Peering Down Craters

It took a lot of convincing, all of them internal, to put my heavy ass inside a plane. Don't get me wrong, but I like flying. I like it so much, that well, I have enough material to talk about in this blog about my travels. However, this was no ordinary plane - it was a small plane, so small that it can only seat 3 passengers and the pilot. Remember that old Daffy Duck cartoon that he'd stand on the propeller and yell "Contact!" ? Yeah, that's the one. Out pilot, Jimmy Boyd, consoled us that at least every one sat in first class.



So there I was sitting nervously in a little plane, waiting for our turn to take the runway. The takeoff was relatively smooth, but in a small plane you can feel all the little movements. Whenever the pressure changed due to a rise in altitude, Little Plane That Could jerked a little, causing my stomach to churn, my head to tilt, and my eyes to rapidly search for a parachute (there were none, but there life jackets, how comforting). Boysen, an aerospace engineer, who assured me that it was *probably* safe with a counter-argument "How you know your car is safe?", gets usually airsick. Just puke it out, and you'll be fine, he suggested. Ah, just like getting plastered after having a notorious night of drinking - vomit will set things right.


Back to the flight, we finally reached our desired altitude to properly view the crater of Mount Pinatubo. This sure beats a 2-day trek! From the meandering lahar flows that spark contrast with the lush green foliage of the mountains, to the crater lake that was semi-dark from all the sulfur, it was definitely a sight to behold. There are a lot more pictures, but I'd like to think that I'm considerate for non-DSL connections (us, mainly). I just did not feel awe at the sight, but also sadness; I offered a moment of silence to remember all the people who were displaced, killed, lost, from the events that were borne of the fury of Pinatubo.

There's probably more pictures to upload in my Flickr account.

Planes and the Clark Museum

The modest Clark Museum in Angeles City is a 200 sqm room divided into chambers that relived the American Occupation of the area. I surely didn't know that it was called Fort Stotsenburg in the earlier days (now you do too!), and Clark, was...hmm... that one I forgot already. I'm sure he was famous though.

From the showcase of history in the museum, we raided the Angeles City Proper, or as Boysen would refer to it, Angeleth Thity. Allow me a moment to indulge here: my lisp is not that bad!

As I was saying, Filipino Ingenuity was on full display on the roads, with names that are suggestive, yet still playful littering the road encircling Clark. I'm sure there's a sign for a pub that will tickle your fancy (no pun intended!); my favorites were Thi Hi and T Time. You have to see the posters to have a more, errm, visual appreciation.

Last one before I go to the main event, we stopped by the plane relics in Air Force City. I got a chance to take photos, and this is one of my all time favorites. It's called Homage To Planes, and it's got something to do with my next trip, together with a very popular volcano.

Manila, Way Back When

Showing my CouchSurfing guest Stijn what Manila looks like was as much a pleasure for me since I was fiddling with my brand new camera. After checking out San Agustin Church (there's an article about it below, before Spider-Man 3 made a splash in my blog), we headed for good old Fort Santiago. Silly me, it was just across the street from Manila Cathedral. Anyway, it was probably in Grade 3 when I went here last - it looks fairly familiar, yet enticingly new.

There were 18th century guards, ancient Spanish brick gates, and, (in)appropriately, a well-manicured golf course. Even the caretaker of the 3mx4m artillery room-cum-chapel scratched her head at the thought of the golf course. Well, at least the grass is definitely well taken care of.



If you think the golf course was quite peculiar, then you should try the Rizal Museum. His old cell, all his writings, and photos of the women he loved; nothing was strange here, but the writings were presented in a very modern way. Etched glass, steel bars that draped from ceiling to the floor, and as an ending, the Mi Ultimo Adios written on the floor. Sure, it was a novel way of presenting his works, but for me, it was a little anachronistic. It was modern, too modern even.

The rest of the beauty of Fort Santiago seemed to have eluded me, as I was busy answering phone calls that morning. Drat. But, there was enough time to take a picture of Pasig River, and imagine the glory days of the fortress. Even one of the brazen guards spread across the grounds seemed to think so.

Swim Away! Fanboy In The Midst!

The verdict is out - I like Spiderman 3 more than I enjoyed the last installment. Throw in a perfectly good song by Snow Patrol, and it's set the tone for a wonderful, exciting, summer season at the movies. And by "good", in a Snow Patrol kind of way, I mean "mopey, insightful, with a swelling crescendo". Perfect.

In the confusion and the aftermath,
You are my signal fire,
The only resolution and the only joy,
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes

This season's really intriguing movies: Ratatouille, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Disturbia, The Simpsons Movie (Go Chief Wiggum!).

