Sentimental?

When Joan showed me the newspaper ad about Circuit City's trade-in promo for old gaming consoles, I thought "finally, I can dispose of my old PSOne".

I've been drooling over PSP for quite some time now, and the trade-in would bring the price down by up to Php2.5K (or about $56 as of today's exchange rate).

Not a bad price for a 5++-year old PSOne, 'no?

It got better when I called up the shop, and learned that the trade-in will also accept just the console itself. Yes! I get to keep the controllers!

So I went through my boxes (most are still unpacked since we moved in last November) and got my dusty but still working PSOne, together with my stash of over 20 game titles, half of which I don't recall playing at all.

I was all set for the trade-in, and I was already imagining the feel of the sleek console in my hand (like I sometimes do when I see others playing in the train during rush hours).

But yesterday, as I was standing next to the Circuit City stall in Robinson's Place Malate, something snapped.

Joan and I went home with the old PSOne still in my bag.

Sentimental? Maybe. Blame it on Final Fantasy VIII.

Last night I hooked up the PSOne, loaded a precious saved game file of the final battle (the dusty memory card works!), pulverized Ultimecia, and watched the movie ending that made me fall in love with RPG (role-playing game).

FF VIII can also be played in Windows, but I don't think I could ever make the characters as well-build and well-equipped as they are in my PSOne, saved in the memory card over five years ago.

Yup, that PSOne is going to stay in my shelf. The PSP can wait.

Stormstruck

I could hear the wind in the background as I spoke with my mother on the cellphone last Saturday.

Typhoon Frank (Fengshen) has just taken out a portion of the roof of our old family house in Aklan, and the flood water has reached the sacks of rice in the storage.

My mother and her kasambahays has taken refuge in the living room, the strongest part of the house.

"It's almost like Undang, anak..." she told me before we ended the call. She had to conserve her cellphone battery -- no one knows how long the blackout will last.

That had me worried.

The name Undang has become legendary among Aklanons and Capiznons old enough to remember the devastation it brought upon the island of Panay.

According to this, Typhoon Undang (Agnes), which occurred from Nov. 3 to 6, 1984, had a maximum recorded wind speed of 230 kph, with death toll reaching over 800 and damage estimated at P1.9B.

Before I came upon these figures, I only know Undang the way I remember it as a child.

It was one night and one day of strong wind, rain, and flood. The house was badly damaged at the first onslaught -- most of the windows broke, the kitchen roof collapsed, and the old mango tree in our backyard got uprooted and hit the side of the house, damaging the wall and one of the main pillars.

With the entire house at risk of collapsing, we had to open the rest of the windows and the main doors to let lessen the wind's impact.

And so for one night and one day, my brother, sister, and I, wearing helmets and thick jackets, watched the full fury of the storm through the open doors and windows.

And what a scene it was. We saw a person getting lifted off the ground and thrown back by the wind. Coconut trees were twisting themselves neatly onto each other like pilipit (a native delicacy). And the wind played on and on like a symphony.

It was surreal. Almost beautiful -- because we never felt scared at that time. Maybe because we were too young to care about just how grave the situation was. When Undang passed, for us kids back then, the whole town became a wonderful playground of fallen trees, and the air was so cold and had the crisp scent like that of freshly cut grass.

Yesterday my mother texted me some updates: a few old windows were broken, portions of the roof got ripped off, parts of the house are rain and flood-damaged, the old mango tree got uprooted (again), the town plaza and main streets are blocked by fallen trees.

The town of Kalibo suffered more because of the flooding.

News are still coming in, and apparently the destruction left by Typhoon Frank in Iloilo and Capiz are more severe. And many are still missing from the capsized Sulpicio Lines ferry near Romblon (related news here).

Here's praying that help reaches those who need it the soonest.

What's happening?

When Joan and I chose The Happening over The Incredible Hulk last week (she likes Mark Wahlberg more than Edward Norton), we knew we're in for another brain-rubbing rollercoaster ride typical of films by M. Night Shyamalan.

And true enough, halfway through the film till the end, we were wide-eyed in utter disbelief and silently asking "What the **** is happening?!"

