (ConAgra Foods) for the Swiss chocolates and St. Ives for the Swiss formula. European shops do not usually patronize stateside products.
So given that, should I change my Swiss miss blog entries to Swiss-inspired? I think I better not. I'm too lazy to edit
Since I've known this dreadful holiday for weeks, I somehow anticipated everything. I stacked up for the rainy days, so to speak, not even knowing that rain is going to come down. I have more food than usual
. And now that I'm stoned in my room, I am again full of random thoughts.I was reading the news over Inquirer.net earlier on. The article about the anomalous C-5 project made me sigh. Then I listened to the episodic noise of cars passing the avenue nearby. "Circus pa rin sa atin (We are still in circus)", was what came out of my mouth. Many people are still greedy. Whenever I see the very efficient transportation system, the electronic police monitoring the roads, and the disciplined motorists here, I can't help but feel the pangs of cruel treatment, especially of people in power, back home. My collection of ifs is slowly piling up. "Kung ganito lang sana sa Pilipinas (If only the Philippines is like this)...". "Siguro kung sa Pilipinas 'to nangyari, malamang (If this happened in the Philippines, maybe)..." . I can only pray and pray hard for my country.
On a totally different subject, I remember asking a friend here if she has ever seen Swiss miss or St. Ives apricot scrub in grocery stores and pharmacies here. I thought these are supposedly Swiss made and for the longest time, I've never caught sight of these in stores. She said neither did she. I told her, maybe these are US made. Today I learned that indeed, they are. They're just Swiss-inspired. Swiss miss (ConAgra Foods) for the Swiss chocolates and St. Ives for the Swiss formula. European shops do not usually patronize stateside products.
So given that, should I change my Swiss miss blog entries to Swiss-inspired? I think I better not. I'm too lazy to edit
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