Spider-Man 3, Let Me Go Music Geek On You

In summary, I enjoyed the last Spider-Man movie. My gripe is that it was very pop, yet very MTV2 at the same time. Just to be consistent with the music references for this article, it would be best to write my complaints in a list:

1. Gwen Stacy, is well, too Gwen Stefani (No surprises there).
2. Harry Osborn, was less brood-y, more cheer-y. It's like Robbie Williams revering to his boyband roots. Eeek.
3. Peter Parker + alien symbiote = Panic! At The Disco groupie. That I found really strange.
4. I've seen Mary Jane Watson before. They're called divas, and we don't need more of them.
5. The ending was pretty strange; this felt like a contrived encore.
6. And like all other reviews, the movie has got too much going on; it's like watching the Live8 video stream where you get to see all of them perform at the same time.
7. Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, and Topher Grace were way underused.

However, there were good points as well:


1. Goblin's glider/skateboard and Harry's costume rocked.
2. Topher Grace was still very Topher Grace, even as Venom. Just how cool is that?
3. The tag teams idea was clever, why just now?
4. Less longful looks from Harry and Peter, and vice versa.
5. Less preaching, less self righteousness, more action. Yey!

Too much talking, less watching! Got to run back to the cinemas, lest only 9 of the 10 cinemas carry Spider-Man 3 in Gateway.

Summer Music Mix 2007

I'm lazy, yet I still want to rant. Just picked up a couple of CDs, and seen a movie. Here's an abridged guide:



1. Introducing Joss Stone by Joss Stone - Vinnie Jones, Raphael Saadiq, Common and Lauryn is definitely a good boost for her. There are no standout songs from the album, but the record in general shows off a more upbeat brand of soul this young singer is famous for.



2. A Fever You Can't Sweat Out by Panic! At The Disco - My major hesitation in picking up this album before (aside from long, cumbersome titles) was a uncanny resemblance to Fall Out Boy, which I already had. Surprise, surprise. There's a bit more dancehall rock and programming in the album that what I gave them credit for. I particularly like Camisado, Time To Dance ("when I say Shotgun, you say Wedding!"), and the hits. Special mention to Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes (Sound familiar? This was spoken by Natalie Portman, in Closer), complete with the odd goldfish video.



3. Out Of The Woods by Tracy Thorn - Glad she came out with an album, and fresh new songs, since EBTG came out with Temparamental in 2000. This collection of songs is, in a word, quirky. There are elements of 80s pop, streaks of great programming, and pepperings of folk. It's two steps back from Walking Wounded (less drumbeats, less synthesizing), but two steps forward from Amplified heart (more programming, more electronica). It's strange, and the least I would expect from her, and maybe that's why I loved it. Standouts are Easy, Grand Canyon, Raise The Roof, and By Piccadilly Station I Sat Down And Wept.



4. Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard - Why oh why did I take forever to buy this CD? I knew I loved the title track to bits (best song of 2004), and their contribution to the Spider-Man 2 OST Gifts and Curses was simply phenomenal - so why? Maybe the piyok turned me off. Haha. Great album, and not as noisy as I would've expected. Apart from the title track and Only One, the other good songs are Empty Apartment, Life Of A Salesman (perfect for Father's day, but probably Frank Sinatra or Perry Como would still be a better choice), One Year Six Months and Back Home. Yeah, so I really liked the album.

I did say I saw a movie, and mentioned Spiderman above, but this is getting to be a rather long entry, so I'll wait a couple of hours before I do that one. Drat, and I working up a pretty good segue back there.

Now I'm Starting To Wonder Where My Name Came From

I finally had a Couchsurfer land in my room, and my parents were equally thrilled to accommodate a foreigner. They started with the usual fussy bottled water issue, based on the premise that all foreigners can't handle the local tap; and ended with booting one of my brothers to another room.

Philippine nomenclature, well, at least my parents' style is baffling. At first, my parents thought that he was Dutch, but when I explained that our guest, Stijn, was from Belgium, they went "Aaah..." Boysen. (Both Dutch Boy and Boysen brands of paint - if he's not Dutch Boy, then, he's Boysen, duh).



Anyway, Stijn/Boysen looks like he did enjoy a tour of Manila, as much as I did myself. It was time to road test (so to speak) the spanking brand new Canon 400D I received for my birthday (The only gift I received, taken from my April paycheck, drat).

Its lenses landed first in Intramuros, and towards the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Agustin Church. That's 3, out of 4 WH Churches in the Philippines I've already visited! The ivory display of carved dolls were impressive, as they were creepy. The actual church was definitely more ornate than what I had expected: its internal furnishings were very 16th century church-like, but the intricate pulpits were probably the first ones I have seen. Also of note would be the crypts, the ruins by the garden, and the choir loft in the second floor.



After the churches, and trying (unsuccessfully) to covertly take pictures of guards garbed up in Katipunero costumes, Fort Santiago was the easiest place to take out in the the itinerary. There was a lady manning the artillery warehouse-turned-chapel; she griped about the strange 18-hole golf course embracing the Spanish enclaves (yes, that is pretty strange).

Unintentionally, San Agustin was the namesake of my guest, and how interesting that that was the highlight of our morning. Good thing Saint Augustine didn't have parents like mine did, otherwise, it would be a pretty odd sounding name for a church..

