So... how has this COVID lifestyle affected you?

 

In a nearly deserted mall
Wearing a double mask and face shield  This 
has become a regular scene in the Metro malls.

It is almost a year since the pandemic started it's unrelenting presence here in Manila - forcing lockdowns and freezing a lot of service-oriented businesses (including Corporate training, which just happened to be my bread and butter), and boy... was I affected. Form an average of three to four days of training per month - which was relatively slow, to being lucky to have a day a quarter - you can say that my capacity to earn has been literally wiped out.

Lucky for me, the rest of the family has work, and they were working at home. So some other people picked up the slack. Thus our family was lucky. We got to stay at home - we got to continue eating our meals, enjoying our small comforts, and we did not get into any heavy crisis... unlike some people we know. Aside from that effect of lockdown, we were basically spared any COVID-related problems.

We were all affected by the start of the lockdown... you see, this time last year, there was little we knew of the virus... and had a lot of trepidation. Whenever I had to go out to but our weekly groceries, I had to wear a mask, goggles, long sleeved shirts, and gloves. I had to be sprayed with disinfectant whenever I arrived home, and likewise sprayed disinfectant in the car. Form there, without touching anyone, I would go straight to a running shower - place my clothes in the prepared laundry pail filled with water and soap, and not dare touch anyone until I spent some time showering and making sure I scrubbed myself well. Were we too careful? Too worried? No... I think we did right. Until we learned more of this virus, I had to be extra careful whenever I went out - and as it was, we made sure I limited my going out to once a week - if I could help it... every other week.

Groceries were limited too - as the supply chains for delivering goods, and food were likewise affected. Meanwhile, the Internet became our only means of communication and collaboration to the outside world. We were lucky to make sure we switched our service provider to a higher, faster provider (Converge Fiber Optics). I can't recall how many people were affected by poor internet services. Zoom, Teams and other apps that allowed people to make videoconferences almost a daily thing, became the new norm. Cell phones also became essential. Email was already in place, anyway - but for others who were not too used to these technological tools, it was a steep learning curve timeframe - again, lucky us, we were already used to doing virtual communication and collaboration - not just in the new frequency of use, though.

Meanwhile, we were monitoring the news... and the news was indeed bleak. Many people started getting affected - and the fact that others who were asymptomatic, yet possible super spreaders made monitoring the spread near impossible - our government was caught flat-footed because our President did not understand what we were up against... and the fact that the spread originated from China... let's just say he became too lenient with border closure - and by the time we learned more, even then... he did not want to close borders and displease China. Thus we get the brunt of the virus spread. They were forced to do the hard lockdown on the 15th of March - a move I felt was weeks, maybe even a month too late.

Anyway, by June we were beginning to realize that the lockdown had another victim... the economy. I naively thought this would be licked after a few months - well, those few months turned to more months... and the race to getting a vaccine was moving fast - but for many, not fast enough. This was the scary part. We could see people getting tired, or uncaring for the safety protocols - and why should they? People who had to work daily - in a hand-to-mouth existence... they could not afford not to work... and they lived in squalor - where Social Distancing was simply impossible to implement. So, this problem was going to drag on, simply because people could not think of the greater good. How could they? Survival was at stake. 

Zoom meetings, like this, have become the norm
for school, work, and socializing

Thankfully, we did not have riots, or zombie apocalypse type problems - the police and military did their job in keeping the peace - and even if we listened to people complaining and warning us that the government was becoming too authoritarian - I understood that this was an emergency situation... we needed to cooperate, or we'd all be toast. The government - both national, and local, came up with help packages... distributing food, keeping the lockdown and enforcing curfews. Everyone was told to stay home, and only one person per household was issued a pass to go out for purposes of buying essentials - that was me in my family.

Because of this, I witnessed long lines when going to groceries, or drugstores - had to contend with a lack of certain goods, products we always took for granted to be available. Malls - those that allowed people to come in, were basically ghost-like abandoned; eerily empty. I was thankful that the places I went to enforced social distancing... and suddenly, long lines in the entrance and check out lanes - well, we didn't complain... we were glad these places were open and offering food and other produce.

It even reached a time when the groceries announced that they were running out of cash to dispense (banks were not fully functional either), and requested we all used online payment - again, it was what I was doing anyway... but I also needed to make sure we had some cash at home. You see, this was where we started seeing the proliferation of people offering home-made products, dishes they decided to make and sell... all to make sure they had some way to earn in the lockdown. And even that was difficult because certain towns did not allow delivery vans to pass through their roads - stupidity coupled by being too panicky. These local officials were thinking of themselves, and not the big picture. The national government had to step in in some cases - to knock some sense into these unthinking politicos. Amazing how stupid appears in the worst of times.

There were also news of local politicians keeping those funds or goods instead of spreading the help to the people in need... I hope those A-holes got caught. Taking advantage of others in a pandemic... that has to be the worst kind of behavior. And yet, many people were doing it. Hope Karma makes them accountable in life, if no justice got dispensed.

Thing is, I had to compartmentalize these things. I knew that focusing on too much bad news was also bad for our psychological well-being. So we learned to have small celebrations. Simple birthday celebrations - family dinners... and whenever we could buy certain fun items like chocolates, or ice cream... any way to put some joy into our lives... to counter this overly negative environment.

There were things that many people could not do... no work, no pay. No pay, no way to settle bills. That was the problem - and even if there was a directive for many not to ask for payment of bills - those bills just got bigger and bigger - while the capacity to earn did not. I have to honestly say that I was affected in that manner as well. Having to choose which to pay and which to suspend isn't a great feeling. I stretched as much as I could, and forgot about any chance to spend on anything for Christmas.

Somewhere along the way,  government finally had to relent to the economic managers - the economy had to be restarted - even if it meant the possibility of the virus spreading once again - because honestly, after months of staying in lockdown, the government still did not have any concrete manner of monitoring the spread of - let alone, any manner of controlling said virus spread. And now they were being forced to open the economy. Meanwhile, one point of measure that I was morbidly monitoring was the capacity of all the COVID centers, and hospitals to accept new patients. After all, that would tell us if there was still a fighting chance against the virus, and what exactly was said fighting chance. Was the success in the battle to get people well from COVID getting better? 

Were there less people dying? Nope. Unfortunately, we were not there yet. Statistics were still rising, and we simply seemed to adapt a devil may care attitude... save the tanking economy, wile just letting the virus spread faster. Finally, there came a time when the Medical front-liners had to pleaded for the government to roll back to a tighter lockdown, even if for just a month - because they (the front-liners) were getting overwhelmed - they were getting exhausted, and morale was really low... specially since they knew some of their colleagues got infected - and others did not make it back. Government reluctantly, and sourly, complied. 

As it was getting certain that Christmas was coming and this virus would not allow people to have their usual reunions, we played Christmas tunes, stayed home, did Zoom calls to relatives - and government, upon seeing some improvement to the numbers - after enforcing the need to use face shields outside (aside from the masks and social distancing and other protocols) allowed for a more relaxed border control - people could now travel on the road. Some hotels were allowed to open, so long as they practiced safety protocols. 

Instead of just one person, we could now travel as a family - go to groceries and eat out. I also got to visit my sisters in Batangas after nearly 10 months - missing a few birthdays in between - and still mindful of social distancing. But at least we were getting back into a semblance of normalcy. I got to conduct two online classes some time September - but those were still far from my usual trainings, and the payments I got were mere pocket change - net even enough to pay bills. But I looked at it as a proof of concept - that I could do virtual trainings. But would my clients be ready? Unfortunately, it seemed 'not yet'.

