Wanderlust Heaven!

My back pronounced in working order by Dr. Pardis, I sauntered out into the Cebu night.  Had dinner at El Gecko, owned by friend Mark, who’s now trying to sell the place (for about US$63,000 – interested?) and move back to the UK.  El Gecko is a nice little place, and I like the randomness of it – you never know who’ll turn up and what will be discussed at the bar.  But once in a while it’s a real downer, and tonight was that kind of night…a bunch of old bitter farts sitting around, nursing their San Miguels, comparing gripes.  One old gringo was insulting the young bargirl and Filipinos in general, calling them incompetent and lazy.  I thought about jumping in but decided it wasn’t my fight – I did make a note of the guy’s face and would tell Mark later on – he shouldn’t let scumbags like this in his place.  As for the old loser, he should watch his tongue – you never know who might come looking for you when you talk like that.

Went to another bar, Sisters, a generally fun joint.  The best thing about it now is that one of the floor manages is a clone of President Gloria Arroyo – uncanny.  Everyone calls her Gloria…

Had a beer at Sisters, then walked over to a strip of bars, all owned by a Norwegian guy – the primary bar, Viking Bar, is named in honor of his homeland.  The place is larded with bargirls and very cold, very cheap San Miguels.  I went to Erik the Red’s, and sat at the bar while one of the girls told me all about how the guy who took her virginity had stopped in that very night and had given her the cold shoulder.  I seem to have a talent (?) for eliciting these sorts of stories from strangers…and sometimes it serves me well in the business world as well.

There’s a Filipino politician named Jojo, who has reformist tendencies.  His handlers, or perhaps a journalist, has nicknamed him Jojobama.  Talk about riding coattails…

The next day an old girlfriend, Faith, came to visit.  She splits her time between Bohol, where her mother and her daughter are, and Cebu, where she works.  She had a couple days off and we spent the time together.  She’s a super-sweet woman and a lot of fun – a bit clingy, though, and after just a few minutes I knew I’d be thrilled to be free and clear a couple days hence.

I find it hard to balance everything when I’ve got company, but I decided to try to keep a fairly normal schedule.  I went running at the Cebu Sports Center, the outdoor track, and had Faith come along.  As I wrote earlier, the center has all sorts of classes and I had hoped Faith would bring some workout clothes and join in…but she didn’t, and just sat in a chair and watched me circle the track 10 or so times.  Sort of funny, but I was a bit bummed at her laziness.

We went to El Gecko that night for dinner – I had taken Faith there last night we were together, back in May 2008.  Chatted with Mark and had a good dinner.  Then we went out for some karaoke, first to K-1 in Crossroads Mall – but it was fully booked, as usual.  So we tried a new place right near my hotel, and it was excellent.  Good sound system, fully computerized, and the usual food and drink.  I really do wish you could find these places in the West, they’re incredibly fun and make for a good change of pace from the usual sitting around and drinking.

Faith is a trained singer and has a brilliant voice.  I tried my best to keep up, but mostly sat back and watched her belt out the tunes.  Very Filipino, and a lot of fun.  She’s trying to get a visa to go work in Korea as a singer – ugh.  Good money, I suppose, but a nasty lifestyle – drunken Korean geeks pawing her every night, and perhaps worse.  I might decide to try to ‘rescue’ her from that fate…

Friend Steve in Dumaguete texted me – his wife Tina was at her family’s place in Toledo, across Cebu Island.  It was Sinulog fiesta time there, and Steve urged me to go see it.  I hadn’t done much here in the way of fiestas, to my detriment, so asked Faith if she was interested, and she was.  So we left Cebu City around 3 p.m. on Sunday and took a shared minivan (a la Central Asia and other places) to Toledo, a 90-minute ride.  Got there and it was raining hard – torture.  Little cities like Toledo have crappy sewage (read:  none) so when it rains, you get little seas everywhere.  There were marching bands and all sorts of celebrations going on, but it was very messy and less fun than it could have been.