Told Ya, I'm Just Big Boned

Here's a fact that a lot of you might not believe: I am only 2% over fat.

I recently signed up for a weight management program - to have a scientific and empirical measurement of "looking better" weight-wise, they decided to get some metrics involved. Height, weight (or for purists, mass), body mass index (BMI), and percentage body fat. Height is 172cm, and weight is 6lbs less from my last inaccurate weighing - which really doesn't give YOU guys anything, hehehe.

What was interesting was how they calculated your body fat; and the results surprised me too. To calculate body fat, the nurse handed me a thingamajig with handlebars, and you're supposed to hold it the same way a newbie driver is meant to hug the steering wheel (but not as tight though). The results: I'm just 2% above the expected body fat ratio. There finally is proof that I'm really big boned; but don't ask me about that BMI.

You Can Greet Me Here!

I know, I know, it's been way too busy at work, so I really wasn't able to punch in a lot of entries recently. However, there is just enough time to squeeze in the fact that my first couple days in my late 20s (gasp, gurgle, zonk!) is overrated.

So here's my virtual libre - have a virtual beer, or if you're virtually driving, an iced tea (enjoy the refills, they're bottomless!). Do take some of the bar nuts (no, they're not a euphemism for my friends...) on your way out.

ps. I promise not to take a leave this summer and spend it at home - the weather is just scorching and humid.

Epiphanies on an Easter Afternoon

I woke up late on Easter Day, and peered outside our house. These yellow florets were, to borrow for e.e. cummings, carefully, everywhere, descending. After celebrating restless idling, it was a refreshing sight to see yellow rain.

Right then and there, I had two epiphanies. First, I love our home - ours is the green gate. And before I go all 7th Heaven on all of you (which I won't, you probably saw the marathon), it's a central area, near the necessary facilities, yet still tucked away from the bustle of it all. And to see kids play at our streets in the summer, while yellow blossoms dance around is indeed a bonus.



Second, I will buy a DSLR camera. I've been fiddling with the idea of getting one, with the pros (better images, unleashing the internal photographer in me), and cons (expensive, might not have enough time to tinker with it) - the image outside our house convinced me. I just realised that one of the most important thing I own would be my memories. To capture your memories would be to hold time in your hands - and for just for that second, everything is all and well.

*plays Yellow by Coldplay*

Old Music, New Hunt

I had intended to do this entry together with the newest hotshots on the tennis blog, but my laptop crashed, and lost all the album covers. Excuses aside, here it is, and I found an old gem sitting ob the shelves in Kuala Lumpur. And no, the title has nothing to do with a wedding (how does that saying go, anyway?) - but I tried the youngest people making a scene, and ended up with kids under their twenties. Boohoo, that makes me sound ancient.

I picked up Underage Thinking by Teddy Geiger, Beautiful Awakening by Stacie Orrico, and These Streets by Paolo Nutini. AT first I thought the Geiger record was brilliant, but then again, the adolescence is fairly obvious. Still, the album is still a credible effort, nothing to throw away, but it's a step above mediocre still.

What I found most enticing with the new Stacie Orrico album, was the simplicity of the melodies and the beats. The lyrics are only so-so, but the clarity of the message is there. I think I've overplayed the lead song, I'm Not Missing You so much that it's become rather anthemic (to which I now realise that it's become the opposite). I will not go into a long litany of personal issues here, lest I make penance for myself a wee bit early.

Most promising is These Streets - try to think of it as a Gavin DeGraw-esque compilation, minus the falsetto and oh-so-righteous edicts. Of course, Last Request stands out as the catchiest song in the albu, though I had initially heard a more tender version. It's a little to fast for a breakup-sex song. Hey, how many breakup songs have you heard anyway? Not to be disappointed, there are two bonus tracks on the end of the album, including an acoustic, more Scot version of Last Request - "Sloo doon, lie doon" he sings. I'm sure Grounddskeeper Willie would be so proud.


And for something old, I finally found Better Than Ezra's debut album, Deluxe. Woohoo! It's a definite throwback to the wonderful era of mid-90s alternative rock, where grunge as has just tempered, and glam was a definite no-no. Good is a certified Hall Of Fame song, and such classics as In The Blood, Rosealia and Porcelain make the album a must-buy. My favorite would be the nostalgic Time Of Year. You can feel it in the air, feel right this time of year. I'm hoping to find the rest of their albums, Friction, Baby and Before The Robots - but that's going to be a stretch, but we'll see. Apparently, I'm on the hunt once more.

CouchSurfing In Manila

While I've already mentioned pieces of my Couchsurfing experiences, I've never really expounded on what it was. It's an internet-based volunteer program that offers couches all over the world as accommodation. If you're ever travelling anywhere across the globe and you'd want to skip the whole tourist trap parade (complete with flags, lisping tour guides, and sticker IDs the size of China), then I'd surely recommend this one. You'd have to be a member of course, and but worry not, it's definitely free.

