I hate to break bad news, but I’m sick! Literally. I’ve been having fever since Tuesday morning, I’ve had my medical checkup the next day, they found higher than normal count of WBC in my CBC test, so I was diagnosed with bacterial infection. Really? If you know me, you’d know that I make extra effort to avoid infection and anything viral. I hate being sick and not being able to do anything and I hate subjecting my body to antibiotics and other medications. I mean, I spray lysol around the house from time to time, I bathe my hands with sterilium everytime I get home from work, sometimes I would bring it at work when I’m extra paranoid about a bacterial outbreak, I even bought my own snorkel so I won’t have to rent one during my travels to the beach (I know those snorkels for rent are sterilized after use, but what if the keeper forgot or got lazy to sterilize it?). And yet this?!? And this is not the first time my body was subjected to viral infections, but so far this is the worst! It’s horrible! I am getting traumatized and I am an inch close to wearing face mask and gloves everytime I had to go out of the house. I like Howie Mandel but I don’t wanna be like him. I want a normal life, and this illness I’m having is NOT normal. At least my fever have subsided and now I have sufficient energy to update people on what’s going on. I expect the fever to go up later and by that time, I will be bed ridden once again. I sincerely hope I'm wrong!
I like taking a break from work once in a while but it sucks to be unproductive for so long. I am losing a lot of money because of this. When my temperature goes up to 39̊C I can’t do anything, not even watch TV, read a book or wind up my music boxes. I'm too weak to enjoy anything, I’m helpless. If anything good has come out from this unfortunate incident, well, I’m becoming more and more religious (dear Lord, please make me well very soon) and I also promised myself to be nicer to people. I plan to eat healthier foods (veggies) and probably stop [bleeping the deep dark secret] before going to sleep (I had to bleep that because it's embarrassing for my age and I don't want to be misjudged of lacking attention, I've had more attention than I need, in fact I'm being pampered like a baby right now). Oh boy, I can't wait to get well and be a better person.
My family owns a hard copy of Reader's Digest Natural Wonders of the World. My siblings and I frequently browsed the book when were younger, and I remember competing with my brother Oliver in flagging our own territories. The game is pretty simple, I'd choose a place that I want to go to, if I have chosen it first, it's mine and that means he can't go there. Silly game, but the book was one of the early roots of my interest in traveling. It was published in 1988. At the time, only one entry from the Philippines made it to the book, and you guessed it right (thanks to my spoiler title), only Mt. Mayon was featured from the Philippines. While my recent trip to Bicol was really all about Butanding (whale shark) watching, I am just as excited to see this majestic beauty.
I was warned beforehand, by my friend who lived in Legazpi for 4 years, that the tip of the volcano is not visible in most days because of the clouds. And you'd think, here in the Philippines, where it's "sunny everyday", it shouldn't be a problem, after all it's summer. But no, my encounter with Mt. Mayon was like a courtship! It took time before I see the Mayon in her conic glory.
On my first touchdown in Bicol, my first glimpse was really disappointing, the sky was overcasted and the Mayon looked like a creature in hiding. From Cagsawa Ruins, I was hoping to take an iconic postcard shot of the Mayon with the bell tower and the rice fields. But it was an epic fail...
Oh, if only I could blow those clouds away! So we left for Donsol and went back after 2 days. A visit to the parish church in Daraga proved to be very pleasant when the weather showed a little kindness, then Mayon slowly revealed herself.
Later that day, I felt the she finally offered friendship, but still unwilling to bare the conic tip. Here, the thin cloud capping the tip made her looked a little like Mt. Fuji with the ice cap on.
And that made me satisfied, I thought that was it and expected nothing more. But to my delight, on my departure, finally…
It's summertime! There's no better way to kick off the season than getting away from the busy city. For my first break this year, I went to Bicol, the land of Mt. Mayon, abaca, Pili nuts and more!
It's not entirely planned. My friend Che, who also happens to be a Bicolana, invited me to join her in fulfilling one of her 2012 bucket list - to swim with the whale sharks, locally known as Butanding. While it's not in my own bucket list, I've always dreamed of sailing with the whales. I have a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle of Orcas dancing with the moon (which I proudly completed all by myself, it was tough y'all!) displayed in my room. It glows in the dark and at night, when I look at it, I imagine myself sailing in the sea, watching the whales and listening to whale songs. Of course the Butanding is not a whale (it's a shark, a gentle shark), but it looks like one and it's the closest I can get in fulfilling my childhood dream. In fact I decided that the first Butanding I'd see, I'll name Keiko, in honor of the Orca who played Willy in the film Free Willy. Our friend Janet joined the trip, also, to fulfill a long dream of swimming with the whale sharks.