It's not about the story, however. While it has the quality of creatively weaving common, everyday elements into bizaare, chilling scenarios, the movie pretty much revealed its plot early on and ushers the viewers almost gently into a grinding conclusion (there was no BAM! moment, unlike The Sixth Sense or, to some extent, The Village).

What caught us off-guard was that The Happening left a very petty detail hanging, literally.

What in the world is that microphone doing there?

Maybe 20th Century Fox Manila office got the unedited version of the movie. Otherwise, that microphone hanging over the actors' heads during some of the movie's conversation scenes was either a simple post-production mishap that their editors chose to ignore, or a cinematic ploy aimed at pulling a fast one to leave the viewers wondering.

I don't know.

***

Happy Fathers' Day! My father will also be celebrating his birthday this month.

So cheers to the man who taught me much of life's lesson by how he is living his.

Happy, happy birthday, Dad.

Everybody loves kung fu fighting!

My wife had to nudge me several times throughout this movie because I was laughing too hard and a bit too loudly.

I couldn't help it. Nacho Libre was still fresh in my memory, and the similarities between Po the panda and the luchador Nacho somehow doubled the laugh-factor of Kung Fu Panda (the brief shot of the clenched butt really did it for me).

***

One of my former martial arts orgmate, who I haven't heard from for quite some time, made his presence felt by sharing a video of his first arnis tournament held recently in his province.

I feel happy for him because he just had what he aptly described as his "second wind" for martial arts (Way to go, JC!) -- something I have been wanting too for myself.

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

I got this from Cath. ^ ^

My Lakbayan grade is C+! (Note: Mostly work-related trips)

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Dreaming of bike lanes

With oil price on its relentless rise and the minimum jeepney fare now at Php8.00, it's sad to know that a perfectly functional bicycle is just gathering dust in the garage instead of being ridden to and from work, like what I used to do when I was still in Quezon City (Diliman, to be exact).

It's almost two years year since I moved to Makati City, and I still haven't figured out the safest bike route to QC, if such a thing exist in the first place.

Then again, maybe it's out there, if only I have the guts to take the bike out and brave the streets of Makati.

Presidential aspirant MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando was able to do it in Marikina. I wonder what's keeping MMDA from pushing through with the bicycle lanes for the rest of the metro? Real bicycle lanes, that is, and not like the ones in Quezon City and Manila -- a sign that says "bicycle lane" and white lines along the road do not really give cyclists much protection from other vehicles (a whole freakin' lot of them, with nasty drivers behind the wheel).

***

It was in Hanoi, Vietnam seven years ago where I saw how bicycles and motorcycles could be objects of beauty and romance in people's daily lives.

Hanoi streets are overflowing with bicycles and motorcycles. They are everywhere, and people use them in almost every imaginable way. Bikes in Hanoi are kings of the road! Four-wheel motor vehicles are the minority.

People there do not ride furiously like most cyclists and motorists do here in Metro Manila. They are relaxed, sometimes in deep thought, or casually talking with fellow bikers, or in heated arguments complete with shouting and hand gestures, or in tender conversation.

The last one was a joy to see: couples riding side by side, holding hands and moving in perfect sync. This would be probably be one of the most romantic sights I'll ever see (but sadly, I had no camera with me then, so no photos).

Biking in Metro Manila does not evoke images of romantic couples in tender moments. It conjures images of bloody riders laying on the curb. The evening news would attest to how dangerous the metro streets are for bikers.

Despite the poverty, sometimes I feel the Metro Manila streets have too many 4-wheel motor vehicles already. It seems we are so attached to the car culture that no other commodity could emphasize the gap between the rich and the poor more than the car. Not even the house.

Our own neighbor, for instance, has a Mitsubishi Delica and a 19-something Mitsubishi Lancer (plus two motorcycles), but no garage for all these.

I guess it follows that in the practice of market research in this country, the usual measures of socio-economic class put a heavy premium on the ownership of 4-wheel motor vehicles.