Tina found us and we hung out for a while.  Watched the bands and parades, went to a seaside café, Café Royale, and had a few beers.  Tina and her two kids are meeting Steve in Dumaguete at the end of the month, our paths might cross again there for a bit.

Tina & Steve’s daughter Noosa had really grown since I’d last seen her, in May last year.  Now she was talking and running around.  Impressive.

Tina had to put the kids to bed, so Faith and I wandered back to the school grounds to watch the finale of the fiesta.  Still raining a bit, but not too bad.  The last few acts were fun and people were definitely into it.  I should make a point of attending more of these events, I tend to avoid crowded affairs, but they can be huge fun.

Went to a seafood place called Ocean Fresh for dinner – Tina had recommended it.  Nice food – the owner/manager was a bit pushy in recommending the most pricey items, and I think she wasn’t thrilled that Faith, provincial lass that she is, only ordered garlic rice (!).  But I had ordered seafood soup for two, a plate of fish, and some vegetables, so we had lots of grub and also some wine.  I don’t like pushy restaurant people – don’t they have any degree of self-awareness?

Tina called – she and her relatives were at a videoke place right across the street.  Faith and I went over there and spent a very amusing few hours, drinking and singing with Tina and her clan.  I contributed Barry Manilow’s ‘Somewhere Down the Road,’ and did well enough…but Faith again stole the show, often stepping in to accept the mic when others flubbed the song and couldn’t go on.  I truly believe that videoke is the national sport here, although it gets lots of competition from cockfighting and various other forms of gambling.

It was now way too late to find a way back to Cebu City, so Tina took Faith and I over to a newish hotel for the night.  Got a room, which was fine…except that the bed was sagging in the middle.  And we had no drinking water…or condoms…or soap.  Found some soap in the lobby, but had to wander out into the rain to get water and ‘rainjackets.’  Post-Sinulog, the streets were pretty crowded with drunk, celebratory young men.  I definitely stood out, large and white.  Managed to get some water, and find a 24-hour dispensary that sold ‘Pinoy-style’ condoms, i.e. small, tight and perhaps not leak-proof.  But they were certainly cheap.

Wandered back to the hotel, avoiding throngs of young Pinoys who sometimes shouted to me in English.  The usual chest-beating exercises…they wanted to provoke me and see what happened, but I wasn’t about to play that game.  I just smiled, or turned my head, and plowed on, back to the hotel.  It occurred to me that it wasn’t the safest night/time of night to be out doing transactions, but then again, I couldn’t very well have sent Faith out, could I?  Or perhaps that would have made sense – at least she would have blended in far better than I managed to…

I sorely needed sleep by that point, but between Faith and the crappy bed, I didn’t get much.  We woke up around 11 a.m., I was still exhausted.  We needed to check out at noon, and I was keen to head back to Cebu and take care of a few things…and also drop off Faith.  My sense that I’d be craving total freedom by this point was 100% accurate.  We took a van back to the city, I sent her back to her place, while I returned to Casa Rosario to do a few things and prepare for a work-related call I’d have that night.

Checked email – saw that BootsnAll, my blog hosting site, published my West Bank story on their travel website.  I had submitted it a couple weeks ago, and really had simply cut it out of my blog post with very little editing.  They did some editing, mostly benign and related to look and feel, but also some annoying bits where they stuck in  exclamation points to make it more assertive, but actually less accurate.  Oh well.  Here it is, check it out:

http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/09-01/upside-down-west-bank-palestine-israel-middle-east.html

It was simultaneously the start of Chinese New Year, Australia National Day, and India Republic Day.  Lots of celebrating Aussies in town…didn’t see that many Indians…and the large hotels and Taoist Temples were presumably busy with the local Chinoys and visiting Chinese.  Random.

Went for a run at the track.  Had a couple work-related calls.  Went out for a bite and a beer.  At Lone Star Bar, the Aussie owner had laid out vegemite-and-cheese sandwiches.  They weren’t all that bad…I’m in no way a fan of vegemite, but I’ve eaten much worse.

