A reporter's day (Part 2)



- By 4pm of Monday, August 17, I searched again online for news updates on the Cabilao case. Having found none with what I got from the presscon, I worked on the story "Group forms task force to press resolution of Cabilao case."
- I activated the Google chat and was pinged by VG and a friend at the Manila Times.
- VG dropped a bad news: the father of former colleague Cher Jimenez died. My former colleague at the Times and I, meanwhile, chatted about a junket to Hong Kong for reporters.
- It was nearing 6pm when I was able to send the story, no thanks to Globe and its turtle-paced Internet connection.
- I checked my Facebook account and wrote comments on a thread from Vlad's list of 15 movies that had an effect on him.
- VG arrived while I was writing my own note for this thread.
- Deleted and arranged all the files I downloaded and copied some to my flash drive.
- Shut down the computer, turned off the fan, slung the bag on my shoulder, went down and stepped out to a clear night sky.
- I lit up the last stick in the pack of ten and walked to the MRT Quezon Ave. station.
- I chucked out the half-smoked cigarette, entered the elevator that brought me up to the third floor, crossed to the other side, and rode the elevator down.
- I walked again a kilometer to where jeepneys wait for passengers going to UP Campus.
- After 30 minutes, the jeepney drove off (P7/$0.15). Took another jeepney (P6/$0.14) inside the campus.
- Stopped by Jack's store to buy ten sticks of cigarettes (P14/$0.30).
- Surprised my wife and daughters who're talking in the bedroom. Shrieks and laughter filled the room. It felt nice to be home.
- After the excitement died down, I went to the sala where my mother was watching TV soap. I kiss her on the forehead before chucking my bag on the couch.
- Went back to the bedroom, took off my shoes, black long sleeves and in-shirt, and put the clothes in the laundry hamper.
- Having changed into shorts and cotton tees, I started heating the dinner of sinigang and rice.
- I took Michael Connelly's book "Crime Beat" to the dining table, expecting to eat alone, turned off the stove, and plopped into a seat to begin dinner.
- My wife Trisha sat to tell me about her first night in a Tai Chi class held every Monday night.
- After goading the two kids to sleep, I began writing this to recollect the events of a day of a Filipino reporter.

* Total spend: P194/$4 at $1=P49
* image cropped from photo by Nonie Reyes


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