The Manila Odyssey of Pax Florius

Full Title: The Three-Hour* Manila Odyssey of Pax Florius (on foot around the EDSA-Ortigas-Shaw-Mandaluyong area during one Tuesday on the last day of April)

DISCLAIMER: This tale, despite being spiced up with terms suited for epic sagas, is not really so epic. (And the epic terms used to spice up said tale does not at all lessen the mundaneness of this anecdote.) So dear reader, please, instead of wasting your precious time on this anecdote, go open a link, or get a book/magazine/newspaper/other reading material that incites greater interest and relevance. Thank you. (To those persistent on reading this tale, you've been warned...)

And there he was, mustering all of his courage and sanity to do it... (because what in bloody blazes was he thinking?! He's a PWD guy for crying out loud! He won't make it! Something bad might happen to him! He'll get lost!)

It was just him and himself. Who knows what the concrete jungle holds... He steps out of the gate of the apartment complex where he resided with his sister and aunt. There will be perils to be confronted... and there will be spoils for the taking (for the purchasing, actually.).

He walked along sidewalks, traversed pedestrian lanes, sidetracked towards a toy store to purchase a Php200 item, climbed stairs, crossed overpasses, entered doors, until he reached the glistening halls of that [not-so] exotic realm of Shangri-La (the shopping mall, mind you, not the  mythical Himalayan utopia). He walked around... and walked around again... and again... until a National Bookstore branch caught his eye. He swiftly went for the sci-fi section and looks for any book cover with the words "Herbert" and "Dune". There were, but to his dismay, each cost Php300+ and he'd descend into a state of destitution if he dared to spend his measly budget without care. He went for the discount stall. Nothing. Tough luck for him.

And so he departed from Shangri-La, off to another realm (a 7-Eleven branch, actually).  Journeying with hunger and thirst (he woke up kind of late and never had a full meal, save for a pandesal and Cheez Whiz), he was in luck for not blowing his cash on those "Dune" novels (since he already blew 200 pesos on an "item"). Php22 for two hotdog sandwiches is a bargain, after all. So, he also bought a bottle of Smart-C for he was thirsty and his throat was parched. (So dramatic...)

Again, after some walking, he encounters another National Bookstore branch, this time, with a sizable discount stall. Fearing the crushing dismay he would feel if he dared look at the regular book prices, he passed on entering the store premises and instead, went for the discount stalls. As usual, to his dismay, neither "Herbert" nor "Dune" there. He moved along.

He meanders the sidewalk and pavements, walking on and on until his eyes spied the SM Megamall in the distance. He draws near, entering that humongous complex of consumerism (as if he isn't a consumer himself. -_-).  After further exploration (read: wandering) and whatnot inside the shopping mall, he felt his legs tire and evening darkness has descended upon the urban jungle. He sends a call of distress (actually a request for directions) from his sister and aunt. Then, he departs from that colossal complex of buying and selling.

It was a Herculean task for him to relate his comprehension of roadsigns and place names to his experience of actual navigation on foot. How Fortune must've come upon him when upon the dwindling strength of his feet, he stumbled upon a tricycle stop. He sat onboard, informs the driver of their destination, and moved on back to the apartment complex. A ride back home filled him with relief for  his mind (and for his legs).

Thus, the Tale of the Manila Odyssey of Pax Florius on foot, around the EDSA-Ortigas-Shaw-Mandaluyong area, during one Tuesday, on the last day of April ends (thankfully).

[Actually, he just decided to go on foot because, aside from being a bit kuripot/spendthrift, he was saving his money just in case he needed to catch a taxi during the possibility of totally realizing that he was lost somewhere and totally giving up. The "spoils" of his journey? Two hotdog sandwiches and a bottle of Smart-C from 7-Eleven, a strawberry-glazed donut from Go Nuts Donuts, a serving of passionfruit tea nata from one of those hip bubble tea places, and... the mystery item worth Php200: a Guy Fawkes mask. You know, the one worn by V in "V for Vendetta"? Regardless of the leg fatigue, hunger, thirst and expenditures, he was thankful that no peril occurred to him, and that he arrived in one piece. Over all, this is an Odyssey without sirens ('di ba, bawal na ang wangwang?), mythical monsters, heroic acts, glorious triumphs, and other amazing circumstances. I told you it wasn't that relevant nor exciting. -_- ]

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Good luck, godspeed, God bless!

Preparaciones para el viaje

Yo voy a Manila este viernes. Por lo tanto, tengo que empezar a hacer los preparativos de esta noche. Sería la segunda vez que viajamos en avión solo. Viaje feliz para mi, supongo.

Buena suerte, con dios, Dios los bendiga a todos!

Random Quotes...

"Where tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers therefore are the founders of human civilization."
- Daniel Webster

"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."
- The Bible, Deuteronomy, 25:4

"The haft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction."
- Aesop

"So teach us to number our days, so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."
- The Bible, Psalms, 90:12

"How happy are those whose walls already rise!"
- Virgil

"The meek shall inherit the Earth, but not its mineral rights."
- J. Paul Getty

"Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?"
- The Bible, Isaiah, 45:9

"He who commands the sea has command of everything."
- Themistocles

"Wisdom and virtue are like the two wheels of a cart."
- Japanese Proverb

"Even brute beasts and wandering birds do not fall into the same traps or nets twice."
- Saint Jerome

"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself."
- John Milton

(Nasubrahan na 'ko hampang Civilization 5. Good luck, godspeed, God bless!)

A reunion of sorts...

Finally, I had a reunion of sorts with my original "grand-daughters", Thea and Jenny. And so, I decided to spend quality time with them. Here are some of the highlights caught on camera...

Trip to memory lane anay sa UNO-R eh...

