‘Not what I imagined’

Netnet Camomot .

LAST Saturday was the first time in so many days that the air conditioner could rest. Finally, a cool morning. It’s about time!

The summer has been hot, hot, hot, we could feel the heat bearing down on our head even with the air conditioner on. Whew! The perks of living near the equator.

Climate change has, well, changed the climate. Summers are hotter, winters have become unpredictable and possible even in spring with snow falling in New York last April.

Will Pinas have four seasons in the future? Does Sarah Geronimo feel empty despite her success? Will US First Lady Melania Trump ever allow The Donald to hold her hand? Hmmm. Your answers are as good as mine.

Yes, buti pa si Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in nag-holding hands.

There’s a conscious effort to improve First Lady Melania’s public image. It was subtle at first. A little prim here, a little proper over there since her personality is not the type that could be presented as an absolute prim and proper. She can be poised, though, despite the fact that The Donald often leaves her behind while walking during public appearances unless he wants to hold her hand which she usually flicks away.

The conscious effort recently progressed to her “Be Best” campaign which her communications director, Stephanie Grisham, described as the first lady’s “initiative meant to support children and the many issues they are facing today.”

But her “initiative” is now facing plagiarism accusations for “Talking with Kids About Being Online,” one of the campaign’s booklets, which was already used by the Federal Trade Commission for the term of then US President Barack Obama in 2009.

Grisham, however, had a ready defense mechanism: “Mrs. Trump agreed to add Be Best branding and distribute the booklet in an effort to use her platform to amplify the positive message within.”

When Trump became president, some observers commented that Melania wasn’t looking forward to the roles and responsibilities of a first lady. And somehow even the madlang pehpohl could empathize with her. Seeing photos and videos of Queen Elizabeth II and her royal family, can’t help suspect how tiring it is to be always smiling for the cameras, always their best foot forward with no single strand of hair amiss.

Even three-year-old Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Prince William and Duchess Kate, has learned to wave to photographers.

The story of Charlotte’s paternal grandparents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, is one sad example of how important public image is in sustaining the respect that their royal status demands but in the end, not even the best public-image team could save their marriage. There’s more hope for their sons, Princes William and Harry, who seem to have some degree of freedom in dealing with their privileged reality.

President Rody Duterte has proven, though, that reality, even the one peppered with speeches featuring p*t*ng in*, is the one that his fans prefer. If only these fans will also use that reality check when there’s fake news. Tsk tsk.

Wish ko lang for all Pinoys to totally evolve into the kind that doesn’t tolerate pa-cute politicians so they’ll be able to tell the real barangay candidate from the fake one.

Well, if you’ve had enough of fake in this ongoing campaign season, here’s news that’s definitely not fake: “Avengers: Infinity War” earned $1 billion in 11 days. Wow. To infinity and beyond!

If I’ll watch it again and again and again, will those infinity tickets help it earn $2 billion?

A staycation at home is the cheapest vacation. Second to that is watching a movie where you can be “in a world of pure imagination,” then you leave the theater refreshed and ready to face the world. Unless it’s the movie version of a Stephen King book and you’re now dreaming of clowns. If you end up dreaming of politicians, well, what’s the diff?

Will a barangay candidate ever use the word “clown” as a nickname? You know, kind of a term of endearment for his sense of humor. Hoping that will prompt his potential voter to say, Joker kaayo ni siya oi, bwahahaha, kay bisag nadamay na sa drugs iyang ngalan, gidagan gihapon siya.

FYI. Kana nga candidate dili joker. Ang tawag ana niya: Baga ug nawong.

How to vote? Here’s a quote unquote from “Infinity War.” Here’s hoping this dialogue will guide you in your quest for the most behaved barangay ever:

Okoye: “When you said you were going to open Wakanda to the rest of the world, this is not what I imagined.”

T’Challa: “What did you imagine?”

Okoye: “The Olympics, maybe even a Starbucks.”

So, what does your barangay deserve—the Olympics, a Starbucks, or “not what I imagined”?

We can only hope that Election Day will be another cool day as we vote for the most qualified candidates for the barangay.