37- Miri

I am intrigued by Miri- both because it is now an Air Asia route, and because, well, I have a thing for places off the beaten path.

In 1910, Miri was the site of Malaysia's very first oil well. Miri is also the site of Shell Berhad and Petronas Carigali. The place, apparently, is teeming with expats- an interesting thing to note given that Miri is technically a "provincial" area.

According to some more web research I have done, Miri is often used as a stop over point on the way to Kelabit Highlands and Gunung Mulu National Park. As with other parts of Malaysia, Miri has its share of Malay, Iban, Chinese, and people of other ethnicities too. For all of the talk about Miri being an international hub, I find it a bit funny that there are no money changers at Miri's airport.

So here I am with this slightly boring, unimaginative, entry on Miri because I find that I need to get some leverage. If this were a fight, I need a second wind. Lately, s been hard for me to make amends with my "travel self". I need to shake off this funk. I need to refocus on what really matters in life.

To explore. To experience. To recall. To believe.

A year ago, I felt that.

I need to comprehend all that again.

MC

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36- Simple Joys

       FOR EXAMPLE:  The Your Singapore Pass- A REAL "Essential" when in the Lion City

To many, public transportation is essential in everyday life. People take buses, taxis, and trains to work. People take buses, taxis, and trains to school. People rely on public transportation to, basically, help them get on with their lives.

I am proudly Filipino, but I must say that it is a crying shame that Manila's public transportation system is in shambles. We have buses, yes, but what's on the road are usually buses that are decrepit, and unfit for prolonged use. We have cabs, yes, but the taxis we have are either falling apart, or, have been commandeered by speed demons. I have relied on Manila's public transportation options before, and I have honestly been left far from satisfied.

This is why I can't help but highlight bright rays of operational convenience as far as public transportation goes. I see most of these glimmers of hope when I visit foreign countries. Enter, the Singapore tourist pass. Now, this card isn't for every type of tourist that goes to the Lion City, but it does do the trick for those that don't mind walking, and those who intend to go to MANY places via MRT over a span of 1, 2, or 3, days. I am not going to get into the meat of what Singaporean culture is via this post. Rather, I will say that it would be great, yes, GREAT, if we had a card like this here in Manila. Similar to Hong Kong's Octopus Card, the tourist pass covers several railway lines and bus lines. For those with some advanced cash to spare, and those who want to just zip in and out of the subway, and go from place to place in Singapore with utmost ease, this card is a must. 

On any given day, the Filipino side of the internet is awash with posts about how train queues in the Greater Manila Area can snake across sidestreets and into lines several kilometers long. There are also many a post from frustrated commuters unable to keep to their appointments because of an inefficient train system. A tap card isn't the "do all" balm which the government wishes it had, but, it is a start. Multiple corporate sponsors backing the card alongside the Philippine Department of Transportation could help make the card affordable to the everyman- and rightfully so. The MRT is a mode of transportation for the everyman after all, so, pricing a part of that system beyond what the everyman can afford would not make sense. Of course, all of this is easier said than done. 

Call me what you want, but for those who live in Manila, you know its true. Our train system should be leveled, and, consequently rebuilt. Our leaders have become all too fond of short term, palliative, solutions. Real answers are needed, while weighing the ratio between genuine risk, and, genuine, sustainable, benefits. 

It isn't that hard. Go make a card. At least, make an effort to not say "stop", but, "start". 

MC

35- JCo Donuts

On this Sunday morning, I find myself in J-Co Donuts in Eastwood City, Quezon City. 

Here you: 

A cold latte

A plain glazed mini donut

An Al Capone Pecan donut

A Tiramisu donut

And finally, an Oreo donut

Proof that there is unity in diversity.

Unity towards gaining extra pounds? Why yes! 

Unity towards comprehending new levels of deliciousness? A second check. 

This place is a must visit assuming that the lines aren't too insane. 

J-Co also has branches in SM Pampanga, UP Town Center Quezon City, and a few other large commercial hubs I can't remember right now due to the immense deliciousness of the sweet pecans which I have been chewing for the last minute and which have gotten stuck in my teeth. 

Oh yes. Goodness. Oh yes.

