Wanderlust Heaven!

As I was getting ready to move from Puerto Princesa to Cebu, I grew concerned that I had, somehow, against all odds, contracted malaria. I had no logic for this presumption…except for a low-grade headache and a few paranormal trips to the toilet. But we know how the mind (my mind?) can work, and come up with conclusions that are entirely against the principle of Occram’s Razor – which states that the simplest conclusion fitting the facts tends to be the correct one. The ‘facts,’ in addition to those mentioned above, were that my malaria prophylaxis tablets, mefloquine to be precise, were purchased up in Mumbai last fall – and I was unable to make out the expiry date on the packing. So there was a small chance they had gone off – make that a very small chance, but a real one. And Palawan might have cases of malaria resistant to mefloquine – after all, Burma and other SE Asian areas do. And, and, and: I had lots of mosquito bites by now – all over. Just one bite by an infected mossie could do the trick.

That sent me running to the Internet to check malaria symptoms. I found that there tend to be 3 stages: cold (shivers), hot (fever), and wet (sweats). I wasn’t experiencing any of those, and decided to put it out of my overactive/hypochondriac mind until one of ‘em came up. So far, so good.

Spent my last night in Puerto checking out a few places – well, pretty much all the places, given Puerto’s small size. Went to a place recommended to me called the Tom Tom Club – in the middle of nowhere, but a nice little secluded restobar (Filipino for restaurant/bar). I’d heard Tom Tom specialized in steaks, and given that I hadn’t had a steak in 4-5 months, I went for one – and it wasn’t bad. Not Morton’s, mind you, but still pretty tasty and a good change of pace from my usual fare.

After that, returned to Kinnabuch Bar & Grill, where I’d met Bong and his friends the previous night and eaten an entire pig’s leg (crispy pata, for those taking notes). Took a seat at the bar and immediately fell into conversation with my neighbors, a Slovenian backpacker, a British tourist, a local musician, and a half-German/half-Pinoy fellow who owned a local boardinghouse. Nice group. When I told them about my previous life, putting in the 80-hour weeks, they thought that was pretty amusing – none of these fellows works more than 20, I’d reckon. But they did tell me I look like a stockbroker, whatever that means. I didn’t take it personally.

Next morning I packed up to leave town. Had been experimenting with new packing methods. I won’t bore you with the numbing details – the crux of the situation is that I’ve been carrying a small sleeping bag with me for the past year, and I haven’t used it once. Even when I hiked in the Himalayas last year, I used the outfitter’s bag – thought it was better to get their bag dirty. My bag’s not heavy, but it does take up valuable space in my pack. So I’ve toyed with getting rid of it – but it’s the last link I have with my ’92 time in India and Nepal, and it’s still a great bag – very compact and light. I decided to keep it, but strap it on outside the backpack to free up some room. And when I get to Boston in late July I’ll just put it in storage. A year without using something is more than sufficient proof of inutility, methinks…

Snuck in a quick trip to the Palawan Museum before blowing town. Some fairly old items in there, from the trade with Ming China and with even older dynasties. The museum’s a bit ramshackle but good for a half-hour viewing.

Got on the Internet and did a few things ahead of my upcoming trip to Japan. Since most of my friends there are either 1) living out in Yokohama, or 2) living with infants, this time I’ll stay in hotels. Which is fine…but means that I had to ensure adequate hotel club points in my accounts. I filled those up with AMEX points, and booked the rooms. Will spend my first 3 nights in Tokyo at the Grand Hyatt Roppongi – a brilliant place across the board. And I can raid the amenities and upgrade my toiletry kit…

Walking back to the hotel, I saw a boy trying to kick a dog, and then throw a rock at it. I’m not one to discipline other people’s kids, but this was disturbing – and not all that unusual here, for some reason. I told the little brat that hurting animals is very bad and to leave it alone. He apologized right away. I’m not that confident I’ll forever have altered his behavior, but he’s gotta hear that from someone.

Went to the airport. They were just opening it for my flight. Quaint. At least there was aircon in the waiting room, unlike in Caticlan Airport near Boracay, where I was shvitzing so badly it probably looked like I did have malaria…

Read the latest Time Magazine. Always a good source for factoids, such as: the US imports more oil from Africa than from the Middle East; and more from the Gulf of Guinea than from Saudi Arabia plus Kuwait. Nigeria itself contributes 10-12% of US oil imports. Interesting, and mildly encouraging, I suppose.

