The First Fall of Snow in My Second Winter in Canada

Photo: The first shot from my new digital camera; the magical swing in the backyard of my cousin Mike's home, where my grandfather and I are currently staying; many new poems of mine were written in many a solitary moment in that magical swing. Sorry, the snowflakes were invisible in the picture. Just use your imagination.

Albert Einstein said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

First Real Blog?
I feel that this would be my first "real" blog entry in the sense that I'd just be documenting the significant events and personal feelings since yesterday without much thought.

In short, I'm just letting my mind bleed as my fingers move like waltzing couples on the dancefloor, the keyboard of my PC.

Yesterday, Sunday, around 11 a.m., Mike and family dropped off Papa and me at the Wal-Mart at Guildford Town Centre in Surrey. They would be delivering the scented candles their friends ordered from Marivic, while Papa and I were watching an after-lunch movie at the nearby Famous Players / Silver City.

The Star Wars Collector
Since we had about an hour to stroll, Papa and I went to the Toy Section (like I always do, and did even in the Philippines...the child in me, for sure). Marvelling at those action figures never fail to cast a magic spell on me. Wow! Lots of new Star Wars figures, reminding me that the final Episode III Revenge of the Sith is around the corner, showing finally in May of next year. How much was each action figure? Ah, C$8.99. I couldn't resist the lure of the dark side of collecting action figures, especially Star Wars figures. He-he-he. I bought two figures: Scout Trooper and Gammorean Guard.

The Force Is Strong
Then, Papa asked me where the Sony Store is. Hmmm, I could sense it. I knew it! I'm a Jedi after all. Papa wanted finally to buy the digital camera he was craving for since early this year. Actually, every time we went to a Future Shop, an electronics/audio-video store, Papa was all ready to buy the camera, but I used to stop him from doing so, chiefly because I felt wary my relatives might think negatively about it; for the same thing happened when Papa bought me a new computer last March. BUT, this time, I didn't stop Papa. It's Christmas! And Papa said he wanted to buy the camera for me; besides, everyone in the family knew how Papa loved cameras and photography. In fact, the camera I was using was Papa's old manual Nikon F70, which always gave me difficulty because it needed a film, was too bulky--inconvenient to use in taking pictures in the mall--and posed the cost of having the films developed.

So, there! I finally received my Christmas gift from Papa: a Sony DSC-P73/P93 Digital Camera. Don't I deserve this? I think I do. Now I can further document my days here in Canada. I can now let my family and friends in the Philippines see how the malls (plus the people there) and other places look like in their most candid moments. Yes, I've taken some pictures with the Nikon, but I am yet to take pictures with myself in the malls and in other places where using a big manual camera makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable.

The Bibliophilist
I let Papa rest at the food court of Guildford mall, while I went to the nearby Black Bond Books. I came out of the bookstore with another new book: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (1931, 1994, Pocket Books), a novel about a Chinese family having to brave the difficulty of living the Chinese life, similar to the books written by a favorite author of mine, Adeline Yen Mah (Chinese Cinderella and Falling Leaves). Obviously I am yet to read Buck's book, so that's all I want to say about it for now.

I bought a foot-long roasted-beef sandwich at a Subway, had it cut into three (two for me, one for Papa). We'd eat it later in the theater.

The Barrie in Me
We watched the 1:25 p.m. showing of Finding Neverland (starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet), a biography of Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie. I delighted in the movie chiefly because I well related with Barrie, who was shown as someone who always carried a journal, incessantly inditing his thoughts in it. He was also fond of telling and enacting his stories to the children in the story. But the best part of all was the scene when the child Peter (said to be the actual child who inspired Barrie into creating his Peter Pan character) uttered: "I am not Peter Pan, but he is," pointing to Barrie himself.

After dinner at home, I continued reading A History of Writing, from where I'm learning a lot about the origin of the various writing systems of the world, including the Philippines' very own Pre-Hispanic alphasyllabaries, like Alibata, which was mentioned in the book.

Winter Once Again
I woke up early today, around seven. I was excited to test the digital camera. And, then... Wow! Guess what? This morning of December 6, the snow has fallen! Finally, the first winter flakes in my second Winter in Canada were falling silently before my eyes. I tried to take some pictures, but the snowflakes were too thin to be captured elegantly. (I'm posting the picture anyway.)

I took a few shots nonetheless, then stared through the window in silence.

Again, a dream come true--watching actual snow--but, instead of feeling delighted, I was thinking of home...

How I wish I can behold such sight with my loved ones.

Hush,
the dream is not yet over.
Someday.
I know someday,
my loved ones will be with me,
to stare through the window
as the snow falls.
And all of us will
fall in silence,
in the same contemplative moment.

aLfie