96- Condura Skyway Marathon 2016

                     Office mates Mike and Bianca during the 2016 Edition of the Condura Skyway                                                             Marathon, Manila, Philippines, Feb. 2016


There are fewer things in this world I enjoy more than running.

For many years, I was into sports that typical guys would get into- basketball, weight training, etc. Those sports required some form of discipline, but let me tell you, excelling in running, and in multisport in general, requires a different type of focus. You need to work to eat right, diligently perform strength and resistance training, diligently go through the ringer for structured, scientific, cardiovascular endurance training, be smart about what gear you use, etc. It's easy to start running. Move your feet, breathe in and out, and there you go. If you want to move mountains (or climb them like a boss), though, you need to approach running with the type of guile and methodical patience you'd see out of, well, an Ethan Hunt type (see Mission Impossible reference).

I have worked to jive to the rhythm of the aforementioned type of zoned-in focus in how I've embraced running. My participation in the recent Condura Skyway Marathon 2016 was something which I had looked forward to for a long time, and something that I had looked forward to particularly because of the charitable aspect of the affair.

The Condura Marathon 2016 was my third journey through the Skyway- an elevated automobile highway that stretches from Alabang in Muntinlupa City, to somewhere in Magallanes Road, Makati City. Airconditioner manufacturer Condura has held the Skyway Marathon for the last couple of years to help support families of Philippine Military personnel who have lost loved ones in the field. For a typical citizen such as myself, running Condura is the least I could do to help those whom our heroes in uniform have left behind.

The medal. Quite the beautiful slab of metal. 

As with other 21k races I've run, my day began at around 1:30am. One light meal, shower, and petroleum jelly coating later, and I was off. My friend Bianca teased me as we drove to the race venue about how slow I was driving. "You can only really do 60kph, can you?" she quipped. Well, whatever restraint I had while driving would invariably be shattered once I got on the race course to run. It's not that I would eschew the idea of pacing, but, I give my all whenever I run. I'm sure Bianca gives her all, too. :) 

        The goofball and his medal. Shout out to my buddies from Team Soleus. What can I say? I just                              love the technical shirt you guys gave away last December 2015! 

One of the best things about running races (apart from the whole process of competing with yourself) would be the company you share after you run. It took me and Bianca a good 45 minutes to exit the parking lot at nearby Festival Mall (no thanks two girls in a Nissan who kept trying to cut us in what should have been a SINGLE FILE queue to the exit gate). You can imagine what hunger, drowsiness, and the general fatigue (despite the runner's high) dealt unto a person c/o running a marathon, can do to one's mood. Before we could step out of our car and give the girls a pair of Stone Cold Stunners, we thankfully made it to Recovery Food in Molito, Alabang, for some breakfast. 

There's nothing like talking about how your race went with friends and other fellow runners. The cafe was packed with people who had just come from the Condura Marathon. Excitement filled the air, and that, paired with the prospect of a good shower and a nap upon arriving in our respective homes, was too good to pass up on. 

I notched a personal best time for 21KM at this race (2:02:08 chip and watch time). That represents the proverbial cherry on the ice cream for yours truly. 

Running's become such a huge part of my life. With 3 2016 calendar races, endless training sessions, under my belt, and a whole lot of passion in tow, I look to the future with tons of optimism and unbridled joy. 

My life's marathon as a runner has only begun, and I intend to savor every minute of it. 

Up next- The Bull Runner Dream Marathon 2016!!

MC

95- Two Years

It's been two years since my first trip to Malaysia.


The beauty of travelling is the power of adding value to moments in time.


Whenever I've been in Malaysia, I have been surrounded by nothing but moments of sunshine.


Even October 2015's haze from Sumatra could not bring me down during my last trip there.


I cannot wait to return.


MC

94- That Time When I Got Lost in Hong Kong

                                         Watson's Pharmacy in Harbor City, Hong Kong 
                                       (Photo culled from http://hkchcc.org/watsons2.jpg)


I think that most kids, and moms, would agree.

A kid getting lost in a public place can be a very traumatic experience.

Let's ask Scottie to beam us back to 1988. Hong Kong. Kowloon Island.

My mom and I had gone to Hong Kong to with her pals from school and their respective families. We stayed in the posh condo of one of my mom's friends in Old Peak Road, which, I would later discover, was an area that a number of the city's wealthier residents, and expatriates, called home. To this 5 year old, it was a place with a playground, wide open spaces, and other kids, with whom I could interact and have fun with.

The very young me was baffled by the fact that hardly anyone spoke any English. During one of our evening's in Hong Kong, I got a hold of the landline telephone in the condo we stayed in, dialed my grandma's (Philippine landline number), with the intention of sharing with my grandma the many wonders I had seen while abroad (Toys R' Us was certainly one of the highlights). You can imagine how shocked I was when I heard the voice of a seemingly frantic woman, speaking a strange language, on the other end of the tellie. I was shocked and subsequently, confused. So, I wasn't in Kansas anymore- that much was certain.

Anyone who has been to Hong Kong will tell you that the city is crowded- really crowded. Fast forward to Migi and Mom at Watsons near the Tsim Tsa Tsui clocktower and Ocean Terminal (remarkably, that Watsons branch remains open, a grim reminder of when, for a brief. dark, moment, I felt truly alone in the universe). Mom was looking a nice little ornaments while some toys caught my attention. Next thing I knew, mom was gone and a pretty Chinese lady began speaking to me in caring tones in, well, Cantonese (to the 5 year old me, it was gibberish, Klingon, a lot of onions in palm oil...what mattered was that I was alone). Mom was nowhere in sight. I felt like crying, and just when I was about to shed some saltwater, my mother appeared. We were both relieved to say the least. She asked me where I had drifted off to. I said that some toys had caught my eye. She advised me to always hold her hand and stay close, and so for the rest of the trip, that is exactly what I did. I love my mom- and you should love yours, too.

When I think of Hong Kong, I think of Teresa Teng, of dimsum, of Toys R Us, and of family. I look upon these memories with a smile. I also remember being lost once and feeling very, very, distressed. Thank goodness for good fortune, and the concept of happy return trips. Mom and I did go to Hong Kong again in 2010, and we managed to visit Disneyland, too.

See, things have a way of working out in the end.

MC

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays from the furry traveler!
:)

More content soon.

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