My Blog

I have earned my right to complain.

I only learned last Friday that I am officially registered to vote, thanks to Globe’s Comelectxt service, and to Ipe’s texting credits. I have no idea how I ended up registered.

I checked candidates’ websites and had my list of senatorial bets ready by Saturday morning. 

At around 10 a.m., I walked to the school where I studied until Grade 4. Me, my mum, my aunt, and my uncle were all voting in one classroom - the Home Economics "classhome" which I managed to avoid when I was in elementary. I was never cut for household chores, crochets, sewing, etc.

The school was quiet and there weren’t so many people around. We did not even have to wait for our turn to vote. I hope it didn’t mean that people have totally lost their hope in the electoral system, as dismal as it may seem.

I finished writing down the names of my favored candidates. I felt like only nine deserved my trust. I stared at the three blank spaces and contemplated a bit but I decided that I won’t take the risk and vote for candidates with questionable experience, or those who have pending judicial cases, much less to those who should just remain in the movies or in music. Pardon my ignorance, but I really had no idea Victor Wood had legislative aspirations.

I was also not so keen on wasting my ink on people whose previous performance or future plans are alien to me. Hence, I skipped most of the spaces for the local candidates, except for the mayor and vice mayor. They make a good tandem - with the mayor focused on the town’s local businesses, and the vice mayor focused on youth-oriented projects - and there has been some degree of progress in our small town. No one was stupid enough to run against the mayor. A former mayor, however, was going against the vice.

I did not vote for the incumbent governor who was running for another term. He has been in that post for as long as I can remember, and Zambales still looks the same to me.

I did not vote for my mom’s friend who’s running for vice governor. She’s just the wife of a long-time politician from the next city, and I believe her selling point is merely her looks.

My mum was making a fuss near the ballot box when I got to it. Apparently, some guy dropped her ballot for her and she said she should be the one to do it since she’s the voter. When it was my turn, I did what I should and walked out happy.

I was reminded of my childish clumsiness when I crossed the pedestrian lane on my way home. When I was six or seven, I challenged a former classmate/neighbor and now best friend to a race while crossing the street. I ran as fast as I could and ended up chin (yep, not face, thankfully) down the asphalt. I must have cried all the way to our house.

I was trying to clean the black ink on my right thumb with a sample ballot as I walked home when it hit me - my index finger was clean. Someone was careless enough to sabotage my first-time voting experience, and I was not going to let him get away with it.

My aunt was patient enough to accompany me back to the precinct. I showed my finger to the teacher, went to the ink guy and said, "Kaya pala ang daming flying voters."

I was sincerely worried. How many election staff would forget to put that grotesque stain on a voter’s finger? I mean, of course it’s not really as indelible as it claims to be, but it is still a safeguarding measure against the "bad guys."

I went back to the precincts at around 4:30 p.m. Some rooms were still preparing their tally sheets while some were already ready to start counting. It bothers me that some watchers had no discipline to keep their asses at least a few meters from the ballot box, even if they have no bad intentions on it, and that some election staff had not seem to mind it. Manual counting is just too slow and it takes at least three minutes to read a ballot. Too much time, too much space, and too much room for possible fraud.

It took me about 45 minutes to observe in seven different precincts, taking happy note that Chiz Escudero was leading. Victor Wood had one vote.

Since I’ve already used up my official foreign business trip for the year, I can only look forward to domestic travels, which shouldn’t be less exciting. However, that’s not stopping me from dreaming of destinations outside the Philippines.

The top on my list is Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is about fours hours from the capital Hanoi but I’m sure it’s worth the butt-numbing trip.

I remember seeing it for the first time on Discovery Channel presented by Megan, I think. She was on the junk boat and they were getting large fish and lobsters right off the water. Of course, they could have just planted those for the shoot Then they just sailed on with the best view of the sunset. It was love at first sight.

I had my second helping of the Ha Long view in a movie. I think it was Indochine. I can no longer remember the plot of the film but I have vivid images of the bay in my mind. When the mist starts descending on some 3,000 limestone islets (some say it’s just 1,600), the place simply turns into something that looks almost ethereal.

Siiigh….

Ha Long will have to wait.. Maybe I’ll see it next year.

I just submitted a story about the third season of a series on Cinemax. After a teleconference, the PR called to ask if we could embargo the story until July. Hello? Have you checked the calendar? It’s just May. By July, I’d have forgotten about everything already.

Call it an issue of timeliness. Fine. But coming out with the story tomorrow or on Tuesday is just as significant because the cast will start working on Season 4 on Monday. A Season 3 story is just too old already because it’s been shown everywhere else except in Asia (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating here.. like, what about Timbuktu?)

