For educational purposes only

 "Small World " PLOT         It probably was a small house, but size throws off a child.        It certainly seemed ample then. There were three bedrooms, which we called blue, green and aircon. My mother sent most of us to piano lessons, soon enough a piano took its place in our living room.  We went to a music studio in northeast Greenhills, a short walk from the Greenhills shopping center.        San Juan seemed pretty much the whole city then, because even my relatives were there. On M. Paterno Street, adjacent to Ledesma, lived Tito Pepito with my father’s parents.      Ledesma Street was a short one, and quiet. Our house was unassuming, with walls of modest height and a green gate.        It was 1984n when we transferred. I was fifteen and finishing my second year in high school. When we were about to leave, we felt the excitement of moving to a new house, a bigger one, in...

Into the Durian Capital           We were visiting Davao again which we always do every Christmas break.      I puked!       I felt like everything I ate just got out of my system! The ride felt like that of a roller coaster. It was quite long and the vehicle we were riding in was not helping. I didn’t know what was causing the bad feeling, either the smell of the air-conditioner or the space that was preoccupied by a lot. I saw how exhausted and dizzy my cousins were as well. Some already looked like who were gone from a cat fight because of their messy hair. And I felt jealous on those who were just acting too cool, banging their heads while listening to the loud stereo being played on. I didn’t understand why they seemed fine with everything while I was struggling and almost on the verge of giving up and just wishing to go back to our house and just sleep until the bad feeling fades away.      Davao has a...