the grand slideshow by me

So here's a corny, comedic slide show and somewhat self-absorbed diversion inspired by the slide shows I loved watching in the Philippines...

*** limited time offer -- take me on vacation with you and and you can have one of your very own!!! ***

back looking forward

back and jetlagged and running and not enough time to do all those ideal things that one always ideally wishes one could do.
lots to re-balance and focus towards, i suppose,... well... pursuing a string of trips to chronicle, after a month or so of rebalancing and refocusing, would be ideally better...

...in respect for a little wasting time and dreaming nontheless... aimless picture snatching from others...

progressing thoughts of progressive processes....


illusions of farther rarer lands....


f$#* walls?


wide angles and trees and clouds are pretty

Hungry and overfilled with the good chewy mango slices i bought to give away and started eating instead

A retrospective on the plane bound for SFO...

...Hungry and overfilled on the good chewy mango slices I bought to give away and started eating instead, i was woken by the midnight dinner call for ‘bronts and noodles.’ I was given brontz when I asked for fish or veggies instead (the other choice was chicken and rice) and found out it was prawns and noodles, which was ok. The dessert was the best (some chocolate pudding mousse jelly from Goldilocks bakery). Anyways, the flight attendant just took my tray away so I’m doing this scribbling now before I brush my teeth in the little lavatory stall in back of the plane (I’m way in back and the first/business class is actually on a second “floor” near the front of the plane). Now the plane just hit some turbulence and this is starting to seem like meaningless written chatter, particularly, I mean, if the plane starts to flip over or drops to the sea or something.

I had a kinda helpful/interesting talk with Hubie (sp?) after the anniversary reception party about the Philippines - it’s social condition, the corruption and all.

(note: the old woman next to me is about to spill her cup of Nescafe, she’s already splashed a little and hopefully will drink it quicker now – she is nice but keeps asking me the same questions over and over and over again, dementia I guess. I should have switched stories to screw her up, but I was feeling too sweet to risk upsetting her. I admit, though, that after a while I pretended I couldn’t hear her, because you can only say you’re age, your romantic and employment status, and where you live and came from about 5 times before it starts to drive you nutty.)

So Hubie thought it a very poor condition in the Philippines, overly materialistic, I guess, and somewhat explosive and needing re-vamping. It was one of those conversations that don’t reach an end though, no conclusion, no sense of completion, agreement or even concerted disagreement. I think in the Philippines (yes, my limited analysis now) you have a more stable social-political system than in many other countries, particularly 3^rd world ones, but also that that is part of what makes the problem such a problem and so inconclusive.

The poor are very, very poor (well below poverty level) and there is a very, very small upper crust of extremely wealthy. It seems a good place to go to take wealth and grow it if you have it (with a few simple business plans to throw around.) It’s all really exactly like the catholic sermon the priest gave at the anniversary ceremony/mass (renewal of vows) yesterday, and this certainly seems to be a common sermon because it was also written about in the church brochure that I skimmed before falling asleep several times in between standing and sitting, standing and sitting, during the ceremony. (Note: this was also a church amongst a street of some of the wealthiest homes in Manila, if that means anything.)

So the sermon and brochure’s preaching was to ‘go forth and multiply’ – basically, they both said, spend $, have kids, and don’t hoard or even save – in other words (well, actually explicitly stated), "give and the lord will give back." (I kind of actually agree with that in a sense, maybe a lot if you break it down to fundamentals, but not the kids or lord part, just the live freely and generously and share happiness and love and all that silly stuff about living life to it’s fullest and not being a shrewd or repressed.) But in Philippine society, the rich seem to ignore the rest of their society, or accept the poverty, use it for their benefit, and simply appreciate and be grateful to be one of the successful “blessed” ones, spending lots on themselves buying nice things for them and their mostly other wealthy friends and families. I suppose I might to that, too, but most people there don’t seem to look at the big picture and aren’t really interested in making their country healthier as a whole (i guess most places and even governments seem to have this problem, at least to certain extents, like people in the States overcoming poverty, life in ghettos, becoming millionaire musicians, etc., and then not giving back much and selling out.) But poverty in the quantity they have it in the Philippines (among other places, too, of course) simply is not, or cannot be healthy – it’s weak/sick because it fails to maximize the strength that the county or people of a nation as a whole can and should strive to have. ... So i would agree that this is explosive, or potentially explosive and needs revamped.