Many companies were cutting costs - some even cutting their workforce, after months of not having any operations - or working on a much reduced sales targets. Unless you dealt with health essentials. or COIVD vaccines or preventions... you'd be a 'nice to have', only after essentials were cared for, would they even bother considering other products / services.  Even supposed passive incomes were affected.  Heck, petroleum products took a beating. After all, lockdowns meant no one needed to buy gas - no one was traveling. Only power and energy businesses was buying for their equipment. The world saw record low gasoline prices - yet we could not enjoy them because a full talk of gas now lasted months instead of just half a week. Heck, at times, it lasted a quarter. We just weren't going around.  

But as December approached, we tried to revive the spirit of the holidays by decorating our home - but not bothering to go out and see the sights - we only enjoyed what we saw in the malls we'd normally visit. Spending the holidays with family was still out of the question. With the possibility that too many people could be roaming around, we opted to stay away - so we could enjoy each other's company come next year.... when the populace finally had vaccines. 

So yeah... 202 was bleak - and we were now going to look forward to 2021 with newfound hope. News of vaccine rollout in the UK... and later the US looked promising - even if we knew that we would probably locally get these sometime mid-2021, or even in quarter three... it was still good news. Meanwhile, we continue to do what has become routine - wash hands a lot, or use alcohol, don't touch the face often - specially the eye-rubs. Wear a face shield to shield you from doing that. But additionally, wear face masks (I don't believe even that - and the lockdown, became a political issue in the U.S.), Social distance from strangers - or people not part of your nuclear family (who don't live with you 24/7). After all, people can see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel - others might get the vaccine sooner... some later. But the last thing we need is to suddenly relax and become complacent.

Even people who get the vaccine can't be careless - efficacy only kicks in two weeks after the 2nd dose. and the time difference between the first and second dose is almost a month's wait. So some might get impatient - and get careless. Let's hope not.

Meanwhile, another problem occurred - despite hotels practicing safety protocols, certain individuals tried circumventing such protocols - set to keep everyone safe, so they could selfishly enjoy resort vacationing, and in the process, infecting people who are trying so hard to stay safe, because their work depends on it. These A-holes are just as bad as those profiteers in a pandemic. They might not think so, but it stems from the same thing - being selfish... thinking only of themselves - and causing others undeserved anxiety, and really... potential loss of life.

They got caught, thanks to the proper implementation of said safety protocols, by making sure there were verifiable means to possibly fake documents -  and I hope these stupid selfish dopes do get prosecuted by the law, and persecuted in social media. They have to learn their lesson the hard way.

On a personal note, I felt a bit of anxiety some time May of last year... I did not notice it at first, but my body clock was getting out of synch - and I was more awake at night and just trying to sleep the day away by day. I just wanted the days to slip by. But again, my support system - my family was present. We kept each other grounded. And I looked for things to keep me busy - everyone else had some form of routine. Work hours... work activities... work responsibilities. Me? I had Netflix and a whole slew of K-flicks and series. On the positive side, I got to find a few long forgotten TV series too. Getting reacquainted with cartoons I've not seen in, maybe, decades. And at least, I had my once a week (usually weekend) grocery trips to look forward to in those early lockdown days.

Funny things? I had a ton of reading materials - and yet, I forgot to read many of them. Oh I read at least three novels that I made sure I could follow. But some old classics? Well, I hope to finally get around to reading them. Another funny thing? I rarely bought a comic in 2020 - a far cry from an issue (or. handful) a week. I guess, I lost interest... and yeah, kinda lost interest in the K-drama scenes too. Netflix has still a lot to offer - I'm just tired of watching... if you can believe that.

Heck, I guess I was kind of glad my laptop's HD crashed - and I had to recover files, it gave me something to do. In fact, I'm still in the process of re-cataloguing the files. On weekends (except when it might be a holiday, like the just past Valentine's weekend) we'd go out and have a family meal - just to get rid of the monotony - but this weekend, we just ate at home to avoid a possible Valentine crowd. Again, funny, right?

Here's hoping we finally get to kick COVID and return to a more relaxed, and less anxious manner of normalcy. We wrote off 2020 -FTS. Hope 2021 is a much better year. If this reads like I was rambling, well yes I was. I was not prepared to go in a chronological manner - and whatever I could remember, I would jot down. I'm sure I missed something, but hey... that's the reason there's an edit option to these. But I might not bother reshaping the paragraphs... maybe I'll just place addendums when the need arises. I just wanted to give a glimpse of life in the lousiest year in our collective lifetime - the year of COVID, 2020.

China really has to answer for this - they just can't brush it off as 'we were a victim too'. Had they been more open, more forthcoming with the data - had they not suppressed findings, out of embarrassment, or xenophobia, the world might have prepared better for this virus... and there could have been less deaths, and less economic losses. Yeah... if there has been a global realization, it's that we're collectively still a far way from maturity.

Maybe that's why the aliens still have not shown themselves to us.

Happy New Year! (and Happy Three Kings too)

As far as years go, 2017 wasn't so bad for me. It was nowhere near perfect, but it afforded me work to get by - and I can't complain in that regard. Now that 2017's finally done, I look forward to an equally fulfilling - if not an even more prosperous 2018.

Hope springs eternal, really... but I really need to work on making sure my capabilities are known by more people (and companies), thus expanding my business network.

In that regard, I am finally glad that my working relationship with the Mentor Group shows promise  - although this officially began October last year, it is only now that my efforts will see things come to fruition.

I can also say that this year will see the efforts of both Barbie and my labors come to fruition. Bryce is as good a graduate - just waiting for his Graduation ceremony to happen. In fact, he's already working! Yet Bryce!

Bernice is also at the cusp of graduating - thesis done and defended. She's about to have her apprenticeship, and after that - graduation as well by June. As early as now, I can breathe a big sigh of relief.

Our next collective efforts will be to ensure the two have a great start with their career. I just hope that some time can be had by them for us to finally take our next family vacation. But I don't think that will happen this year - more so since the two will probably not have enough vacation time yet in their budding careers.

Anyway... as the pictures connote, we had a very private, and simple (comparatively speaking) New Year's celebration. Just us four - with some food on the table. The fruits represent having a fruitful year, and I can even go into details with all the other dishes - bottom line just being that we're all wishing 2018 become kind to us, and benefit us with great experiences, and new positive challenges.

Honestly? we did not touch most of the food - as we were already full with a heavy dinner. But we did open (and finish) the two bubblies - Asti Martini... one which can be seen prominently in the foreground, and the other equally visible - if not so obvious, in the picture's background.

Yes, we also have (and still do actually) a few bottles of Butter Beer. And as you can see, I even tried making a Harry Potter theme in the last picture I posted.

The wands are life-sized replicas of those used by certain characters in the movie. The scarf is Bryce's - he apparently bought it some time ago, and the Butter Beer? I bought a dozen - and lucky for me that I did. It was apparently very popular that many people who tried ordering it - or going to the weekend markets where they're normally sold, realized they - the butter beer, were all sold out.

Good foresight  on my end, right? And because I got a lot, I was able to let Bing Bing taste it - after all, she is a big Potter fan - definitely bigger than me.

So yeah, she got to taste it, and I'm kinda happy she did. Come to think of it, maybe after I finish this entry, I'll pop open a bottle and enjoy one myself.

Anyway... here's to hope. Here's to health. Here's to a better - more prosperous year - and well... I'm sure we'll repeat the table spread in February for the Chinese New Year.

Before that, I've got a post New Year's party to go to tomorrow, and a small get together right here with a good friend. Barbie and I will host E.J. (a.k.a Jingo) on Friday, and we'll toast absent friends. Most likely, Bryce and Bernice will join us for a bit - after all, they're old enough to drink. I'm glad though that they don't show an appetite for drinking a lot. After all, I don't want them to turn this into a vice.