I've had successful surfings in Southeast Asia, and already pseudo-hosted in Manila. It's definitely a great experience, as you share stories of how different cultures vary around the world. A few days back, Phil, a nomadic ambassador dropped over and was warmly welcomed by Team CouchSurfing Manila. I'll just post a few pictures (click on My Flickr Gallery), and fast forward to the message, lest I risk being Society page fodder.

There was a book that was recently published about the 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country - and while some of them are extremely difficult (like respecting your politicians/public servants) or heartbreaking (paying your taxes), most are just downright simple (follow traffic rules, do not litter, vote). How does CouchSurfing come into the picture? Item #4 - Talk positively about our race and our country. Filipino hospitality is something we pride ourselves excessively with, and what a greater venue to showcase this when we host travellers from around the world.


Yes, the main what's-in-it-for-me is not shelling out precious euros while backpacking Spain, Italy and Germany, but while you're enjoying the chat and scenery, do share great things about country. Amid the airport paranoia, liquid ban in planes, a stranger is about to welcome you into their homes - it is time to channel the inner ironist in you, that despite rabid politicking and hellish traffic jams in our country, there is still a lot of things beautiful in our 7,107 islands.

Drat! My PC broke down again

*looks at title above*

Duh, second time in a month and a half.

New Guns On Tour

Flashback first: it's Y2K and I'm flipping between the New Balls Please campaign, and seeing the Backstreet Boys on MTV. Seven years later, Britney Spears is expecting a third child, Lleyton Hewitt is already a has-been, and Jennifer Capriati is retired again.

As I go through the latest issue of TENNIS magazine, there is a streak of young athletes making waves on the ATP and WTA. Gasquet, Berdych, Monfils, Murray, Almagro, Ivanovic, Chakvetadze, Jankovic, Vaidisova and Baghdatis.

None of them have won a Grand Slam, but I see several Tier I/Master Series winners. Aside from playing the First To Win A Slam Derby, I would have to choose my favorites as well.

Clearly head and shoulders above my men's pick is Andy Murray. Greatest asset? That change of pace. I'm terribly impressed at the way he plays the point by mixing a slow ball, then firing forehands. Killer shot? Crosscourt double-handed backhand, not as brute as Nadal's, but the way it veers away from the opponent is a feat.



The women's side is definitely a harder choice - Miss Consistent would be Ana Ivanovic, Best Performance in a Grand Slam goes to Nicole Vaidisova, Toughest Girl On The Block would be Jelena Jankovic and Miss Quiet Performer would be Anna Chakvetadze. Still, I'm rooting for Anna, version 3.

Blog Awards

In light of my recent woe in the article below, to which our ever-reliable IT Helpdesk was able to restore my Nov 2006 files, not my March 2007 files (rendering it all useless), I still have good news to share.

Quelle bon surprise! My blog is nominated for the Philippine Blog Awards in not one, but two categories (Travel and Personal). Thanks to those who nominated my site, I'm not even aware that there was an nomination season.

Given this wonderful news, I promise to do the following:

1. I promise to write more in the blog, and be more conscious of the typographical errors. Watch me hack away at night, in complete graphomaniac mode.
2. I promise to post better pictures. (Which is a fancy way of saying that I shall reward myself with a really nice camera next month.)
3. I promise not to do a Sally Field should I win an award. However, if the presentor is totally hot, I promise to do an Adrien Brody.
4. I promise to treat those who nominated me for a drink. Haha.
5. I promise to have my travelogues share really useful tips. However, I cannot promise to not colorfully describe (ie. mock) the tourists I meet.

Edited to add: If you want to go to the event, just drop by here: Philippine Blog Awards: How to get your tickets

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There. Just an update, I finally saw a movie at the cinemas, - first since well, I got single again. To repeat an earlier statement, not just 1, but 2 movies, even!

Frank Miller got it perfectly right in 300, a dazzling mix of art direction, and story telling. I always loved stylized violence, but throw in a lot of story, it distracts you from the texture of the film (Can you hear me Sin City?). Not enough story and you get all dressed up paper dolls in a diorama (Sky Captain and World of Tomorrow). In 300, they stuck to their guns, or should I say spears and swords. It was the Battle of a Place I can't spell, and kept the momentum going. Well done right there.

The other movie I saw was Notes On A Scandal. Cate Blanchett, have an affair with me!

Seriously speaking, the movie was tight, and utterly delectable. Now, I have the confidence of taking the TOEFL - it felt like an English class right there. Crush ko din kasi si Judi Dench. Hehe.

My PC is broken!

My 2-month old laptop just crashed Thursday - I hope nothing fatal happened. So I'm remotely blogging here.

Just to remember what I'm supposed to be writing about, it's Heart 1035, and this weekend's CouchSurfing community.