What’s interesting and confusing though is that the country does seem quite stable even with such poverty and disparity, and it also has a very likeable character even with a whole that is corrupt and not necessarily healthy. Also it’s interesting why the people of the Philippines don’t seem to want to change things (albeit this is just my limited perception that they don’t, but it’s hard to find much serious movement or talk of doing so other than some almost superficial political or editorial claims to want to, which seem pretty theoretical and merely unmotivated thoughts, not action-oriented or organized to any real plan or vision.) I think it ties in and says a lot that Imelda Marcos is still loved and admired, and still inspires, even though she and her husband Ferdinand both stole millions or billions (?-not sure of amount, but a lot), from the people. The people do not protest or complain or spread dissidence like most other poor, socially stratified countries I’ve seen and heard about, although corruption and ongoing pilfering of money from the people still happens and is in the news every single day (there are new stories all the time, investigated then given up on or lost interest in as the maze of information just leads to more mazes and more corruption).

The community is built on this corruption and all. The people, it seems, have largely accepted it and learned to even like it’s expediency and ease (bribing is a much quicker way to solve a problem than any democratic/bureaucratic process). The wealthy have so many business interests and are the only ones with capital to start new businesses or gain higher education, so they grow and grow in power and maintain their wealth and power and social privileges for their children and families, while the poor stay poor and work for the rich. They, the wealthy, live apart from the poor, although not geographically distant, but behind gates and separated in other social communities altogether. They are nice people all the same, nicer than a lot of people in the states, or anywhere else for that matter. They are gracious and charitable in heart, and to friends and those they respect, but no one seems to recognize or want to reorganize the system, in which they are a part. Probably because to do so would be to throw away all that they know and all that has empowered them. Even the poor are content it seems. Although I can’t say they are actually happy, neither can I say they are angry. They seem to accept their situation because it’s simply what they know and they have little other choice. (Being subordinated citizens under Spanish colonial rule and Catholic hierarchies/subjugation for over 300 years, then occupied by America briefly and only recently left to their own powers, it’s understandable, I’d say. to simply accept the situation and not question it, it being all they know and to which they have adapted.) Plus, for whatever it means and from all I’ve seen, most Filipinos are also really good natured, flexible, resiliant people.

It’s unique, the system/situation. There is a huge gap that I can’t bridge – as to why or how it will come to change. It does not seem in flux. It (the social structure and even problems) seem very established, almost harmonious and admirable in many ways, but yet not quite healthy (I’d also say not quite fair, but no country has a really fully “fair” system, so I don’t think that’s really part of the issue, it’s too relative, and nothing is ever really fair to all; fairness has little to do with health i think - ‘healthy’ is something else.)

I guess I can’t quite understand why there is no sense of rebellion, presently or even in sight (I’m not counting the small Muslim/religious tension in the south of the country, because that’s not political or economic so much as purely religious – something entirely different in this case, at least from what i've understood of it). The only rebellion group appears to be basically discounted and useless, a highly minimized, impractical group that has not really sprouted or become capable of likely amounting to an organized base.

