The 14-day quarantine, days 3-5

Work, meaningful work, is the antidote to boredom. Must remind myself to quit anything that bores me. 

Yesterday: spoke to friends and family. Tito Bong, my father's close friend, called me up. Felt like talking to Tatay. In many respects they sound the same. Told me that Tatay's gift of charming people rubbed off on me. Everyone knew and liked him, Tito said. In malls and restaurants, people were charmed. Heartwarming story: Tatay and his bike gang passing through chapel named after San Isidro Labrador. Tatay told Tito Bong, "Lance would be angry if I named him Isidro, so I used 'Isidore' instead." Tito said Tatay was always proud of me. I miss him every day. 

Worked on papers. Made me forget I'm in quarantine.

Metro Manila now in MECQ. Government listened to doctors this time, but I feel this is temporary. Doctor-friends relieved but pessimistic. Note to self: limit social media engagement. Atmosphere is anger and hopelessness. Must pray for wisdom for our leaders, who don't have much of it. 

Huge PhilHealth scam irks me. How can thieves do this to poor patients who can barely afford to pay for transpo to clinic, let alone their chemo meds? The depravity of human nature. Trusting that justice prevails in the end. God is just and merciful.

Technology makes quarantine bearable. Tita Mavis's essay on Marguerite Yourcenar intrigues me. Got myself a copy of Memoirs of Hadrian. Tita Mavis on English translations of French work: 

None of the books now available in English reveals anything of the quality and clarity of the French. English and French are not negative-positive images of each other, but entirely different instruments. The two languages cannot be made to work in the same way. A French sentence, transcribed exactly as it stands, means an English sentence with five words too many.

With barely a grasp of French, I'll make do with the English translation.