93- Bangkok.

Migiman at Bangkok's Grand Palace Grounds, 2011 and Many Pounds Ago

I am all for visiting temples, buildings, and palaces from days of yore.

I am certain that you've heard this sort of remark before, but, for the record, let me say it again- visiting antiquated places is like grabbing the wheel of the Delorion and meeting Biff in the flesh. It's time travel without the hassles of time travel.

2011 featured my one and only trip to Bangkok, Thailand. I do not have too many memories of BKK in comparison to the huge crate of recollections I have of places like Singapore, the United States, and Malaysia. Still, Bangkok was a revelation in a lot of ways to me.

Food was cheap, and when I say cheap, I mean it. You could get rice and 2 viands for far less than you would pay in Singapore or even in Manila. The Bangkok train system was fast, efficient, and more or less, displayed a sort of cleanliness that most urban centers would envy. Traffic was hell for sure, but, the trains, at least to me, made getting around a wee bit easier than if one had to rely solely on travelling on asphalt.

Whether one likes it or not, he/she is bound to encounter streetwalkers while strolling around Bangkok. Some look like young versions of Fann Wong or Zoe Tay, but, well, carry around Adam's Apples too. To those who are into having this type of a good time, be warned. What you see isn't always what you get, or, what you see might be what you get, but because of alcohol, you ignore the obvious, and get into trouble.

During my sole Bangkok tryst, I had just missed the dreaded floods of 2011. I felt fortunate not to have had to deal with a bad slice of home while there. I wasn't mindful of my diet nor my fitness level while on holiday there, so, eat I did. Buffet breakfasts, dinners, lunches, it all went down the hatch nicely. Sometimes, I miss being a bit of a glutton, but at the same time, I don't miss what what all that used to do to me. Poor health equals low productivity. Not good.

I visited the Grand Palace grounds with a family friend- Dr. Faye, while on a city tour. The tour guide wasn't particularly insightful, or warm, but in as much as we wanted to rid ourselves of her, we didn't, knowing that it was her car taking us around this "new" city. We didn't want to have to negotiate with cab drivers on the way back to our hotel.

According to Bangkok.Com, The Grand Palace was built way back in 1782, and was the home of the Thai Royal Family and the seat of government, for 150 years. Awash in gold and other precious stones, the monument represents splendor from a bygone age- when monarchs ruled Bangkok not only in body, but also, in spirit.

I did my usual train hopping and long walks in the heat while in Bangkok. Heck, I even got lost at one of the train interchanges with my dad, who normally panics when faced with the prospect of getting lost, especially, at night. It seems funny now, but, what if we did get lost? What if I had gotten kidnapped by crooks dressed in leather, with looks resembling those of oriental femme fatales? Okay, so maybe getting lost isn't so bad after all- until someone hits you with the ass of a pistol over the head.

I would return to Thailand if given the opportunity. Upon returning, though, I think I might go for exploring the country's more rural haunts. Bring me to a Kampong that serves amazing Chili Beef and you'll have my heart in the same way Ting Ting had the tickers of Beng-Beng and Kang Kang (note, Phua Chu Kang reference).

And so goes another city. Thank you, Bangkok.

MC

92- Love Songs

                                       

                        From the set of the Singapore staging of "Gruesome Playground Injuries,                                                                               Esplanade Theatre, 2013


She sat by a window dulled by time, and memories of promises unkept.

Her existence had become an anthem for the broken hearted, a spirited number on the death of soul. She had become the poster child for the declaration that love was
indeed, a null and void concept.

She had surrendered to the ocean of discontent.

Until he entered her life, and until she learned to carry herself with pride.

She was a beautiful porcelain doll, with chinky eyes, and curves ample, yet not vulgar in the
context which most decent men would bemoan. She was intelligent, quick witted, and had begun to
flutter forth with utmost bliss- a key element of living which had been lost on her for many years.
She felt like she was once again ready to dethrone the dukes and duchesses of sorrow.

She scanned through her collection of records.

Kenny Loggins.

Christopher Cross.

Lauren Wood ("Fallen" was a particular favorite).

Roy Orbison (for the oldest soul in the room).

Love songs. So many love songs. Love songs playing in springtime in Rome. Beauteous melodies, and righteous declarations of the most radiant of virtues.
This is what she, and her man, had been waiting for.

Twas time for them to swim in the big river, to bask amidst the ancient buildings of lost empires. It was time to savor the many sights and sounds of a land
unseen, and yet seemingly, quite familiar to the spirit.

Nothing could stop them now.

MC

91- Telok Blangah by a Dummy

Migiman and StephieBaT at Telok Blangah MRT Station

April 2015

Four votes for Telok Blangah. 

The "yay"'s , have it. 

Migiman and StephieBat decided it was high time to go to Singapore again after years and years and years last April 2015. CamilaBoots helped with the housing (thank you, dear cousin!), and with being an awesome tour guide. We had the privilege of staying in CamilaBoots' flat in Telok Blangah housing estate- a joint close to Fairprice, close to the LRT and a bus station, and of course, close to great hawker food. 

What is this strange place called TK, you ask? Well, let this dummy share so bare boned facts with you. 

So TK is a housing estate in Singapore, located Southwest of the country's Central Business District. TK is just a stone's throw away from Sentosa, and is part of the Bukit Merah Planning Area (thanks, Wikipedia). 