So I end this the way I began it. A Happy New Year to all. May Peace on Earth reign. Barring that , may it at least be present in our surroundings.

Update (of sorts), I just realized a while ago that tomorrow is Three Kings, so I might as well throw in the greeting. Happy Three Kings!

My thoughts on Duterte passing four Departments to the Leftists (if they're interested)

To some, this can be seen as worrisome - but honestly speaking, that could be bias and/or fear for our government becoming Socialist. Far from it, really... instead, think of it like an open gesture to the Left - the same Left that has incessantly been complaint in every State of the Nation Address by each President every since we regained the liberty to speak freely.

I will admit to the fact that I've grown tired of the Left always 'crying wolf' whenever there is a major initiative by the government - it's as if they can never be appeased, and at times, they can even be manipulative to get their messages across, as the recent farmer's protests that were broken up would seem to point to them as being the organizers / rabble rousers.

But put yourself in their shoes for an instance...

Have they been complaining? Oh, definitely.

Do they have so much to complain about? Well, yes they do.

Are they not being listened to? If many people are like me, they are complaining to a public that has dismissed them as simply that... complainants. Sometimes, trouble-makers.

Is there ever a time they are not complaining? Who knows?

Do they have alternative solutions? Surprisingly, they do. Granted... they sound like broad strokes, but they do.

Are they getting their messages across? Looks like they need to improve on this.

They have an image problem... some (or a large part) due to their own actions. It may be that they are not getting the needed 'air time' and are not coming across, much less understood. Not in Radio, TV, the Broadsheets... nothing.

But setting aside all these, and the thought of just why they are not reaching everyone else, let's go back to what Duterte is offering them. These departments are: DENR, DAR, DOLE and DSWD. Why these in particular? Because the Left has been complaining about how bad these departments are treating the Filipinos in one way of the other.

Environment and Natural Resources - with them heading this, they would be able to stop mining and other projects that are raping our environment to the detriment of the poor, disenfranchised tribes and hopefully prevent exploitation, excessive mining or whatever runs counter to what the Earth preservation groups hope to, well... preserve. After all, if illegal logging and mining are causing these flash floods, or sudden collapse of the lands, maybe it really is time to put the interests of Mother Nature vs. corporate greed.

Agrarian Reforms - it is no surprise that amongst the poor, we would have lots of farmers, and with  the farming sector seemingly ignored, we hear stories of where a lot of corrections have been sorely missing. Since the Leftists are fighting the good fight for the farmers, managing this department for farmers - it sounds like a dream come true for the Left. To be able to introduce change the way they want it. They say it's time to bring farming out of the dark ages... we'll see how they plan to do this.

Labor and Employment - another maligned department? When was the last time an across the board salary increase has been done to catch up with the cost of living? When was the last time any programs that would definitely help the laborer been implemented? If they can finally do away with the loopholes that allow Retail giants to avoid turning hired labor into regulars - and thus allow for coverage of SSS, Philhealth and other benefits, this would definitely be a move (albeit to the business owners chagrin) in the right direction.

Social Welfare and Development - mostly focusing on 'women and children' and other sectors of society that need protection. The elderly, the street urchins, the battered wives, etc... in a just and benevolent society, this department would hardly find the need to exist. The fact that it is needed is an indicator of how bad our society has become.

These four, when you take a close look, are all about labor... the poor... the ones who try to survive on a day-to-day basis. It's a place where respect, health, security, the next meal, dignity of labor... all these... are but a dream, as the people live in a nightmare where Government seems more interested in them only when it's voting time.

So how will the Left handle things differently? Well... they are the experts in seeing how these problems are prevalent. They see how past policies may be business favorable, but short on protecting the dignity of the Filipino labor force. They can now put their programs, their ideas to play. They can now help the poor. They can now insert the much needed, long awaited change that many seek. They can start showing others how it should be done.

They can 'walk the talk'.
Be part of the solution.
Prove that they aren't all just complainers.

So I'm not worried about Duterte offering these four departments to the Leftists. I want hem to take it... and prove to everyone else (including themselves) that all those years of complaining was not just to put the government in a bad light. i want them to show us they were right... and that a listening President has given them a chance to prove how much they love this country... by joining the mainstream, and finally leaving the armed struggle.

One can only hope.

The Bong bong Presidency - six years from now

As the recent election proved to many, the Marcos era is far from over, and to anyone who thinks otherwise, you just need to see how Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (a.k.a. Bong bong) is so close to claiming the Vice-presidency of the Philippines - in fact, he was leading in the first few hours of the unofficial count. Though that does not seem to be the case for now, as his opponent, Representative Leni Robredo is leading him by a mere 200,000+ votes. So yes, this battle is far from over. 

For people who've lived through the Martial Law days and were highly active in the Years of Living Dangerously (which culminated in the EDSA revolution, leading to the ouster of Ferdinand Jr.'s father and exiling their family to Hawaii) must really be scratching their heads wondering what would have brought about this kind of 'horrific' result. That's Incredible. How could this be? How could so many vote for Marcos? Have we not learned from the past? What happened to "Never Again"?

Simply put it stems from many people thinking that as bad as it is being drawn out to be, it seems that the Marcos years have been packaged and presented as the golden years of Philippine development. Case in point, the citing of how many infrastructure projects there were, and how life "seemed" better during these years. The target of this image-building seems to be the youth of today. I mean, aside from the votes of the traditionally Solid North that has the propensity to vote for a local son (or daughter) who hails from their region, what is surprising, and down right disturbing, is Mr. Marcos's strong showing in Metro Manila.

EDSA (the movement) has been an utter disappointment. So many promises unfulfilled. 30 years later... are we better off? Has life been better? Why are we experiencing so many problems and so many frustrations?

I suspect that if we looked at the demographics, many of these voters are from the relatively young sector - those who never experienced Martial Law, and who probably believe the talk that life was indeed better during the Marcos years. I mean, let's face it... there have been a scattering of posts in Social Media about how good life was in the Marcos era. How decisive a leader he was, how they got a lot of things done during the strong man's rule.

Having a seeming wishy washy,  confused, out of touch and weak President, as Noynoy's image seems to invoke - some due to his fault, exacerbates this comparison. The Marcos spin doctors have been laying the groundwork of the lies for years. We sometimes encounter such posts, heaping praises on Ferdinand Marcos' rule, and counter it with posts that remind everyone else of the abuses, and the situation the Philippines was in - as Ferdinand (the father) helped make us into the 'sick man of Asia'. 

These youths are regaled with how much the Peso-Dollar exchange was back then, though these articles again forget to state that the reason these exchange rates ballooned, resulting to a much weaker peso. We again counter and say it was because of the Kleptocracy - a word invented to describe the Marcos plunder of the country's coffers. Another phrase invented? The Conjugal Dictatorship.

The thing is, part of the reason these spins are very successful because decades after Martial Law and all it's abuses, we've yet to see a full blown museum of how the Marcos years adversely affected us. Nor are there historical lessons taught to drive home the horrors of the victims. Instead, the youth see the current problems and criticize the government freely (an action that would land them in jail, tortured or killed in the Martial law days). You might say they are spoiled with he freedom earned by their parents or grandparents.But are ignorant as to how much the previous generations sacrificed for this freedom to criticize. Oh yeah, and they cleverly mention the fact that 'if all these stories are real' where's the proof? Why aren't the Marcoses convicted?

We did not see, therefore pay heed to the well orchestrated moves to repaint history, and may well pay for it with the return of the Marcoses to power. They've been stretching their muscles up north for years now... from being Governors to Congressional Representatives to the Senate, and now... quite possibly, a heartbeat away from Malacanang. We've become too 'careful', too 'civilized', too 'complacent'. It's our faults that he youth look up to a possible Marcos Presidency with hope. 