Nibbling Around Chinese New Year

It was my first time to take a guided tour around Old Manila, and what a better way to spend it by taking a walking/eating tour around Binondo. How timely, it was Chinese New Year!


It's been featured at Lonely Planet, and several friends have already recommended taking Old Manila Walks - a delightful, quirky spin on a vibrant, often overlooked cultural hub of our sprawling metropolis.

When they said it's a walking tour, they really mean it - four hours of continuous walking; I did say it was an eating tour as well, and I was definitely filled to the brim by day's end (Will detail the dishes later).

You start at the Plaza (great, I already forgot the name) fronting Binondo Church, where our tour guide Ivan The Man quickly runs down the Chinese history in the Philippines. Interesting question: What is a Spanish basilica doing in the heart of the Chinese district? Closely look at the bell tower - is it similar to the bell tower in Paoay (featured in an earlier article), or does it more resemblance to the Thien Mu Pagoda picture I took in Hue?





Ding! Epiphany moment!

What I particularly loved with the tour was that it was very comprehensive in many ways - it had dishes from the North, Uighur, Sichuan, Fujian, and obviously, Cantonese. There were dumplings, noodles, siopao, fish soup, and the ubiquitous lumpia. From the new holes-in-the-wall to the veritable institutions, there was definitely something for everyone. This is definitely for the foodie that's already tired of the regular lemon chicken and sweet and sour pork.



There were about 10 stops, and 8 of those were eat-ins. Sadly, none of those were for dessert - somebody really has to explain to me the concept of hot desserts. In the manner champorado is not dessert, bubur chacha, peanut soup, ginataan and related dishes are not desserts. Sorry, but I digress.

Anyway, I fully encourage you to take this tour, or at least visit the website, and see a delicious side of Manila. I'm already contemplating on having a date at the Chinese cemeteries.

I Can't Blog!

Just a quick snip: I cant seem to blog because I'm too busy at work. It's been so crazy here, I haven't been sleeping well even!

I normally write my blogs offline at home, but It's been a pressure cooker environment recently. Just so I don't forget what I'm supposed to write about, here they are: Scotland, The New Breed of Music and Tennis, and apparently, having a bad week at work.

That Zoo of a Menu

Another 24-hour bus ride! And I finally arrive in Saigon to the house of my CouchSurfing hosts, Vicarious Voyage Andrew, John and Batista the Monkey. Their neighbors Arthur, Natalie and Elke were also around.

Those guys are most definitely nice, and overly generous. The first thing the asked me, apart from "Hey, are you Ronnie?" was "Do you want to eat a horse tonight?"



So we headed to the famed bia hoi via cyclo om (When in Vietnam, do as the Viet do). The menu was fascinating, it had porcupine, dear (note the spelling), rabbit, doves and frogs. However, the clincher was they had weasel on their menu (with citronella!) Ah, my Dilbert instincts were jumping for joy at the thought of skewering weasels.

The following day was no less of a test for my stomach as we had snake. Eww. Snakes definitely rank high (if not the highest) in my Eew list, and eating them definitely sent it off the charts. The skin was gummy (ugh), but the meat was fishy - a muscular one.



That was good, my favorite was the porcupine, while the least ones were the horse, it had a strange racetrack-aftertaste, and the snake. At least there was something that threw me off the safe path for this trip.

A Cast Of Characters in Vietnam

So my travel narrative does not seem to be running a correct timeline. What I'm going to do, is narrate it by the people I met.

While I was busy pigging out in Hoi An, I met the other tourists I saw from previous points in Vietnam. I bumped into Team Korea, who were frantically waving at me from the riverside. I am now snapping my fingers why I didn't have a picture taken with them complete with flashing of the "V" sign. Tsk.

There was Miss India, who was from the Netherlands who absolutely love the Mekong cruise and Luang Prabang. She was so tired from the vacation, that she was looking for a vacation from the vacation.

Then there was the Russian couple, the girl looked like that crybaby Starr from Project Runway, and the guy looked like a thinner Mr. Bean. Go figure.



There was the newlyweds, a photographer from LA. He took that picture of me by a gate in Hue. There's a tip right there - alone? Looking for someone in the crowd to take your picture? Always pick the one with the fanciest camera, chances are, he's a professional, and it's almost always you'll get a nice picture. For free! By the way, his wife, Ms. Mexico, was hot.



I was trying to get a picture of this girl who looked like Maria Kirilenko (damn!), but everytime I get a good angle, his big menacing boyfriend would pop in, with a glower in his face (yaiks!). I did have some stolen shots of her though, hehehe.

The bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang was an overnight one, and when we got off to switch buses in Nha Trang I had a chat with Mr. Germany, whose only knowledge of Filipinos were of religious maids (Watch them gather by the church every Sunday!) and delicious lumpiang Shanghai.

By the we were supposed to board the bus to Saigon, I met Roxette from Hanoi, and another Swedish couple. Four Swedes and what do you get? Right, Abba! And for the next 2 hours, that's what was playing, inside the bus. Mama Mia! Dancing Queen! Chiquitita! Super Trooper! Fernando!