Went back to Erik the Red Bar – ran into Mark from El Gecko there.  Small city, really.

Next morning, got up, checked out, and caught a bus to Dumaguete, my Filipino home away from home.  The Cebu South Bus Terminal is a disorganized, chaotic place with no formal ticket window or such – you just find your bus and pay on board.  Works fine.  The bus heads across the island, gets on a ferry to Negros Island, and continues on to Dumaguete.  Five hours, pretty smooth.  At the start of the trip, I was exchanging smiles with a funny middle-aged Filipina who was transporting a rooster in a wooden box.  Not sure what she was smiling about…perhaps she sensed that I thought carrying a rooster in a box might be an absurd concept.  But I’ve seen much worse…

The ride was pleasant, bus wasn’t full and the views of the provinces were stunning.  And the ferry ride was also terrific – the views across to Negros are post-card perfect, like many RP islands Negros is volcanic and mountainous.  And super-lush, they get lots of rain here.

Got to Dumaguete, and checked in Plaza Maria Luisa, the place where my computer was ruined by water back in May 2007.  I’d been back to Dumaguete several times since, but had avoided this place and had instead stayed with Steve in Dauin.  But Steve’s house was being renovated and he also had some tenants there, so I stayed in town – no problem, I like being in the city.  And I decided not to hold a grudge any longer against the hotel, and to give it another chance.  Of course, I’d not be storing anything with them, just renting a room for 3 nights…

Most of the same staff was still there – I’d kind of hoped for a fresh slate of people, but no.  I’d called and made a booking, so they were expecting me.  It was a bit awkward, but not too bad.  Last time I’d seen these folks, we’d had a tense time – they’d destroyed my computer (accidentally, of course) and I had been angry.  Anyway, that was almost two years ago, and we all seemed able to just put on a light smile and forget about it.

The hotel was about the same, good enough for a few nights.  One of these years I should try another place, but this hotel has a great location and the price is right.

Went for a walk.  Read a bit.  Went for a run along the beautiful seaside boulevard.  Met Steve, who’d checked into the hotel, in the lobby, and we walked to Mike’s diveshop to track him down.  He was there, we sat and caught up over beers.  Told them about my travels over the past 9-10 months.  Mike asked me a good question, which was where in the world could I do what I was doing now, that is sitting with some friends on the waterfront having a few beers?  Not that many places, to be honest – I named a few, in Australia, in California, in Spain.  Of course, I travel for a range of experiences, not just to sit with friends on the seaside drinking – but still, his question was a good one, and I think aimed at getting me to spend more time in Dumaguete.  Mike’s a good guy – gruff and cranky at times, but he’s very bright and has a good heart.  And every time I come to Dumaguete, I grow a bit more attached to the place…

Hit a few bars with Steve that night.  Steve doesn’t drink (any more), but he’s still a fun guy to sit and talk to.  Went to Garaje, a college bar that doesn’t lack for hotties.  Steve’s married but is quite happy to test his eyesight on the local talent, as am I.

Went diving with Steve at his place the next day.  We hung out for the entire day, in typical Steve fashion packed with errands and transactions.  Didn’t actually get to the diving till nearly 1 p.m…before then, he was buying a raft of TVs and laptops over the phone and having them shipped over here, supervising the building of his guesthouse, which is really coming along, and going through his inventory of dive equipment.  Steve’s happiest when he’s busiest, unlike me – he doesn’t seem to read much, he’s just someone who does things all day long.