Maybe it’s because the wealthy are generally well meaning and don’t directly strike out or directly abuse the servant class (like the Spaniards actually did abuse them -and thus the Spanish revolution, Jose Rizal, et al….- but actually show a sense of caring, a twisted sense of love for their servants (I’d say an immature, overly matronly and somewhat patronizing sense of love, though). It’s a lot like what Imelda gave them (civic projects to be proud of, to instill a proud sense of Filipino individualization, but which they couldn’t afford and which actually hurt them as money was extorted through all of these things and not otherwise spent on perhaps more "useful" change/services) – this “care” prevents people from developing in their own right, but it does so not out of anger, and rather out of a fascination with gold and jewels and style and fashion, which they themselves (the wealthy) have become somewhat addicted to, and which the poor have also become completely enchanted by, too. I think it’s much like idolizing the glamor and glory of the catholic churches, its symbols and riches and gold etc. – not wanting to give that up, and wanting to identifying with it (and identifying with it), while also being subordinated by it nonetheless. Is this a good or bad thing… who knows, it's complex… it’s both, like anything else. It should change, but how, when, why… and would change be worse (or a greater more dangerous risk), and what kind of change, slow, fast, in what manner, etc…, so many unanswered ideas and questions…

That’s that until another time, for now…

heading home :-(

Well the trip is over, I'm sitting in the hotel lobby an hour away from taxi'ing to the airport. This is my view:
It is hard to end a vacation that has lived up, prophetically, and to the end, (from Boracay to Manila), as curiously wished to me by the motto on my hotel key envelope which said, when i checked in:

The wedding anniversary yesterday (that i was almost late to and had to run back from a pedicure cut short to make) was really touching and nice, a sentimental slide show and natural collaboration of short meaningful speeches by 6 different close family members, that was like a journal, or mini novella, of their life and travels and many times together. 50 years is an amazingly long time that i didn't really think about until last night, longer than I have been alive, longer than lots of people live or do any one thing. Here is one or two pictures:



Today i had to kill time, which is funny because that's exactly what the main character in the book i'm reading keeps talking about needing to do at this strange fancy hotel he winds up in, ...there are other weird unexpected similarities that i didn't expect, and it's kind of strange and creepy, much like this weirdo sitting across from me who i feel is trying to get my attention and he is a real creep. Anyways...

Today i should say i got to kill time, because it was rather pleasant. I got a foot spa and hair color and styling to prepare for a long uncomfortable plane ride (and those are great deals and they do a good job here). Here's pictures of that:


(i LOVE straight hair)

Then i hung out at the pool getting a little more of a tan and reading more of my strangely similar book. Wandered around after that searching for the brand of dried mango slices i like and want to take home, and well, the rest is not eventful really, it was basically hot outside and took forever to find the damn mangoes. Here are some last pictures of my wanderings through Greenbelt:

Emailed friends I met here, chatted on FB with them and uploading pics now.... this is getting rather drab writing and rambling as this guy in front of me is really getting on my nerves and it's about time to go anyways... oh well... the band is playing "stayin' alive" in the restuarant lobby now and i like it even though it could be a little more jazzed up. Sighhhh..... will reflect more at the airport i do believe..... sigh........ (song over)....

Manila, day ??

(Saturday)....
Laying in my soft white cushy hotel bed, resting in the cool clean blankets and sheets around the too many pillows to count, gazing out at the sky and skyscrapers. It's a dark and midnighty slate sky, calming grey-blue-black, and speckled with just more than a few of those big building name signs that look small atop the big hotels and offices, all red, white and yellow. My eyes heavy, wanting to shut, shutting........

........................


Oops, awake now, 8:21 am, sun out smog settling behind the skyscrapers, under and in the space where the low, long thin clouds hover over the earth, completely obscuring the hills and water far behind. Restful sleep, will head for some laps in the pool, a quick read of the Murakami book i picked up in place of the other that they didn't have in stock yet, then preparations for the anniversary ceremony at 2pm, and hotel ballroom party following at the Shangri-La mega luxury hotel. Not much time really.

Yesterday recovered from partying, hopped on 4 hour city tour, then off to dinner party with Anna's family in another outlying district of Metro-Manila.