If indeed the youth have voted in strength to support Marcos this past election, then time will definitely be on Bong bong's side. Six years from now, who's to say he won't aspire for the Presidency? Believe me... he will. I won't be surprised if many are telling him that it will be is destiny. 

The Solid North has never had a candidate with so much political clout - a mixture of past, present and future loyalties and connections from people who feel that their lives a much better with a Marcos in power,. Some might even remember a more comfortable life. You think this is a fluke? Let's just take a look at how much better the roads in Ilocos Norte (where the Marcoses are from) are. Say what you want about them, but Marcos believed in taking care of their backyard; their constituency, and many old people - not just Northerners, mind you, look kindly to the Marcos years as having a better life.

For many a simple folk, they saw Marcos as a competent leader, someone to emulate to the point that children even tried copying his speaking style - complete with the assertive pauses he is known for. Others might point out that this was because he was extemporaneous - and that is true, the man was a genius and could memorize his speech when needed. A bar topnotcher and (if the stories are to be believed - and many do believe) a be-medaled war hero. I mean, if we compared him to our past leaders, few would possibly stand up to his credentials (Miriam Defensor-Santiago could, though she had not had the chance to lead us to prove this). And this is the problem.

These spinners of tales focus in on the early years, when Martial Law was first declared and many even thought, 'finally, we'll see some discipline and change', but this viewpoint sweeps away the latter years - the times when the International Community was ostracizing an ailing Marcos' rule, when the International Monetary Fund was getting wary of lending the country more money, and the Philippine's continued credit access was hinged on the bitter pill of a snap election. One that was forced upon him because of the questionable handling of a Fact-finding and seemingly farce investigation to the assassination of his major thorn, Benigno Aquino Jr. How bad were we in? How deep was our problem? Look to Greece these days... that should give you a hint.

The Aquino murder was too visible, too daring a crime to hide or sweep aside as a domestic problem. How did they think they could get away with it? Prior to the Aquino assassination  were a whole lot of abuses to people less prominent than Ninoy, one that Martial Law was able to hide. We got to learn a lot about them post EDSA revolution, but ask anyone in the  streets if they have a good idea of how bad it was, and hardly anyone will be able to say, or even quantify it. It was just too mind boggling... both in it's scale, it's cruelty, and now... in how it has not been taught to the youth.

We come up with clever phrases like "Never Again", but are just not caring enough to ensure the experience is shared - the lessons are not being taught. Japan has properly documented their experience with Hirosima and Nagasaki's bombing; and people who enter the museum come out with a stark idea of the horrors that they - the Japanese people faced. Us? We had an interactive museum... but only for the duration of the EDSA 30th anniversary, and after that... well, nada.

Is it any surprise that few young people remember or know? Are we so forgiving? or just plain short in remembering? are we in denial? Are we too sensitive or fearful to speak the truth because the Marcoses are still influential? One nice video the tI recently saw was how several young people were asked by old people about how they perceived the Martial Law years, and these youths pointed out that they liked it for what it gave the country. Stability, discipline, growth in infrastructure - then the old people introduced themselves as Martial Law victims and explained whet happened to them. these youths felt emotional, realizing how flawed their perception of the Marcos years were. It was a strong video... but I don't know how many young people watched and understood it. For brevity's sake, the stories were not told in their painful completion. So people are left to wonder... what exactly was shared to elicit such a reaction? We need more of these to reach more people - in a conniving way.

We cannot change how people up North may perceive the Marcoses. Loyalty, unfortunately, trumps History... remember that. 

But the North isn't all of the Philippines. The Metro area, where the nations's leading Universities can be found, is not doing anything to teach lessons learned in the recent past. The government has been inutile in ensuring such lessons are taught, much less, remembered. 

Because of that, we're all about to suffer from Martial Law Alzheimers, as most participants of said era age, die and wither to forgetfulness. Meanwhile, the Marcos machinery is patiently biding it's time to put a Marcos back into Malacanang. Bong bong is possibly now just one heartbeat away - and many people seem more than willing to make sure his path is clear towards that goal. 

We say it will be a slap to our international image if a Marcos wins in the elections... but we're all talk, and no action - just like a lot of politicians we so despise.

Then we raise the alarm when we see this happening? 

Methinks it's time to stop being reactive, and someone should start making sure lessons from the past are not forgotten.

Borrowing a phrase that a favorite journalist of mine, 'Here's the rub' -  It may already be too late. We're playing catch up against a well oiled, clearly organized, image-making machine. And I don't really know if we'll be getting any help from the incoming government, I wouldn't cont on it - more so if Marcos Jr. is it's Vice President. 

So,,, in six years... fearless forecast? Bong bong will have a really good chance to be President. If you want this - by all means, wait patiently. If you don't want this, what are you going to do about it?

Update - November 2023:
Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos has been the President of the Phipippne Republic for almost a year and a half now. The above article proved prophetic. Through some savvy political advancement, the Marcos and Duterte factions formed a formidable political machinery, and candidate Atty. Leni Robredo and followers realized that integrity does not count in seeking votes. Marcos and company won in an overwhelming landslide - though there may be some questionable practices by the COMELEC, it is just plain reality that said voting body was mostly appointees of the Dutertes. 

However, Bongbong has proven that he doesn't want to be recognized as a strong man, and is willing to keep things running ina democratic manner. Unfortunately, cronyism (that returned in Duterte's time) is back to full swing... they're not just making it too glaring, unlike the previous administration. So there's that.

Change is Coming (a.k.a. if Duterte wins)

This is one of a few notes I posted in Facebook a week before the Philippine Elections. Duterte has since won the elections - although an official announcement has yet to be made, and his opponents have since conceded victory to him.

In less than a week, this political ‘Game of Thrones’ that the Philippines is currently in will finally end, and as the dust settles, one person will eventually be victorious. Who will it be? If polls and the some of nation’s pulse are to be believed, it seem to be a tell tale sign for said change. Having asked a few people from differing walks of life, these people would proudly say they are voting for Duterte. When asked why, they respond that he will introduce change - one that will be beneficial to those in the lower class.

Let’s explore this a bit, shall we...

Many people believe that a Duterte win will change the status quo; that discipline will ensue; that drugs will be wiped out; that crime will be eradicated. That the inactions of the current administration, and it’s seeming insensitivity to the plight of ‘many not belonging to the ruling political party’; the ones seemingly ignored, will finally be addressed.

One the other hand, those supporting other candidates are not shy in saying the man is a dictator, he won’t respect the rule of law, nor will he shy away from killing. They even go so far to say that a win by Duterte will mean a return to Martial Law - raising the fear of losing all the gains this country has won, after the dictator was ousted.

Sounds like a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation - right?

Let me play Devil’s Advocate for a while snd say this... I wish Duterte would win. Here’s why...

No Drugs: The proliferation of drugs will ground to a halt. Remember the Marcos years? All FM had to do was to have one drug lord executed, and suddenly, everyone get the message. Drug dealing will lead to your death... no Bilibid vacation with all the perks and continuous VIP treatment. Nada. Just a cold, shallow grave. Oh yeah, might as well suspend the Commission on Human Rights for a year - after all, during his honeymoon period (and beyond), they will just be a lone voice against the necessarily violent whirlwind of change. We could use the funding and energy for something else.

The law won’t allow this, but what the hey... why did we vote for him anyway, fi we won’t allow this to happen? It is part of his prerequisite to Peace and Order promise, right? It’s a small price to pay for a better, safer future for our kids (take note, Kris A. after all, your commercial says you’ll vote for someone who can make the Philippines safe for your kids.)

Medical Marijuana? Good luck convincing the man about it.