Good dive – saw a giant turtle eating behind a coral escarpment, and a plain of little moray eels who went back down their holes when we approached.  A lot like the Eel Garden dive spot in Dahab, Egypt – I hadn’t seen something like this in the Philippines before.  And it’s mere meters from the beach in front of Steve’s hacienda…

Steve’s guesthouse – was supposed to have been completed last summer, but it’s still in process.  Here it is, check out the equine motifs on the thatched roof – nice touch:

He already rented out the 3 apartments for an entire year, and got the cash up-front.  Helpful for him, as he’s lost a shitload in the markets.  The rents won’t be a huge amount of cash, but every little bit helps these days.  Cash is king, emperor, and god in 2009…

Two of Steve’s helpers, who are married, are leaving soon.  The woman sort of lost it after giving birth a few months ago, and has actually attacked other helpers – seems she thinks her hubbie is fooling around with them.  Zero proof of that – I think it’s just post-partum depression or the like.  She was so timid and quiet when I met her last year – hard to imagine her flipping her lid.  Anyway, Steve’s got a good heart – he paid for the birth of their child, and he’s giving them a chunk of change as a going-away gift.  Not many bosses as nice as Steve, many/most of the people who have helpers treat them like crap.  Westerners tend to be better than locals, or other Asians, but you hear stories about nearly everyone…

After diving Steve had a call, had to send some emails, and we finally went to Bahura Resort and had lunch at 3 p.m.  Steve gave the diveshop there some stuff to repair.  Lunch was pretty good…afterward I was completely fried.  I wanted nothing more than to return to the city and snooze for a while – my throat was sore and during the dive I’d had trouble equalizing.  Seemed that I was coming down with something, and that I shouldn’t dive any more this week.

Steve got a call from his Japanese buddy, Naga, so we went to Naga’s place.  Naga wanted to see if Steve was interested in buying a vacant lot next to Naga’s little house, and perhaps Naga’s house too – then he could combine the properties.  But Steve’s got enough real estate, and not much cash these days (get in line), so he declined.  One thing I don’t love about Dumaguete is that all the expats here seem to be infatuated with property – they can sit for hours and discuss transactions, units, etc.  So boring, and materialistic – you never hear anyone talking about a good book they read, or about politics, etc.

Finally got back to the city and slept a bit.  Then tried to exercise, but my sore throat and general level of exhaustion torpedoed that.  Between Steve and Mike I always feel a bit busy and under the gun while here…perhaps that’s why I only stay for a few days, then retreat to Cebu where I can hide out more easily.

Stopped in Coco Amigos, had a beer and listened to the band for a while.  This is the place where I got up and watched the most recent World Cup (2006) at 3 a.m.  I clearly recall Zidane’s head-butt around 4:30 a.m. or so…

Met up with the boys at the diveshop at 10 p.m.  Had a few beers, then Steve and I went to check out Reggae Night at Hayahay – which was pretty weak, for some reason.  So we went to old standby Why Not Disco, where we blended right into the odd mix of horny expats and drunk locals.  This place is truly classic – a little slice of Filipino mayhem right on the Dumaguete boulevard.  Steve didn’t stay long – he doesn’t drink, and is married, so the two primary reasons for being at the disco are null.  I stayed, for precisely the opposite reasons.  And wound up meeting a nice young lass who agreed to hang out with me the rest of the evening – such fantastic iniquity here.

Woke up today, sore throat not any better – not surprising, given my hedonistic lifestyle lately.  Mike had recommended an elderly Filipino doc named Napoleon Oracion at Holy Child Hospital – how could I not go see the guy?  Went over there and saw him – I’ve got a minor throat infection and he prescribed an antibiotic for a few days.  No big deal.  In and out, and I already have the right kind of medicine from my most recent India trip, when I stocked up on various meds.  I should be right in a few days, although no diving trip to Apo Island for me today.  Oh well – will rest and try to behave myself – not an easy proposition in this country.  Perhaps I should get me to a nunnery.  Or something like that.

Will head back to Cebu for Friday night, then go to the little Luzon seaside town of Donsol over the weekend to snorkel with whale sharks.  It’s apparently a transcendent experience, one that I’ve wanted to try for years now.  I’ll tell you all about it next week.  Over and out.

