I know it's a few days late, but Happy Christmukkawanzaa to all!
The sorry state of internet connections in this country is partially to blame, as is my extended family's pre-occipation with shoving plates of deliciousness in front of me. With so much food to be consumed, there is little, if any time to spend with frivolous things like checking e-mail and posting on the blog. I mean, how to you turn down barbecued chicken, seared fish steaks, and grilled squid served on banana leaves and dipped in freshly squeezed calamansi juice?
If I didn't have such an abnormally speedy metabolism, I would have to get my cousins to roll me aboard the airplane.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
vacation angst
This is the first post I've written since I've been on vacation. I'd love to say that I've been too busy frolicking on the beach or soaking in the sun to write, but that's barely the truth. Plain and simple, I've just been lazy. I started journalling for the first two weeks of the trip, and then as soon as I got to Davao, I don't think I've even managed to make a scribble in my journal. The pages sit barren and white, still crisp from neglect.
Most of the time since we've been in Davao has been either spent with the hoardes of cousins (fun! fun! fun!), traipsing all over town with my sister to shop for various wedding acoutrements (yawn), acting as chaperone for my sister and her fiance (terribly old-fashioned, and slightly silly, but bearable nonetheless), or dining with various relatives and friends of the parental units (varying from mildly enjoyable or downright uncomfortable, depending on the dinner companions present). My cousins finally got out of school this week, so we've actually been able to spend more time with them, but since there's little to see or do here, we've primarily been hanging out at the mall since the air conditioned interiors are a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat outside.
I walked around the city the other day, and nearly gave my aunt a heart attack. I can't decide whether it was because it's deemed low-class to walk around the dusty streets alone, or if she was afraid that I would be kidnapped. She insisted that I get her driver to take me around the city, but after much arguing, I won out and was able to walk around on my own unaccompanied - on the condition that i called her once i got to my destination. She was so much like my mom it was endearing.
That's the tough thing about being here in the Philippines. The heat, grime, and shoddy plumbing, I've sort of gotten used to, or at least come to terms with. The things that I'm having the most difficulty with are my lack of language skills and my inability to get around on my own. True, I can utter a small handful of words and phrases in Tagalog, and a few in Bisaya, but aside from "mag kano to?" (how much is this?), I don't have much other useful vocbulary to boast of. I mean, how far can I get with words like "kamatis" (tomato) and "tubig" (water)? "Tubig ang kamatis daw, po. Salamat. Maligayang Pasko!" (Water with tomato please, sir. Thank you. Merry Christmas!" Yeah. Like I said, useful.
And then there's the matter of getting around. Walking, like I mentioned, seems to be out of the question. Not only is it searingly hot on the dusty roads, but it's pretty unsafe to be a pedestrian. Unless you're a seasoned veteran, the chances of getting run over by vehicles swerving in and out of traffic without regard for people on foot, or being pick-pocketted or nabbed are quite high. Driving is another story altogether. I'm comfortable driving in crazy traffic cities like Philadelphia and New York, but driving in the Philippines is insane. First of all, there are barely any road signs left - making navigation slightly difficult. They've all either rusted or fallen off, never to be replaced again. Secondly, there is little or no regard for traffic regulations. The rule seems to be: 'If you think you can pass, do it! And if you think you can't, honk your horn, and maybe you can intimdate the other drivers around you enough so that you can squeeze your way through.' Today, I was in the car with my cousin, and we witnessed a car losing its sideview mirrors to the traffic whizzing by. The driver simply stopped as one of the passengers got out of the car to pick up the mirror, and they drove off again like it was a daily occurence. No surprise, no kaffuffle. I had to laugh at the ease with which the situation was handled. If it were me, I would have insisted on exchanging license plates, etc.
