Showing posts with label MNL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MNL. Show all posts
Friday, June 12
Wednesday, June 10
Reminiscing (random)
There's nothing like seeing old friends and family who you haven't seen in years to get your memory jumpstarted into a time machine. Memoirs that were kept locked up in cortex vaults suddenly reappear, but the most nostalgic feeling that I've had crept up on me today. I went back to my old high school. [Although the Philippine school year should have started this past week, many delayed their classes due to the H1N1 buzz; so the classrooms and halls were nicely empty for me to wander around.] There's nothing like walking the halls of buildings where you really grew up that gives you a nostalgic feeling in your twenties -- going back to Woodrose, seeing old teachers still there, and remembering some of the great ups and downs of high school transported me to seemingly different dimension.
I've decided that this entire first leg of my trip, from the beginning in New York to San Francisco, to Phoenix, to LA, to Manila, has been a somewhat spiritual and nostalgic journey to get back to my roots. It's kind of funny that most people move to New York to "find themselves" - and here I am, leaving New York to "find" myself.
To be continued...
I've decided that this entire first leg of my trip, from the beginning in New York to San Francisco, to Phoenix, to LA, to Manila, has been a somewhat spiritual and nostalgic journey to get back to my roots. It's kind of funny that most people move to New York to "find themselves" - and here I am, leaving New York to "find" myself.
To be continued...
Sunday, June 7
More Manila
It's been raining, a LOT in Manila over this past week. It even rained for practically 3 days straight at one point, Forrest Gump style. So I have been relegated to reading, shopping, sleeping, shopping, eating (I feel like I'm packing on pounds for hibernation by the way), shopping, watching movies, visiting family, and shopping.
One of the things that Manila is actually known for is shopping. Malls abound in the National Capital Region - from SM Megamall to the Mall of Asia to Festival Supermall to Greenhills Shopping Center. You can find pretty much anything you can imagine here. Everything from designer boutiques to bazaar-style centers can fulfill your every devilish Prada desire. There are real, original brands (with sky high prices, of course) and then tons of fake stuff (from purses to DVD's to clothes and shoes)...it's a funny tourist haven.
Shopping images (mostly from Greenhills, bazaar-style bargains):
Seeing old friends and family after at least five years has been fun. I've been able to catch up with several interesting people. So far, one of my favorites has been my paternal Lolo (grandfather) who is approximately 94 years old. I say approximately because no one really knows if that's his exact age - not even my Lolo himself. His birth certificate perished in one of the early wars. Anyway, at 94, he's still very sharp and can tell stories about his childhood, his college days, and beyond. He's recently decided to write a book on philosophy that challenges some of the current, common philosophies out there (by men like Galileo, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, etc.). Yes, I know what you're thinking - seriously!? So I am really interested in seeing how he weaves his thoughts on the philosophy of common sense into the ancient threads of wisdom. This story is to be continued.
Background for the next mini-story: I am currently getting my Master's in Public Health (International Community health track).
So one of my good friends recently gave me a tour of Philippine General Hospital (PGH). PGH is the country's largest, and best equipped public hospital, relatively speaking. As an academic and service hospital in a developing nation, it is actually very nice. It has over 13 wards that service everything from obstetrics/gyn to ear/nose/throat, with a complete cardiology OR, a teaching auditorium, and even a sleep lab. However, having worked with several first-rate hospitals in the US in the past, it still seems appalling to see some of the differences: an approximately 800 square foot emergency room with beds pushed side-by-side; different procedures such as prescriptions handed to patients to go buy their own medicines while admitted; hoards of people roaming the halls (1st floor at least) who include thieves pretending to be patients; interns and residents having to provide their own scrubs, masks, and caps; and a plastic picnic table in the middle of the emergency room entrance that serves as triage.
Refocusing my perspective, PGH seems to have done well managing the little funds they receive [properly] from the government and [somewhat improperly] by government officials as personal grants. You start to recognize that when resources are minimal, creativity can be stretched -- but only to so far. A total healthcare overhaul still needs to happen here, within the intricately woven fabric of culture and politics in the Philippines of course.
Street images (around PGH, in Manila):
One of the things that Manila is actually known for is shopping. Malls abound in the National Capital Region - from SM Megamall to the Mall of Asia to Festival Supermall to Greenhills Shopping Center. You can find pretty much anything you can imagine here. Everything from designer boutiques to bazaar-style centers can fulfill your every devilish Prada desire. There are real, original brands (with sky high prices, of course) and then tons of fake stuff (from purses to DVD's to clothes and shoes)...it's a funny tourist haven.