Besides, what if the world ends on July 13? (Not that it’s Friday the 13th or anything.. It’s just that our entertainment page comes out Tuesdays and Fridays.) The interview would have been a total waste!

I know it’s not some market-moving, earth-shaking news but it just pisses me off to get this embargo order from someone who says that my paper "is not really a priority because of its low circulation" compared to the Big 3. Am I just being too sensitive? I mean, if it’s so low, why would you worry if we come out with the story early?

Oh well, maybe I’m just pissed cz I had some sort of a nightmare connected to it.

I should chill. I wouldn’t exactly know until much much later if my story will come out or not. And it won’t, shouldn’t, better not kill me.

I love having something to look forward to. And for next month, it’s Haruki Murakami’s new book. Well, technically, I don’t think I’d be able to get it next month since it might take quite a while before copies of his new book find their way to our local stores. Anyhoo, here’s the synopsis:

A short, sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn, and every bit as gripping as Haruki Murakami’s masterworks The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore.

At its center are two sisters—Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny’s toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they’ve met before, a burly female “love hotel” manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These “night people” are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri’s slumber—mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime—will either restore or annihilate her.

After Dark moves from mesmerizing drama to metaphysical speculation, interweaving time and space as well as memory and perspective into a seamless exploration of human agency—the interplay between self-expression and empathy, between the power of observation and the scope of compassion and love. Murakami’s trademark humor, psychological insight, and grasp of spirit and morality are here distilled with an extraordinary, harmonious mastery.

Read an excerpt here: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307265838&view=excerpt

I can’t wait to get my hands on this baby!

Talk about total farce!

I wonder why the immigration booths at the NAIA still have this slogan stuck to their windows. It’s totally useless.. oh wait, it’s not. It actually makes you notice (like you need help.. duh?!) that local immigration officers DO NOT smile at all.

Upon departure, they look at you as if you do not deserve some time off this.. uhmm, country. When you arrive, they would coldly look at you, smirk at your passport, and make you feel most unwelcome, as if you don’t have the right to come back.

Who gets the smiles? The blondes, I would assume. Filipinos are just so crazy about foreigners. Is the so-called Filipino hospitality exclusively for them? Pfffft!

I dunno about the others, but I find immigration in Singapore and Indonesia rather nice. Upon seeing my passport, the Indo officer even said, "Philippines! Hello, mare!" Of course, "mare" might mean "bitch" or "fart-face" in Bahasa, but the greeting sounded warm and friendly nonetheless.

Anyway, I just hope our immigration officials would be nicer to Filipino travelers. Maybe if they smiled a little on a regular basis, some karmic force would send in positive vibes and work wonders which could lead to the government’s magical decision to finally open Terminal 3, and our airport wouldn’t look so pitiful compared to our Asian neighbors.

Wishful thinking to the Nth degree.. hahah!!

Jakarta, Indonesia (Part 2)

Day 3

I had enough sense to arrange for a wake-up call at 6 a.m. before I went out the night before so I was somehow assured that I will be able to wake up and make it to the 7:15 call time. I don’t trust my cellphone alarm to wake me, especially during a vodka-induced sleep.

We were chauffeured back to Senayan City where the driveway was almost empty until the mall opened at 10. I was so sleepy but had a good laugh at what I can only obviously assume is an LPG tank outside the mall.

I have to admit I was initially a disaster in handling the new Nissan Grand Livina. It is, after all, a right-hand drive vehicle. My left hand kept floating in the air and reaching for the stick only to hit the hard panel for power windows and locks and what-nots.

I also hit a couple of pylons (ya know, those cone-shaped orange thingies they put on the road to supposedly keep cars driving straight) on my first two runs.. I required the additional humps to better test the suspension and manageability of the vehicle I got the hang of it after a while. The "Ultimate" variant is rather easy to drive since its automatic and its the top-end for the Livina line. But do not expect the word "Ultimate" when the vehicle reaches the Philippine market because someone commented that it sounds like a word fit for marketing condoms. Ooops.. Being a passenger on the second row was also a comfortable ride, though I can’t say the same thing about being on the last row, which is a bit cramped and just a tad bumpy.

It poured again after the test drive but we were all dry and safe inside the vehicle that was carrying us to Mangga Dua. Think Greenhills tiangge.. or better yet, think Divisoria.. 168.. haggle all you want until the saleslady starts contemplating murder.