Another thing that I'm having trouble getting accustomed to is the disparity between the rich and the poor. Everywhere you turn, there are people begging on the streets. In residential areas, at the mall, on the streets, in front of churches. And if you give any change to one, you'd better have enough to supply the masses that swarm around you after you've extended your hand to offer the first donation! The sad thing is, most of the beggars are children. young boys and girls in tattered clothes and barefoot, carrying their crying infant siblings, or holding the hand of a brother whose face is burned beyond recognition. It's heartbreaking to witness, and even more so to have to shoo them away from the door, as they grab onto your pants begging for alms as you try to get into your car or taxi.
But it's not all bad. spending time with faily has been what's made this vacation enjoyable. It's been about five years since I saw most of my cousins, so seeing them now all grown up is pretty exciting. the cousins on my dad's side are all pretty well-off businessmen and women with families f their own, and the cousins on my mom's side are mostly all in college or working. There's a few kiddos thrown in the mix, and they make for the life of the party. And since my dad has ten siblings, and my mom eight, there's plenty of family to go around!
As for the angst, I got an e-mail from the folks in Sweden, and it looks like I won't be moving there anytime soon. For a while, it was sounding like they wanted me to fly to Copenhagen on my way back to Vancouver for a third round of interviews. When it turned out that flights would be more expensive than anticipated and that I wouldn't be able to get there until the new year, I was told that the pool of candidates had been narrowed down to three other local candidates, and that since they wanted to make a decision before Christmas, they would just pick from those three. I can't say that I'm not disappointed, but I guess I know well enough now not to get my hopes up about these sort of things. More than being disappointed about not going to Sweden (or at least flying to Copenhagen for an interview), I'm more upset by the fact that I have to go back to my seemingly dead-end job. Now, I'm even more motivated to find out what opportunities the US has in store for me.
In other angsty news, my sister's finace has suggested that he will be coming back to the Philippines to help with the family business after the wedding, since it seems to be falling apart at the seams. My sister isn't pleased, as "this wasn't part of the plan!" She and I talked for most of the evening, after the two of them got off the phone, hashing out the various possiblilities, and despite her reluctance to move down here, I think she's resigned herself to the fact that she probably should.
"Life never turns out the way we plan for it to," I said in my best Yoda voice.
She responded, "I know. I hate it. I don't want to move back to the Philippines. And get married and have to consider other people aisde from me and my husband. And have to support his family. And pay a mortgage. And their mortgage. And have to start life over again. And figure out how to speak the language. And talk to the help. And get around. And figure out how to get a job. It sucks! And now I have to go pee!"
And with that final exclamation, she collapsed on the bed, heaving a big sigh.
Life is tough. And then you pee.
Most of the time since we've been in Davao has been either spent with the hoardes of cousins (fun! fun! fun!), traipsing all over town with my sister to shop for various wedding acoutrements (yawn), acting as chaperone for my sister and her fiance (terribly old-fashioned, and slightly silly, but bearable nonetheless), or dining with various relatives and friends of the parental units (varying from mildly enjoyable or downright uncomfortable, depending on the dinner companions present). My cousins finally got out of school this week, so we've actually been able to spend more time with them, but since there's little to see or do here, we've primarily been hanging out at the mall since the air conditioned interiors are a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat outside.
I walked around the city the other day, and nearly gave my aunt a heart attack. I can't decide whether it was because it's deemed low-class to walk around the dusty streets alone, or if she was afraid that I would be kidnapped. She insisted that I get her driver to take me around the city, but after much arguing, I won out and was able to walk around on my own unaccompanied - on the condition that i called her once i got to my destination. She was so much like my mom it was endearing.
That's the tough thing about being here in the Philippines. The heat, grime, and shoddy plumbing, I've sort of gotten used to, or at least come to terms with. The things that I'm having the most difficulty with are my lack of language skills and my inability to get around on my own. True, I can utter a small handful of words and phrases in Tagalog, and a few in Bisaya, but aside from "mag kano to?" (how much is this?), I don't have much other useful vocbulary to boast of. I mean, how far can I get with words like "kamatis" (tomato) and "tubig" (water)? "Tubig ang kamatis daw, po. Salamat. Maligayang Pasko!" (Water with tomato please, sir. Thank you. Merry Christmas!" Yeah. Like I said, useful.