Shopping images (mostly from Greenhills, bazaar-style bargains):
Seeing old friends and family after at least five years has been fun. I've been able to catch up with several interesting people. So far, one of my favorites has been my paternal Lolo (grandfather) who is approximately 94 years old. I say approximately because no one really knows if that's his exact age - not even my Lolo himself. His birth certificate perished in one of the early wars. Anyway, at 94, he's still very sharp and can tell stories about his childhood, his college days, and beyond. He's recently decided to write a book on philosophy that challenges some of the current, common philosophies out there (by men like Galileo, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, etc.). Yes, I know what you're thinking - seriously!? So I am really interested in seeing how he weaves his thoughts on the philosophy of common sense into the ancient threads of wisdom. This story is to be continued.
Background for the next mini-story: I am currently getting my Master's in Public Health (International Community health track).
So one of my good friends recently gave me a tour of Philippine General Hospital (PGH). PGH is the country's largest, and best equipped public hospital, relatively speaking. As an academic and service hospital in a developing nation, it is actually very nice. It has over 13 wards that service everything from obstetrics/gyn to ear/nose/throat, with a complete cardiology OR, a teaching auditorium, and even a sleep lab. However, having worked with several first-rate hospitals in the US in the past, it still seems appalling to see some of the differences: an approximately 800 square foot emergency room with beds pushed side-by-side; different procedures such as prescriptions handed to patients to go buy their own medicines while admitted; hoards of people roaming the halls (1st floor at least) who include thieves pretending to be patients; interns and residents having to provide their own scrubs, masks, and caps; and a plastic picnic table in the middle of the emergency room entrance that serves as triage.
Refocusing my perspective, PGH seems to have done well managing the little funds they receive [properly] from the government and [somewhat improperly] by government officials as personal grants. You start to recognize that when resources are minimal, creativity can be stretched -- but only to so far. A total healthcare overhaul still needs to happen here, within the intricately woven fabric of culture and politics in the Philippines of course.
Street images (around PGH, in Manila):
Sunday, May 31
The Philippines: Family Weekend
Since arriving in Manila, I've been reminded of some of the unique things - or more appropriately, cultural aspects - of the Philippines that I haven't seen or thought about in a long time.
1. Exactly how "third world" the Philippines is: I tagged along on a few construction projects that my Dad is overseeing, and at every site we went to, the "construction workers" were all wearing flip flops. There were no hard hats, orange safety cones, or closed toed shoes. I don't remember any of them even wearing denim-type pants. They were mostly in jersey shorts and cotton t-shirts, doing all of the regular construction work that you would see someone in the US doing on commercial and residential lots - but with tsinelas or rubber slippers.
*The gap between the rich and the poor just keeps getting wider too. You can tell just by picking up the local newspaper. Today, the Philippine Inquirer (not a tabloid), began its front page story with, "Like penitent youngsters eager to appease after causing a revered parent great vexation and annoyance, ruling party leaders yesterday were all over themselves attempting to mollify former President Fidel Ramos." Maybe it's my Journalism background that makes my face crinkle up in disgust over this first sentence in the Sunday paper...but I'd like to think that it's the terrible divide between the poor who cannot read and the rich who want to show off all their assets as much as possible. This odd sentence with large vocabulary only discourages the masa (or common masses of [poor] people) from reading and understanding what's happening in the country. Plunder seems to have become a mutant fungus that's infected the few remaining crevices of objective checks and balances.
On a lighter note...
2. Haircuts: 8 times out of 10, you will have a bading (slang for effeminately gay) cut your hair. Even if you only ask for a trim, you will end up with something more, something that they consider a "hair masterpiece" - however it ends up becoming something that I would call a "master-hair-piece."
*Another thing about salons in the Philippines is that they give pretty good mani/pedi-cures. And because cost of living is so low compared to the US, they're really cheap. My pedicure was $1. However, you must beware of the clipping of cuticle. They're overzealous sometimes. Ouch.
3. Being a dalaga (or young lady): The traditional and conservative, Catholic-natured side of people, especially grandparents and older titos and titas (aunts and uncles), always ask, "So, do you have a boyfriend?" about 2 questions after, "Hi, how are you?" [#2 would be "How was your trip/flight? and #3 would be are you hungry?; but the latter is semi-rhetorical because you'll be presented with food anyway]. It's a really funny thing nowadays, because if you say yes, you're in a relationship, "When are you getting married?" shortly follows. If you say no, you aren't seeing anyone at the time, "Ay, yes you should enjoy [being single] first," is the retort.
