hello from manila 1-17

hello from manila
29 mar 2007

it was a tiring flight from sapporo to manila. the flight from HKG was delayed for 2 hrs so i arrived in NAIA at almost 2am. i was dismayed with cathay pacific for rejecting my mileage request to hanoi. so i have to shelve the plan altogether and go to my plan b whatever it may be. sayang naman mag-ipon ng milege points tapos di naman magagamit. now, i am having second thoughts on using cathay on my next flight. they do not answer emails, and if they call, you are on your way to the airport. what a very good customer service!

not much changes in MNL from what i saw since 2002. all political banners are around. the hostage drama was over. on second thought, it was a clever political stunt for the candidates whatever...

a friend met me in the airport and we ate at aristocrat. i ordered lechon kawali yum yum yum. it is quite humid and all but i can still tolerate it.

i cant wait whatever will happen next.

hello from manila 2
30 mar 2007

i really haven't gone out yet during the day time. im sure the traffic jam will test my patience plus the terrific summer sun and the thinned out ozone will surely bring back my native brown complexion hahahaha i am not fond of SPF during this time.

i was amused with some road signs. what i saw upon arrival was this cute PED XING sign along roxas blvd and fronting the folk arts theater. it was written in black bold letters on a yellow background. for a split second i thought it was a new street by a chinese name, a relative of deng xiao ping or whoever. but my friend told me that it is short for pedestrian crossing lolzzzz what a genius! and since when did we allow text spelling to be posted on a national road? but i think it's cute. may i suggest the city of manila to create one for gino510? waja tink? hahaha

the cars' plate numbers have changed. in 2002, it was a white against green background plate. now, they have this some sort of painting. it is W series now. i can't recall what letter it was 5 years ago. plus, instead of pilipinas alone, angat pinoy or matatag na pilipinas is on the plate number.

not so many things have changed really. a lot of e-load and auto-load phone cards centers could be found in every corner of the metro. hey, i hope they will consider that some people do not bring their celfone chargers or at least they forget to do so everyday. what's 20 pesos for a 20 minute celfone charge? fair right?

wow. this early morning was a treat for me. pork BBQ is really deli. had a taste of siomai soup, lechon, sotanghon guisado, pritong lumpia as of this time. i don't know. i tried to successfully loose a few punds before i left sapporo thinking that i will surely re-gain it before i leave RP again. i think that will work out just fine.

disappointingly, some of our streets are reminiscent of those that i saw in sri lanka especially at night. not all streets are well lit. so many check points with armed men. we are a developing country. a long way to go.

hello from manila 3
31 mar 2007

i dont know how to start today's stories. not much happened to me today. i went for a pinoy hair cut and had some refloxology. it felt great.

i had korean lunch with some friends. koreans are becoming ubiquitous here. it's nice for our economy, i think. but we were not able to finish everything we ordered. i think we didn't really know what to eat best. most of them were spicy but still no match with sri lankan foods. anyway, they have something like nilagang baka which i enjoyed.

i feel that 7 pesos for a jeepney ride was a bit too much. it was 4 pesos when i left. however, the taxi flag down rate is still 30 pesos. and the drivers are still in their famous choosy behavior. mamili ba? and the drivers who go without their taxi meters? oh no. ang galing galing. and few minutes before writing this, i was shocked when my taxi driver almost hit a crossing cyclist. ang puso ko.

amoy edsa ulit. welcome to RP. just a few minutes outdoors made my shirt smell. and my snot? hey, it's black again hahaha

pinoys are really fashionable. uso na rin talaga sa masa ang anime-look. kahit ang init-init ay ayaw paawat ng gel! o laban ka? and their eyewear are like those that you will see in elle and vogue. hmmm

the AM radio programs that i have been hearing in the net for the past few years, i could hear direct from its khz source. wow.

i saw some celebrities on TV whom i haven't viewed for some time. i saw eva eugenio and claire dela fuente (ang laki ng tinanda nila), jennifer sevilla (with improved look), wilma (doesn't........ know she's ugly lolzzz but i must say that she is hot, in her own right), and lucy torres (i think her tagalog has improved).