Limit Crime via Curfew: Since a lot of crime happens in the evening, why not use declare curfew. I’m sure a lot of parents will breath a sigh of relief knowing their kids will be home instead of partying until the wee hours of the morning. So will wives (or husbands) like the thought that their spouse will be home instead of enjoying themselves elsewhere.

it won’t be a problem for BPO employees since they’re working anyway... so long as they don’t go out and cross the streets to buy cigarettes - besides, the stores will most likely be closed anyway.

How about the hospitality business? Casinos, Pubs, Bars, Pleasure places? Sorry kiddies... closed by 12 - and for employees taking the public, even earlier, lest they get caught out in the street on the way home. Unless... like the BPOs, they keep their captive audiences until Curfew ends. There can always be exemptions given to certain locations, say like the Casino rich Pasay area - that is, if Duterte will allow gambling to prosper. Then again, he does not kowtow to the Catholic Church, so who knows?

Focus on the Nation: I mean, let’s face it... the man isn’t diplomatic. Already, there are worried concerns of being ostracized by other nations like the U.S., Singapore, Australia... and he hasn’t won yet. What happens if he does? Well the worry is that many non-resident workers will be forced to go back home.

Well, that’s good, right? Duterte will solve the brain-drain that is happening. And if people are out of the country, and get told to go back home by a country no longer welcoming them?Well... serves them right for unpatriotically leaving the Philippines, right? Never mind that they did it to help give a better life for the loved ones they left back here. And had they not left, we wouldn’t have too many broken families and delinquents.

Oh yeah... that better life? Goodbye. That Condo unit they’re paying for? Goodbye - and maybe because of that, the Condo industry will now have a more socialized pricing structure, rather than those ridiculously sky high prices that only the rich, the expats, or those working abroad, can afford. Okay, scratch out the last one, as they’ll be losing their jobs. But c’mon... it won’t be that bad. After all, how can these countries survive without the Filipino workforce? How can a lot of countries afford to lose their highly skilled, highly professional, highly diplomatic and service oriented workforce? What’s that you say, there are other countries willing to fill the void? Nonsense. The Filipino is world-class!

If he doesn’t win, others will claim to have a revolution. Interesting...

The problem is, revolutions primary movers are the people with money - and ones willing to risk some to win a lot. Such has always been the case. And the losers are mostly the poor. You’ve watched Les Miserables, go figure... who will suffer the least? The rich who are in position to protect their interests by hiring people to do just that. The poor will end up fighting the poor.

Duterte is not above receiving gifts. He finds nothing wrong with it. Guess who can give the gifts? The poor? So guess whose interests will continue to be protected?

You really want to get rid of the man? Let’s all support his trip to Spratlys with intent to plant the flag - let him be the hero.

I’m sure I can think of other ideas... but I think you get the picture. All these sacrifices acceptable to you? Are your interests aligned with this possible vision of the future? If yes... by all means, vote for change. After all, the current situation sucks, right? Right? Tell you what though... it really is tempting to go the Détente route.

Of course, I’m just rambling... what do I know?

Now... if I’m still around by tomorrow, I’ll focus my sights on other candidates as well. Until then, think about who you’ll vote for.

Boy... it's been ages!

Yeah. I mean, as the title says, it has been ages since my last blog.

Funny thing is, I had an excuse back then. I was busy. Now? Not too busy. So I plan to try reviving my blogs (not just this one; assuming I can remember their passwords. :) ) starting with this entry right now. Short and sweet... but I play to export a few other 'articles' or notes that I've written recently. I just need to get around to writing them.

The Nancy Gambit - a What If...

As partial and unofficial results of today's Senatorial elections have started to trickle in, people will start seeing trends... it matters not if those trends represent less than 1% of the votes. I guess Filipinos love seeing a race, and are curious to see if horses (er... I mean Senators) they've placed their bets (for this nation's future) on will be part of the magic 12. And though it will definitely be premature to declare any sure trend at this juncture, one thing seems to be evident: many people voted for Nancy Binay. Normally, this would not even consider a second look... so what? One might ask, isn't she as qualified as the others? Well... that is the big debate. She has neither political background, nor the seeming resolve to run for the position of being a Senator.

Why do I say this? It's not as if her background is unknown... specifically a glaring lack of having served in any official capacity as a Councilor, Vice-mayor, Mayor or even as a representative of Congress. Nope... none of the above. And yes, despite this, she is still in the leader's circle - whether she can sustain it, we shall see... Then, of course, there was the famous line that got people wondering just how serious or committed she was. You see, in one of the supposed interviews, she did hint at the fact that the decision to run did not even come from her, but from her father... the nation's incumbent Vice-President.

Did she present a platform, at least? None that the media has presented. You see... Nancy's campaign trail can also be cited for her refusal to enter into any 'issues' debate. And if she really did not have any preparation, nor any convincing thought about running, maybe steering clear of any debate was a good idea. After all, it seems that this nation still puts a high premium on image... and not necessarily on intelligence.

But let's get down to the one possible and real reason for Nancy's joining the Senate race.

What If... this were a test for 2016? People might say many things... I'm sure among them will be, it's too early to even think about that. But what if I say, on the contrary... if you're not even thinking of 2016 at this point, you're sure to lose.

The matter wasn't really if Nancy would win or lose... well, if she won, it would be icing on the political cake that is the Binay political machinery. After all, what if this were a test to see how solid the Binay support would be? If any family had the greatest clout right now, I would say it's the Binays. And I don't know if anyone knew this? But Vice President Jejomar had his eyes on the Presdidency as early as 2010 (at least). Why do I say this? Because he has been building his political clout way beyond Makati for some time now.

Think about it... how many Sister-city programs has Makati been a part of... let's not count the City sisterhood pacts abroad (though they too help a bit), but just the ones... most specially the ones in our country's provinces. Through these sister-city memorandum, the local government of Makati would be able to help in their less advanced sister city's development. This in turn, gives VP Binay and his family, political deposits, as the mayors and other officials would be thankful for Makati's help in building/improving their resources and capabilities... be they in knowledge or skills exchange. By virtue of this program, more so when he was still Mayor of Makati, and could relate to his peers in a more direct manner, he gained a lot of Political clout (and what if these included political favors?).

The fact that Binay went this route shows how much of a planner the man is... and more so, how great a political strategist he likewise is. This became the man's grassroot campaign. A campaign that was set up for his use as early as 2010. If this were true, why didn't he run for President in 2010? Hindsight can tell us a lot... but again, without proof, I can only give What If's. Yes he could... and who's to say he wasn't contemplating on it. If he did, he would have faced off against Gibo Teodoro, Manny Villar, Erap Estrada and Mar Roxas. I would speculate that Binay saw this as a crowded race with all candidates having national exposure and political machinery.

What made him decide to go the VP route instead? I could say practicality... of the names mentioned in the list, Erap still seemed the viable popular vote, and despite all his clout, Binay wasn't sure of a win against  the former president. I could also say a form of political payback... specially when it came to supporting the son of the woman who first gave him said position in Mahe inside track, Jojo was one of the first to run for VP - even endorsing Noynoy for President, despite the fact that Mar's Liberal Party was the official party where Noynoy would be running. Of course, I could also say, it was a great political move. A risk? Maybe... but one that got him on the inside track to a more viable position. Did anyone notice how Binay wore the color yellow (a color highly associated with the Aquinos) more than Mar? Chiz Escudero's last minute endorsement not withstanding, Binay had the advantage with a mix of clout, machinery and public sympathy.

Now... forward to the present. With Nancy, think of it as VP Binay flexing his machinery muscles, in preparation for 2016. He is looking at the results quite eagerly. You see, running and winning in Makati would be a shoe-in for any Binay... but a Nationally elected office like the Senate? Now that would be a test indeed with the results telling him where adjustments need to be made for his goal... adjustments he has at least two years to focus on... and with a Senator on his side (he may have more than one, mind you), he can implement - through Nancy, programs that will make the Binay name well remembered come next Presidential election.