Channeling Edvard Munch's "The Scream"

Sigh... They sure grow up fast.

Minanol sa vending machine sang ila alma mater.

Thea: (ginkuha ang paper cup with ice sa vending machine)

Me: Thei? I-uli mo guro anay kay waay pa niya ginbu-bo ang drink mo...?

Thea: (dali-dali ginbalik ang paper cup)

A bit later on, we had late lunch at KFC Lacson, then we proceeded to...

FREE CUPCAKES! (For them, kay ako nanglibre.)

Proof that we went there. 

Next itinerary: Balay namon. We decided to take home na lang our cupcakes.

L-R: Akon, kay Jenny, kay Thea.

And to help burn up those calories (especially Jenny's)...

Dance Central mania ang duwa.

Lingaw ko tan-aw sa ila duwa ah.

Wow. They got free dessert AND A FREE WORKOUT SESSION.

Waswas, Jen! WASWAS!

Of course, indi man magpapirde ang isa. Biraha, Thei!

You two smell sweaty. -_-

* * * * *

I cannot exactly recall how we first met and got along, but I am very thankful for sharing their company with this old geezer trapped in a 21 year-old body that afternoon. Thanks gid sa first batch sang kaapohan ko. I had a blast yesterday and I really, really appreciate it. (Kag salamat kay Jenny for bringing her camera along.)

Good luck, godspeed, God bless us all! 

Compare and Contrast

You are probably familiar with this guy...

Jon Stewart, American political satirist

...who happens to host this television program...

Whoa! And they even managed to guest Peter Dinklage of GoT fame!

 Now, meet his Egyptian counterpart...

Bassem Youssef, political satirist and actual heart surgeon

...who happens to host Egypt's version of "The Daily Show"...

I don't have that much idea of Egyptian politics (except for the fact
that they recently deposed their president in some revolution),
but it's hilarious. (Hurray for subs!)

Considering that things in Egypt are still quite unstable, politically-speaking, Mr. Youssef still manages to pull off punchlines on President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood...

Also, he manages to guest-star himself on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

Apparently, due to his irreverent and critical style of humor, this happens...

Freedom of expression. It's also an issue in Egypt.

And so, somebody takes a stand...

Stewart:"As for the pig thing, come on! If you're gonna insult the Jews, 

you can't go with a kosher animal? 'You're goats?'"

Watching these shows, I can at least get a laugh and another different perspective on current events and issues in the international scene. And if I wanted to get a laugh off sociopolitical issues from a Philippine perspective, I tune in to this...

"Tatlo ang panahon sa Pilipinas: panahon ng tag-init,

panahon ng tag-ulan, at higit sa lahat,

panahon ng ELEKSYON." -- Lourd de Veyra

Freedom of expression is also an issue for Egyptians, as well as for us Filipinos. Youssef himself said, "you know how freedom of the press is like around here. No really, we do have freedom of press. They literally said 'no pencil shall be broken'. And they were right, the pencils are safe despite the TV channels shutting down."

Closing down TV stations is a rare event and one thing I haven't yet witnessed in the Philippines, although it has happened back in Martial Law days. Cybercrime Law? It's still a problem, of course, but the greater problem here is the death rates (not just death threats, mind you) of journalists in the country. I'm pretty sure that with the issue of freedom of expression, names that ring bells are: Ampatuan, Magindanao...

...and this guy, whose tarpaulin I saw at the ukay-ukay
where he was said to have been shot

* * * * *

Hay, Pilipinas. Democracy kuno. Good luck, godspeed, God bless!

UPDATES

UPDATE 1: Gary Granada concert
I finally got to witness the man behind those Ginebra commercial jingles and seldom-heard (but incredible) acoustic tunes. He was awesome! His voice has the same awesome quality with his recorded tracks. And I never knew that his guitar's head is circular in shape. Like his own head. Hehe. Kidding aside, it's a pity though, that perhaps due to his aging, he said that he already has difficulty with performing vocals. Despite this, he has a teaching job at UP Diliman aside from his sporadic music career, which is quite good for him.

And it's a pity that I forgot to request him to perform this. :(

Anyway, thank you gid kay "Nang" Miloink (Mary Louise) kag Buttercup (Nang Lery) for accompanying me sa concert. :)

UPDATE 2: Palawan Vacation
Went to Palawan for Holy Week vacation together with Nanay, Tatay, and Malem. Particularly, in El Nido and Puerto Princesa. The Palawan experience for me is basically: sunburn, white sand in the singit, piles of sea urchins, more piles of jellyfish, and getting scratched by sharp coastal rocks and corals. Ooh, nasty!
Nonetheless, the nature, the beaches, the Underground River, the food (especially lobster, which I had for the first and second time, I think), the hospitality... very nice indeed. So many beautiful things to see. So brillant and beautiful, to the point that I wished I could gouge my eyes for witnessing too much brillance and beauty of some of those, uh, things. Gahd, this is the problem with being male. (Keep those hormones at bay, kid!)
What was regretful was that we scheduled this vacation during Holy Week that we couldn't visit the other attractions because they were closed.  No crocodile spotting. No visit to Vietnamese restaurant to try chao long or pho (nga gin-recommend pa naman ni Nang Jamie). No extra foodtripping (kay sirado sila for Holy Week).
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Hagedorn's face is everywhere there! Aside, from Eddie Villanueva and Cynthia Villar, that is. Also saw a poster of Doc Gerry Ortega, an anti-mining activist killed for vague but obvious reasons (if that made any sense).

Picture courtesy of my older sister, Malem.

Thank you, Manang Kim! :3

UPDATE 3: Summer 2013

BAKASYON NAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! 'Nuff said.

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That's all for now, folks! Good luck, godspeed, God bless!