they say that we should not be tourists in our own country? i think there are times that we will become one if we have unlearned things that need to be improved.

hello from manila 4
1 apr 2007

my 4.5 years craving for cafe adriatico's lola ising's adobo was satisfied last night. the long wait is over. the well done meat with adobo rice and sunny-side up egg with a separate sauce, capped with a really thick and cold ripe mango juice completed the day. caloric intake count was set aside for the time being hahaha

a stroll along the baywalk area is reminiscent of boracay. stretching from the US Embassy to the CCP, it was a festive mood to see Pinoys enjoy music, food and company of friends. different music bands show off their kind of music which cater each interested viewer. music from the 60s, 70s, 80s etc and the now are really a treat.

the lamp posts along roxas boulevard are exquisitely nice. but did the designer of the lamp realize that they look like virus particles? pretty cool.

when you feel the urge to go to a comfort room, it will cost you 5 pesos to wait for your cue and use the portable toilet with the aroma of putrefaction. i noted the proximity of these public toilets to the restaurants. pinoys do not seem to smell them, but i prefer to say that they do not mind the smell at all. sign boards saying 'keep manila clean' are not few.

parking along the baywalk area costs 30 pesos. there is also a baywalk ride which looks like that of singapore. for a fee of 25 pesos, you can enjoy the ride along the whole stretch. the car should be renamed as bayride

every corner has this flower basket. the artificial flower is sprinkled with artificial water. and in every spot, political posters are found. familiar names were seen. bagatsing, atienza and others which were beyond my interest. i wonder when we will see fresh names!

there were also different kinds of pinoy talents like these robotic dancers who would move and dance only when you throw in coins. it was enjoyable to see. i just wondered how they could bear the heat inside their leather jacket costumes and heavy make up.

i also saw manny pacquiao's store. there was nothing that interested me, however.
meron ding mga taong nangigisda sa baywalk. well, good luck na lang sa inyo. bet ko lang na kung hindi coke in cans ang mabibingwit ninyo, summit bottle o plastic bag ang makukuha ninyo. hahaha

as i strode along, i was kept alert by horror stories of theft all around which made me recall the last few weeks before i left RP in 2002 when my room was ransacked by thieves! it was truly scary.

time with kins was something. we had lots of fun eating, singing and laughing together. today, another cousin came back. so it was really enjoyable. pork was the treat of the day. roasted spare ribs, lechon kawali, adobong baboy made headlines today. poor pigs lolzzzz and the diet was made un-healthier with the absence of veggies. that was our diet. hahaha

my cousins asked whether i am taking glutathione because they had the impression that my skin improved. i told them that i do not have budget for that. i further suggested that they live in a more polar place to get better that complexion...naturally hahaha

my orthodontist was surprised that i didn't give him too much tasks during my oral prophylaxis. very little plaques and nicotine stains since 2002. thanks to zact lion and dental floss. hahaha

the terrible heat really made me doze off. much to my desire to leave the kins early and find the nearest mall refuge, the intense tropical sun and heat made me think otherwise. my skin felt so sticky. it was a challenge indeed during these summer months. i think that my original color is back.

hello from manila 5
2 apr 2007

much as i want to take videos in the outdoors of Greater MNL, it seems to be a risky thing to do. baka magripuhan pa sa gilid hahaha i hope to capture some events when i visit out of town getaways.

westin philippine plaza is now known as sofitel. i think it was only less than one year when they changed the name.

i went to internet cafes to transfer my videos and pictures to CDs but they charge 85 pesosesoses per CD. wow, i could have done it in my own PC. it was good that i could burn them for free in my cousin's PC. business is business, ok fine!

some people teach me how to reach this or that place. but i told them that i still know my way. not much has changed since. really. it's like i was just away...yesterday.

i did nothing yesterday but spend the whole day in spa.what a great relief to foot and hand spa, body scrub and all. naalis ang mga naipong libag, may tama ka jan!