Had dinner with Japanese friend Hira, who’s retired and has lived in Chiang Mai for nearly 10 years.  He was recently in Japan, to see his elderly parents – I asked him how his trip went, and he told me that Japan depresses him, because there are so many old people and so few young these days.  He has a point there – Japan is getting old fast, and needs to make some moves to ensure that its population doesn’t drop precipitously.

We talked about why we like countries like Thailand and some of its ‘developing country’ brethren.  The exoticism is an obvious draw…these countries are so different from the West that they’re instantly appealing.  I also like the human ingenuity on display here – Asians aren’t prima donas, they work their way through their problems in a creative and resourceful manner.  I also like the WYSIWYG nature of these places – sure, there’s lots you aren’t privy to, but when you walk down a gritty Bangkok or Manila street, well, the street is pretty much a reflection of the human soul and spirit, in a way that a posh high street is not.  A dirty 3^rd-world street is a relatively honest place.

Hira is over 60 years old, so after dinner he went back to his place and I went out.  The Night Market area, on Loi Kroh Street, is where you’ll find a collection of nightspots.  I went into a club called StarSix, where they played a random selection of music, ranging from the theme to Dreamgirls all the way to Highway Star by Deep Purple.  They also had a faux S&M show involving hot dripping wax, set to Highway Star.  Methinks Ritchie Blackmore and the boys would appreciate that…

Afterward, walked over to No. 1 Bar, an old fave that’s a bit less fun now, for some reason.  Started walking back to the guesthouse, was enticed into a small bar en route for a drink.  Saw a food vendor outside and got a few skewers of chicken – there was a chili on one of the skewers, and it nearly did me in.   I can take almost any type of pepper, but this must have been either a GM product, or an aberrant natural one.  I could hardly breathe, nearly puked, and wound up getting a Coke to calm my throat.  A good Indian lassi would have been better, but this is Thailand…

After recovering I walked home.  There was an elephant being taken round, with the usual donation requests – I had to dodge it to get down the street.

Noticed in my alma mater’s quarterly magazine (now thrice-yearly, due to economic conditions) that there were blurbs on two of my old friends, one of whom covered the Red Sox for the Boston Herald and just jumped to the Boston Globe.  Interesting.

Next morning, had a call with a former colleague who’s a key player in the Mumbai group I might join.  That went well – found out that he was posted in Johannesburg in 1997-8, and left just a few months before I got down there.  He’s now in D.C. and I’ll probably see him in Boston in February…

Have done approximately zero sight-seeing here in Thailand, as expected.  And I’ve only taken one or two photos, which I won’t bother to post here.  I’m just hanging around, doing a bit of work and networking, and recovering from the demands of Israel.  Refreshing.

Went to the U.N. Irish Bar that night.  Saw a super-cute local girl at the bar, exchanged smiles (or so I thought), and after a half-hour or so I asked the waitress to send a drink over to her.  She seemed surprised, but did order the drink…after that, I think she was embarrassed and my plan fizzled.  These maneuvers tend to be risky, but I hated the thought of leaving the bar without making any move at all.  Not sure whether my move violated cultural norms, or whether I’m just ugly…

It’s all Thai sanuk (having fun), anyway…

Had an early morning flight back to Bangkok…got up at dawn and packed.  Got a tuk-tuk to the airport, en route saw a number of orange-robed monks walking around with their alms bowls, and I noticed a sizeable street market near the city moat selling food and flowers.  Much like scuba diving at night, when you get up at dawn you see an entirely different ecosystem.

Noticed in my dayplanner (yes, I still use one) that it was the third anniversary of my final formal day of employment (when unused vacation time was factored in) at my old job.  Yowza.  I think this streak will end pretty soon…and in fact, as I’ve been helping out on a project proposal, it in some ways has.

Got an email from friend Harsh – turns out he’d be in Bangkok that very day.  Made plans to catch up over drinks that afternoon.

Did you know that Darwin and Lincoln were born the same day?  Fascinating.  Certainly one of the more momentous birthdays in history…I can think of a flipside analogy: July 4, 1826, when Jefferson and Adams both died.