Anyhoo, I take pride (?!) in getting something for 50,000.. rupiah, silly (by the way, if you wanna be a millionaire, go to Indonesia, pack some P5000 to P6000 and voila! dream come true.. in a really false sense :P).. so going back to my acquisition.. it was Rp150,000 on the 4th floor, I think.. then I saw another store selling it for Rp120,000. The ground floor store was selling it for Rp75,000 and I got it at 50k!! Not bad, I think

We all went back to the hotel after shopping and there was still about five hours before we have to leave for the airport. I called the concierge for museums and places of interest which I could visit. Unfortunately, the museums closed at 2 p.m. (I’m not sure if it was just for that day, being Good Friday. While the population is predominantly Muslim, they do have some ways of recognizing Christian traditions). One really interesting place called the Taman Mini - something like RP’s Nayong Pilipino - is 45 minutes away and it closes at 4. Darn.

I opted to visit the SeaWorld at the Ancol Marina bay area. It’s kinda  old and really freaky because the sea creatures there have grown so much they look like monsters. One giant manta ray seemed to have enjoyed the attention of a huge family that he lingered and went in tiny circles for several minutes before he decided he’s done enough entertainment for the day.

The place also houses a dugong, which, unfortunately, was quarantined during my visit.

When I got out, I noticed another establishment which seemed more interesting - the Samudra. Unfortunately, it was about to close as well. I think it’s where dolphins and seals earn their fish for doing somersaults and catching red balls.

The Gondola Station was still open so I decided to just take the cable car to have a good view of the bay. And there wasn’t much to see. Part of the beach area was reserved for swimming.. and I swear, no decent Filipino who has been to our local beaches would want to swim there I’m just talking of that tiny patch of the Jakarta bay, of course. I’m sure there are better beaches in other parts of Java island. Peace.

I wasted off another hour during the (Blue Bird.. hey, they’re getting free publicity from this!) cab ride home. The cab driver was nice enough to show me where to shop even if I’ve repeatedly told him that I do not have time anymore (and even if I do, I doubt if I’d remember all the strange names).

He also passed by Indo’s National Monument, which really looked majestic at night. The Monas, the symbol of Indonesia’s freedom, is an obelisk standing 132 meters tall and topped with.. no, not chocolate fudge, but 35 kilos of gold.

I got back to the hotel with just enough time to change and prepare for our midnight flight back to Manila. The taxi was scheduled to pick us up at 8 p.m.

Remember the two-hour horror from the airport to the hotel? Going back took only 45 minutes

Jakarta, Indonesia — Hmm.. Alright, I shouldn’t be using a dateline since I got back yesterday. It was a rather short trip, made even shorter by the infamous Jakarta traffic.

Yahoo!’s weather forecast gave me a heads up for thunderstorm for the three days that I’d be staying in Jakarta.

Day 1 (04 April)
True enough, it started to pour violently within just 30 minutes of our taxi ride, and that made traffic even worst. I guess just like in Manila, the road shrinks when it rains.

The ride from the airport to Intercon was just a few minutes shy of two hours, but it gave me a good glimpse of the city’s landscape.

Jakarta has a pretty good road network. There are flyovers everywhere. The U-turn slots are permanent. It can get pretty disorienting at first since they use right-hand drive vehicles. The cabdrivers survive the road pretty much as they do here, horns- and swerve-galore, whenever possible.

I had another good serving of bad traffic on our way to dinner - six lanes, all jammed up. Sheez.

The spicy dishes for dinner made me forget about the traffic for a while. And it was a good thing the (quite offensive) smell of the local driver didn’t spoil my appetite. (I literally had to scratch and pinch my arms to distract my senses until my nose adapted to that which is probably one of the works of the devil.)

Oh, dinner.. lemme see if I can still remember everything. The first thing served was the "fruit" salad.. I’m not exactly sure what’s in it but I think I remember getting a bite of green apple. That must be the fruity part.. Oh and there was also some browned (fried, i suppose) grated coconut.. or something It was not so spectacular.

Thin spring rolls, which they also call lumpia (spelled out differently though.. something like loempia), came next. It was a bit on the sweet side, and it was served with peanut sauce and cucumber salad.

The main dishes were a good lot but I particularly loved the fish topped with chili sauce, and beef bacon topped with.. guess what? more chili sauce! I’m not quite sure if they make rendang with chicken but.. well, it kinda tasted like rendang, which was also good. They also served something like chopsuey, and fried tofu with soy or something. Never liked tofu. Blech!!

We were back in our rooms at around 11.. which is like midnight in RP so sleep crept in real fast that night.

Day 2 (05 April)
After breakfast the next day, I went walking north to see more of the city. The map was not very helpful. I guess Jakarta’s just too big for a detailed guide. I walked huge block after huge block and ended up seeing just a bunch of construction sites. Signs of progress for the city, but not for my so-called adventure.

Real work started at noon with a scheduled lunch with Nissan’s COO and other execs. It was followed by the launching of the Nissan Grand Livina at Senayan City, an upscale mall with top brands like Versace, Gucci, CK, etc. I learned that the mall was just about six months old so some stores have yet to open.