Thought ahead to my 40^th birthday – which is tomorrow. And reflected on my experience meeting the annoying fellow in Sabang a few days earlier – the fellow I mentioned in last week’s post, who couldn’t wait to tell me everything about his life within 2 minutes of meeting. What was it about him that I so despised? I tried to pinpoint it in last week’s entry but probably didn’t succeed. I now think I know what set me off. The guy was entirely lacking in humility and the ability to self-deprecate – instead, he was the very picture of smugness and arrogance. I’ve always hated people who think they’ve got it all figured out – I’ve sat in bars and cafes and listened to tourists brag about their hiking boots, backpacks, itineraries, you name it – and there’s rarely any form of inquiry, openness to debate, etc. We’ve all got something to learn, all the time, in my opinion, and while I’m also guilty of being close-minded at times, my ego generally doesn’t crowd out the counsel of others (credible others, anyway). Another case in point: in the copy of Time that I was reading, there was a story about Hong Kong 10 years after the handover, profiling some expats living in HKG. One, a Czech woman living there with her family, was quoted as saying that ‘there’s no smarter place to be right now.’ Oh really. Hong Kong is a great city, and I loved living there as well – but if you’ve got a problem with little things like heavy air pollution or lack of world-class culture, then HKG isn’t the smartest place to be right now. ‘Nuff said.

So I dislike the smug and arrogant. But I love people who are self-deprecating – if you can make fun of yourself, come sit by me. I’m adding self-deprecation to my running list of positive attributes, and at some point I’ll tally ‘em up and elicit some comments from you. Self-deprecation is right up there with satire, and could perhaps be the highest form of humor…in my book, it’s certainly the best conversation enabler. Humility is also good – although being too humble has major drawbacks, you can seem like a limp rag. I think it’s good to keep a bit of an edge, while not using it to spear people too often…

So my 40^th birthday looms. I don’t have any brilliant insights or words to offer at this point – you’ll just have to live with the bit above. I am feeling good these days – in solid physical shape, no malaria, making good friends in odd places, and eager to see more. I’ve never been a true believer, and while a 40^th birthday is a big enough deal, no epiphanies are expected here. But if I get one I promise to share it with you. The only thing that strikes me right now is that I used to carry a comb in my back pocket, but now carry a handkerchief to wipe sweat off my (burgeoning) forehead. Comb, handkerchief – there might be something in there…

You come across lots of Jesus in the RP – sayings, images, etc. And as a Jew, I tend to filter them right out. But I have noticed that there’s a playfulness to Christianity here that I didn’t notice in the States – perhaps it’s in the hot Pacific breeze. The other day there was a photo in the paper of former Cardinal Jaime Sin, commemorating the second anniversary of his death. Sin was having a serious laugh with Mother Teresa, somewhere in Manila, years ago. Great photo – two famous clergy/humanitarians whooping it up in public. I wonder what they were laughing about…but the point is that they weren’t dour figures marching around and pointing figures. They weren’t Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson or any of these freaks that have their own cable channels in the States. I haven’t seen any photos of Jerry Falwell laughing, have you? And there isn’t any temperance foolishness over here, either. Filipinos might be true believers, but they have their limits.

Left my sweaty handkerchief in the Puerto airport. Couldn’t find it when I got on the place – asked an attendant to see if it was in the waiting hall. Nothing came up. I was briefly annoyed – I hate losing things, trivial as they are. Then I recalled my father saying that people get worked up over stupid little things if they have nothing bigger to concern them…that humbled me and I made a mental note to buy a cheap hankie in Cebu.

Got to Cebu. Checked into the Diplomat Hotel, I place I’ve been meaning to try but which always seems full. I’d heard it’s a favorite place of Koreans studying English in Cebu. Took me 3 minutes in the lobby to prove out that theory. Reminded me of being in Itaewon, Seoul – Korean punksters running around with odd backpacks and baseball caps. I had to laugh – mostly because I know some English teachers from Our Place pub and they’ve told me that the Koreans blow all their parents’ money at the casinos and bars, barely attend class, and learn little English before they head home. Well, what do you expect? If my dad gave me a lump of cash and sent me off to Korea, you can bet I wouldn’t have my nose in a language book all day and night…or a fraction of that.

Went for a run as the sun went down. Hot as fucking hell. And I had lost my running edge in Palawan, where it was hot as fucking hell squared. But I did 10 laps at the Cebu Sports Complex and felt good about that. Later that night, I had two people tell me I looked fatter than the last time they’d seen me. Right. One of them, a short lass, had some nerve, given her propensity to consume skewers of baboy (pork). But she has some alluring curves – which won’t be alluring for long given her body type. I actually tried to check my weight at the hotel – there was a scale in my room, not the usual accoutrement in these sorts of hotels. I got on and it read 70 kilos. I wish. I think it’s one of those scales that deducts 15 kilos automatically. Anyway, I can wait till I get to the Grand Hyatt Roppongi, Tokyo to see what the reality is. Till then, it’s roadwork for this 40-year-old Jew every single night. Groan.

