I had a physical exam the other day. Before seeing the doctor, I was given some standard health questions about smoking, drinking, allergies and family history, etc. but there was a new section that gauged any loneliness and depression --- alluding (I assume) to suicidal tendencies. I guess the hospitals are finally addressing the growing epidemic of suicide all over the world. Indeed, more and more people have lost hope in this confusing world. What a tragedy.

He’s GoneWARNING: Very personal letter. Not in a funny mood. Let’s joke around next week.I woke up just before 6am Friday (Philippine Time). I walked into my Dad’s room and his caretaker and his house help were huddled around him in disbelief. The house help mumbled something that I didn’t understand but when I saw Dad’s lifeless body, I knew …

To me he was always Gary, my little brother who thought a lot, laughed a lot and dreamed a lot. His philosophy in life was greatly influenced by Atticus in the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In fact, that was one of his names. He became a lawyer and a scientist ... a Director for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in Washington DC for about 30 years. A series of events (like his dissatisfaction with government corruption) made him quit his job and he found himself alone in a village called Mindo in the jungles of Ecuador which is the northernmost tip of the great Amazon Rain Forest. All throughout his career, he saw the importance of preservation. He made feasibility studies of Ecuador, and then plans which he presented to scientific bodies and received a huge grant from MIT.

Well, it’s been a week. And once again I find myself sitting on the park bench in Vevey, Switzerland next to the statue of Charlie Chaplin, with whom I share the panorama of shimmering Lake Geneva and the pristine snowcapped Alps in the distance.

My wife apologized for the first time ever today.