*The more interesting thing about giving the, "Yes, I am still single," response is that pretty much everyone will give you the, "Ay, yes you should just enjoy first," reply with so much fervor and funny excitement - like they are making up for your (in this case, my) shortcomings, which are the reasons or hindrances to my not having a boyfriend. And then they will go on to say how exciting it is to be single and "live your life now" as if your life ends when you do decide to settle down, get married, and have kids.
{Sidenote: my cousin Kat reminded me that it is more permissible for a dalaga to get married than to ride the Light Rail Transit in Manila. Life's funny here like that.}
4. Tropical fruit: There is no other mango, let alone no other fruit, like the Philippine mango. It is my absolute favorite.
5. Tropical rain vs. desert rain: Both have such a neat "quenching" quality to them both. There's nothing like a suddenly dramatic downpour of desert rain, settling the arid dust and graying the horizons. However, my favorite part about rain is the sound of a heavy tropical pour. It's actually really beautiful to listen to it fall on rooftops and through the trees.
6. Endless eating: Especially as a balikbayan (a Filipino who has returned from being overseas), the amount of food available seems endless. There's breakfast, merienda (snack), lunch, merienda again, dinner, and then another optional merienda. You can spend pretty much the entire day just eating. Of course, since I haven't been back in five years, I've been stocking up on all of my favorite foods that I've missed (like the mangoes, home-cooked meals, pastries, buko pandan, etc.). But I end up wondering, how is it that so many Filipinos can eat endlessly, and eat white rice at practically every meal, but still remain stick thin? [this is meant to be rhetorical]
Coming back with a little bit more of a mature perspective of life, these cultural characteristics and issues have provided me with a deeper sense of gratitude for all that I have been given. I have a better understanding of sight now - perspective is formed by experience, and life is made up of relationships and self-awareness. Opportunity doesn't just knock on any door, and you have to be able to see through the peephole to recognize it when it comes.
A few images of the Philippines:
1. Exactly how "third world" the Philippines is: I tagged along on a few construction projects that my Dad is overseeing, and at every site we went to, the "construction workers" were all wearing flip flops. There were no hard hats, orange safety cones, or closed toed shoes. I don't remember any of them even wearing denim-type pants. They were mostly in jersey shorts and cotton t-shirts, doing all of the regular construction work that you would see someone in the US doing on commercial and residential lots - but with tsinelas or rubber slippers.
*The gap between the rich and the poor just keeps getting wider too. You can tell just by picking up the local newspaper. Today, the Philippine Inquirer (not a tabloid), began its front page story with, "Like penitent youngsters eager to appease after causing a revered parent great vexation and annoyance, ruling party leaders yesterday were all over themselves attempting to mollify former President Fidel Ramos." Maybe it's my Journalism background that makes my face crinkle up in disgust over this first sentence in the Sunday paper...but I'd like to think that it's the terrible divide between the poor who cannot read and the rich who want to show off all their assets as much as possible. This odd sentence with large vocabulary only discourages the masa (or common masses of [poor] people) from reading and understanding what's happening in the country. Plunder seems to have become a mutant fungus that's infected the few remaining crevices of objective checks and balances.
On a lighter note...
2. Haircuts: 8 times out of 10, you will have a bading (slang for effeminately gay) cut your hair. Even if you only ask for a trim, you will end up with something more, something that they consider a "hair masterpiece" - however it ends up becoming something that I would call a "master-hair-piece."
*Another thing about salons in the Philippines is that they give pretty good mani/pedi-cures. And because cost of living is so low compared to the US, they're really cheap. My pedicure was $1. However, you must beware of the clipping of cuticle. They're overzealous sometimes. Ouch.
3. Being a dalaga (or young lady): The traditional and conservative, Catholic-natured side of people, especially grandparents and older titos and titas (aunts and uncles), always ask, "So, do you have a boyfriend?" about 2 questions after, "Hi, how are you?" [#2 would be "How was your trip/flight? and #3 would be are you hungry?; but the latter is semi-rhetorical because you'll be presented with food anyway]. It's a really funny thing nowadays, because if you say yes, you're in a relationship, "When are you getting married?" shortly follows. If you say no, you aren't seeing anyone at the time, "Ay, yes you should enjoy [being single] first," is the retort.