Ooh, it's actually funny that I know that many Abba Songs. Thank you for the music, but no thanks - as I plugged my earphones on.

Food Tripping in Hoi An

Yes, based on the previous entry, you should not skip Hue should you ever visit Vietnam. It was a wonderful surprise - but I have to keep trodding on.

My next stop was Hoi An, in South-Central Vietnam. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, basically due to the yellowed buildings and common architecture in the area.

At this point, I think I've had my share of Chinese temples, antique houses, and sweaty tourists. So, I went on a food trip. Hoi An has a lot of little cafes, but the most popular one would be Cargo Club. There was not a single Starbucks that I have seen (Highlands Coffee was the nearest approximation, where I had, duh, an Italian soda. Yummy though.) through out Vietnam, so I definitely had to try their local and famous coffee.

There was strawberry tart, pineapple caramel cake, chocolate croissant. I almost never left that blasted cafe. The local coffee was, for lack of a more colorful description. strong. Okay, let's use the power of print on that one - it was STRONG. Their latte tasted like espresso, and I'm starting to think that their version of espresso would be chewing the actual beans.


I was never a fan of Vietnamese cuisine - I thought that the food was sweet without reason, it had nothing but noodles (badly made ones at that), and there were too many unnecessary greens in the soup. Okay, I take all of that back. Their pho was fantastic - I loved the idea that the rice noodles were a little gummy, a good departure from the usual ramen, and the lemongrass gave the soup the appropriate sweetness.

If I was to recommend one dish from there, I would recommend the white rose. *looks up the food guide to find the local name* Aaah, Banh bao. It's like ravioli, but it's pork wrapped in rice dough, splashed with a lemongrass-citrus dressing, then topped crispy shrimp slivers. Mmmm.

So there, try Vietnamese food, give it a chance, I didn't, and now I regret it. Like one menu claimed, it's not as spicy as Thai, not as greasy as Chinese!

Well, Rough Guides Hasn't Failed Me Yet

Just as I was about to drop my 15,000 dong in the beer bucket, my cyclo arrived at my hostel to pick me up and bring me to the bus station for my overnight bus ride. I meet a pair of Swedish girls (whom I will now call Roxette), and a pair of French grannies, now known as well, the French Teabags.

The French Teabags are on their way to Ninh Binh, just 2 hours south of Hanoi, to experience nature, rice paddies and mountain trekking. No thank you, we got lots of that where I come from. Roxette, on the other hand had the same destination as I did, Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam.

The bus ride is uneventful, until the bus driver decides to mock the passengers dying to get a piss. He pulls over to a petrol station and as soon as the passengers rise from their seats to deboard the bus, he steps on the gas and the bus careens off, throwing the now-standing and the almost-standing passengers hurling backwards. He did this about four times, and all we can do is scratch our heads. Okay, I was laughing like a hyena, hehehe, and they couldn't see me because it was dark.

Save for a brief chat with Miss Israel (first time to see a traveler from the Philippines, got scared in Cambodia, and returning from Laos), I spent most of the time sleeping.



Wasting no time, I check in a guest house, take a bath, change clothes, and book a tour to see the tombs. Rough Guides hasn't failed me yet - my hotel in Hanoi was 7USD and had free internet, breakfast and hot showers. My hotel in Hue had the same amenities, but had a bathtub! Sweet!

The food selection is amazing too, as I ate over at Cafe on Thu Wheels, and the selection was reasonably priced. You even get to choose which CD to play from her selection.

Take the recommended sites/hotels/eateries from Rough Guides, I think they make a great fit for solo travellers and backpackers.

An Ad!

You may have noticed, I have placed an advertisment on my blog. Manlilibre ako kapag pinadalhan ako ng check ng Google. So, click away!

Doing the Hanoi Checklist

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - check. (Was I really just supposed to walk aroud a tightly guarded building?)
Presidential Palace - check. (How French! But can I retrace my steps back, I wasn't able to take a picture of the actual Palace!)
Temple of Literature - check. (Ah, had to check the dictionary what the frigging hell a stelae was)
One Pillar Pagoda - check.(I think I'll stay right here on the bench, thank you)

I had a hard time finding the Hanoi Hilton, which was (duh) beside the Hanoi Sofitel! How ironic that a prison (turned into a museum) is sitting beside a high-rise luxurious residential complex.

Allow me to segue a bit here. As you can see from the picture below,The Amazing Race did a clue junction in Hoa Lo Prison. Was never a fan of war history, but the prison visit struck a personal chord with me. War is a messy business, a lot of lives are lost for naught, and in an age of technology, diplomacy and greater avenues for communication, agression is definitely not the only available option.

The detention cells were very uhm, demonstrative, as they had actual wax figures enclosed, cased and bound to the exhibition. Creepy, definitely creepy.




















Back to the checklist.