Who should he be looking out for? Take a look at the Senatorial results. It would make for a lot more What If analysis.

Blogging on the go... hitches experienced

Yes, I've been trying to blog on the go with Blogger.com and my iPad. Unfortunately, it seems that there is a glitch in the Blogger application when launched in the iPad... specifically, when I'm typing out my blog - and when it gets to be several paragraphs long, I find it difficult to scroll down to the end, so that I can type my next paragraph.

For some reason, and this is what I find frustrating, there is no page down or (go to the) end button, so I can continue typing where I left off. I always end up at the top, and since there is no down button, or end button and there is no scroll bar (to scroll down either), I find myself trying different ways to go down, and when I reach the end - again, for some strange reason, it automatically brings me up to the beginning again. It's utterly frustrating!

Then there's another thing... uploading pictures. It only allows pictures from the blog (meaning those I've used at one time or another), or some that have been uploaded in a webpage... but no allowable way to upload a picture from my iPad library for the first time - oh yeah, it may allow uploading from a smartphone, but not the iPad. So much for wanting to add pictures.

It's mostly because of these two frustrations that I find blogging on the go (meaning using my iPad) frustrating... and greatly limiting. Hence my not going at it full swing. I don't know if I should look for an iPad specific version of the Blogger apps, or just switch to Wordpress or something else.

My death in a dream

This one's a woozy... last night, I dreamed that I died. The reason wasn't even clear - it seemed to have started with the fact that someone (also unclear) told me I had died and I did not believe it. To even prove it, I touched a pillar and felt it... sort of showing that they were wrong and I was not dead.

This changed with the next thing that happened - namely my being able to pass through a door... and I thought, crap... it's true. The next thing I know, I see relatives (alive, and for some reason, they were mostly my in-laws) and start making an effort of talking to them - and for some reason, though they did not see me, they felt me and heard me, but not collectively... rather more as a one-on-one communication, as I had to stay close to them for them to somehow feel me.

The culmination of this dream was after having talked to my in-laws and extended family, I then entered a room where my family was - I even made the winds open the doors and sort of part the curtains... thing is, this seemed to be a separating door between hotel rooms, so where'd the wind come from, right? I knew that, and was counting on it to sort of announce my presence. Yeah... apparently, even when dead, I have this knack for the dramatics.

I then have this one-on-one conversation with my daughter, Bernice, embracing her - trying to tell her all the advise I can give in so short a time. Advise I did not  bother giving while I was alive and around, but suddenly... due to limited time on my part, and wanting to counter the frustration of not being around to help her anymore, said set of advise was one of the most important things in the world to me for her, right then and there. The gist of it all? How she should believe in herself, listen to her heart, not just trust anyone, and rely on family - now just her mom and brother, plus her extended family for help.

I next gravitated to my son, Bryce, to do the same thing... and one thing struck me. As far a legacies go, I had nothing to give them. I just had my comics collection - which I told him was his now that I was gone... theirs' actually, since I did not want to not give my daughter anything. While thinking this, I realized (belatedly in the dream, anyway) that I was leaving my family in a not too good position... though I also, someway realized that if one parent had to go - better me than Barbie, for she could care for the family much better than I could.

My dream ended before I could have my conversation with Barbie.

Needless to say, I was left thinking about my mortality, and my current health state - and though as I said earlier, the reason for said death was not apparent, it still made me do a quick assessment of how healthy I was. Though lacking in the exercise department, I do make sure I have a healthy diet. It also reminded me of how much I have helped my kids in the past - and how incomplete such a mission was at this point. After all, I guess, I assumed I'd always be around to help them when they asked... that I would always be there until they were settled with their own family.

I still have to figure out why I suddenly had this dream though... and it was important enough that I even looked it up in a dream interpretation site. Here's the link to said interpretation, though I've also copied a portion that I feel was significant.

dreammoods.com

"To dream that you die in your dream symbolizes inner changes, transformation, self-discovery and positive development that is happening within you or your life. You are undergoing a transitional phase and are becoming more enlightened or spiritual. Although such a dream may bring about feelings of fear and anxiety, it is no cause for alarm as it is often considered a positive symbol. Dreams of experiencing your own death usually means that big changes are ahead for you. You are moving on to new beginnings and leaving the past behind."

There's more, but as I said, I think this is the more significant portion. Does this mean anything? Who knows? After all, how do you react to something that is not yet happening? Anyway, if there is anything I've resolved to do, it would probably be to be a bit more participatory, and less hands-off with my kids lives. I mean, I do this to signify I trust them... but who knows, it wouldn't hurt if I ask to be involved in their thought processes, once in a while.

Cebu airport... In real need of upgrading.

Cebu's International airport lead a lot to be desired. As far as airports go, this one is so small. It hardly has any selection for food kiosks or restaurants - at least, ones that offer a wide variety of selections. It's basically an airport that lacks a lot of the usual amenities and technology that most international airports have.

Granted, I don't really care for the size... So long as it has the amenities. After all, if one is expected to check in about two hours before their flight, the least the airport can do is offer comfortable amenities to their regular (and not just their VIP) guests... Heck, even their VIP lounge is 'wanting'.

Still, if I were to count my blessings... few as they are, regarding this airport, at least I can say they've one decent coffee place (Bo's), and it has WiFi - though even this can be sluggish. The airport tries to have WiFi for others, but one can hardly log in to join.. and mind you, this is a Wednesday, when the airport is near empty with little passengers.

Yeah... when will we see something somewhat resembling a more decent and proud to have airport here in Cebu? I mean, after all... Manila's domestic and international airports are at least presentable ( though they too woefully lack concessionaires serving inside the terminals.

Bernice's dance recital (a long delayed post)

I was unable to post this before... I guess you could chalk it up to having been too busy before. Now that I'm not too busy, it becomes a matter of recalling an event that happened close to 9 months ago. So this also needs a little recall.

It started with Bernice having her summer vacation, and asking us if she could join a dance workshop - one that I would later find ot be organized and handled by the Power dancers (at least, that is who I think they are). Needless to say, this took the better part of the entire summer, and we were lucky that she had a friend/school mate (Ella) who was attending the same class, so she could go with her friend whenever they went to the practice.

Naturally, as most of these workshops are wont to do, they would have some kind of recital as proof of how their nearly months of practice helped their students. Well here is my assessment of such... at least, form the part of how I saw Bernice.

The recital was held in the RCBC theater, in Ayala avenue. It started about an hour late - not very professional, and we (that is, the audience) was getting antsy - finally, when the show started, it opened with each student doing some moves - giving them a very brief (roughly 5 seconds) spotlight exposure. As Bernice took to the stage, I noticed that her moves were slightly reserved... yes, she was dancing, but she still had some obvious stage fright. Not surprising, after all... this was her first time.

Bernice then participated in three more dances, interspersed across the rest of the show. I still noticed how she would mostly go with the flow... be in the background and be an almost invisible part of the dance numbers. It was nice to watch her, and even two of her friends watched and were elated to see her (and Ella) do their moves. I even got to tape the dances using the iPad... and posted at least one in YouTube. At the end of it all, Bernice said she wanted to do things again come next summer vacation. I believe her, after all... performing on stage can give you a rush (as I used to feel when I was part of the ADB chorale - an experience I did at least twice). So I know she'll do this again, and come next time, I know she'll show a bit more confidence in her performances.

Too bad I had no pictures as I listened to and complied with the message of cameras not being allowed. Hnh... almost half the audience brought cameras... so I know better next time.

