Wanderlust Heaven!

I promise this is a short one. The entry, that is. Had an annoying morning…went to the Internet café to write this up, and at 8:30 a.m. it was still shuttered. Turns out the dim-witted clerk had locked the keys inside. She and another clerk were hanging around outside till the replacement key arrived. Clerk #2 was new…hadn’t seen her before. She was chatty, I was not – possibly because she was an obvious transvestite (women’s clothing/high heels, slight moustache, and prominent Adam’s Apple) and I noticed random people staring at us as we (she) talked. I wasn’t really in the mood to be considered a Western pervert at 8:30 in the morning, so I bailed. Went to get some coffee, came back 40 mins later and the store was still shut. Last week the store was essentially down for 3 days because they had no Web connection. Remind me not to get into the Internet café business in the Philippines…

Stopped into 7-11 to get a paper. Freezeframe by J. Geils was playing. I love it. The lead singer, Peter Wolf, used to jam a bit with my old university friend/fraternity brother Paul. I believe I met Peter – one of the most entertaining singers in the biz – once in a drunken stupor (me, not him). But I can’t prove it and I doubt Paul can either…

Went over to Makati City last weekend to buy a dive watch. I’ve been meaning to get one of these for ages, they’re pretty useful and when you rent equipment at scuba outfitters you rarely get the use of a dive watch. Not only are they useful for things like cautioning you when you’re ascending too quickly, they’re also cool-looking and make you feel like a serious diver. I refuse to go out and buy any other equipment – who wants to lug that stuff around? I’m the world’s most enthusiastic renter, methinks.

Wasn’t sure what the local scuba shops would charge for a good watch. I wanted the Suunto Mosquito, my step-brother Aaron has one and recommended it. Estimated it would go for approx. US$400. Checked online – MSRP was US$399, but MSRP doesn’t really take into account retail realities – such as transport costs, tariffs, etc. So was prepared to spring for a bit more. This was my birthday present from my dad and step-mom. Was first quoted 33,270 Pesos list price by the first shop I visited – which is approx. US$685. Give me a break. Of course, as soon as you demonstrate the ability to speak, they offer you a 20% discount – taking the price down to US$548. Laughed and said I’d think about it. Went to second shop – same numbers, precisely. Laughed and said I’d think about it. Walked over to an Internet café, re-checked prices, and made up my mind not to accept anything over US$450. My online research indicated I could probably order the Mosquito online for about US$400…but I dislike ordering electronics online, it’s a pain to get servicing and you never know what’ll happen in transit. Went back to the first store, told them that store #2 had exactly the same price (I didn’t lie and say it was lower – I’m certain they collaborate, just like the airlines), and that I could order the watch online for US$400. They grimaced, talked amongst themselves, and offered US$500. I said goodbye, was walking out, and they came back with a ‘final offer’ of US$445 – which was acceptable so made the buy.

In retrospect, I should probably have bought the watch in the States. It’s always tempting to want to buy in developing countries…but not always the way to go. Most things are much cheaper here – but only things that involve 1) local labor, which is dirt cheap, and 2) local materials, a la agricultural products, beer and clothing – which are created largely with local labor. Imported goods can be more expensive than abroad, due to shipping costs and tariffs. My Suunto is Finnish and doesn’t involve an iota of Filipino input – hence the premium I paid. Anyway, I was close to my estimate. My father, WW2-era baby that he is, counseled me to stay within a US$350 budget. My stepmother pooh-poohed that and told me to spend whatever I wanted – it was for my 40th birthday. In the end I came in pretty close and got what I wanted. Now I just have to figure out how to use the damned thing…then to go use it. Am expecting to depart Manila around the 22nd and head down to the scuba center of Puerto Galera – haven’t been there and apparently the diving is superb. Should be good fun…

Have been eating at Casa Armas a couple times a week. Brilliant Spanish fare – I can feel my body and soul expanding as I inhale the rioja, bread, jamon, gambas, and queso. Very earthy stuff, fairly basic preparation, but it does me right. I’ve even gotten used to the corny musicians who play there – they were playing The Girl from Ipanema last time I was there.