gastronomic delights were: pancit canton (amoy na amoy ang calamansi), daing na bangus (boneless siya, ok), at inihaw na talong. tapos isasawsaw mo sa suka na may sili na hindi dinurog. sinangag na mainit. green and yellow mango shake (todo sa lapot). o ano, gutom ka na ba?

hello from manila 6
3 apr 2007

it is nice to watch on teevee again pinoy classic movies from LVN and sampaguita pictures. those were my favorites since childhood when gma 7 used to re-run these movies for afternoon siesta. i saw old films by cachupoy and pugo to ramon zamora, max alvarado and ni«Ðo muhlach the child wonder (i wonder why he didn't grow tall), to susan roces, amalia fuentes, nida blanca and gloria romero. also seen were pip, snooky and boy mondragon. natandaaan mo pa ba?

today, i went to UST and was kind of impressed with the facade of the pay hospital. it really was nice. many things have improved including those of the main bldg. there are many food chains also within the campus. mcdonalds, kfc and others were there. smoking is prohibited within the campus now. the entry and exit points have changed. i saw some familiar faces like dr tincunco, dr molina and others whose names i can barely remember. photos and videos to follow.

SR Thai restaurant is still alive. i ate bagoong rice with chicken pandan. pati pandan leaves ay kinain ko. kaya pala hindi matunaw sa bibig, di pala kasama sa lafang iyon hahaha

lopez canteen where i used to eat during college days is still very much alive. and all the xerox businesses are very much intact. ang dami na rin nilang napagtapos.

during 1990, the annual matriculation fee for my medical school was about PhP20,000. last year, parents of medical students had to pay about PhP75-80,000. what used to be a 400 student graduating class has now been reduced to 270 students. what 15 years can do. imagine?

hello from manila 7
3 apr 2007

it is a welcome surprise that it is raining now, short as it was. mabuti na yan at nang mabawasan ang alikabok at mabawasan ang init sa kamaynilaan.

i went to the fort last night and had a sumptuous dinner with some friends. the shabu shabu was truly satisfying. busog meals talaga. the krispy kreme donuts are a diabetic's nightmare. you have to check your blood sugar the morning after, ok? sarap!

the fort is much bigger now than it was few years back. i was told that the ayalas are the ones developing it. market market was already closed during the time. i went there past 9 in the evening. there were many posh restaurants and upscale condominiums are being built. it's like extravagance in the midst of poverty. how do you like that?

after that lovely dinner, met up with other friends. we went to makati for some drinks and lots of eating sessions again. i like the pizza, calamares and banana split. san mig strong ice beer is another new thing to me. my stomach was so stretchable last night. pretty cool. i had sore throat the day after. can't help but laugh hearing old stories way back from high school.

hello from manila 8
4 apr 2007

today is a bit cloudy. i hope that it will drizzle to cool down the metro. since it is maundy thursday, most people went out of town. i decided to remain in MNL since i will be going out of town next week. im looking forward to see davao, laoag and bohol in that particular order.

yesterday, i had lunch at hap chan restaurant. i think i didn't make a good order, the fried chicken was oishiikunai. for dinner, the ulo-ulo at glorietta was a gourmet's delight. it is still located at the second level. ang sarap ng sinigang sa miso na ulo ng maya-maya. dalawang rice na nakahain sa bao ng niyog at may kasama pang sarsi. wow! and the after midnight treat was tapa and liempong prito with garlic rice at rufo's. i managed to have a second helping hahaha nino muhlach's ensaymada is still a winner. for PhP14 apiece, you could enjoy the soft, creamy and delicious ensaymada. i also had a taste of beard papa out of curiosity. i haven't tried the original from japan. it is PhP50 per piece.

the airconditioning system of glorietta was not enough to cool down the mall. i could smell pinoys' bodies which is a bit maasim hahaha and with the humidity, it's as if im inhaling water lolzzzz i bought some CDs. lani misalucha's latest CD topped my list, some oldies from rodel naval and ric segreto were bought and kundiman songs as well hahaha there are quite a number of CDs which can be bought for PhP150 only. and the songs are good ok?