And then there's the matter of getting around. Walking, like I mentioned, seems to be out of the question. Not only is it searingly hot on the dusty roads, but it's pretty unsafe to be a pedestrian. Unless you're a seasoned veteran, the chances of getting run over by vehicles swerving in and out of traffic without regard for people on foot, or being pick-pocketted or nabbed are quite high. Driving is another story altogether. I'm comfortable driving in crazy traffic cities like Philadelphia and New York, but driving in the Philippines is insane. First of all, there are barely any road signs left - making navigation slightly difficult. They've all either rusted or fallen off, never to be replaced again. Secondly, there is little or no regard for traffic regulations. The rule seems to be: 'If you think you can pass, do it! And if you think you can't, honk your horn, and maybe you can intimdate the other drivers around you enough so that you can squeeze your way through.' Today, I was in the car with my cousin, and we witnessed a car losing its sideview mirrors to the traffic whizzing by. The driver simply stopped as one of the passengers got out of the car to pick up the mirror, and they drove off again like it was a daily occurence. No surprise, no kaffuffle. I had to laugh at the ease with which the situation was handled. If it were me, I would have insisted on exchanging license plates, etc.
Another thing that I'm having trouble getting accustomed to is the disparity between the rich and the poor. Everywhere you turn, there are people begging on the streets. In residential areas, at the mall, on the streets, in front of churches. And if you give any change to one, you'd better have enough to supply the masses that swarm around you after you've extended your hand to offer the first donation! The sad thing is, most of the beggars are children. young boys and girls in tattered clothes and barefoot, carrying their crying infant siblings, or holding the hand of a brother whose face is burned beyond recognition. It's heartbreaking to witness, and even more so to have to shoo them away from the door, as they grab onto your pants begging for alms as you try to get into your car or taxi.
But it's not all bad. spending time with faily has been what's made this vacation enjoyable. It's been about five years since I saw most of my cousins, so seeing them now all grown up is pretty exciting. the cousins on my dad's side are all pretty well-off businessmen and women with families f their own, and the cousins on my mom's side are mostly all in college or working. There's a few kiddos thrown in the mix, and they make for the life of the party. And since my dad has ten siblings, and my mom eight, there's plenty of family to go around!
As for the angst, I got an e-mail from the folks in Sweden, and it looks like I won't be moving there anytime soon. For a while, it was sounding like they wanted me to fly to Copenhagen on my way back to Vancouver for a third round of interviews. When it turned out that flights would be more expensive than anticipated and that I wouldn't be able to get there until the new year, I was told that the pool of candidates had been narrowed down to three other local candidates, and that since they wanted to make a decision before Christmas, they would just pick from those three. I can't say that I'm not disappointed, but I guess I know well enough now not to get my hopes up about these sort of things. More than being disappointed about not going to Sweden (or at least flying to Copenhagen for an interview), I'm more upset by the fact that I have to go back to my seemingly dead-end job. Now, I'm even more motivated to find out what opportunities the US has in store for me.
In other angsty news, my sister's finace has suggested that he will be coming back to the Philippines to help with the family business after the wedding, since it seems to be falling apart at the seams. My sister isn't pleased, as "this wasn't part of the plan!" She and I talked for most of the evening, after the two of them got off the phone, hashing out the various possiblilities, and despite her reluctance to move down here, I think she's resigned herself to the fact that she probably should.
"Life never turns out the way we plan for it to," I said in my best Yoda voice.
She responded, "I know. I hate it. I don't want to move back to the Philippines. And get married and have to consider other people aisde from me and my husband. And have to support his family. And pay a mortgage. And their mortgage. And have to start life over again. And figure out how to speak the language. And talk to the help. And get around. And figure out how to get a job. It sucks! And now I have to go pee!"