Have noticed a white woman and her baby a few times lately. The woman stands outside bars and restaurants and begs, with her baby in her arms. Quite an odd sight – I wonder what her story is. Can’t be a pretty one, that’s for sure. Reminds me of an account in the book Goa Freaks, by Cleo Odzer – who spent several years in Goa in the ‘70s. Odzer wrote that it was time to leave Goa when things got too dark and depressing – as partly evidenced by Westerners cleaning toilets and doing other work previously the domain of locals. Odzer couldn’t believe she was seeing Europeans sweeping floors for money in India, that was quite a come-down from the days of wine and roses (and chillums). For me, seeing the white woman and her baby begging on the streets of Manila was depressing too – of course seeing beggars of any color/gender/age is a bummer, but somehow this was different.

Got my mail sent from Boston. Most of it was financial statements related to my opening a Roth IRA. I finally got around to moving my 401(k) from my previous employer. When you change/open accounts the amount of paperwork is ridiculous – you get dozens of fund prospectuses, account statements, etc. I spent a few hours opening mail, then ripping it into tiny pieces and flushing them down the toilet. Did I mention I’m paranoid about identity theft? I know a couple people who’ve had to deal with this and it doesn’t sound fun, cheap or straightforward. So I am very careful with my mail, particularly in places where reading my statements might make mouths water…

Finally finished watching my 5-season DVD set of the TV series 24. I watched 2-3 episodes per day over the last month and got through all 5 seasons of the show. Quite entertaining. Of course, my productivity suffered immensely…but who really cares? This is the only TV show I watch, so I don’t feel that guilty, or enslaved by the boob tube. The shows has its negatives – much of the acting is wooden, the technology isn’t credible, and you do feel like you’re treading the same ground over and over (another Muslim terrorist has a nuclear weapon?!). But the plot is good and the political twists and turns are creative – after watching this show you simply don’t trust anyone, or at least won’t count on your friends in a pinch. Which might be a very good lesson to learn…I forget who said that you should keep your enemies close and your friends closer, but they had a point.

Have been running around Rizal Park regularly. I’m generally the only one doing so, and get many stares from everyone else. I don’t mind the ladies taking a gander, but do get annoyed when the boys do. It might be that I’m homophobic, although I don’t think that’s it. And you can bet I won’t find myself quoted in the press on the topic – can you fucking believe morons like Tim Hardaway (NBA) and Peter Pace (top US general) who find themselves on the front page of the papers with 19th-century quotations about gays? Speaking your mind is one thing – being a cretin is another.

I think my annoyance at getting stares from males is a question of rivalry and hierarchy – males who stare at me are running through an algorithm which goes something like this:

1. This kano (white man/American) is running – I am not.
2. I feel a) inadequate – I am doing nothing, or b) superior – only idiots run around a park.
3. If 2b), then end loop. If 2a), then continue with 4.
4. Who is better – the kano or I? In other words, who gets laid more? Proxy questions as follows:
  -Who is better looking/more fit?
  -Who is better dressed/has more money?
  -In a fight, who would kill whom?
5. If I do not prevail on these questions, then a) stare at the kano, or b) attack him.

That’s about it. My belief is that I don’t lose many of these ‘tests of will,’ but maybe I’m fantasizing and making the whole thing up. In any event, 5b) does not occur with regularity.

Have been getting my laundry done at the hotel. They do a nice job and it’s done in one day. But this time, the maid brought over my favorite shorts and apologized profusely – she had gotten careless with the iron and shredded a patch of fabric. Torture. The shorts are actually ‘sahara pants’ – they turn into long pants when you zip on the legs. I brought a second pair with me, which was a good move, but I’m still annoyed about this pair. She’ll try to patch it up – I can only imagine the heinous patch she’ll come up with. Anyway…

People here really don’t know anything about Jews/Judaism. Which is no surprise at all….pretty typical around Asia. Just read that a student group in Taiwan has formed and is based on Nazism and Hitler admiration. The leader was quoted as saying that he admired Hitler’s strong nationalism and that this is required in Taiwan, given the country’s creaky position internationally. He also said that Taiwanese nationalism would need to be based on traditional Confucianism and other Chinese values. Oh lordy. I imagine this loser learned about the European WW2 experience in a 30-minute class and thinks he gets it. I know that shallow thinking is prevalent in every country, and is especially evident in the White House, but sometimes I find that Asian teaching methods and a predilection for simplifying complex concepts into slogans results in bad thinking. It’s almost as if European political immaturity and ‘massification’ (Ionesco’s term for the tendency of people to join together in mass movements) from 60 years ago lives on in Asia, albeit with very different roots and outcomes.