So the main destination is Donsol, Sorsogon -the whale shark capital of the world. To get there, we flew to Legazpi Albay. Before taking the passenger van to Donsol, we took a short tour around Legazpi City. I was just as excited to get there because of Mt. Mayon, the prominent volcano known for its perfect cone shape. This crowning jewel of Bicol is visible all over the province of Albay, it's like a portrait of Big Brother, you cannot get away with it (as Che puts it). The moment I got off the plane, this majestic beauty immediately loomed at my sight. But I was a little disappointed when the annoying stratocumulus clouds conquered the sky and I couldn't see the symmetrical cone shape of the mountain.
It was just time for lunch when we arrived so Che took us at a local fast food, Biggs. It's a vintage themed place, the meals are a little pricey, but I didn't really mind since I enjoyed the food and the interior. I especially liked the iced tea and the cheesy potato. While scanning the place, something caught my attention --what do you know, there was a music box! I was (extremely) delighted to see it, too bad it's no longer functional.
Like any other trip, we made a stop to the church. St. Gregory the Great Cathedral is the Episcopal Seat of the Diocese of Legazpi and is one of the most prominent landmark of the city. I can't remember if we took a trike or walked to get there because I remember passing by a park and the capitol building.
Next we went to Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga, Albay. A visit to Albay would not be completed without going here, in fact, my image of Mt. Mayon is always coupled with the belfry. The remnants of the baroque church, destroyed by the most devastating eruption of Mayon in 1814, is a symbol of the dangers of living near the vicinity of the volcano. I was hoping to see a classic postcard sight but thanks to the weather, I was reminded that I can't be spoiled and get everything I want. While taking hopeless shots of the backdrop, it rained and we were forced to take shelter in an orchid's stand. The lady who owns the shop was very nice to accommodate us even though we're not buying anything, but I thought it was weird that my friend was speaking to her in Bicol (language) and she kept on replying in Tagalog.
Our next agenda was to try the locally famous DJC Halo-Halo. Halo-halo by the way, is a Filipino desert, a mixture of crushed ice, milk, leche flan, purple yam, tapioca and anything sweet that you can throw in. My friend constantly raved how the DJC Halo-halo stands out among any other halo-halo in the Philippines. I'm a big fan of deserts (unfortunately, it's taking a toll on my waistline huhuhu) so I was eager to give it a try. After ordering and waiting, the halo-halo was finally served and so we indulged. The ice was finely crushed and it gave a smooth texture to the mixture. The leche flan and the purple yam were really creamy and tasty. What made DJC Halo-halo different, in terms of ingredients, is the presence of grated cheese. I thought it worked really well with other ingredients, it made the whole eating experience not overwhelming with sweets, there was something to restrain too much sweetness. But after a halfway consumption, the taste gets old. It tasted like any other halo-halo. Maybe it was the presence of the ice cream. I never wanted an ice cream on top of my halo-halo, they are two different deserts that are not meant to be together. I ended up not finishing my cup but I'd like to give DJC halo-halo a second chance, next time, without an ice cream on top.
After the halo-halo, we headed to the terminal and took the van going to Donsol. It was the last trip van and we were short of one passenger and the driver would not take off unless we (with other passengers) all agree to pay P100 each instead of the regular P75 fare. There was also a drivers strike going and I'm not sure if that issue is related to the driver's demand to increase the fare, but it made me feel bad about any drivers strike held in the country. I mean, we're all frustrated, except Petron, Shell and Caltex, when the oil price goes up. I thought the real enemies are the oil companies, but when there's a drivers strike, the ordinary commuters are the ones who get affected. I wish we could find a way where we can all be united and protest the greediness of not just the oil companies, but other corporations as well, without causing setback to each others' daily responsibilities.
Anyway, after the long wait, the driver finally took off. My energy meter drastically dropped by then. My brother's priest friend, Fr. Eric, is currently the parish priest in Donsol. He knew that I was coming with my friends. We'd been texting each other prior to our trip, he really wanted to accommodate us in the convent so we won't have to pay for board and lodging but he was so busy with parochial activities at the time of our visit so he didn't get to attend to us. But he was really helpful in arranging our accommodations. He arranged for us to stay in Shoreline Beach Resort and we got huge discount on the room rate. When we arrived in Donsol, we met him by accident, he also just arrived from the town's people's pilgrimage in Naga. He hailed a tricycle and endorsed us to the driver to take us to Shoreline. When we get there, the inn keeper were already expecting us and immediately referred us to our room. It's a big thing to have someone you know in faraway places.