Constructions were hidden by walls marked with quotations on shopping, and one was too familiar.

"Win or lose, we go shopping after the election." - Imelda Marcos

I was itching to go out again when we got back to the hotel. I have been warned that it’s not safe but I really wanted to check out the nightlife so I texted a friend who lives in Indonesia for tips. He said he was in a province west of Jakarta so he can’t go with me but said the EX Mall is pretty safe and it houses Hard Rock and F Bar. He also told me to choose only Blue Bird taxis since they are the safest cabs.

Hard Rock was pretty crowded, and the dancefloor was filled with mostly Caucasian women. I was led to the bar where I ordered Chocolate Martini. Yum. I left after my downed my second martini. I saw a gelato bar and had a scoop of Chocolate Rum-flavored gelato, then went looking for F.

F, apparently, runs under Fashion TV and it has branches in fashion capitals. I guess the idea of having monitors showing scantilly-dressed women doing the catwalk does not sell very well in conservative Indonesia since there was just one small group of people partying when I got there.

They do serve pretty interesting cocktails and I ordered Chocolate-covered Strawberry something (yeah, yeah.. i REALLY don’t like chocolate :P). I think it was mainly vodka with strawberry syrup at the bottom. Another shotglass holds the chaser - two strawberries covered with grated white chocolate. I wonder if that would work for tequila

The next thing I tried was the Flaming Rainbow. I dunno if this type of drink is available in Manila. Anyhoo, it was also a shooter of made of liquor in different colors carefully layered for that rainbow-ish effect, and the glass was flamed up with a lighter.

The lady bartender handed me a tiny straw and told me to sip. When I was just staring at my drink, all too mesmerized by the cute flaming thing, she startled me with an insistent, "Now!" I guess now I know why the place is almost empty

I was happy with four drinks so I flagged a Blue Bird cab to go back to the hotel. At 6am the next day, I woke up wondering how I’m going to test drive a strange right-hand drive vehicle with a headache

<p align="center"><img src="http://www.flarn.com/~warlock/tarot/chinese/18.jpg"></p>
<h2 align="center"><font face="Verdana"><b>You are The Moon</b></font></h2>
<p align="center"><font face="Verdana">Hope, expectation, Bright promises.</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Verdana">The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.</font></p>
<p align="center"><font face="Verdana">The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you&nbsp;have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.</font></p>
<p align="center"><font size="2" face="Verdana"><b>What Tarot Card are You?</b><br><a href="http://www.flarn.com/~warlock/tarot" target="_blank">Take the Test to Find Out.</a></font></p>

It came as an unsolicited word of caution..

There’s a very thin line between being in the center of attention on Sex and the City and in the dumps of frustration on Desperate Housewives.

I usually blog at 3am but Jose de Venecia just ruined my morning as I was watching the news with my lolo. I do not know why he calls the speaker "Pan de Sal face." I do know it’s an insult to our local bread.

Mr. de Venecia was on TV to reiterate that House representatives are junking the proposal for a constitutional assembly "to unite the Filipinos before Christmas.. because it is what the Church wants.. it is what the Iglesias want, the El Shaddai.. blah blah blah.."

He made it sound AS IF we owe him this temporary peace when it is his stupid charter change ideas, his selfish dream of becoming prime minister, that are contributing to the political and public mess we are all in.

When asked if he thinks the representatives owe the public an apology, he comes up with a long and winding and totally irrelevant reply which does not exactly answer the question.

He said the Congress will just push for a constitutional convention, adding that the public should blame the senate for this activity would cost the government as much as P10 billion.

If he just forgets about himself for a while and consider his countrymen, being the public SERVANT that he should be, then the government would save at least P10 billion.

In fact, if he just resigns and takes care of his wife who seems to eternally dream of being first lady, maybe funds could be channeled from his pockets to a leader whose heart and mind are unstained with greed and filthy political agenda. Or it could go to those who really need it, like the people who were struck by the recent typhoons, people who will suffer Christmas without anything, not even clean water.

While I do not know him personally, Mr. de Venecia is just the most hateful person in my life right now, or at least this morning. I’m also hating all the faceless people who are working for and with him. I pity Mr. de Venecia for his insecurities, his need for power, for social and political stature, to affirm his existence.

I wonder how Pan de Sal face sleeps at night. Maybe he takes valium and sleeps early so he could wake up early and start fooling people early through 8 am interviews.

I hope he has the worst case of obstructive sleep apnea. That leads to hypertension, heart failure and stroke, and it contributes to memory impairment and impotence. I think the universe owes all that to him, and to us.