i went to the travel agency to confirm my bookings and dropped by at polymedic hospital (now VRPMC) to meet colleagues. there has been many changes since the last time i saw the hospital. what used to be a parking lot and residents' dormitory at the back is now a commercial center and a nursing school. it was nice to meet people with whom i worked with. all the smiles are there, balitaan, balitaktakan and all.

even though the taxi's flagdown rate has not changed, i think they charge the passengers more per kilometer. most of my fares do not go lower than PhP100. however, the bus fare is the same. the bus drivers are still the same, killer buses.

i received a sad and yet happy news few minutes ago. my friend from the US just arrived in MNL for the wake of a relative. it has been ages since we met and this is an opportunity to meet her.

hello from manila 9
5 apr 2007

it's nice to travel within the metro during the holy week. no traffic jams to speak of and it makes MNL roads big and wide. you can strut your way in and out easily.

i spent the morning in the spa again. i had my face done to kill the time. after which, i enjoyed double cheese burger (which tastes like the old style tropical hut hamburger) malasado siya at alam mong ayaw paawat ng taba. puto bumbong was another treat. wow. buti na lang meron nito kahit hindi pasko. im happy.

i met colleagues from the previous polymedic hospital during my friend's dad's wake. confused? so was i hahaha a sort of mini-reunion came out of it. there were smiles and all that teeth were popping out of everybody lolzzz. kakahiya tuloy sa pamilya ng naulila. picture here, video there. just wait for it till i edit everything upon my return to sapporo. matagal din kasi gawin ang editing. more photo uploads here: manila2007

during visit to my friend, i had a taste of pancit ng taga malabon. ang sarap at meron pang nakabudbod na chicharon. i also had puto, brownies, coke classic (na siguradong mas mura kaysa coke ng mga hapon) at ang bagong sikat na si boy bawang. yes, si boy bawang ang bagong pride na cornick ng pilipinas. may buu-buo pang bawang ok. masarap na ka-partner ng coke. at nagkaroon na rin ito ng award. panalo. check your armpits the morning after hahaha

something new to me are these call center agents. there was a time that i was travelling along makati past midnight and in every corner were so many yuppies i thought there were rallies. they said that these are call center agents on night shift. ne? and i was told that there are many centers which teach koreans the english language. nice business but how long will it last? when they learn the language, they would not need our services further.

hello from manila 10
6 apr 2007

no traffic congestion, way to go around the metropolis. how i wish that the flow of traffic could be like this every day. plus, it is not so warm and humid for the past few days. great.
i learned that ymca makati has closed since a year ago. when i passed by the area, there was the demolition sign board posted in the gates. how sad. the folks that swim there every morning must be very very sad. according to my sister who swim there too, the oldies had some sort of a farewell party. i empathize with them.

i didn't go out on good friday since no malls are open. i had late lunch at the next door restaurant. it was lechon macau. i like the black chinese sauce seasoning. i also visited the nearby shakey's pizza and had the old style bunch of lunch. and for dinner it was topping again with pork chop. i wonder what these will do with my blood chem hahaha last week, i remember having chickenjoy from jollibee. sarap ba?

i went to san agustin church with a friend afterwhich we proceeded to the aristocrat restaurant in malate. the pancit canton was not really a winner. but i was made happy by the bibingka and puto bumbong. although im not a bibingka fan, i liked this one because of its sweet and salty taste. meron pang kasamang maalat na itlog.

i did not join the 3 hours walk to antipolo. it will surely sore my heels.

more photo uploads here: manila2007

more video uploads here: Manila

hello from manila 11
7 apr 2007

because the pahilipin peso is strong, the foreign exchange is in the vicinity of JPY10,000=PhP4,800~ not good for the yen. i think the prices of most commodities have increased by at least 20%. an economist might say that that is really the trend of money everywhere. that the value of money today will be smaller the next year.

it was nice to meet friends from mindoro. it seems that a lot of things have developed from the area. cheers! the kfc dinner was fantastic. hey, selecta ice cream has new 3-in-1 flavor. we had ube-strawberry-chocolate. paborito ko yung ube.