MC

34- One Year Ago...

One year ago today, I had all my bags packed, and ready to go to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

What seemed like an amazing trip turned out to be the trip of a lifetime.

Advice to all who love to travel- savor every moment on the road. It is while we are on the road that we are able to find ourselves. It is while we are on that long road that we are able to truly be free. No doubt about it.

Time to celebrate what was the best sojourn ever.

MC

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33- Let It Be

                                          

                                                      (Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.Org)


For the first time in god knows when, the immortal Beatles song "Let It Be" is playing on mainstream FM radio here in Manila.

Thank you, Retro 105.9.

This is supposed to be a travel and lifestyle blog, but hey, I find ways to connect things, right?

In 1966, the group known as the "FAB 4" visited the Philippines. I did not exist in 1966. I was a mere afterthought.

Throughout the 1960s, the Beatles were the biggest thing in music. They were a pop culture phenomenon.
They practically, along with Elvis Presley, helped give birth to mainstream rock and roll.

As with all things revolutionary, they had their share of detractors, but their music persevered.

Today, the music of the Beatles lives on, in baby boomers, and folks like me who weren't even around in the sixties.

Immortality. Now there's a concept worth noting.

If you were immortal, all powerful, unceasingly amazing- where would you fly off to, and why?

What would you, "let be", with the power of conviction, and, the raging fervor of thought?

MC

32- Wonder Will Save

                                     To My Buddy Denise: Remember this? 

Another weekend spent working for this tireless warrior.

Applause, please.

Wait, should we demand applause for working like robots?

I guess, sometimes, the answer's an emphatic "Yes!", and at times, the response should be a resounding, "No!"

When traveling, sometimes the best moments of the journey are embodied by "big" memories. A tour around Vatican City. Walking in the Grand Canyon. Strolling down the Las Vegas strip. Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Those are the kinds of memories postcards, chapters of books, and travel documentaries, are made of.

What of the smaller moments, then?

No veins, no heart. No bones, no working body. Smaller, happy, moments are the building blocks for the telling of grandiose tales.

In this entry is a photo of two empty plastic cups, atop a wooden barrel, along with a bag of reasonably prices confections at the Hong Kong Food and Wine Festival 2013. I was there months back with my old schoolmate and friend, Denise. Being the young, saving-up-for-the-future corporate blokes that we were (and still are), we played the frugal card during that event, but still managed to have a great time.

I have chosen to speak about this at this time because doing so seems appropriate.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of daily living, there lie conversations with people you respect, you hold dear, people whom you see every few years. Apart from the rat race, there are so many more things to live for. There exist so many great things to see, taste, smell, and experience. Food is a conduit to friendship. Time is a conduit to immortality. Memories lodged in the distant past are conduits to even more noteworthy moments soon to happen and soon to make one feel whole.

This slightly drizzly Sunday afternoon which I have chosen to touch on today is one such memory. We strolled around laughing, talking about life, sharing an entire bottle of wine, and forgetting about the rat race, the stress within the confines of the corporate menagerie, and actually took time to watch the world go by, listen to birds chirp, and observe all of the "jazzy" things that maybe only retired folks get to notice and truly absorb. For one brief moment, the it seemed like, even in a chaotic city such as Hong Kong, there lay boats which sailed only to one place- the sea of tranquility.

I have a plan- a grand plan. Over the next few years, I intend to work to escape the rat race, to escape the mindless grind of a work without remorse, without mercy, for the dreamer. I intend to slowly disengage myself from one world- and strive to be at peace, and one, with another. Look out. I am aiming for chocalate in a paper bag, a green tea waffle in a plastic bag, with $130 HK wine in tow.

Thanks, old buddy Denise, for helping me make a memory.

It truly did help put certain things in perspective.

MC

A Quick Commercial Break...

As someone who has taken Asian Airlines before, and as someone with friends from China, Malaysia, and the United States, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives on the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

There remain further questions in this tragic tale, but two things are for certain now:

1) This must be a tremendously painful time for all involved.

2) The grieving process, and moving forward, may finally begin.

Life can be cruel like this.

All we can do is stay strong and hope for a better tomorrow.

Godspeed everyone.

MC

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