We checked the beach then we had a little drink and chat before going to bed. The room they gave us had huge beds, it's good for 5 people. I'm not the type who rolls all over the bed when sleeping but having a king size bed all by myself is love! I've always wanted to have one, but it's not gonna fit in my small room, I could only put up with my single bed. I got up about 5:30 AM, I went outside and walked around and got a more vivid view of the sea. The beach has black and rough sand (probably because of volcanic emissions), it's nothing close to being fancy, not some beach that a tourist would want to sunbathe to. It was very clear that the purpose of the beach is mainly for docking boats.
I received a message from Fr. Eric, reminding us to go early to the tourism office to register and pay for the whale shark interaction activity. We immediately had our breakfast and headed to tourism office. We got there before 7 AM but the place was already jam packed. Aside from Boracay, this is one of the place where I saw more foreign than local tourists, but there are more Caucasians than Koreans this time. I thought the office needs improvement on the registration and dispatch system. It was a little disorienting. Maybe having directional signage would help, something similar to what I see in DFA when getting a passport. We initially approach a desk we thought was the registration counter. We were surprised that the boat will cost us P7000 (US $163) we were informed that it was only P3500 (US $82). It turned out that it was for island hopping and that the registration office was further ahead. When we got there and registered, we were informed that we'll be included in the 2nd batch of boats which will dispatch around 10-11AM. We got worried because we had to catch a fastcraft boat trip to Masbate by 12 NN. Fr. Eric gave a contact person to talk to but she wasn't around yet when we came so we had to fend for ourselves. Luckily, we were able to find boat mates who are scheduled for the first batch dispatch.
Debbie and Sam are British who currently work in Sydney Australia. They are having their vacation and this was their first time in the Philippines. It was great to know they are having a great time and they seem to like the people. They said Filipinos are very friendly, of course we are! So we split the boat rental fee of P3500 into five and paid our dues, including registration fee then watched a Donsol video presentation, as required, before embarking on the sea.
The video presentation gave an introduction to the place and whale sharks. It also provided the rules and guidelines during interaction. Each boat is accompanied with 2 boatmen and a Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO). The interaction time is 3 hours, once we spot a whale shark we are can stay in the water for no more than 8 minutes. Tourists can swim with the whale sharks at distance of 3 meters. Only 30 boats are allowed to embark for the first 3 hours and only 6 person can interact with one whale shark. If you get caught violating these rules, you will be escorted back to the shore and won't be allowed to go back to the sea. It's good to hear that the activity is regulated to ensure the well being of the whale sharks.
After watching the video, we set off to sail in the sea. It was a cloudy day and the result looked bleak. We were told that even though it was the peak season of the presence of whale sharks (February-May), there's still no guarantee that we can spot one. I've known some people who've gone there and didn't spot a single whale shark. All those times, I was praying that we'd see even just one. Oh Keiko! I frequently muttered. When the BIO instructed us to get ready with our gears, we got excited. It was a positive sign. We seated in one row at the edge of the boat to get ready to jump. But we still have to wait for the BIO to tell us to jump off. The anticipation kept mounting as we see other tourists jumping off from their boat. I heard scream of delight from them and I was like, "why are we not jumping off yet?" Our boat kept sailing away from the shore and when the boat sped up, our excitement went up. Then finally, the BIO told us to wear our masks and get ready to jump off. OMG! THIS IS IT!!!
Japan has always been on the forefront of cutting edge robotics. Its roots can be traced back 200-300 years during the Edo period when skilled craftsmen created automata (self-operating machines). Using nothing more than pulleys and weights they were able to make the Karakuri (Japanese automata) perform amazing tasks.
Japans modern day robots can be traced back to the Karakuri. Today Hideki Higashino is one of the few remaining craftsmen who is determined to keep the history and tradition of Japanese Karakuri alive.
Shot and edited by Matthew Allard.
To say this is amazing is an understatement. There's just no words to describe it... I wanna own one of these!
Hey this is not a ploy to lure you into my music box appreciation endeavor. It really has something to do with the Oscars. You see, this music box I'm featuring comes from an Academy Award winning film. Spirited Away won the Best Animated Feature award at the 75th Academy Awards. It remains the highest grossing film in Japan and one of my most favorite films of all time. Naturally, the music box above is one of my favorites too, it plays the song "Itsumo Nandodemo"
Enough of the music box, in a couple of hours, the 84th Academy Awards ceremony will start. But not without my predictions (LOL). I've already placed a bet with my sister and I'm really excited. I'm just rooting for Hugo this year, but I thought it would be good to post my other predictions based on the films I've seen. Too bad, I have not seen all the films with nomination, it would be a fun exercise of my judgement on people's creativity. Anyway, I'll just place my predictions in some major categories.