(the tour, feeling mostly recovered)

City tour was nice, saw all sides of Manila, and then the beautiful, fancy, catered dinner party in the evening with another uber-friendly and welcoming well-to-do family was another great experience.



On the tour, 8 people came, plus the driver, Bernard, and the guide, Omar (both locals). There was a nice older couple from Bristol (outside London) who were here in the Philippines for a non-profit social justice type of conference, and there was a not so friendly and overly private couple from China (the guy was a chubby white guy from Philadelphia who lives and works now in China, he said, the only time he reluctantly talked to me), and there were 2 Hungarian men here for a world poker championship, Omar told me (they were a little frightening in size and demeanor, so i decided against engaging them in any significant discourse), and there was a friendly, tall, somewhat eager but pleasantly timid-enough-not-to-be-obnoxious thin Asian guy from Manhattan with a bright yellow polo t-shirt and dirty teeth and slightly googley eye, all of which combined bothered me just enough to avoid too many extended conversations. Omar had really bad false teeth that stuck out funny and gave him a slight effeminate lisp, but was very sweet and enjoyable to talk with, particularly since no one else was asking many questions. This makes my tour-mates sound pretty odd, and I suppose it was a bit strange in retrospect but i enjoyed it quite a lot nonetheless. It was an easy group to hmmm, control?... ignore?... they were a non-assuming group and just a little odd, but harmless and not entirely dull. My Boracay island hopping crew was more fun, though.

There was a Rhianna and Chris Brown concert here in Manila last night and tickets were relatively cheap, but sold out. It was kinda a big deal here. I talked to the driver Bernard about that and about nightlife in Manila, and he had a funny, smiling, surprised-sorta-humored twinkle when I told him I went with my friends to "The Embassy"in Fort Bonifacio Global City last night (the newest high-end district in Metro-Manila that began being built up about 5 years ago and is still in process). He told me i was likely rubbing shoulders (elbows?) with the kids of Manila's rich/powerful families (it's a pretty stratified society). It definitely was a funny party scene. It's referred to as the only "superclub" around but it's just like any big dance club (there are not too big dance clubs in the Philippines so it seems the most self-entitled kids -and they are mostly pretty young and seem stuck in their own world- think it's the place to be apparently. I always forget to take pictures of the people we meet, but it was a fun bunch we eventually ended up mingling with.

(early, outside)
(approaching the main bar/dance floor room)

(a bunch of little pics as the night went on....)



So with that dovetailing into the city tour and seeing all sides of Manila and the main historical places, and then with that dovetailing into the classy, upscale dinner party, i am slowly getting a good feel for the many layers of Filipino society. If I had more time i might be able to try to write about the shanty towns and squatters, or the bustling city streets filled with jeepneys (private owned buses/jeeps for the public) and pollution and the poor and the prosty's (prostitutes, as called for short) or the political history of how the country and language evolved from Negrito-Malay-Indonesia roots and Chinese traders and Spanish and American colonializations/occupations, or about the richest landowners and business families (Ayala's, Cy's, i forget the others...) and their similar business models, or the high female:male ratio in the city and the common danger (big social trend actually) of men divorcing their wives for young mistresses who are fighting/climbing for money and prestige, or a few many other things for that matter, but noooooooooo..... i will just post some pictures from my tour and other such adventures instead, and it's past 9am as I write this now and I'm hungry and the pool awaits and my nails need trimmed mighty bad and hair washed and muscles stretched all before 2pm.

(The city tours)



(The dinner party)

pics to go with the last post when my intenet access timed out

The cutest little boy from "Tita Norma's" place (a maid's kid who she might adopt) and my buddy, Intoy (sp??), just before heading off to Manila


The cutting of the pig (the video won't upload, ow well)


Lunch with the Tanato family (pre-lunch, pre-pig cutting)


Night View from my room, view of Makati overlooking Greenbelt shopping area owned (like a lot of other properties, land and businesses) by the reportedly richest family in the Philippines (the Ayala's).