A very unexpected Jolibee drive through

Chalk this one up as a brief and wonderful happening. You see, I was driving along Ortigas on an early Sunday evening. With me was my family, and we had just come from Greenhills shopping center, having done some groceries in Unimart. I was not trying to find the most convenient route back home. Barbie also needed to stop by an ATM machine to get some allowance money for Bernice - which meant going in another direction.

I thought that since Ortigas avenue was not allowing cars to do a U-turn (and I though one convenient route was to do a U-turn, I decided to take a right at the next corner (where there is a Jolibee and Cafe France eatery) - the street itself is a sort of dead end... being a closed gate to a subdivision. I had the intent of using this dead end, and making a U-turn in it to allow me ot make a left witht he help of the traffic light, thus being able to go to the other side of Ortigas without having to make the U-turn in Ortigas - from there, I could take a service road leading straight to Wilson street, which was basically my intent as it represents the most convenient way home. Unfortunately, the dead end was busy with some kind of repair, so I went into the car park of  Cafe France to execute my U-turn.

It was at this point that barbie noted the Jolibee drive through menu and candidly mentioned to the kids (technically teens now) of how in years past when they were much younger, there would not pass a weekend without our going to Jolibee because it was what they wanted most. Well... suddenly, this discussion went to barbie realizing (and possibly voicing out what everyone was thinking) that it has been some time that we've had Jolibee - and suddenly, before we knew it, we were asking each other if they wanted Jolibee.

Needless to say, we all agreed and I maneuvered the car into the drive through. Barbie, Bryce and I had the Joli-hotdog, wich Bernice had the Cheese burger. Each of these came with Cokes (regular for the kids and zero for Barbie and me) and fries. And as I was driving home, we were enjoying our food - me whenever I had the chance to grab and bite my sandwich and fries while carefully driving.

Imagine that... just out of nowhere, we were reliving our old days as a family enjoying Jolibee. I guess the memories and experience of enjoying Jolibee as a family has been ingrained into our DNA, deeper than we realize... or it's just the act of wanting to experience the same feeling as before - even if just by a drive through. Needless to say, we weren't really hungry - but we enjoyed our meals. In fact, for some of us, it became dinner (or part one of our dinner).

Maybe this should be a possible plot for Jolibee's next commercial.

Blogging on the go...

This is the third blog post that I did on the fly, using my iPad 2 as the device to record my thoughts, ands though the other two did not appear here (they were more training and teaching related, hence their being placed in my training related blog), they and this particular entry signify a shift in my blogging habits.

I now get to blog in a more immediate (some might even say a more timely) manner. Should an idea come across, I can whip up my iPad, and type things out - like what I'm doing now, and just type away my thoughts. So yeah, I've said it before that I will find the time to make more blog entries.... and I did not get to really do it. Well, now, it becomes more a reality.

Downside to this (for now, anyway) is the fact that I've no way to place pictures I've taken from my camera directly into blogs I've posted via the iPad. Still, I can take pictures with the iPad, so that shouldn't be an insurmountable problem. More like a situation I have not yet resolved - but resolve it I shall.

Meanwhile, it looks like this particular blog will see a whole lot more minutiae musings from me, as it was meant to be.

My Piazza Food Adventure - 19-Jan-2012

Thursday evening was dry - which was good news, it meant we need not have worried about getting rained out, specially since the event was happening at the Piazza open grounds, with just a large tent pitched up and tables with chairs arranged to give an outdoor dining experience mood.

I'd just come form my training (a walk away from where this event was happening - which is a definite plus factor for me) and went through the motion of introducing myself to the organizers with the help of Jinky. Apparently, I arrived just in time as the entire place was already set-up; ready to accept their invited guests. I was given my passport, a wristband was placed on me and settled down to my table, I was then approached by some helpful people representing their respective establishments, with he intent to help kick start my Food Adventure.

As this was my first experience participating in such an event I was definitely excited to jump into tasting mode. I started out my getting an 8oz. Moroccan Mint Hot Tea Latte from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, as this was something I would occasionally order with them, it helped me get into the right, relaxed mood. As always, this beverage had a relaxing effect on me. As I normally get this product, I did not bother to rate it - after all, I would have been biased. SO lets just say that I was happy this was one of the six items offered - the others were Chai, English Breakfast, Tropical Passion, Match Green and Apple Pie - in hindsight maybe I should have tried these others... but I tend to be a creature of habit. Maybe next time, I'll try the Apple Pie, I mean, who wouldn't want to try out such a flavored tea latte?

My first dish, courtesy of Little Asia, was their Vietnamese Spring Rolls (the alternative was their Shrimp Curls with Mango Dip, which I tried at a latter time, courtesy of a friend who ordered this option instead), and what I can say about the spring rolls is the fact that they really tasted great... it had the right crunchiness, and I'm a bit embarrassed to say that what started out as a taste test ended up with me consuming the entire serving (even if I had to contend with the hot food - luckily I did not scald my taste palette, but this was my fault and not the food's). We tend to have vinegar as condiment for the spring rolls, and Little Asia's vinegar dip had the right combination of being mildly sweet and sour. Out of five stars I would give this dish a strong 4-stars!

After this, I tried out the Karaage and Kakuni buns from the Ramen Bar. I must say that the Karaage (chicken in this instance) was one of the best tasting dishes of the night - I could have wanted seconds on this; as for the Kakuni buns, they came across as not that spectacular... I guess, by themselves they would have been good - but placed beside the Karaage, they were just easily disregarded (not that I disregarded mine - after all, I still loved eating them. If I were to rank this dish as a whole, I'd give it a 3.5 stars, only because the Karaage - which to me deserved a five star, got dragged down by its side dish.

My next two samples came courtesy of Kuse, Traditional Filipino Cuisine and Old Vine Grille, Kuse's choices were their Lechon Kawali or their Chicken Relleno - I gave into temptation and and got the Lechon Kawali a.k.a. Bagnet, with rice and some pickled unripe papaya strips (a.k.a. atchara). Simply put, the skin was crunchy, the pork was tender, and I had to definitely trim down the fat - even if there was not too much of it, for health food-conscious me. Still, it was nice to indulge a bit. I would suggest that next time, Kuse would try giving the traditional lechon sauce to further emphasice the 'Filipino' experience. I ranked this dish with four stars.

From Old Vine, the options were Grilled Fish Fillet with Lemon Butter sauce or Chicken Barbecue with Fries and Red Beans - I opted for their Grilled Fish Fillet which came with some vegetable salad and rice. Did I say I was not anymore taking the rice that comes with the dishes? Nope, I was concentrating on the dishes themselves. That being the case, I got to enjoy the dish better - and realize that there were some slightly saltier portions. For this dish, I will have to say I loved the fish, and the salad was nice too - but gave it a three and a half stars for the uneven saltiness. Personally, I'd lessen the saltiness - I don't mind a relatively bland dish where I would add the condiment to better fit my taste.

At this point, I needed to slow down, so I opted to take one of the desserts, namely the Yo Swirl yogurt - specifically their Vanilla-flavored version with some chocolate toppings. This would give me a breather, and hopefully reset my taste palette. Now, I have to say that I know how the vanilla yogurt tastes like, as its a regular item I order - though I've yet to try it with some chocolate toppings (as opposed to the usual strawberry toppings I take with my orders). The Yo Swirl break hit the spot, and I was ready to continue my adventure. Next time though, would it be possible ot get more Yo Swirls? No star rating here for the same reason I gave earlier regarding the tea.

The adventure continues and this time I ordered Pho Hoa's Pomelo salad and Red Crab's Dory Fillet with Honey Mustard Sauce - its other option was Fried Stuffed Bean Curd with Crab Relleno served with Garlic Chili sauce. The Pomelo salad is, once again, something I've regularly ordered when I dine in Pho Hoa, and though it is considered an appetizer, I needed it to help make sure I had something to counter any dish that I might be tired of. In other words, 'pang alis nang umay'.