Opera House – check.
Hanoi Hilton Hotel – check. (The real one, the one that Paris has to thank for being a hotel heiress).

I got brought to the last two place by Nguyen Anh Kiet, via his rickshaw. It was a leisurely stroll down the Parisian avenues of Hanoi, but I think I gave his 70 year old legs a tough test. Here he is below, smiling but most probably cursing me under his breath.









He even handed me his calling card:

Nguyen Anh Kiet
Deputy Director
Four Musketeers Cyclo and Guide Service
“All for One and One for All”

English spoken and of helpful experience to foreign visitors to Vietnam.
Recommended by Evan Ham, Frank Palmos and Murray Yeoman.

Is my pop culture IQ dropping, or are these guys just not famous?

Off To Hanoi!

As usual, my flight via Air Asia was delayed - luckily, this time around it was for an quasi-thankful 1 hour only.

So let me comment first on the Viets - they look very Filipino. Remember that commercial where the OFW tosses his denim jacket from the departure area of the airport? The Viets looke like that, complete with buttons (on the denim jacket) as large as belt buckles. If our promdis looked promdi, they looked the part 10 times more.

I land in Hanoi, and it's a foggy place, with January temperatures hovering around 15 degrees Celsius. I love it!

Watch out for people who will tell you that your hotel is fully booked,, and they will recommend you to a new one. Apparently, scam innovation here has advanced much has it? Take the minibus to town, it cost me just 2 USD, and will bring you right to the heart of the Hoan Kiem Lake District.

Two things I hated with Hanoi: first is the never-ending ride-pimping. "YO CYCLO!" is the local term for "Do you wanna ride?" However, for me, the best way of getting to know the city is on foot. Which leads me to hate-point number two.

The road planning around the city just sucks. The roads change names after intersections, and all of them look the same. I remember walking away from the Flag Tower, eastwards, after an hour of walking, I end up at the west side!! Lame, I know, but I took a cab home instead.

Oh, I know someone who has a pet peeve for kids who have rubber shoes that double as roller skates. Vietnamese flutter by the streets in their motorcycles the same way the kids on rubber shoes-slash-roller skates in malls. In a devil-may-care, do-what-you-like frenzy. The Lonely Planet tip? Walk, don't run. Heck, I've done enough walking for the day.

Music From Vietnam

No. It's not what you think. This is the Vietnam soundtrack I packed with me for my week long trip.



Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan

Great album, thanks to a gift voucher, I finally have my own copy. Hey, when is she releasing her next album?



Oh No by OK Go

That novelty treadmill dance aside, give this group a nod for being a credible addition to the music scene. The whole album simply rocks, and my favorite would be Invincible. The album comes with a free VCD, so if you want to see that treadmill video over again, along with documentaries, and ripoffs of their other dance, then this is the summer album for you.



Let Love In by Goo Goo Dolls

Mayller, you were right! It's a fantastic album, and should've bought this one sooner. I have a theme with anthemic songs (Let Love In), or songs that start slow, and those that start to swell up a storm (Better Days), or just something you could bang your head to (Stay With You). Better Days would be my favorite, as it captures the wonderful sentiment of the holidays melded with that hopefulness and optimism.



Beautiful Awakening by Stacie Orrico

So Simple and I'm Not Missing You were definitely the the easy listening songs of the bunch. Well worth it.



No blog post yet, but a little picture should be enough as a teaser.

2007 Australian Open

My first tennis post of the year! I may be on vacation, but it's not stopping me from writing my predictions Oz 2007. Well, it's a little abridged, though.

Men's Singles
Defending Champion: Roger Federer

QF Matches:
Federer vs Gasquet
J. Johansson vs Roddick
Nalbandian vs Davydenko
Blake vs Murray

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Women's Singles
Defending Champion: Amelie Mauresmo

QF Matches:
Maria vs Anna (Chakvetadze). The Maria-Ana encounter in R16 should be good.
Kim vs Martina
Nadia vs Shahar. Tough road for Nadia, as she's battling with injury, then Serena, and Jelena.
Nicole vs Amelie.

Surprise Visit

Unlike my SEAsia trip last year, which I have probably planned to death, I am leaving tomorrow for Malaysia. After that, I'm going backpacking again, but this time, across Vietnam. This one, I have no pre-arranged plans, sort of. All I know is that my return flight to Manila is a week later than the rest of my officemates.

I already bought The Rough Guide to Vietnam (couldn't live without a map), and picked out some of the sights I want to go. Here's what I have so far: I have no tickets to Vietnam yet, nor hotel accommodations, but I have a plan!!!

The plan is to fly to Hanoi, spend a day there, then head to to Hue, then to Hoi An. From then on, I have no freaking idea whatsoever. I don't know if I should return to Hanoi and peek at Halong Bay (TAR10 went there), or proceed to Saigon. Take note that there are no cheap flights from Saigon to Kuala Lumpur, so I have to either proceed to Phnom Penh to fliy to KL, or fly to Singapore then bus back to KL. Hmmm....