Tried to find the medical clinic at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, but I somehow passed it and then was on the outside.  Vowed to come back early the next morning, before my flight to Manila, and finally get the damned yellow fever vaccine.  Wasn’t that thrilled to get the actual shot though…my arms had hardly recovered from the pain suffered from the 3 shots I’d had a few days before.

Got to VP Towers, checked in, and saw Bob for a few minutes.  Did a few things, took a nap, and went to meet Harsh in the Erawan section of town.  Was searching for  a web café, but instead found a large British India store inside the renovated Central World Mall.  Perused the goods and bought a nice shirt, replacing the one mangled in a recent laundry misadventure.   Total time in store – 11 minutes.  I love it.

Met Harsh at the Erawan Hyatt, where he was staying.  Haven’t spent much time in 5-star hotels lately, this was a nice change.  We met in the lobby and then walked over to a Heineken outdoor beergarden, where we talked for an hour or so.  Good to catch up with Harsh, despite some of our topics – he recently moved from Bangalore to Boston and his accounts of the brutal winter and the grim economy didn’t cheer me that much.

Back to VP Tower.  Met up with Bob and his girlfriend Kate, who took me to the outskirts of Bangkok, to a huge club that was part brew/gastropub, part live music spot.  Lots of Thai families were here, eating, drinking, listening to music, and enjoying the last gasp of the weekend (it was Sunday night).  We ordered a 3-liter ‘beer tower’ and some terrific fish.  Kate, who’s Thai, took good care of us, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Not the type of place you see many farangs (foreigners), although, like most places in Thailand these days, we saw some.  Still, a very real and local experience, not one you could glean from your Lonely Planet guidebook.

We finished up with a nuclear tom yum gai (spicy chicken soup) that was positively nuclear.  Even Kate was sweating and questioning her mortality.  I’ve always said that Indian food is way spicier than Thai, but I guess that doesn’t always hold.

Got a few hours sleep, then back to the airport.  Saw that my flight was delayed – wasn’t sure if they had changed the regularly scheduled time of the flight or if it was a one-off delay.  I should be better about checking online before heading to the airport, particularly for flights booked far in advance.  The airline sometimes emails you if they change the time, but not always, particularly if it’s a partner airline.

Used the extra time to track down the medical clinic and get my yellow fever vaccine.  My previous one was from Joburg in January 1999, and was due to become invalid in 3 more days.  It was a pain to find the clinic, but once I did it was just about US$15 for the shot, which took all of 3 minutes.  Check.

Walked by a large Jim Thompson silk shop en route to my gate.  Was starting to feel a bit crappy – was it the shot?  The lack of sleep?  The food and drink from last night?  I wasn’t looking forward to the 3-hour flight, but steeled myself and soldiered on.

And the flight to Manila was smooth.  The best thing?  I had no seatmates, and the seats themselves were Recaro brand – I’d only seen these seats in high-end sports cars, never in planes.  My seat was so comfortable, and spacious, even in cattle class, that I settled right in and soon I was feeling much better.  I guess I wasn’t having a reaction to the shot…

Read the Thai Airways inflight mag.  There was an Incredible India ad in there, and randomly enough a former yoga teacher of mine in Goa was featured.  Julie Martin, from Brahmani Yoga in Anjuna.  I didn’t find her classes as stellar as those taught by my teacher in Tokyo, Leza Lowitz…admittedly my standards are pretty high.  Anyway, I soon shifted to mostly practicing on my own, but it was still cool to see Julie featured in there.

Landed at Aquino Airport.  Got off the plane – and was hit with a gust of hot air.  Manila was much warmer than Bangkok.  No problem.  Got my bag, got a taxi into town.  They have a new meter taxi system, significantly cheaper than the prepaid taxi service.   Listened to the radio and talked with the driver – a few golden oldies came on during the half-hour drive.  ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ was one of them…I like this song but can’t find it on iTunes.  Maybe I have the title wrong, might be ‘Dreams’ and not ‘Head.’  Anyone?