Saw a billboard (Brits call these ‘hoardings’ – what an odd word) that featured ‘New Placenta Herbal Beauty Soap.’ How do you think that gets interpreted?

Thought about my time here in the RP. Have been here since Feb 7 – coming up on 5 months. I must say I’ve had a very cool time here – and there are another 2-3 months’ worth of places to visit. Not many countries can boast that. Definitely will return some day to get another dose.

That said, I do think I’ll appreciate a change of scenery. I always enjoy changing the frame. The first thing I plan to do upon reaching Tokyo is to gorge myself on salad, fish, and vegetables. Three things which should be everywhere in the RP, but which are hard to find. Sometimes I think that veggies are like Filipino kryptonite. The crunch of a lettuce leaf in my mouth – I’ll probably smile like Cardinal Sin and Mother Teresa at that moment. I’ve eaten way too much McD’s here, but at the same time I’m not down on myself for that. Perhaps I can help develop the sequel to Supersize Me here in Manila…

A Tokyo-based friend in the consulting biz put me in touch with his colleague in Chicago, who’s soon to quit after 16 years with the firm to go traveling. I wouldn’t call this a mass movement just yet, but I do hear about folks like him from time to time and wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a decent uptrend. Hopefully I’ve influenced a few people with this Slog. I do know that a few people have used it for travel planning – friend Bob in Thailand is at this very moment en route to Leh, Ladakh, India as a result of my posts from that wild and bizarre land…

Spent a few final days in Cebu, mostly taking care of errands and seeing friends. Really only one highlight to report – I was invited to a wedding 3 hours before it took place. Got a text from a friend, saying that our mutual friend, the soon-to-be-bride, wanted me to join them. Weird – but things like this happen in the RP. I had a few things to do that day (Saturday), but they weren’t time-sensitive (what is, these days?) and I decided to go to the wedding. It was at the Waterfront Hotel, one of the top places in Cebu. All I had was a white oxford and a black pair of pants – good enough. Got to the hotel a bit early…walked around and checked the place out. Saw a watering hole called Treff Bar. ‘Tref’ in Yiddish means non-kosher. And noticed on the signboard that financial firm AXA was having a workshop that day from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. This was Saturday. Ugh. That brought back a few bad old memories.

The only people I knew at the wedding were the bride and our friend. That was fine – but it was odd thinking that I might never see any of these people ever again. Perhaps the onset of my 40^th year is causing me to have these sorts of thoughts – but I think I’ve always had this perspective and while it’s a bit morbid, it’s good to have it.

Anyway, it was great fun. The wedding was presided over by Judge Judy, who was a bit heavy on the ‘laws and duties of marriage’ bit but generally fine. Paul and Loida, the couple, looked great and seemed very happy.  Things weren’t too serious – Paul had been married before, Loida was a single mom. I was pressed into an usher’s role and I also paired with the rather fetching Angie to place a cord over the bride and groom, signifying the linkage between them. Other images came to mind but you don’t need to know about those. I think I did quite well considering that I missed the two practice sessions the previous day. From what I heard, though, the two practices were very different and no one knew which was correct. Very Filipino…

There were typically Filipino bits to the post-ceremony bash. One was the selection of a single guy and single girl as next to be married. I forget the term used for this, but generally it involves the tossing of a bouquet, and whoever catches it is doomed/next to be married. At this wedding, it was rather different. First, the guys had to chug a beer – the winner stayed on. I could have won – the competition was modest – but deliberately lost. Dean won and made it to the next round, during which he sat in a chair while music played and the girls walked around him. It was like musical chairs – when the music stopped the girls had to sit on his two legs – those who didn’t were out. Finally Angie won out. So far, I was happy with my strategy. But then the bridge and groom, and Dean and Angie, got to have a 30-second kissing ‘contest.’ They basically made out for 30 seconds. I mentioned that Angie was cute – I was really kicking myself for throwing the beer match. For a guy who used to be a strategy consultant, a poor move. Dean was happy, though.

I didn’t need to behave myself at this wedding, and had a fine time as a result. The beer was flowing and after things broke up, we all went out to El Gecko restobar (the owner was at the wedding) and continued until we were spent a few hours later. Was very happy I attended and met a few good people.

Next day, looked through the PDF tax file my accountant in Boston emailed me. Bottom line: after months of back-and-forths with Japan and Hong Kong, I owe the US government precisely US$20. I had already paid Japan for my ’06 earnings (pretty much just my ’05 Monitor Group bonus), so didn’t expect to owe the US much – but this was good news and I had to laugh. $20…how random.