I hope structures like that of Hanoi's or any bicycle-friendly society materialize in Metro Manila. And when that day comes, I pray that I would still be fit to ride a bike.

Running on empty

I have an idea now of what it feels like to run low on fuel right smack in the middle of an expressway.

Your eyes strain to look as far ahead as possible for any sign of structure that resembles a gas station while praying hard that the next curve would bring you out of the lonely stretch of nothingness and back into civilization…

But the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) is as new as it gets – nothing but a lonely stretch of smooth, unadulterated concrete road. It could be a sort of heaven for speedsters who have plenty of fuel to burn.

But a speedster I am not, and plenty of fuel I don’t have.

And there’s not a single structure yet in SCTEX that resembles a gas station, and every curve seems to bring forth yet another expanse of that smooth, unadulterated concrete, stretching as far as the straining eyes can see.

Your eyes keep snatching panicked glances at the fuel gauge. You turn off the aircon and partly open the windows. But even in the rush of wind, cold sweat breaks out, and you start seeking comfort in the feel of your mobile phone in your pocket as the road signs flash the remaining distance in agonizingly long intervals…


Subic 53…


42…


23…


18…



It all started when an officemate told me that it takes only an hour and a half at most to reach Subic from the office if we take the SCTEx.

I should have asked what speed could make that kind of travel time.

And so when the office needed us to go to Subic yesterday, my colleague and I – both newbies to the SCTEx – confidently left the office an hour and a half before our appointment.

The foolishness of our decision dawned on me when I saw the distance we have to travel as we enter the expressway.

If we are to make it there on time, we have to be averaging at least 120 kph!

This got me worried. I haven’t pushed our old AUV to those speeds before, but it held together at 120kph. It did show signs of stress if I try bringing it to 130kph (this calls for a visit to the mechanic).

Nevertheless, it solved our need for speed.

Amid the flurry of activities at the office, however, I forgot to fill up on fuel. We’ve entered the expressway with barely half a tank!

I hope I would never have to experience that kind of feeling again.



8...


2...


Subic 500m…


Reduce speed… Stop at the tollway…


You start breathing normally again, whisper words of gratitude to your vehicle, and thank the high heavens for that 5-something liter of reserve fuel.


We were *cough cough* minutes late. But that’s because we got lost a bit in the streets of Subic.

In addition to the obvious ones, I learned a lesson that next time you ask for estimated length of travel time, make sure you’re not talking to a freakin’ race car driver. Haha! ^^

Anyway, it was a happy, busy, tiring day. Subic has changed (improved) a lot. I hope they maintain the discipline and the trees.

***

Speaking of race cars, Speed Racer was surprisingly entertaining. I guess it’s my natural reaction to works of the Wachowski Brothers.

Coping with a smile

Here's one of the most sought after commodities around here for the past quarter.

With prices of basic commodities on the rise, just how bleak is the people's economic well-being these days?

Updating our quarterly poverty report gave me that sinking feeling as the nation's poor went down another notch in lowering their living standards to cope up with these hard times.

And looks like things are expected to get even worse, as Dr. Benjamin Diokno points out.

But, of course, it's been in our collective genes to smile amid dire times. The month of May is fiesta season, and with help from these 2-kilo NFA rice packs, maybe there would be enough food to go around during the merriment.

Cheers!

Multiplying

Oh my! Yet another online account and site for me. I do hope Multiply's cross-posting features make this a little less complicated.

I've been thinking about having this account since my photo-savvy friends and officemates started uploading really, really, really, reeaaally good-looking photos here, but life kept moving on before I could.

Anyway, my cousin-in-law's arrival from abroad for her first major vacation off work inspired me to create this account.

So there. In just five minutes.

Cheers!

Iron Man

I've been waiting for this movie! I should write something about it.

Let's see...

Why oh why did he not smash to the ground when his flight system got all iced up?

That's about it.

Anyway, Downey's a great pick for Tony Stark. I don't know if he went after the role of Iron Man as earnestly as Nicholas Cage reportedly did for GhostRider, but I couldn't think of a better actor to play the genius visionary, ladies' man, and nutcase Stark.