And with that final exclamation, she collapsed on the bed, heaving a big sigh.
Life is tough. And then you pee.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
bowl of cherries...
My flight leaves in ten hours. That means I have to leave the house in about six hours to pick up my sister's finace and get to the airport in time for international check-in. The flight may be delayed because of the crazy-ass typhoons that have touched down in Luzon and the surrounding area. This also means that our plans to hop to the resort island of Boracay may be thwarted. Plus it's raining and thundering elsewhere in the Philippines. I guess I shouldn't be whining so much about a potentially spoiled vacation when I haven't even packed my things yet, or considered the number of people missing or dead in the typhoons. Nothing like a little dose of reality to make you realize how un-sucky your life really is.
Alright, back to the bags...
Bubble Pop Electric :: Gwen Stefani
Alright, back to the bags...
Bubble Pop Electric :: Gwen Stefani
Monday, November 29, 2004
recaplet
Yet another week-in-summary post:
monday
Got a call from Lisa. Talked for hours, but somehow felt much shorter than that. Tried to convince her to come to the Philippines with me in December. Tempted her with promises of scuba diving and durian. It still remains to be seen if she will take the bait.
tuesday
T proposed lunch at Costco, so we all piled into my little car and drove off. There were no seats left insode, so we decided to eat outside. Too windy. Decided to pile back into my car. So, like, totally high school. As we sat and ate our pizza, chicken strips & fries, we made fun of people walking by. Ahhh...high school memories.
wednesday
Had our department Christmas party at Monsoon. Pan Asian food in a funky space. Vegetable Pakoras dipped in a tamarind chutney. Yummy daal and naan bread. Pan seared halibut and mussels with deep fried crispy lotus root and yam chips. The tacky gift exchange got me a three-part gift: an oversized wooden fork & spoon set, a WHAM! cassette, and a Farrah Faucet puzzle which revealed nipplage. Boss Man coveted, so I graciously offered Farrah to him. It was the least I could do. He paid for everyone's meals. He deserved a bit of fun for later.
thursday
Picked up Raj after work and headed to Granville Island to catch The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). Went to Sandbar for dinner, then laughed our asses off at the show. Rolicking good times!
friday
Finally finished one of my big projects today, including installation. Breathed a big sigh of relief. Got a last-minute creative brief that was a rush job. Freaked out. Panicked. Stayed at work much longer than I should have. Got home at 9:00 pm. Fifteen hours at the office is waaay too long. When the hallucinations begin, it's time to go home.
saturday
Picked up the new Gwen Stefani and U2 albums. Rocked along with Gwen on the drive home. I *heart* her.
sunday
Went to Chapters. Picked up a book to send to Lisa, and then proceeded to shell out $87.14 on magazines. Two fluff reads for the plane ride, one regular read, and an expensive ($49.50) necessity. Why must design magazines be so expensive? You'd think we were well paid or something...
Despite the gorgeous you-should-be-outside-playing weather, I went to the office to get in a few hours of work. Slaved away and got much more done than I had anticipated. By the time I left, it was dark and I had missed my opportunity to frolick in the sunshine.
Fortunately, there are only four more sleeps until I hop on a plane for the sunny beaches of the Philippines. Damn, I still have to pack, wrap up Lisa's books and get them to the post office, pick up some goodies to bring back for my cousins, and finish everything off at work. *sigh* It's hard work preparing to go on vacation!