*The more interesting thing about giving the, "Yes, I am still single," response is that pretty much everyone will give you the, "Ay, yes you should just enjoy first," reply with so much fervor and funny excitement - like they are making up for your (in this case, my) shortcomings, which are the reasons or hindrances to my not having a boyfriend. And then they will go on to say how exciting it is to be single and "live your life now" as if your life ends when you do decide to settle down, get married, and have kids.
{Sidenote: my cousin Kat reminded me that it is more permissible for a dalaga to get married than to ride the Light Rail Transit in Manila. Life's funny here like that.}
4. Tropical fruit: There is no other mango, let alone no other fruit, like the Philippine mango. It is my absolute favorite.
5. Tropical rain vs. desert rain: Both have such a neat "quenching" quality to them both. There's nothing like a suddenly dramatic downpour of desert rain, settling the arid dust and graying the horizons. However, my favorite part about rain is the sound of a heavy tropical pour. It's actually really beautiful to listen to it fall on rooftops and through the trees.
6. Endless eating: Especially as a balikbayan (a Filipino who has returned from being overseas), the amount of food available seems endless. There's breakfast, merienda (snack), lunch, merienda again, dinner, and then another optional merienda. You can spend pretty much the entire day just eating. Of course, since I haven't been back in five years, I've been stocking up on all of my favorite foods that I've missed (like the mangoes, home-cooked meals, pastries, buko pandan, etc.). But I end up wondering, how is it that so many Filipinos can eat endlessly, and eat white rice at practically every meal, but still remain stick thin? [this is meant to be rhetorical]
Coming back with a little bit more of a mature perspective of life, these cultural characteristics and issues have provided me with a deeper sense of gratitude for all that I have been given. I have a better understanding of sight now - perspective is formed by experience, and life is made up of relationships and self-awareness. Opportunity doesn't just knock on any door, and you have to be able to see through the peephole to recognize it when it comes.
A few images of the Philippines:
Thursday, May 28
From west (coast) to (far) east
Eva Airlines, I love you. I was a little nervous about my flight from LAX to Taipei (3 hour stopover) to Manila. First, I hadn't done the trip in 5 years. Second, it would be a total of 18 hours in transit (not counting an early arrival at LAX or waiting for bags & customs in MNL)...but you have begun the redemption of the travel and tourism industry.
My nerves were soothed when I realized that I had flown (no pun intended) through LAX check-in and security procedures in literally 7 minutes flat. My one carry-on bag (yes, I only have 1 for this entire summer) was checked in, in 2 minutes. And then I walked through the international security checkpoint to my gate in 5 minutes. Sitting at my gate were only a handful of people, so once we boarded our plane, it was only about 1/3 full. I know this wasn't the most environmentally friendly situation to be in...but our flight proceeded as scheduled. Without anyone else in my economy class 3-seater row, I got to lie down and sleep a full 8 hours; and I even got to catch up on my movies (Milk was really good, and The Reader was quite sad). Thank you Eva Air (which, by the way, is one of the cheapest ways to go from the US to the Philippines).
The Taipei airport is actually pretty cool. Terminal 3 has all kinds of "rest and relaxation" rooms and exhibits. So I got to explore while there:
My favorite were the orchids. They were real.
I'm now in Manila. It's hot and humid. I feel like I'm sticking to everything...
My nerves were soothed when I realized that I had flown (no pun intended) through LAX check-in and security procedures in literally 7 minutes flat. My one carry-on bag (yes, I only have 1 for this entire summer) was checked in, in 2 minutes. And then I walked through the international security checkpoint to my gate in 5 minutes. Sitting at my gate were only a handful of people, so once we boarded our plane, it was only about 1/3 full. I know this wasn't the most environmentally friendly situation to be in...but our flight proceeded as scheduled. Without anyone else in my economy class 3-seater row, I got to lie down and sleep a full 8 hours; and I even got to catch up on my movies (Milk was really good, and The Reader was quite sad). Thank you Eva Air (which, by the way, is one of the cheapest ways to go from the US to the Philippines).
The Taipei airport is actually pretty cool. Terminal 3 has all kinds of "rest and relaxation" rooms and exhibits. So I got to explore while there:
My favorite were the orchids. They were real.
I'm now in Manila. It's hot and humid. I feel like I'm sticking to everything...
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