Iron Man was one of the most influential comic characters of my childhood (wait, did I not say in my previous post that I was comatose?) simply because he's human (plus cool technology), and it took work and pain to be who he is (same reason why I like Batman, though this came much later, when gloom and secrecy began to sound so appealing to me).

The movie did a good job of showing all those work and pain, but never to a point where you start feeling sorry for all the bumps and bruises -- the movie's element of comedy made sure of that (the rocket boots testing part was the best).

I've been making a survey of those who've watched Iron Man. How many of you stayed on and watched until the end of the credits?

So far, 4 out of 4 did not.

Amazing.

(Promotional Iron Man photo from Wikipedia)

Summit of the roses

It has been in the works for the past six months, and finally pushed through when my sister and her family arrived from UK last month.

The family reunion was originally scheduled after my wedding in 2006, but my sister was four months pregnant then. A wise move, I guess. Given the agenda, this reunion needs us all to be physically and emotionally prepared.

I’ve steeled myself for this event. And true enough, the month of April saw me using up the most number of leave credits in just a month, and spending the most number of hours driving.

And that was just the “physical” part.

Anyway, we kick-started with the birthday celebration of my niece, Ally, at Jollibee Calamba.

Kids these days amaze me to no end, showing an EQ and IQ levels I never had when I was their age (I was in coma during my entire childhood, and regained consciousness only when I entered high school).

Ally has grown so much since she walked the aisle as our flower girl in our wedding. At four years old, speaking with a Liverpool accent (“Hullo Teehtow … Am fo’ yees old.”), she behaves like a little lady and is a very caring big sister to 19-month Ayla.

Ally did momentarily lose her lady-like demeanor and reverted to being a child when Jollibee the mascot walked into the party.

This phenomenal Pinoy icon has this uncanny way of getting into children’s hearts. Ally, usually very cautious and quiet with everyone, gave him a hug at first sight! Unbelievable! (I’ll never get that effect on kids. Haha!)

Adults can’t help loving the Jollibee, too, especially when he started shaking to the tune of The Papaya Song and Itaktak Mo. Whoever was inside the costume is extremely athletic and one hell of a dancer. This mascot did hand stands, backflips, and one-hand push-ups. Plus it dished out moves that reminded me of Streetboys and Sexbombs combined.

We thought of going to one of Batangas’ beaches, but decided it would be a tad too risky for Ayla and Ally. So we went to Villa Victorina, a subdivision in Lipa City that has a nice, private clubhouse.

Despite the sunblock, the UK-grown kids cooked nicely under the sun in just minutes. They loved every moment of it, and protested quietly when their parents fished them out the water. (Just silent tears, no wailing. How behaved can these kids get?) My sister can only sigh and wish they never have to go back to Liverpool.

Moments like this make me more appreciative of where I am. This country is still a beautiful place, if you just have the right frame of mind and perspective.

The highlights of the reunion for me was on the third week, when all five members of our little family sit together at the end of the day to discuss what needs to be done to redress pressing family issues – past, present, and future.

This was the first time the in-laws witnessed what my mother and I call the “summit of the roses”.

My brother-in-law observed how formal we address each other. I explained that this is how we really are all the time, having lived apart for most of our lives, and he’s about to see why we postponed the original schedule in 2006.

This was where emotional fortitude came into play.

I have been waiting for that meeting, for that moment. Finally, it was the moment when secrets were revealed by the right persons, and the burdens now be collectively borne by everyone.

While some issues were far from resolved, I left the meeting table feeling a bit lighter.


My sister and her husband took a little time off parenting and went to visit us in Makati, with the grandparents left behind in Calamba to babysit. We spent an evening at San Mig by the Bay at the Mall of Asia.

Being the farthest flung member of the family, my sister was still in disbelief over some of the things she learned during the “summit”, so I filled her in with more details over beer, sisig, and live band music at Padi’s Point.


My sister and her family are now back in Liverpool, and the rest of the family have, more or less, resumed normal lives – apart, as usual. No one knows yet when the next “summit” will be.

Ah… family. ^^