In 1849, British Civil Engineer John Turnbull Thomson created a painting called "Tello Blangah". This piece of fine art depicted villages at the foot of Mount Faber, Mount Faber had been known as "Telok Blangah Hill" until 1845, and Telok Blangah Road was christened in 1907 (again, thanks, Wikipedia).

Today, Telok Blangah is awash with condos and HDB flats. One thing I like about Singapore is the country's urban planners' penchant for creating fully functional, stand alone, communities. In the Philippines, we tend to need to travel outside our respective communities to work, purchase essential goods, or, go to school. In Singapore, a lot of communities function as self-sufficient areas. For Filipinos reading this smorgasboard of thoughts, I am confident that you'll agree- we could all use a large heap of improved urban planning. Singapore isn't perfect, but, their system works. It WORKS. That is a victory in and of itself. 

                         Migiman and StephBaT at one of the many Telok Blangah Food Stalls 

                                                                    (Yum and Yummer)

I took a jog around the Telok Blangah estate, and also took time out to observe the little things around me. Lots of senior citizens around, going about their business- some, walking from local groceries back to their flats, some, going about "Lehpa" and relaxing over drinks and peanuts, while others seemed to look as if they were in a panic, in a mess over a lost kettle, a broken piece of furniture, or, a debt unpaid. The place was awash in green. Equally impressive was the fact that flat I stayed in was situated within earshot of Henderson Waves, a nature park that can rival any local park I've been to, or, that I can think of. 

Don't judge us, we're nuts. :P 

Bridges, tree-lined walkways, 3 goofballs. That is how to enjoy life. 

Telok Blangah in a nutshell is-fun-for-everyone. 

MC

90- A Clueless Person's View on Penang

No, I have not been to Penang. I want to go to Penang- that is precisely why I find myself in front of the computer writing about the subject.

Quick Google referencing about to happen. Turn back if you find this sort of thing boring.

So, Penang is located in Northwest Malaysia. Research shows that there are three ways one can reach Penang from Kuala Lumpur. You can hop on a plane, the option with perhaps the quickest travel time, but, the longest waiting time (at the airport). You can hop on a bus, a cheaper alternative, and one that ensures that one takes "the scenic route" to Penang. The third and final option is a tryst to Penang via KTM Commuter Train, and then, by ferry boat, to Butterworth. Another "scenic route" option, this one.

I had always had this impression that Penang was not a densely populated place, until I learned that as of the year 2010, the island's population chimed in at 1,520,143. That's quite a lot. Not as densely packed as Manila, of course,

Per Wikipedia.Org, Penang's population breakdown as of 2010:

Mostly of Chinese descent (45.6%)
Malays and other races (43.6%)
Of Indian descent (10.4%)
Everyone else (0.4%)

I have always wanted to go to Penang because from this simple walker, runner, slash wanderer knows, it is the food capital of Malaysia. Mee Goreng, Assam Laksa, Oh Chien, Popia. Happiness. Utter gastronomic bliss.

I still feel like a "tourist" in Malaysia. I still feel like I need to "jump in the lake" so to speak when it comes to being one with Malaysian culture. There are some places which we visit and end up feeling like it isn't enough that we do a simple "look and feel". Ultimately, we feel the need to "be" the place. It's tantamount to migration of the soul.

So Penang, I may not be well-versed with the contents of your dossier, nor have I managed to partake of the smells and tastes of your city streets, but soon, very soon, I should be able to shed the skin I'm in and fall into your waiting, sambal-coated, arms. =)

It's only a matter of time now.

MC

89- Sinfully Yours: A Moment of Self-Reflection

I have committed a grave offense.

I have forgotten what it means to be an artist.

Say that I've become guilty of complacency, or, of thinking that has tended to remain in a box rather than anywhere out of it. This is a first for me. As people age, we tend to become satisfied with the ordinary, for fear that anything outside of squares and circles would surely lead to the death of practical arrangements. Such involve risks that most do not wish to take, and risks that people would not dare take, also, for fear of criticism from those who relish being extraordinarily ordinary.

I used to be a person who danced, sang, and frolicked with, and like, the sun. As of late, I've become someone who, while happy, has marched to the beat of someone else's drum. I feel like I've somehow lost a sense of originality, a semblance of authenticity. The once vibrant (albeit emotional, for better or worse) lad has become someone who has done things in a structured, and disciplined manner. Walking in a straight line isn't bad. Being responsible is not a problem. Losing your passion for the essence of art, is frustrating.

I used to hate being on the sidelines. I felt like I always had to "be in the mix" In many ways, I'd still rather be a "do-er" rather than a "viewer". These days, I am wise about which battles I opt to fight. Being safe is a positive, for sure, but being safe also- in an ironic twist- lessens the chances that one will be able to encounter a truly spontaneous experience on any given day. That can pose a problem to the adventurous, and a seem like a typical day in the mines, for those who pray against rain because the think that water kills on contact.

A recent encounter with the brightest of hues has made me remember that it isn't always a swell thing to hide under umbrellas, wear N95 masks at the sight of some smoke, and shriek and act like a bomb went off whenever you find a pair of trousers that used to fit, but, is now too tight for you to wear.

I "embraced" art again for a fleeting moment earlier this week. I have become reminded that while my life in years past tended to look and feel chaotic, I too had moments in my previous incarnation which pointed much towards "realness" and "truth". Those are two things which I should never compromise in full, ever again.

MC