imagesI slept and woke up to find January’s gone! Am I in another timezone? Days pass by in a blink; although I’d like to think this is a good thing. One is spared from dwelling too much on a not-so-pleasant situation.

It’s still cold at dawn but mostly, cold days have started to compete with warm days. Mornings are made of lovely kaleidoscopic sun rays creeping through my windows. The market where I buy our weekly supplies bursts with an almost summer-y color as it displays baskets after baskets of ripe mangoes, pineapples, watermelons, star apples, and oranges. I bet in a few more days – flowers in different packages will be all over department stores and supermarkets.

In the same way, kite makers have probably began designing guryons, tsapi-tsapis, and boka-bokas. These are popular types of kites well-loved by both young and old. With abundant winds in our Philippine summer sky, what’ll be more perfect for kite-flying?

February, needless to say, is such a fine month. After the pocket-emptying Yuletide, here comes another season to spread happiness around us.

And since it’s almost Valentines Day, I hope it would not sound “cheesy” to talk about courtship that has become underrated and predictable these days. What with the rapid evolution of gadgets and communication devices that made everything possible in a relatively short period of time. An SMS away and you’ll have a taste of what its like to be “in a relationship”.

But have you ever wondered what its like during the old days? Our folks didn’t live long enough to tell us their love stories during the pre-war era. I look up my handy Pinoy Almanac which describe in pictures courtship talk via handkerchief and I find them soooo cute.  Here, take a peek:

If a lady presses a handkerchief on her lips, it means she agrees to exchange letters with a man.

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A handkerchief pressed on the eyes means she’s lonely.
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When a lady presses her handkerchief on both cheeks, it means she loves you!

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When  the handkerchief is pressed on the right cheek, it means yes.

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A handkerchief pressed on the left cheek means no.

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A handkerchief pressed on the shoulder means ‘follow me’
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A handkerchief knotted on the fingers means “I am married/taken. Sorry”
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