The films with nominations I've seen so far:
Hugo
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Help
The Descendants
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Albert Nobbs
Margin Call
Best Supporting Actress - This is the only category where I've seen all the performance of the nominees, and my bet goes to Octavia Spencer. Because she's the one that moved me the most.
Best Supporting Actor - the complete opposite of the previous category, none of the nominees made it to my eyes, I should have removed this from my list, but I'll make an exception. I think it'llbe Christopher Plummers, because Ellen said so.
Best Actress - I'm torn between Glenn Close and Viola Davis, both characters welled me into tears, but I'll probably go for Close, I mean she's been nominated many times but never bagged the award, it's high time for her to get it, I thought her performance in Albert Nobbs was really amazing.
Best Actor - Gary Oldman. To be honest, I had a tough time understanding Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but if I would compare his performance with George Clooney and Jean Duajrdin, he's the best.
Best Director - Martin Scorsese, there's no explanation needed for this director, but then again, with all the nods The Artist are getting, it'll probably go to Michel Hazanavicius.
Bes Picture - Hands down to Hugo! I'm thinking that there's a 90% chance that The Artist will take the award because every prediction I've read points to that direction, but Hugo remains my favorite, so... Don't get me wrong okay, I loved The Artist, I think it's great that a silent film is getting this much attention, it can lead to production of more silent films in the future, surely not as much as it used to, but a few would do. But still, I feel very strong for Hugo.
You might think I have a pretty silly reasoning with my bets. The thing is, I've not seen all the films with nomination. Besides, to each his own and these predictions are mine. So what's your bet?
Ahhh, look at the date, February is almost over. But I'm not letting it pass without talking about my trip to the Arts Capital of the Philippines -- Angono Rizal., after all, February is National Arts month.
Photo Courtesy of Backpackingpilipinas: Janet, Kidd and Cha inside the tunnel going towards the Angono Petroglyphs
The original plan was a visit to my hometown. Che, being the traveler that she is, was interested in going to Tanay. I agreed to show her around and some of my friends. In fact it had been a long uncrossed item on our 2012 (supposedly 2011) checklist. I, on the other hand had been meaning to go to Angono. I skipped my History of Arts educational field trip there because of my previous work and I thought, I'd just go on my own when I have the time. So the free time came (I actually just insisted to include it in the itinerary, I don't have the guts to go all alone), just in time for the Arts Month celebration!
By the way, I just want to make it clear that I rarely go out, so even though I'm a Rizaleño, I haven't really explore most of Rizal municipalities. I had a little bit of knowledge how to get there. I knew there are PUVs from Starmall and EDSA Central going to Binangonan, and that's the first option. But we met at Che's place and taking PUJ's from her place was a more convenient option (because the loading area was closer) so we took that. My problem with passenger jeeps though, is, first being exposed to the fresh (insert sarcasm here) air of Metro Manila. Second, drivers with attitude. I do not know if this thing is unique to jeepney drivers in Rizal, but really, they are the worst! I am not gonna list the details of my unpleasant experiences whenever I end up taking the jeep going to work because I missed the last passenger van (it deserve a separate post), but one thing I'd point out is their selfishness. They just decide to change route when they want to even if they have to bypass a drop point. I understand there are circumstances that led them to change route (like heavy traffic), however, they should consider passengers who needed to get down to the drop point they're bypassing. Anyway, the driver of the jeep we took did that. We were not affected, some passengers were, but the driver seemed to be in a big hurry that he forgot that I asked him to drop us in Angono. We were first timers, hello? He promised he would, but he ended up forgetting it. Thank goodness there were concerned citizens who warned us that we missed the drop point. In fairness to the driver, he felt sorry that he returned P8 for each person so we can take another jeep to take us to Angono. Which proved to be unnecessary, we were supposed to get down at the market and it was just a 5 minute walk from the point the driver dropped us.
So the drop point is the public market of Angono, which also borders Binangonan Rizal. We had breakfast at Chowking. I was in queue for order taking when I noticed the cashier machine labeled "Chowking Binangonan". I got confused (and worried) so I asked the cashier and she nicely explained the border thing. While eating, Janet asked around to get directions to the Angono Petroglyphs (the directions I got from the internet were rather vague). Ironically, some of the locals have no idea what we were asking. I mean, the Petroglyphs, the oldest known work of art in the Philippines, is the first thing that comes up when I googled Angono. But the people were very nice in giving ideas what to check like the galleries and the Blanco Family museum, one even muttered that if she had nowhere else to go she'd take us to the city hall. So anyway, our adventure in Angono began!