after the visit and on my way home, i was appalled with what i saw near nagtahan bridge. i think i saw blood. there were many armed military men putting this yellow ribbon across the area. the taxi driver slowed down a bit to get a better view. there was one man, i think he has just died. very fresh. of course, so many uzis were around trying to see what happened. i resisted the temptation to document the event because of poor lighting lolzzzz it was past 9pm the time. well, these things seem to be an everyday affair in the pearl of the orient. abunai desuyo.

i went to bed. this bar along nakpil street is like the giraffe of makati. nice place and sounds. people are partying during holy week. entrance fee of PhP300 includes one drink. PhP100 for each subsequent local drink. i think during the entire period, many people would only have one drink. hahaha perhaps i changed in this department because i only lasted for an hour or so. or maybe i didn't know anybody there.

i dropped by at cafe adriatico because i craved for something to eat. i enjoyed vigan longganiza. i even had another helping of garlic rice. ang sarap isawsaw sa suka. tapos meron pang malapot na ripe mango shake. when i order for this, i request that it be really thick. i was given a free chocolate eh in celebration of cafe adriatico's 28th year. wow! and they still serve the best foods in malate, that's something. i seldom order for this cocoa drink because it is too strong for me. this time, i like it better.

i think i overheard 3 yuppies, one of them is a call center agent. they were discussing about the country's situation. the call center agent believes that RP has a bright future ahead and is only headed on the wrong direction. he is determined to make it here. his friends laughed at him. amen.

hello from manila 12
8 apr 2007

i saw arleen muhlach on teevee. she is aga's sister. what happened to that pretty face? is she sick or problematic? she has blossomed into a full blown giant. her face is all puffed up to the neck region. and her coca-cola figure is now a tumbler. i can't imagine what she does in the kitchen.

i went to power plant today and met a classmate during micro days. this place is not new to me since this has been established before i left in 2002. what is new is that the bars on the 4th level where i used to watch the Q&A and jaya perform live has been transformed to a book store which is now called fully-booked. cute name indeed.

hey, i had a taste of balut. i can't remember how much it cost before, but the other night it was PhP10. maliit lang yung puti niya kaya panalo. i can only take 2 in one sitting. so i ate one. binudburan ko ng konting asin. medyo nasamid ng konti dahil magaspang iyon. i had spaghetti with meat balls at rockwell. the papaya shake which was made thick-er is not something i will order again.

please check out the updated videos Manila and photos manila2007

hello from manila 14
9 apr 2007

yes. no hello from manila 13.

emergencies can be scheduled. it happened to me last night when my retainers broke. i had to go back to my orthodontist to have it fixed and get a new set. it's good that it happened while im here for these things will cost me a fortune in sapporo.

i was relieved that i bought my wrist watch in sapporo instead of RP. the same model was USD158 cheaper in sapporo than RP. so, not all things in japan are expensive, agree?
this is the last day of the looooooooong holidays. so tomorrow, back to the usual life for most people.... except me. the traffic jams and extreme sauna heat of the city are back. well, at least we get tan for free.

today's forex is lower. it was JPY10,000 = PhP3,970~ i am not happy hahaha
davao trip was re-scheduled 2 days later so i had to re-sked some things also. and i am looking forward to meet friends.

i had lucban longganisa and buden today. the scarlet-colored sauce is truly a feast to my taste buds. the cassava cake is a bit different now. i think it has less cheese and is less sweeter but it is still soft and delicious. i love these foods from quezon. i was told that there is baguio longganisa? i wonder how it tastes. it must be something to discover.

another exciting food that i longed is palabok. yes, santa ana's famous aling belen's palabok is now on limited supply. it is good that mickie's has the same taste. im happy about it. aling belen can retire anytime hahaha

i went back to the aristocrat restaurant with kins and then strolled along the baywalk. i think i had too much foods for the day. it's okay perhaps. i better enjoy till they last.