Got my monthly mail package from Boston. Lots of magazines, a few credit card offers, the usual crap. The package costs about $100 to send – which sounds like a lot, but there are 15-20 magazines in there. So I’m paying the equivalent of $5-6 per magazine – plus subscription costs, which are minimal. Not that bad. $5-6 is about the newsstand price, and anyway I love reading The New Yorker, Outside, etc. and I’d pay nearly anything for the privilege.

Read the University of Virginia magazine. Noticed that Boyd Tinsley was the Valediction Speaker this year. Tinsley is the vioilinist for the Dave Matthews Band – when I was at Darden/UVA he joined the band and I remember fondly seeing the DMB crank at Trax and other venues around town. Tinsley gets some incredible sound and volume out of his violin/fiddle and is great to catch live.

Read Alert Diver magazine. Noticed that the US Navy advertises in there. Hmmm.  Not too sure how to feel about that.

Read Sports Illustrated magazine. Noticed that Keyshawn Johnson retired from the NFL after a 13-year career. Feels to me like only yesterday that Johnson left USC for the pros. Did I mention I turn 40 tomorrow?

Saw the movie Zodiac. Have always been fascinated by the case, which involved a serial killer in California in the late ‘60s. I’m going to San Francisco in late July for a wedding, so I thought the movie would help me get ready.

Went to a go-go bar that night. So-so talent – but the place serves a dish called ‘butter chicken’ which is simply chunks of fried chicken soaked in butter. Better than it sounds – seriously. The stuff was absolutely scrumptious – and that doesn’t bode well for my long-term health. I think you shouldn’t eat this shit after you turn 40 – right?

Old friend Ken called twice – once from London, once from California – to remind me I’m turning 40. Well, not really. He wants to visit me in Goa this winter, with his family, so we talked about that. And he just took a new job with Yahoo Europe, so we covered that too. He and his Spanish wife are thinking of moving from London to Madrid. I think that’s generally a great call – in cities like London and NYC, you can really lose perspective and turn inward. It gets to be all about 1) making lots of money, and 2) plugging yourself into the guts of the city and becoming a local cognoscenti/know-it-all. I should know, I felt myself becoming that sort of person in NYC – sometimes I wouldn’t leave Manhattan for weeks at a time. That New Yorker cartoon about the world beyond NYC being small and worthless – some people truly feel that way. Scary stuff…

Cabs here tend to use their aircon – which I appreciate. Not sure why they do it – is it for the cabbies or the passengers? Last year I took a cab in Manila and the cabbie was clueless – I couldn’t get him to understand me and turn on the aircon, and it was a brutally hot morning. So I took out my Japanese hand-fan, a desperate last resort which does work quite well.

If you sit in the front seat – a common move here – you get cold fast. I used to sit up front, but have been influenced by the near-accident on the bus in Palawan, and now sit in the back. Another driver of this decision was my careful reading of the Divers Alert Network (DAN) Handbook, which has some useful bits such as:

-If you plan to dive in a malarial zone, and can’t get proper preventative medicine first – cancel your trip.

-Risk factors for disablement/death include things like: riding in 3^rd world vehicles, becoming intimate with the locals, etc. I realized that I was crossing several thresholds here and should probably be a bit more conservative.

Got ready to depart Cebu for Manila. I’ve come through Cebu a few times on this trip, and many times over the past 4-5 years. It’s a bit of a staging ground for me, and I’ve grown to really enjoy the place, warts and all. I think I’ll be back here before too long…

And finally, back to Manila after 3 months away. Oh, the sights I’ve seen! Feels like closing the circle, now. I could probably compose a Seussian Filipino book about the places I’ve visited. Please remind me about that when you see me next.

Realized at Cebu Airport that I left my mobilephone charger at the Kiwi Lodge. Phoned over there – they’re sending it up to Manila right away. Good people.

Got on the plane. Flight attendant was very pretty – and her name was in fact Pretty. I love it.

Got to Manila, headed back to the Ralph Anthony Suites in Malate, where I spent 6 weeks back in Feb/March. Was like I never left – same friendly faces.

That’s about it for this week. My 40^th birthday party will be at Ciboney Bar in Malate, Manila, 9 p.m. Friday June 29^th. Come on down – you’re invited. Should be good fun – at the very least, everyone there will be a friend, so I don’t expect to be tortured with a stranger’s life story a la the fellow in Sabang. And for that I am very, very grateful indeed. Over and out.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 at 6:42 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.