Our first stop was the city hall, the people we've asked recommended it. They said it has an art gallery and we won't have to pay anything to check it. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the building interior was being repainted, the paintings were temporarily stored in the municipal gym which was closed. Being an art capital though, artworks are all over the building. It's definitely a town of artsy people.
The Municipal Bulletin Board takes the shape of a palette
Angono is also the home of Higantes (giant dolls) festival. I've never been to one, but the city hall stores some higantes so I'm imagining it's a parade of these giant dummies. Higantes by the way are made of paper mache and are influenced by Mexican art.
Look! One of the higantes got caught up in mobile gaming trend! Ugh the "save a trees" and "hug a trees" print gave me a massive headache (OA lang)!
The next stop is the church. On our way there, we passed by a street with a line of mural relief sculptures on both sides of the road. The murals are based on the works of Angono's homegrown national artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco. It was amazing!
We were so enthralled by the line of murals, we got a little careless and experienced a minor mishap. Well, Cha specifically did. While walking, her right leg slip into a gap of sewer covers. Awww poor Cha. If you're planning on visiting this place, be careful y'all. Always watch your footsteps. What's heartwarming about it was, when her leg got stuck between the gap, the locals immediately came to help. Very nice people, God bless them.
There's something frustrating about the place though. This is the art capital and I imagine that people incorporate art in their everyday living, but I also imagine that they do not take it for granted. When I see a bike leaning or wet clothes hanging on some of the murals, I felt that the artworks are being taken for granted. I don't find them disrespectful, it's probably their way of showing that art is part of their lives, but show some care, the artists didn't make these murals overnight.
So anyway, we went to the church to rest a little and of course, pray. A stop at the church is always part of a trip.
St. Clement's Parish Church
Our next stop is the Blanco Family Museum. It's just a five minute walk from the church. The Blanco Family, headed by the late Jose "Pitok" Blanco is a family of artists. Everybody paints! The museum houses artworks of the whole family. The entrance fee for adults is P70, but Che haggled, stating that she's a travel blogger and that she advocates promotion of tourism and promised to promote the museum in her blog, which are all true, but I never thought that you can use that as an excuse to get a discount. The lady guide was very nice to grant the discount, we paid P50 each instead.
So anyway she guided us through the most part of the tour. She's really nice and she had immediate answers to our questions. I feel bad I didn't get her name. The amazing thing about this family is, even tough only Pitok Blanco had formal education on Fine Arts, everybody in the family ended up becoming full time artists. Even the grandchildren are practicing arts too. The family has one style, realism. Mostly depicts life and culture of Filipinos. It would be interesting to see any from the grand children deviate to another movement hehehe.
A family that paints together, stays together!
The obligatory group picture with the Master's most notable work, "Fiesta sa Angono", there are hundreds of people in this painting and all are actual residents of Angono
Some of the works of the family
We were also lucky to have met one Pitok's sons, Michael. He showed us around the garden and showed the current project he's working on. He's also teaching arts at the school across the museum. He's a really nice guy.
There's a section in the museum that showcased other artworks outside the family and perhaps the grand children's works too. We just don't have the time to ask question for every painting we see.
After the museum, we set on our way to Angono Petroglyphs. This was probably the hardest part of the trip because it's located on top of the mountain, it's a challenge to get there when you do not have your own vehicle. The direction I saw on the internet is that you have to wait for a pick up truck to hitch on, but again, we don't have the time to wait (and I thought that sounds risky too). We had to haggle with the trike driver to take us there. We had to take 2 trikes and we paid 100/person. The way to get there was developed and is now a subdivision, you actually need a permission to pass by. Che, once again used being a "travel blogger" as an excuse to the security guard. The poor officer had no idea what a blogger is, but when I explained it, it sounded like we're some kind of journalists who are about to feature the Petroglyphs in an online newspaper. Sometimes, using jargons can make you get what you want hehehe.
A side trip from the past, I remember the road, a memory from my childhood. I'm pretty sure I've passed by this road and seen this view before.
Overlooking view of Metro Manila
We have relatives who used to live in Antipolo. My dad's younger brother, Tito Nick. At the time, his family was the closest relatives we know from my father's side, in location and relation. I remember being taken to the movies by Tito Nick and his wife Tita Ruby together with my cousin Aisa and my sister Pipay. We saw "Patched Adams" in Sta. Lucia mall, great movie. On our way home from Cainta, we passed by this road and I remember my uncle explaining that this is the highest peak in Rizal. I was so amazed with the lights of the city, they were just like the pictures in the magazine that I kept and dreamed of going to someday. It was really beautiful at night.