Anyway, I told you that story to tell you this one. Chinese presence and culture really is everywhere in the world…whereas we Jews only seem to cover the planet. You can indeed find some Jews in most places, but given the worldwide population of only 14 million we get stretched mighty thin, and in the Philippines you just don’t see us. The Chinese, on the other hand, have a far larger pool to draw on. I remember walking down Chinatown in Havana and hearing that 1% of Cubans are of Chinese descent. Talk about an unlucky career move for those poor souls. And the Chinese have been running around Asia for a millennium. They would truly be running the place, and perhaps the world, if the Ming dynasty hadn’t scuttled the sea program and closed off the country. I bought a book called 1421, about Admiral Zheng He’s voyages of discovery and trade. Haven’t managed to read it yet, but have read a number of articles on Zheng He and contemporary China and it’s fascinating stuff.

Made me wonder how much more of the world we Jews could cover with a population of 20 million, which was probably the historical headcount peak, before WW2. You may be wondering why the hell I’m having these sorts of thoughts, but recall that I have plenty of free time these days. I don’t know the answer to this question – and realize that if there were no Holocaust, many/most Jews would likely still be in Eastern Europe, and that Israel might not exist. Anyway, I went on to think about retribution for the Holocaust – I suppose I was in a bad mood and vengeance was an acceptable frame of thought at the time. Did the Germans truly repent and ‘pay’ for their actions? And what is the proper ‘payback’ for them? I’m well aware that German politicians, and many German citizens, have said the right things and have pushed for realization and change for Germany. Still, the crime was so immense (and I’m not claiming exclusivity here – Armenians have gotten screwed in unbelievable ways) that it’s almost surprising that Germany hasn’t been targeted in some way with violence and retribution from Jews themselves. You might claim that almost any population could be coerced into genocide – that it’s inside of us all. Still, it’s one thing to make such a claim and entirely another to have it in the history books. I can imagine an alternative history (like the two What If? books) in which a Jewish terrorist group, or even Israel itself (perhaps a radical group within the Israeli Defense Forces) grabs a nuclear weapon (Israel supposedly has 120 or so of these – shhh, don’t tell anyone), and bombs Berlin to smithereens. And perhaps adds Frankfurt as well – whatever takes the toll up to 6 million Germans, and perhaps another 2-3 million to make up for murdered Gypsies and others.

That’s a pretty horrifying thought, and obviously wouldn’t be positive in any conceivable way – except, in the minds of some, as a form of ‘payback’ and an eye for an eye. When I contemplate such a scenario, I must admit that I realize and am confronted with my own prejudices…that it would be a form of justice, albeit targeted against people who had nothing to do with the original crime, and perpetuating a cycle of death and misery. The comedian Chris Rock had a great monologue on O.J. Simpson. He was up-front about saying that O.J. was obviously guilty – but he also said that O.J. was probably pissed-off that Ronald Goldman (his ex-wife’s friend) was seen driving O.J.’s Ferrari, hanging out with the ex-wife, and so forth – and that ‘O.J. did it – but I understand.’ That’s pretty much how I feel when I think about retribution for the Holocaust. If Berlin were bombed back to the Stone Age, it would be awful…but part of me would discern a brutal logic. Do I need anger counseling? We all have our prejudices – that’s mine.

Changing gears…I have a meeting later today with the former Minister of Trade for the Philippines. Want to ask him a few questions about the pharmaceutical business here. He’s the brother-in-law of my friend Eric and I’m looking forward to the meeting, even though it’s in a private club in Makati City and I need to wear decent clothing. Oh well. Hopefully I’ll learn a lot from speaking with him.

Took a stroll down Roxas Blvs (‘Baywalk’) a few days ago. Nice lengthy promenade along the harbor, with the huge US Embassy along part of it. Manila Bay has famous sunsets, I had brought along my camera to take some shots. The stench of the harbor is tough, although there are countless locals hanging out who must have evolved antibodies to the smell. The sunsets are partly enabled by pollution – but whatever the cause, they are quite nice and here are a few shots:

More discerning readers will realize that I’ve started figuring out how to align photos and text in this blog – soon I’ll actually be able to juxtapose graphics and copy.  But give me time… 

That’s all for this week. I realize my Holocaust comments might kick up some dust – throw some back at me if you want. Over & out.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 9:08 pm and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.