Vertigo :: U2
monday
Got a call from Lisa. Talked for hours, but somehow felt much shorter than that. Tried to convince her to come to the Philippines with me in December. Tempted her with promises of scuba diving and durian. It still remains to be seen if she will take the bait.
tuesday
T proposed lunch at Costco, so we all piled into my little car and drove off. There were no seats left insode, so we decided to eat outside. Too windy. Decided to pile back into my car. So, like, totally high school. As we sat and ate our pizza, chicken strips & fries, we made fun of people walking by. Ahhh...high school memories.
wednesday
Had our department Christmas party at Monsoon. Pan Asian food in a funky space. Vegetable Pakoras dipped in a tamarind chutney. Yummy daal and naan bread. Pan seared halibut and mussels with deep fried crispy lotus root and yam chips. The tacky gift exchange got me a three-part gift: an oversized wooden fork & spoon set, a WHAM! cassette, and a Farrah Faucet puzzle which revealed nipplage. Boss Man coveted, so I graciously offered Farrah to him. It was the least I could do. He paid for everyone's meals. He deserved a bit of fun for later.
thursday
Picked up Raj after work and headed to Granville Island to catch The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). Went to Sandbar for dinner, then laughed our asses off at the show. Rolicking good times!
friday
Finally finished one of my big projects today, including installation. Breathed a big sigh of relief. Got a last-minute creative brief that was a rush job. Freaked out. Panicked. Stayed at work much longer than I should have. Got home at 9:00 pm. Fifteen hours at the office is waaay too long. When the hallucinations begin, it's time to go home.
saturday
Picked up the new Gwen Stefani and U2 albums. Rocked along with Gwen on the drive home. I *heart* her.
sunday
Went to Chapters. Picked up a book to send to Lisa, and then proceeded to shell out $87.14 on magazines. Two fluff reads for the plane ride, one regular read, and an expensive ($49.50) necessity. Why must design magazines be so expensive? You'd think we were well paid or something...
Despite the gorgeous you-should-be-outside-playing weather, I went to the office to get in a few hours of work. Slaved away and got much more done than I had anticipated. By the time I left, it was dark and I had missed my opportunity to frolick in the sunshine.
Fortunately, there are only four more sleeps until I hop on a plane for the sunny beaches of the Philippines. Damn, I still have to pack, wrap up Lisa's books and get them to the post office, pick up some goodies to bring back for my cousins, and finish everything off at work. *sigh* It's hard work preparing to go on vacation!
Vertigo :: U2
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
highlights
Today's excitements (in no particular order):
let's see...
Made Pad Thai with T and stayed over for dinner with him and his wife. Creation of the gingerbread Hummer followed. It's looking less and less like a Franken-tuck, and more like what it's intended to be. Icing and final touches are scheduled for completion later on in the week. It's a delicate and time-consuming art, this gingerbread sculpting!
Bitched about various annoyances with "the wife" while we hid out in my office late in the afternoon.
Started my current mapping/wayfinding project today, and thought I was making some real progress until I went to the computer and plotted out an initial mock-up. I was confused as ever by what I saw on the screen, and will need to start from square again tomorrow. A full day to realize that what I had was crap! Ah well, not all was in vain. At least I now have a light table for my office. (At least it's mine until someone tries to claim it back.)
Found out how much the folks at the external ad agency make doing the same thing that I do, but more shoddily. Let's just say that they make more money putting together one lousy flyer than I do in a single year! Oh the injustice of it all!
Called a friend in Calgary and had a good long chat...mostly about work, but also a little silliness and gossip thrown in for good measure. Had a chat with an English girl on the other end as well. Being the lover of accents that I am, this had to make it on my list of daily highlights. "Spoke with a Brit. Check!"
Discovered that a co-worker has shingles - otherwise known as herpes zoster, or a version of adult chicken pox. Not sure how contagious it is, but my fingers are crossed that it isn't too catching since we were sharing a bag of candies in the office late last week. I kept scratching nervously today, but I think it's just psychosomatic. I hope.
Found out that a co-worker's partner was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes over the weekend. It's a big deal, particularly because he's a pilot - and this news means that he is no longer allowed to fly a plane because of the possible effects of the illness. It's what he's worked for long long to be, so the news is pretty devastating. Although he seems to be taking it in good stride so far. This serves as a reminder for me that no matter how bad I think things may be in my life, it's not really all that unbearable.
I'm going to go count my blessings now...
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