Going back to the Petroglyphs, so the tricycle dropped us at the entrance, which looked rather weird because nobody was there. The place looked deserted. But that was it, that's the farthest the trike can take us.
We had to go through a tunnel then hike our way to the Petroglyphs. It's not much, just a little patience and every hardship is rewarded accordingly.
I was here!!!
The Angono Petroglyphs is the oldest known work of art in the Philippines. The carvings on the rockwall dating back to 3000 BC depicted human and animal figures. The tour guide explained that it was believed that people did not inhabit the area, there were no evidences to prove that. The experts' theory is that early people used the place to worship and offer sacrifices. I remember my professor in History of Arts, who organized taking the class to Angono (which I skipped), wanted to challenge us, if after seeing the carvings, we'd think if it's really the oldest work of art in the Philippines. I dare not defy the experts but I'm sure there are more (probably older) to discover.
The rockwall was declared as a national treasure in 1973. Hence, the area had been protected and spared from the urban development, thank God! The place is a great site for meditation or bird watching. We were lucky to spot a Philippine Eagle-Owl!
Photo courtesy of Cha, Oh hello cutie! In case you go here and you see one, remember to stay quiet and do not use flash when taking picture, it'll scare the poor creature
And now, another challenge is getting out. Because we were going to Tanay after, the trike drivers recommended taking the Antipolo exit. The problem is we have to walk. At first it didn't seem like a problem, the driver explained it in a way that made us believe that from the petroglyphs drop, it's just a few walk to the Antipolo exit. But it's a whole different story when we got there. This was happening high noon. I would like to think that the picture of four ladies on top of a mountain exposed to the intense glimmer of the sun is not right. But these inconveniences are all part of the adventure and I guess it makes everything more fun (in the Philippines, LOL). But here's the real fun part. In the end we had to follow the direction I saw from the net, to hitchhike on a pickup truck, the exit was just too far. I am in no way recommending to hitchhike as I believe that it's a risky measure, specially when you're alone. But I guess doing it in groups, is safe, specially in high noon.
Hitchhiking? More fun in the Philippines!
There are still many galleries and places of interest to check in Angono Rizal that we missed because we had to make time for Tanay (which I'll talk about in a separate post). But I really enjoyed this trip. If you want to spend a day for a historical and cultural exploration, I highly recommend it!
One last obligatory group pic -- Kidd, Janet, Cha and Che
Hey y'all what's up? I've been busy this month, but not too busy not to blog about interesting stuff I've done. So far life has been very good. Last week I visited the art capital of the Philippines, Angono Rizal and showed some of my friends my hometown, Tanay. They loved it. I'd like to talk my travel adventures in a separate post so I won't go into that yet. Instead, I'll talk about the things I did in the city.
Last Monday I attended the Unit Asia Jazz concert in SM North EDSA Skydome. I was with Chris, Nagi and Che. The event was organized by JFMO as part of the Nihongo Fiesta 2012 so it was free. Unit Asia by the way are, Hiroyuki Noritake (drums/Japan), Shigeki Ippon (bass/Japan), Tay Chier Siang (piano/ Malaysia), Isao Miyoshi (guitar/Japan), and Koh Mr. Saxman (saxophone/Thailand). This is their second time in the Philippines. I've seen them perform the first time they were here, so I knew that it's a must to see this concert. Let me just say that I'm not exactly a fan of jazz. I mean I like it, but it's the kind of music (for me) that has a time, place and mood requirement for listening. I like it when I'm in coffee shops (which rarely happens now) and reading Murakami books. But the thing about JFMO events is, they never disappoint, at the end of the show, I'm always impressed. I was impressed the first time Unit Asia was here, and I was impressed again this time.
I'm glad that I was with my friends this time, to share the appreciation. My favoritemembers of the group, then and now, were Mr. Saxman (saxophone) and Mr. Miyoshi (guitar). For me, their sound were the most powerful. Mr Saxman, was really playful with his sax and it was really fun to watch. There were tracks they perform with vocals and for that, they always collaborate with Filipino singers. They had Sitti before, this time they had Cooky Chua. They were great choices, but I liked Cooky more, I especially loved the Jazz rendition of "Paglisan". I'd say they performed better this time though I prefer the venue last time (Music Museum).
I'm very sorry for the poor video quality
At the end of the show, Mr. Siang and Mr. Saxman were really nice to come out of the stage to shake hands with the audience. I was able to shake hands with them and I even asked for an autograph, yay!
