‘Mistaken’ friend

Few months ago as I logged on to my Yahoo instant messenger, I received an “invitation” from someone I didn’t know.  Because I’m not really good at remembering names, I assumed that she’s probably someone I met before, maybe a friend’s friend who was introduced to me.  With that assumption, I gladly accepted that invitation and so her name became part of my growing list of friends with whom I chat regularly.

But I never ‘caught’ her online so that I could have figured out much earlier who she is.  Few months later as I was busy chatting with a friend, I received a message from her - “Who are you?”.  While I was glad to have finally met her online, I couldn’t immediately grab a word or two to answer her question.  Am I not supposed to be the one asking that question? 

Then came another message – “Psssst!”.  Although this word, unique among Filipinos, is used to informally call one’s attention especially a close friend, it is rarely used to call a stranger unless you want to be called impolite.

Weekend in Floripa

Last weekend, we were in Praia dos Ingleses in Florianopolis together with friends and their families.  Florianopolis or Floripa has an island that is connected to the mainland through its popular Hercilio Luz Bridge.  The island hosts magnificent beaches that attract tourists from all over the world.