Got to my hotel, Citadel Inn, right in Manila’s heart of darkness, P. Burgos Street.  I’ve written of this place in old posts so won’t elaborate here.  Suffice it to say that it’s a lively and crazed area.  Noticed quickly that an old favorite, Café Mogambo, was gone.  Wasn’t surprised – the place was managed into the ground and it had gotten progressively less fun over the years.  But I had fond memories of going there with friends Eric and Abbie and playing jenga with the barstaff there years ago.

I love Filipinos.  Everyone says hello to you on the street.

Went out fairly hard that night, something in the air here.  But I behaved and got to bed before the sun came up.

Checked email the next morning – to my dismay I got an email from friend Kathy, an old pal from my Lake Sunapee (New Hampshire) days.  Her mom had passed away unexpectedly and Kathy was understandably badly shaken by this.  She had helped me when my mom died years ago, I replied to her email and also made a note to call her that night at a decent hour.

Manila is a great shopping town, and I was in sore need of some fresh stuff, so hit a few malls.  One, Powerhouse Mall, is one that’s nearby Makati City, where I was staying.  I’d gone running (literally) around this mall several times, but never thought to go in, I had a few go-to malls already.  But I heard that some of my fave shops – British India, Zara, Marks & Spencer – were all in this mall, and given the proximity I decided to check it out.  And it was excellent – I got nearly everything I needed there, with only a quick trip to the Glorietta branch of British India for a final t-shirt.  No need to go to the distant (but impressive) SM Mall of Asia – saved a couple hours right there.  And much of what I bought was marked down – I was getting shirts for US$10-15.  Not sure what that says about my fashion tastes…

Noticed a Max Brenner chocolate shop/bar at Greenbelt Mall, where I meandered towards the end of the day.  Max Brenner’s an Israeli chain – you don’t see that many of its stores, and Manila’s probably not an intuitive place to find one.  But Manila surprises you – it’s malls are sophisticated and there’s a reason why Hong Kongers are happy to jump on a plane here.

Took a cab that night to Malate, dinner with former colleague Vince.  Last time we’d seen each other was at my 40^th birthday party, at Ciboney Bar nearby.  Ciboney was now closed, and had become a godless Offtrack Betting parlor.  Ugh.  Met Vince this time at Casa Armas, my standby Spanish joint in Manila.  Was glad to see the maitre d’, Jun, still there – it’s a timeless place and he’s such a friendly fellow.  Had a great time – Vince is a terrific guy, we traded gossip and news, and ate tapas and paella, with a few beers and a pitcher of sangria.  I don’t think the RP has drunk-driving laws, but Vince did leave most of the sangria to me, he was driving.

I was hoping to run into Jaime, a Spaniard I’d met last May, my previous visit here.  But he wasn’t at the bar, his usual hangout.  Anyway, I might come back to Casa Armas before flying out of Manila in early Feb.

Watched hours and hours of the Obama Inauguration that night and early morning.  Was more than pleased to see the last (one hopes) of Laura Bush’s medicated smile…and Bush’s apelike facial expressions.  So ignorant, these two, so small, and yet so much damage caused.  Please, America – never again.

Huge crowds on the National Mall.  They wheeled Dick Cheney out in a chair – he hurt his back moving his crap.  Nice metaphor.  I think he’ll be dead in a year.

This might have been a defining moment in my lifetime.  This needs to work, Obama needs to come through.  I don’t want to see a world where China’s the dominant power – even in its depths (i.e., the past 8 years), the U.S. is generally an admirable, well-intentioned land.  Let’s get back there, folks.

My mother would have loved this event.

I sighed when Obama took the oath, even though the Chief Justice flubbed the wording.  Later I heard that they had to do it a second time at the White House.  Leave it to the Republicans to screw up a 35-word ceremony.  Hopefully this isn’t one of those key steps on the way to becoming a banana republic…

At least now Bush would no longer have the power to order an Iran attack.