All righty, my brain is fried from over thinking this one. Any suggestions?

-------------------

Okay, so I probably think that you wouldn't believe me if I really plan on winging this one. The route I'll most probably be taking is:

Hanoi-Hue-Hoi An-Saigon-Phnom Penh-Singapore-KL. How I plan to travel that much in 7 days, I'm not so sure.

Oh, by the way, I'll be missing the first 3 days of the Australian Open, which probably means I won't be hosting the Fantasy League. But I think I still might have enough time to do the predictions =)

The Best Songs of 2006 Part II

The top 20 for 2006. All songs here can be found in my Multiply account: monsterboy music and words .



1 Move Along - All American Rejects
Rock on all year long. Also takes the cake for this year's Best Video, next to OK Go's treadmill bit.

2 Catch Your Wave - Click Five
Like I've said before, pure pop for the summer. This one's for you J.

3 Raindrops - Stunt
Picking up pieces from 1997 list winner Encore Une Fois, Stunt manages to update it a decade later with a flourish.

4 Song For A Friend - Jason Mraz
Opera, rock, rap, you name it, Mraz can sing it. Here he belts out a brilliant song with amazing lyrics to boot.

5 Hallelujah - Bamboo
It's very rare for an OPM track (in Filipino at that) to make it to the list. Bamboo truly earned this one.

6 I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song) - Fall Out Boy
Perfectly captures that highschool-wallflower-at-the-prom feeling.

7 It Ends Tonight - All American Rejects
Another great catch from AAR. The fireworks in the video does wonders for the song.

8 Talk - Coldplay
X&Y is my favorite Coldplay album. There are a lot of other great songs, including A Message, Swallowed In The Sea and Fix You. Also, it's so much better hearing this one live.

9 Hands Open - Snow Patrol
The best song in the album, Snow Patrol breaks out of their whiny selves and dishes out a headbanger.

10 Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray
A relative newcomer, the groups carries the alternative sensibilities popular during the mid-90s.

11 Forever Young - Youth Group
This year's nostalgia song. Highschool, the 80s, prom, the OC, the works.

12 Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol
They really should've released this song - I think it's so much better than a lot of the songs from such a good album.

13 Truth - Bamboo
The last riff that goes Ooh child, it's been so good since I last saw you gives me the shivers.

14 Statues - Low Millions
Bought the album on a limb, and did me wonders. Take note that the lead singer is Leonard Cohen's son.

15 7 Minutes In Heaven (Atavan Halen) - Fall Out Boy
Play this song during the summer and go wild!

16 Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
This one gets brownie points for having a wicked remix. Minus points for wrongly used in the season finales of Grey's Anatomy, much more so for One Tree Hill.

17 Thinking About You - Ivy
Old artist discovery of the year. A zesty find, and a refreshing melody.

18 I'm Not Missing You - Stacie Orrico
Much respect for this fine lady for crafting songs without sounding the a pop machine.

19 Nothing In This World (Jason Nevins Remix) - Paris Hilton
Yes, the thought of having Paris Hilton in the list might be cringe-worthy, but Jason Nevins did a great job of de-bimboing the song... Besides, TIME magazine did admit that the album is not as crass as you might think.

20 How To Save A Life - The Fray
Loved the song, but not because of Grey's Anatomy.

The Best Songs of 2006 Part I

Pity that I should have discovered blogging earlier, so I could have published (and preserved) my year-end music list. Nevertheless, here we are celebrating the most loved, most played, and most sung songs of this year.

Previous winners include Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind (1997), You Get What You Give by New Radicals (1998), Yellow by Coldplay (2001), Breathe by Michelle Branch (2003), Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard (2004) and last year, Hard-Fi took it for Hard to Beat. There are some lapses in between, and that's where this blog helps.

This is the first of two parts, and I'll only be featuring 40 songs. I have of course downloaded, purchased, and copied more than that, but these 40 songs have been the staple residents of my W800i. I truly hope that you enjoyed listening to these songs, and more importantly, I hope that these song has served in one way or another, as a mental bookmark for all the important things that happened this 2006.

21 Much Has Been Said - Bamboo
22 Half Light - Athlete
23 Too Little, Too Late - Jojo
24 Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
25 The Mixed Tape - Jack's Mannequin
26 Everything - Kaskade
27 Listen To Your Heart - DHT featuring Edmee
28 Boston - Augustana
29 All I Have - Snow Patrol
30 Wires - Athlete
31 Dirty Little Secret - All American Rejects
32 Feel The Vibe - Axwell
33 Get Together - Madonna
34 Watchin' - Freemasons featuring Ananda Wilson
35 Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer
36 Faster Kill Pussycat - Paul Oakenfold featuring Brittany Murphy
37 Jump - Madonna
38 Nevermind - Texas
39 Believe Me - Fort Minor
40 Into The Sun - Chris Martin and Michael Stipe