169- The Art of Learning

                     I spent many a day at UAL campus libraries during my time as a grad student. 

Many people seem to detest learning new things. I suspect that this might be because of the fact that learning heightens expectations. There isn't anything inherently scary about taking on something new. People tend to build fear out of "fictional monsters", so to speak.

I read a lot, but, I tend to jump from one piece of content to the next. I chalk it up, partially, a short attention span, and I may just need to pop over to my local optometrist and get a pair of prescription lenses. Everyone has a different modus operandi for learning, for absorbing knowledge, for enrichment.

I love learning through experience, and reading compelling content of modest lengths on a variety of subjects.

One day, I might read about abandoned historical landmarks in Singapore- a country that seems to be engaged in a perennial push and pull with urbanization and the preservation of artifacts that ought to be passed on for future generations to appreciate.

One day, I might go to a random indie pop music gig and encounter a future star. Case in point: Freya Ridings and Charlotte Campbell in London. They were, and still are, absolutely wonderful.

It's ironic, really, that we tend to go about higher education so that we can come up with simple ways of explaining complex things. Sometimes, the harder we try to be simple, the more complicated we tend to make things.

In this life, there are instances when the more straightforward the road, the better it is for everyone. The writer in me took a while to have that sink in. I've become much more pragmatic over the years.

Learning is a multifaceted exercise. It involves a defined rhythm (processing and absorption, underscored by goal setting), but does not always have clearly marked beginnings and endings. One is a day's work for some, ends up being a 5 year odyssey for others. That's sort of what makes learning beautiful- the fluidity of it, its lack of borders, and its lack of absolute structure.

In the past couple of years, I have learned a lot by seeing new places and meeting people from different walks of life. I cannot understate the thrill of being able to wake up and not have a cut and dried set of errands to do. I am not saying that I don't like having plans. That isn't necessarily the case. What I am saying is that sometimes, it helps to let the world come to you. You gain more sometimes by letting things come to you because you are forced to think on your feet and forget that there are boundaries to anything. In a weird way, it's akin to running a marathon. There's a cadence to it, and predetermined distances and routines attached to every race, but, every foray into mountain trails or city streets is different. You plan, you train, you book ahead, but at the end of the day, every journey tends to have its own, unique, flavor.

So really, learning is what you make of it- and what fate chooses to have you learn (and how).

What we know isn't necessarily about "what we know". It is, really, more about how much we choose to know.

MC

168- Airport Stories

Above is a snapshot of one of the waiting areas in Singapore's Changi Airport. I've been to this airport a handful of times in the last ten years. The place never ceases to amaze me.

So onto the topic of airports, we go. As a Manila resident, I've gotten used to being forced to fly through crappy airport terminals to get to where I need to go. Sounds harsh, but let's be realistic now. You all know it's true. Philippine airports do leave much to be desired. Couple that with a unapologetically chaotic transport system, and what you get is a desire to find the next teleportation machine to a land where urban planning is actually considered a priority.

Airports are, ultimately, the reflection of a nation, in the same way its transport grid is. Airports act as people's first point of contact with a country, and their last point of contact as they say "good riddance" or "I wish I could go back here".

I remember landing in Rome's Fiumicino Airport one late April evening in 2013. It was crazy. Our family's prearranged transportation never arrived. My mom was in a panic. There were taxi fixers milling about (a familiar sight in Manila, too). My mom ended up giving into a 100 Euro offer from one of the cab drivers just so we could get to our hotel in town. The usual fare would have cost half that.

Hong Kong's old Kai Tak airport also rings a memory or two in my head. I was 5, and it was my first time to go on a foreign trip. For a week or so, my mom and I stayed in a friend's posh flat near Victoria peak. Being a kid, I didn't really have a full grasp of the concept of foreign travel. I thought everyone spoke English and Filipino everywhere I went. Instead, locals spoke Chinese, which to me, felt like hearing a language straight out alien characters on Star Trek. I dialed my grandma's Philippine phone number on a Hong Kong landline one night. A Chinese man answered my call. I hung up immediately. It was then that I realized that I wasn't in Kansas anymore.

Our trip came to an end on a Sunday, and mom and I took an HK cab to Kai Tak airport, a facility which has seen become defunct and has been replaced by Hong Kong International Airport on Lantau Island. I recall that mom bought me a red biplane in one of the airport shops- one that resembled the aircraft featured in the Disney series "Ducktales". I loved that little trinket- for all the 3 hours that I had it. Our flight to Manila was delayed. To while away the time, I walked around the airport with mom. By that time, I had already missed home. I had begun to miss dad, lolo (grandpa), lola (grandma), and our old house in Quezon City. It was high time that I returned to more familiar surroundings.

As we boarded our Philippine Airlines Boeing 747 late that afternoon, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was finally going to get to sleep, then wake up in the Philippines. The calm in my head was shattered by the realization that my red biplane had gone missing- lost in Kai Tak for all eternity. I feel like I had left a piece of me in Hong Kong. My mom assured me that it was okay, and that we'd buy another one in Manila. This helped me feel better, but, I continued to feel somewhat at a loss. Maybe this lost biplane incident is the reason behind why I have a strange affinity for Hong Kong. I could go back there 1,000,000 times and not grow tired of the place. I've gone back to Hong Kong around 3-4 times since 1989, and each trip back's been different, been exciting. Each trip back since 1989 has not featured Kai Tak anymore, though, and has not led me to buying a new biplane. Maybe I should get a toy plane next time I fly over.