Manila day 2

or "Watching the sunset from the clubhouse lounge"

A mellow day just settling in. Nice to back in a city, sort of, but wasn’t motivated to see any sights, just acclimating myself to the area, which is a big shopping area with tons of meandering outdoor malls, from high end to low end, lots of clothes and food throughout. I like the clubhouse lounge, you can make espresso from the automatic machine, and although it’s not great, it’s no worse than the Nescafe crap elsewhere, and for the price (free) beats the chain Starbucks, Seattle's Best, or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Co., which although technically better, probably, i just would rather avoid. Wandered down to Anna's family's condo/suite room in the Ascot, a few blocks away and had lunch with them, and watched them cut up another lechon suckling pig that they actually flew over in the airplane from Tacloban. If my internet doesn't run out before i make it back to my room, i will post the video here.

Shopping is not much different here, except there are a lot of sales people and they tend to watch you a lot. I was told if you want to exchange something or return it, it takes like a half an hour and is a long process of printing out papers and stapling them together. Even buying with credit, you have to sign two papers and they are mostly on carbon paper, which i thought basically didn't exist anymore.

My legs are sore from my long run yesterday (8 miles in an hour) on the fancy treadmill, so i just swam a little in the pool. It's nice how they bring you sweet tea even though you are swimming and don't really want it.

Well this clubhouse lounge is getting busy and it's full of old business men and maybe one wife of one, because she's walking around with one, and i saw her at the pool this morning, so she's obviously not working. Most or a lot of the people staying here are working on business.

Tonight we (anna, analiza, hubie (oops still don't know the spellings), maybe miggy and i are going out to some place called bonafacio (maybe fort bonifacio, i'm not really sure since i've just been being lazy and walking and swimming and shopping and lunching today without much intellectual endeavors except for maybe, if you stretch it, a brief talk of the economy over lunch). It requires a cab ride, so it's the farthest i'll have gone in the past day. I should really try to get out and see some other sights tomorrow.... But now my internet will run out so i better get outta here and try to save this...

Manila day 1

Some brief moments and pictures from yesterday...

Sitting in the restaurant at the Renaissance Makati. Cappuccino before me, miss my SF coffee shops a bit (definitely no cafe culture here, but getting to like the more international, expat, luxurious style, anyhooo...) and loving the traveling and moving and, as always, wishin' to keep doing this more often. Thinking now i need more friends from other countries to accompany and should start becoming a professional travel companion.

...................

Now in Makati in the hotel room. This trip keeps getting fancier and more interesting. On the top floor, was upgraded to the 25th floor executive club level, gorgeous view. Room ok, very nice i suppose, facilities are great. Tired and heading out to the health club level for a run. Little cloudy and smoggy here, maybe catch some sun by the pool tomorrow in between walking and shopping and exploring before a night out with the others to see Manila social life.

From the pristine party islands (as far as pristine and party can go together)
to the rural provinces and resort guest houses owned by the wealthy business owners (think contrasting scenes of local poor farmers/fishermen to the rich ruling business owners who live in gated community "subdivisions" and the streets outside lined with shacks, but all beautiful together and even if somewhat corrupt and temporary, also somehow settled into a balance or harmony like hierarchies, i suppose, tend to temporarily, at least, do - a harmony like the crazy car rides here with no road rules actually followed except common customs with everyone understanding the pace and rhythm and moving together without any road rage, but beeping nonstop instead in their own little chattering dialogue),
and now to the smoggy city Hotel highrises... (perceptions still forming)... 3 sides, 3 faces.... fun fun... more to come... heading to pool before exploring the big shopping district and malls around here...

Pictures --->

View from 25th Floor

View from Hotel Room

Quick nightcap with Anna, her sister, AnnaLiza (sp?) and sister's hubby, Hoobie (sp?)