This Saturday, I booked my day for one thing. Hugo. It's a shame that I've only learned about this film recently. When the Oscars nominees for Best Picture were announced, I immediately checked them. Hugo particularly got me hooked because of the references to automata. I was ecstatic when, one day at the mall, I saw that Hugo will be shown in cinemas. I hoped for an IMAX showing, but sadly, it's only available on Digital 3D. I scheduled my day for the film anyway.
I asked my friend Jam, who works at SM Cinema, for the best Digital 3D cinema to see Hugo and she recommended MOA, so I decided to see it there. Che came along for a totally different agenda, Travel Expo, and I thought, it would be good to check it too since I have upcoming trips. We decided to check the MV Logos Hope floating book fair too so we could maximize the day. Since the book fair venue is the one we're not familiar with, and it opens the earliest, we decided to head there first.
The world's largest floating book fair is currently docked at Pier 15 in South Harbor Manila. It offers 5,000 books at affordable prices. The ship houses 400 volunteers from different countries. Its predecessor, MV Doulos had visited the Philippines many times, but this is my first time to come aboard. When we entered inside, we were ushered to a welcome area to watch a video clip about Logos Hope.
Then we were given instructions how to go around, how to pay. It's a one way navigation, there's no way to get lost, even for people with low sense of direction like me. From the welcome area, you go to the book fair itself, then pay at the cashier or exit. The price is in "units". One unit is equal to one peso.
Most of the books I saw are stuff I never heard of or see at the local bookstores. I didn't see anything from my wishlist. Instead I bought my niece an anatomy book for children and I got me an inflatable globe and Disney Cars and Finding Nemo greeting cards. The next stop is another selection of books, mostly academic text books, then you walk along an interactive exhibit of Hope's Life Experience, it's basically the story of The Prodigal Son, in a modern day perspective.
After the exhibit, there's another watching area, this time video clips showed missions and accomplishment of Logos Hope. Then there's the International Cafe where shoppers can relax and snack. We were pressed on time and we were gonna eat lunch anyway so we skip trying the delicacies. I've read that the ice cream at the cafe were really good, next time, I'll make sure to try that. At the exit, the crews are handing out books for free, but I was trying to limit the things to carry so I declined getting the free books.
Outside Pier 15, we opted to get a cab going to MOA. And what do you know, it's not an easy thing in this part of Manila. There are men who act like disptachers, and force themselves in getting a cab for you. I was like, no thank you I can do this. But man, this guy I encountered was so persistent, I was trying to hail a cab, my friend was trying to hail a cab from a different spot, and he was competing with us just for the sake of doing us a favor for a price. Irksome fellow I tell you. When a cab stopped by, he was so persistent in getting paid. I'd like to point out that it's nowhere close to the hospitality that we pride ourselves. I mean if you're desperate for a job, then find a decent one. I gave him a five peso coin just to make him shut up.
So we went to MOA, we decided to eat at Pizza Hut. We came in lunch time so we had to wait for a table. While waiting, I went to National Bookstore to look for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I initially scoured the Children's Book area but when I couldn't find it, I tried the customer service, which proved to be a wrong decision. NBS has one of the worst, if not the worst, customer service in the Philippines! I asked the CSR lady for the book, and she looked it up on her computer. She then wrote it on a piece of paper and called for her colleague. She told me that "the system" shows zero stock, but she'll have someone verify it. So after a good 5 minutes, the supposedly verifier came with a look that says, "I was having the perfect dream, why did you wake me up?". Anyway, she took the piece of paper and stared at it for a second, and immediately dismissed that the book out of stock. When an employee of NBS says a book is out of stock, that means you have to look for it yourself. I have lost count how many times it happened to me, but I never learn. Darn! So anyway, I went back to the Children's book section and looked for Hugo once more. And I was right. Man they still have 2 copies in stock. Now that tells me two things about NBS that are not right:
1) They have inefficient customer service; and
2) their inventory records is outdated.
The National Book Store is the largest bookstore chain in the Philippines. Seriously NBS? I wanted to go back to the Customer Service counter to point out that both the computer and the live person were wrong. But I was in a hurry to go back to Pizza Hut, besides, I'm too happy to complain. But one day, those ladies are gonna get it I swear, I'm gonna look for their manager. It's just disappointing, I came from a book fair ran by foreigners. The crew were very nice and friendly, they answered my questions with a warm smile, and they are not getting paid for what they are doing. They are volunteers. And then I go to a local bookstore, the largest chain in the country that prides itself for polite and helpful people, but I get inefficiency and attitude. Never mind the attitude, just do your job right lady.
