Through the Spectacles

Lately, I have found myself thinking about and observing the world around me, especially about how quickly time seems to pass these days. I do not remember ever experiencing time at such a pace, especially when I was younger. Back then, days felt much longer and passed more slowly, whether I was busy or simply doing nothing. There is a common idea that when we are deeply engaged in something, we tend to lose track of time. Yet as I grow older, I notice that even ordinary days seem to pass so quickly, as if time itself has become faster. This feeling is both fascinating and frightening to me. It makes me think about my what-ifs more often than I should. I think about the things I could have done, the choices I could have made, and the things I still want to achieve. Sometimes, I look at the calendar and realize that another month has already passed. Before I know it, another year is almost over. When I was younger, I thought I had so much time. Birthdays, school breaks, and importan...

Have you ever experienced eating a certain dish and then suddenly, memories of the past rushed in your head? That's what I always experience every time I dine at 'Ma Mon Luk' restaurant in the middle of hustle and bustle of the Quiapo district, Manila. The humble restaurant serves a typical Chinese noodle house menu: their signature and famous chicken noodle soup, popularly known as 'Mami', hot pork bun or 'Siopao', siomai and soda. The restaurant was established in the late '40s and is still operational up to this day. The restaurant doesn't look any special or fancy, it is a typical restaurant with marble tables and a wall full of newspaper cutouts wherein the restaurant has been featured by the local newspapers, magazines or cutouts of famous personalities who have dined there. When I was around 7 or 8 years old, I and my grandparents used to eat at Ma Mon Luk after hearing the Mass at the nearby Quiapo church. I remember myself indulging i...