PINAS’ political scene is becoming as exciting as the anticipation over the opening of the drive-thru Starbucks at SM Northwing.
Located somewhere below Anytime Fitness, we, the gym rats, er, gym classmates will now be so tempted to make a shortcut from the gym to the city’s latest Starbucks by jumping from the second floor to the ground floor without breaking a sweat. Both the escalator and elevator are miles away—a short walk, actually—from the gym, so jumping is the better option for the fastest route.
Here’s hoping the group workouts and resistance training will make that jump as smooth as a smoothie.
But the only uptowner who’s not excited must be me since I can’t drink coffee anymore, no thanks to the senior-moment left knee that always complains right after a coffee fix, even if it’s decaf.
Cafes are now my greatest challenges: what to order? I always heave a deep sigh of relief when the cafe has meals and sandwiches in its menu—at least it has other choices aside from the usual coffee, baked carbs, and sweets otherwise I’ll end up eating the bread that goes with the ham-and-cheese sandwich.
I’m supposed to eat the ham and cheese only, leaving the bread uneaten on the plate. Friends have already seen me doing that. They’ve also seen me scrape toppings off a pizza dough.
How I wish I can be a non-strict carnivore. But my body is telling me that strict is the only way.
Whenever friends tell me about their diet that includes oatmeal, pancit, sotanghon, misua, pasta, wheat bread, corn, brown rice, red rice, black rice, and even quinoa, I have to keep my mouth shut unless they ask me if those seemingly lesser-evil carb choices are allowed. My reply: no.
Skim milk? No.
Brown sugar? No.
Diet soda? No.
Bananas? No.
Condensed milk? No.
Veggie-and-fruit smoothie? No.
Watermelon? No.
Canola oil? No.
Margarine, honey, ube, camote, grapes, guyabano, atis, mangos, mangosteen, durian, lanzones, papaya, cassava, buko, cantaloupe, kalabasa, pineapple, pomelo, jackfruit, chico, marang, star apple, seed oils? No.
Shimenet like my answer. Shimenet like how I answer. Shimenet like the content of my answer. But I am answering.
So, I guess I can now relate with Vice President Sara Duterte whose “shimenet” went viral. At least that virus didn’t reach Covid level.
The attack on “shimenet” could be the anti-Dutertes’ strategy in preventing Davao’s political dynasty from having a second time to shine.
But since it was VP Sara who used “shimenet” in her answers at the hearing on whatever, it’s now her responsibility to lessen its impact on what could be the Dutertes’ second time to shine if they’re again given the opportunity to occupy Malacañang in 2028. Which I hope will make the Mindanaoan happy. Because a Mindanaoan who’s not happy for the success of a fellow Mindanaoan is like a Pinoy who doesn’t eat rice.
Wait, is that me? I mean, the Pinoy who doesn’t eat rice—that’s me. As for being happy for a fellow Mindanaoan’s success, that’s also me. Hmmm. I’m now confused. Esep-esep din ‘pag may time.
The attempt to keep the Dutertes from occupying Malacañang again will reach throw-the-kitchen-sink proportions. Will the Mindanaoan be back to kawawa status if only presidential candidates from Luzon and Visayas will be allowed to run in the future? Abangan.