updated videos Manila and photos manila2007

hello from manila 15
10 apr 2007

although i have been sleeping for 4 hours a day since arrival, i don't know how i manage myself to keep awake.

today, i subscribed to time magazine for my sister to keep her abreast with the latest in international events. i always believe that reading will keep one's knowledge updated and the neurons in good condition.

i met with some of my doctor friends from medical school and i am happy that everyone is not only busy with their private clinical practice but also to other things that interest them. after a short catching ups, reminiscences, referrals and all, the dialogue went to politics, finances, spirituality and what have you. i learned many things from them and i hope that this will be a start of more active exchanges of ideas to keep us bonded together. hey, the internet is just a finger away, ok? gow.

for new videos Manila and photos manila2007, please click the links.

hello from manila 16
11 apr 2007

it was an exciting day. i met friends from high school during lunch time, and fellow komadronas during dinner time. although we keep in touch through SMS and emails, nothing beats seeing them in the flesh. my sked became quite toxic in squeezing time to meet people. the looong holidays prevented me from seeing them and i understand that it is their family time.
few hours from now, ill be going to davao and then proceed to laoag and bohol. i shall be back ino manila by the third week. im excited to see these places for the first time. can't wait what's in store for me.

i watched the favorite noon time shows yesterday. it was nice to see eat bulaga and wowowieee. the old gags still amuse me. at least meron akong baong mga bagong jokes hahaha i hope that youtube would allow the whole show to be uploaded lolzzz

since it is election fever, i had a chance to assess one voter during a bus ride along edsa. there was this young boy giving away migs zubiri's fan. every passenger grabbed at least one. i asked the lady beside me if she will vote for him. without batting an eyelash, she said "oo naman, gwapo kasi." there you have it.

hello from manila 17
23 apr 2007

this is my final day in RP. i finished packing up and the final candidates of the abubots to bring will only be decided few minutes upon departure.

dried mangoes tops the list of the heavy weights because it is the most requested omiyage among my japanese colleagues. i prefer for myself the real mango, the shake, the cake, and the juice.

thanks to goldilock's for inventing their pinoydeli. im bringing dinuguan, lechon paksiw and laing. i have to consume them before their expiration date. i am also bringing pastillas and all those sweeties.... for myself hahaha dried mangoes na lang sa kanila noh i just ate hamonado ensaymada and egg pie from goldilock's for breakfast. sarap! of course, the delicacies and souvenir items of davao, ilocos and bohol will reach sapporo, too!

yesterday, i had dinner with college friends at max's restaurant. masarap pa rin ang manok nila lalo na kapag may jufran catsup. and then i had lechon macau for midnight snack (?) hahaha iba't ibang luto ng baboy tapos cholesterol pa rin ang kinahitnan? lolzzzz

i also visited for a batangas yesterday. photos below: batangas2007

in batangas, some things were changed while others remained. i enjoyed home-made halu-halo, 12 pesos lang. taho (10 pesos), fish balls (50 centavos each) and hopiang baboy were enjoyed once in a while. i think i ate almost everything that i wanted except for tokwa't baboy. how come that that gourmet did not cross my path? hahaha

going back to this nestle-magnolia thingy, i saw magnolia ice cream at cash and carry. magnolia in its old company logo. how nice that some good things remained. C&C is being renovated but the grocery and px stores sections are still open for business. makati cinema square is closed.

when i left in 2002, 5 and 10 peso bills were used. but now, i hardly saw them in bills. they are all in coins. i did not see 1, 5 and 10 centavos either.

it was a bit appalling that in cable channel they show gross rape scene. i do not know the title of the movie but i saw john regala raping kris aquino and killing her younger sister. i was not sensitive to these issues before but when i saw it this time, i had goose-flesh. i thought that the concerned administrative body were doing their job?

occassional afternoon showers occur in manila and bohol. i think that the summer season will end soon.

altogether, it was an enjoyable and blood-curdling trip and i dont think i gained weight. yehey!

too little time, too many people and places that i wanted to see. maybe i could meet them in my next journey whenever or wherever it may be. as i said, the Internet is just a finger tip away.