The Red Crab Dory, I'm sorry to say, had that effect on me. I felt that it had too many extenders (flour) and not enough fish in the dish to sort of lose the fish taste - granted that Dory is not a strong tasting fish, something had to be done ot make the fish taste rise up - and tasting the extenders instead gives one the thought, likely or not, that the dish was made with scrimping in mind. So I guess it was just proper that as I was trying out the Dory, I had the Pomelo salad. It is with this concern that I have to rate the dory dish a two stars. In hindsight, I should have ordered the crab relleno - after all, the place will not be called Red Crab if their specialty isn't crab dishes, right?

It was at this point that I felt the need to end my adventure, after all, I was full... really full, and any further adventuring would be less appreciated. But I was not yet ready to leave the venue - not without dessert and a coffee drink. Saving perhaps the best for last, I got my scoop of gelato, courtesy of Sol Gelato. I always was curious as to how their mint flavored, chocolate shell topped gelato tasted like, and this evening was a perfect chance for me to try things out. Now, Sol Gelato is another place I frequent when at the Piazza; in fact, I was just there right after lunch to get some dessert. So I knew that ending the day with a Sol Gelato was the perfect way to cap my eating adventure.

I also ordered my 12oz iced coffee (decaf) from Figaro (another place I frequent for their Barako blend, so no review for this as well... lets just say I liked it, and the fact that it was Decaf meant I wold not be awake in the middle of the night. Also note, that the decaf option was my preference - you can order regular. This drink I milked and sipped as I drove home. There were definitely some other dishes I was unable to try - believe me, I tried trying them all in one sitting... maybe in my younger days as a college student, I might have been up to finishing every dish in the resto hopping adventure - not now though.

Just to let you know what I missed, I'll just make a roll call:
- Empire Deli and Restaurant's options of Grilled Tuna or their Empire signature salad. My colleagues swear to the Grilled Tuna, so that's what I might have ordered.
- Pinchos' duo of Buffalo Chicken Fillet with Chips and Salsa (I like Buffalo wings - thus I'm curious about this as well.
- Blackwood Bistro's Penne Puttanesca (looked tasty, but I was just too full)
- KBOP's Chap Chae (glass noodles) or their Seafood and Vegestables Pancake (this one sounds like its worth a try).

Four dishes left out... man, maybe if I wasn't weight conscious.

So the bottom line... is this adventure worth its Php600 price tag? I'd have to say DE-finitely. You have to try it. It might be too pricey for a family to get individual passports, so maybe in the future Megaworld can consider a family version of the passport. This way, even the members who don't really eat a lot (and in my family, I'm the one who eats a lot) can likewise partake of such a food trip without feeling guilty that they aren't consuming their passport's worth. This allows the possibility of enjoying the adventure Then again, remember... when the adventure is done (it only is valid for the Saturday it was purchased - unless you bought is late Sunday, in which case you can continue using said passport the following Saturday.

For more information, call the Megaworld Lifestyle malls concierge at 7099888, 7090888 or 09178380111.
They have a website: www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com
Like their Facebook page for more updates.

Venice Piazza's Food Adventure

If you happen to find yourself hanging out in McKinley Hill, you'll not miss the Venice Piazza food court in the heart of McKinley - and if you happen to be a 'foodie' (translated as food lover - or lover of food), then this new adventure will be to your taste palette's liking.

Starting January 7, all the way until March 31 - every weekend will see the Piazza transform into a place where food lovers will experience food mecca with 14 participating restaurants offering specially prepared dishes to tickle the fancy of anyone brave (and hungry) enough to participate in said adventure simply dubbed 'Food Adventure'. This is apparently the Piazza's second year in offering this adventure, and they are proud to bring it back for everyone's enjoyment.

The mechanics are simple... each adventurer will be given a passport and wristband - the first will allow them to partake of said dishes prepared for this adventure as it acts as a sort of map to which establishment to try and what dish (or dishes) they offer in this adventure - while the second acts as their identification to the 14 establishments. Armed with these two items, the adventurer can then hop from one restaurant to another; experiencing, not just the food/drink, but the ambiance of each establishment.

These 14 restaurants collectively offer a complete range of appetizers, main courses, desserts and coffee/tea. For establishments offering two meals, the adventurer can choose one of the two options available. By sampling these best-selling dishes, one will be treated to a representation of international cuisine. The 14 establishments are Blackwood Bistro, Empire Deli, KBOP, Kuse, Little Asia, Old Vine Grille, PhoHoa, Pinchos Bar and Restaurant, Ramen Bar and Red Crab Alimango House. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Figaro offer the drinks while dessert will be coming from Sol Gelato and Yo Swirl... all these, for just Php600. Just take note that the passport is non-transferable, and should you find it difficult to finish all the dishes in one day (Saturday), you can return the next day (Sunday) to finish your adventure.

Should you find yourself finished with your restaurant-hopping adventure, your passport also offers special discounts and freebies any day of the week, so your experience continues on. That said, if you've got nothing planned for your weekend, and you would really like to go on a Food Trip - then simply head on over to the Piazza at McKinley Hill, and start your Food Adventure.

I've been privileged to be invited to sample the adventure as part of an advanced blogger group to help market the adventure, and I have to say that I had a hard time finishing the food - but soldier on I did, so I could review the dishes. I shall post these in a separate blog entry, as I will need to refer back to my passport where I jotted down my crude ranking system for each serving. For now, this is to just announce the adventure and of course to thank my friend Jinky Umali for making my experience possible, and likewise my appreciation to Andrea Ruth Padla of the Megaworld Commercial Division for inviting me to the launch of the Food Adventure.

For more information, call the Megaworld Lifestyle malls concierge at 7099888 or 09178380111.
They have a website: www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com
Like their Facebook page for more updates.

Facebook's new Timeline - any good?

I've been using Timeline for the better part of a month now, and frankly, I like how it allows me more control of the page - how it gives a webpage like look, and how it gives an easy to view two column layout.

For my part, I've selected as my timeline profile a picture of the moon (in eclipse mode) - a minimalist view... and why did I choose this? The moon picture gives an aura of mystery and simplicity... two traits I carry. If you've met me, you might agree.

In a way, I'm more open in Facebook than, say, when we meet personally - but you have to realize that this openness has percolated for months... years even, hence it looks like I share a lot more in FB, than I would in a party or social gathering. Not to mean I shun discussions - just that I choose what discussions to join and who to have it with. I envy those that can jump in a present a ease of opening up and sharing discussions with others. On my part, if I'm not talking, its because I would really like to listen.

I don't mind sharing... after all, some would even say I share too much info in FB - and forma security perspective, that may be true. But if you don't share... or if you're too afraid to share in FB, then why bother with it to begin with?

To me, this last idea is akin to people becoming xenophobic due to terrorism. If you change your life because of them - then they win. If, on the other hand, you choose to be open despite their actions, then they do not influence you (or me) and they don't win. So there it is... my real answer to why I share (sometimes too much) in FB.

This is the reason I love Timeline too - it allows me to organize my life - to share my milestones and memories. Lord knows I've a lot of blanks in Timeline... which makes me more appreciative of having a camera with me daily. Call it a vanity... but I don't want to leave this world without even a ripple. FB's timeline is my ripple. If only for that, I would say it is definitely good.

Revitalizing this blog

Yes, its been a while since I wrote something here - not because I have nothing to say, but I've other blogs that I write to... and yet, when I think of it, this is the place I should be placing those short thoughts. Maybe not Twitter short, but short none the less. I will definitely do this starting now. After all, I wouldn't want an ode to a past friend to be the last item ready by anyone visiting this site.