Okay, going back to the good news, at least I got me a copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Yay!
And the day wasn't about to end anytime soon, the moment I've been waiting for is about to come!
So we had lunch at Pizza Hut (I'll never get enough of stuffed crust pizza) and I vented all my frustration to my friend (over NBS). We decided to get tickets for the 5:00 PM showing then go to Travel Expo, but when we're almost at the movie house, a long queue of movie goers loomed before us! Apparently, SM Cinema is undergoing an upgrade, so there's only one ticket counter to accommodate all customers. So I told Che that she can go ahead to the Travel Expo and I'll stay on the queue and catch up as soon I get the tickets. It was a good thing that I have the book with me while waiting for my turn. I browsed through Selznick's illustrations. I was just drooling with awe I didn't notice how long I waited. Before I knew it, I have my tickets on my hand already. SM Cinema by the way, is switching the paper tickets into reusable swipe cards, not sure though if that's the upgrade they're talking.
So I went next to the Travel Expo in SMX. There's a P50 entrance fee. I don't know anything about travel deals and booking, I always leave it up to my friend or my sister. My usual role in booking is entering my credit card information. But going to the Travel Expo is another brand new experience. At first, I thought that it'll just be a long line of Travel Agency booths, and it was by the way, but exhibitors are very creative. Too bad that I didn't get to take some pictures because my phone batt was about to drain. But I really liked the presentation of different countries. Each one has a gimmick. Most of the booths' facades are replica of popular architectural structures of the country they represent. Japan has a photo booth and free Japanese food taste and free cups of Pocari Sweat(I got me a cup of that!). Malaysia and China have dance presentations. They give freebies if you like their page on Facebook. While looking around, I couldn't help but wish that anime conventions could be that creative. While our very own country claims that "It's more fun in the Philippines", sadly, the (DOT?) booth didn't justify the slogan. I'm not saying this to criticize DOT, but if you would just compare the tourism campaign of each country based on the booths, it's very obvious why we are not faring in the competition. It's a sad thing. I look at the brochure of Malaysia and I can tell that we can do better. I don't have to be there to say that we have more beautiful beaches here. There's so much room for improvements. But hey, the hype it gave to travel enthusiasts was a good start. I'd like to believe our tourism industry is on the right track. Cynics like me just have to be patient. And because I like keeping souvenirs of events, I hoarded brochures and flyers of different countries hehehe.
By 4:30, Che and I decided to leave the Expo and go to the cinema. It was the moment I've been waiting for. Hugo!!! So, I don't wanna give away too much. All I'm saying is, it's about a boy who has a talent for fixing clockworks and he tries to solve a mystery by fixing the broken automata of a mechanical doll left by his father. I'm not be the best person to give an objective review of the film because of my fascination with automata, but the name Martin Scorsese should be enough to make you watch it. I LOVE the film! In my opinion, it should win the Oscars Best Picture. I mean, I've seen The Artist and I think it's great, but Hugo? Come on, I don't want to use a cliche here, but really, Hugo is a film that literally reminds me why I watch films. I swear you HAVE TO SEE IT. The only thing that made me sad here was the fact that it's not on IMAX.
So anyway, after the seeing the film. My energy started to drop really low. Che and I decided to eat the pizza left overs. We needed to fuel our body. We headed towards the back of the mall (facing the bay) to look for a bench to eat. But luck was on our side again when we realized that all walkway towards the bay side were gated. There's a Pyromusical event and you have to pay before you can get in. On normal days, the place is open to public. We just wanted to sit on a bench and eat pizza, but we have to pay for it too. We got interested in the fireworks anyway so we took the cheapest ticket, which is P100. The countries competing for the night were UK and Spain. I've seen Pyrolympics competition before, but it didn't have the musical component. This time pyropeople or pyromaniacs or whatever you call those who performs the pyros (?) incorporated music while doing the fireworks. I love music but I don't see the use of doing them together. The constant bang of the fireworks doesn't really mesh with the music. Maybe that's how they're being judged because Spain synched the fireworks and music better that UK. I did enjoy at first, but after a while, I just wanted it to end. Maybe it's just my low energy, or the guilt of patronizing an activity that's extremely harmful to the environment. But I swear I'll never watch another pyrolympics or musical or whatever in the future.
Traffic was horrible on our way home. I got home past 12 midnight, I was, once again, awake for more than 30 hours. I feel a tinge of guilt when I do that. I feel like I'm abusing my body. But it happens once in a while, so... zzzz....
I slept for 13 hours! <3 When I woke up, I saw my arms with 3 different stamps. So when my family asked me where I went, I just raised my arm in the air to show them, here --