Took a break from the endless coverage to visit Bandidos bar, where I played a couple rounds of jenga and beat the bargirls there.  One was pretty good, but I pulled a move from the heavens and won by a hair.

Got up the next day and switched the news back on.  The time diff with the East Coast was 13 hours, so the Obamas were still cycling through the 10 balls.  A bit repetitive, but hey, Michelle Obama’s a fox and I’m happy to see her 10 times.

Read a few magazines and did a bit of work prep.  Took a brief nap, went for a good run, then headed out to Fort Bonifacio to meet friend Bettina for dinner.  We met at Barcino, a very nice Spanish place.  Had an enjoyable dinner, talked with Bettina and her friend about diving…Israel…U.S. politics…and, of course, Spanish wine and food.  Walked out of there feeling like a burgermeister…

Next morning, headed to the airport to fly to Cebu.  The cabbie didn’t want to use his meter.  I asked how much…he said 600 pesos.  I told him to stop the cab and let me out.  I had a hangover and didn’t feel like negotiating with a rip-off artist.  That figure was simply insulting, it should cost 200.  I got him down to that swiftly and we drove on.  I think he felt pretty damn sheepish about trying to screw me – but I was happy I had been strident, I just despise cabbies who try to get away with stunts like that.

Got into Cebu, one of my favorite cities.  Had missed the Sinulog festival by a few days.  Really need to come to town for that one of these years, they celebrate the city’s patron saint, the Santo Nino (baby Jesus), the icon for which was brought here by Magellan and his men (I think).

Very hot here, hotter than Manila.  But I can take it.

Checked into Casa Rosario, a great little pension right near Osmena Fountain, in the heart of the city.  Same welcoming people there.

Traded texts with a former girlfriend, Faith, who I’d be seeing here at some point.  When I’m in the RP I always feel relatively popular…

Had a bit of work to do, primarily a phone call with a former client.  He didn’t ring at the appointed hour, so I had to leave my hotel room and take my notes and pen with me around town while I took care of errands.  I think returning to work will be hardest for me in terms of process – I’m an organized guy and dislike daily surprises and disruptions.  I can deal with ‘em, but prefer people to have their shit together and do what they say.  The content will not pose a problem, at least I think it won’t – I like getting into the content and am quite good at interpreting data and telling stories.

Got a call from friend Steve in Dumaguete.  I’ll go visit him in a few days and go diving there.  Should be a nice stint.  Dumaguete is such a cool little place.

Went for a run at the outdoors sports center.  Even at 7 p.m. it was 28 Celsius, the run was good but hard.  I need to get more sleep, really.

At the sports center there are all manner of classes – aerobics, dancing, etc.  You see little kids learning to do the major dances, and they’re already pretty good.  No wonder Filipinos are so good at singing and dancing – they get an early start at places like these, which are for the general public and cheap as chips.  My track entry fee is about US$0.30.

Showered and went out.  Client still hadn’t called – oh well, I can’t control everything.  I had called him at 2 p.m. on Skype and spoken with him, but he was running out and promised to call back at 5 p.m., which hadn’t happened.  I can be a real control freak, but decided not to worry about it…things would play out and we’d speak at some point.  Had dinner at the outdoors Larsian BBQ area, which is basically a square area lined with competing BBQ vendors.  Had a nice chunk of blue marlin, some chicken, and pork skewers.  Total bill:  164 pesos, or US$3.50.  Then did a round of bar-hopping, stayed out fairly late, and turned it.  Normal night in Cebu City, the Queen (or Pearl) of the South.

Will go to see Dr. Pardis, the chiropractor here, later today.  Dr. P has helped me immeasurably and whenever I’m in Cebu I go see him.  Back is currently fine, but who knows what’s brewing – I am a big believer in preventative medicine.

I’ll stop here.  Enjoy your week, watch Obama’s progress, and see you later.  Over and out.