Then there's Heathrow Airport, and how it underscores my mad love affair with the U.K. To me, Heathrow was my portal to a brave new world, a kaleidoscope of sensory triggers I had once only dreamed of experiencing. Good old Heathrow was also the site of me having to toss some old clothes I had packed up in my suitcase as a bade London farewell in January 2018, and was set to return to my homeland after a year and half as a graduate student. Yes, I hadn't planned the whole "make sure your bag isn't overweight thing"- hence the need to go through the unpacking chicanery. All in all, it was a good reminder that you really can't everything from one phase of your left, to the next (although Filipinos are pretty well-versed with the art of the "Balikbayan Box").

I look forward to passing through many more airports before it's all said and done. I feel utterly peeved that I can't travel now, as in now, but yeah, my boarding call will come sooner rather than later. I can feel it.

MC

167- And We're Off...I Think

I've begun shooting videos for my would-be Youtube channel.

I wonder how this will turn out being.

Good or bad. Only one or the other.

In terms of the energy and authenticity I've put into the content- I don't think there's any question that the stuff's brimming with those two elements.

Bigger issue here's how I'm going to get around the editing, and me finding time to come up with brilliant content ideas on a regular basis.

Let's see how things roll.

MC

166- Snapshots: Places I've Been To

I've been fortunate to have been able to travel to some of the most breathtaking places in the world. In 2013, I got to travel to Italy. While there, my eyes shone. While there, my soul was refreshed.

*My day trip to Capri Island was particularly memorable.

Views from Villa Michele. An island with its own brand of expensive charm and yes, a lot of tourist traps. Best to be wary of these when you visit.

*Singapore. How I love thee.

I don't just like going to Singapore because of the amazing hawker cuisine/culture, and the abundance of shopping options. I like Singapore because of how wonderfully efficient and tidy everything is.

It isn't perfect. No place is. But heck, it does come close to being the ultimate "well-oiled machine".

Favorite hawker haunts include Serangoon Gardens Hawker Center, Maxwell Road Hawker Center, Old Airport Road Hawker Center, and the little places around Yishun. You can't go wrong with the aunties and uncles there.

On a slightly "athletic" note, I'd love to race there again. I run with an inextinguishable passion. In Singapore, I run passionately, and sweat profusely (it is so hot there lah).

*Kota Kinabalu tested my skills- when it came to safely crossing roads.

I could be wrong, but, it seemed like there were never any proper crosswalks around town. It also seemed like there were no other ways to get around town effectively except for through taxis. Buses were frequently late. That's a no go. After running the Borneo Marathon in 2016, I did get to explore other parts of Borneo. I went on a tour that promised that we'd see Proboscis Monkeys. The monkeys never emerged. Hey, my trip to this part of Malaysia wasn't a total loss. I got to spend time there with loved ones, and go to run a memorable half marathon. Priceless stuff.

*Whitstable was surprisingly breathtaking. I never expected my visit there to be as fun as it turned out being.

After doing the Brighton Marathon in 2017, I told myself I'd keep travelling around Britain. This was too beautiful a country to not see.

Going to Whitstable was a random move. A lot of my contemporaries were going to more well known tourist haunts at the time- Oxford, Bath, Edinburgh. I decided to go off the beaten path and do Whitstable. I did not regret my decision. One thing that is foremost in my mind whenever I harken back to my day trip there is the silence that just embraces you as you walk through the pier, the beaches, the quaint little town, and through the grounds of Whitstable castle. I am a city kid, so, the notion of tranquility is important to me. The scenic vistas around Whitstable and Margate gave my senses a treat. I wouldn't mind heading back down there for a run, a lazy vacation, or a day taking photos.

*London was home to me for nearly 2 years.

I started out as a resident of Elephant and Castle, then after eleven months, I took my talents to Turnpike Lane in North London. So many amazing memories here. The late night gym sessions, the runs through London CBD and its Royal Parks, the happy drinking sessions and dinners at local pubs. Then of course, there were many amazing days spent as a grad student at LCC (London College of Communication). We had quite a strict lunch lady during mine and my friends' days there. She'd look at you funny if you didn't return your trays and utensils to the right cubbyholes after your meals. The process of finishing my dissertation was difficult, but beneficial. The entire process reminded me about the value of thinking, and of deep reflection. Far too often, we get caught up in the process of execution- of simply doing without necessarily considering the implications of our actions. We tend to be in such a rush because of a debilitating fear of failure, of "missing the mark". In an ideal world, it shouldn't be this way. We should have the freedom to think for the sake of thinking, and harness our foremost ideas for the greater good. We must be afforded the freedom to "walk out of our homes naked". What this means is that we should be given the space to allow for the fusion of our beliefs, actions, and thoughts. This world tends to be too judgmental to allow for this type of openness to take shape.

*Last but not least for this entry- Baguio City, in the Philippines.

I've been to Baguio over 20 times in my life. Baguio was the first location outside of Manila that my parents ever took me too. In the old days, there was no large shopping mall in the city, nor were there McDonald's outlets. Baguio was an alternate dimension- a place awash with pine trees, and winding mountain roads/paths. I never thought the place would ever resemble the craziness called Manila in any way.

While Baguio now tends to reek of commercialisation, and overpopulation, I believe that some of the old charm can still be found in certain nooks and crannies. The old, presumably haunted, white houses, remain. Baguio Catholic Cemetery is still ridiculously creepy, and a testament to a bygone age. Session Road has become a cacophony of noise in recent time (watch out for pickpockets, too), but, a lot of the old buildings are still up there. The old branches of Tom Sawyer and Star Cafe are long gone, but, it still does given you nice views of Burnham Park, and access to the iconic Baguio Cathedral. The public markets continue to offer a wide variety of food, military themed items (I'm not kidding), and all sorts of other kitsch. I haven't been to the Big Bagle in over 2 years and hey, maybe it's high time I drove back up there.

MC