Pasig River

I had a lot to think about this weekend and so was looking to just exercise and think about things but I did not feel like driving anywhere to get some outdoor. So I decided to just hike around the neighbourhood and for a number of small reasons I decided to head towards the Pasig river near Fort Bonifacio. I was apprehensive because it meant going through some rougher streets and even past Makati Jail.

To my surprise I ended up having a real great Sunday morning. I discovered Makati Park - this is a small park along the Pasig River in the West Rembo Barangay. Its actually very well kept with bird cages, an open air theatre park, and a public swimming pool. The view to the other side of the river was actually pretty spectacular with tall buildings of Pasig City but at the same time the typical Barangay multi-faceted colorful family homes that cover much of this city residential area that lined the river.

Pasig River source is in the North East of the city but in the city it flows two ways - one is west into Manila Bay via the oldest part of Manila and the other South-East into Laguna Lake. Essentially for centuries it was the main artery of transport in this city and even to this day is commercially used. Due to the lack of infrastructure, it was polluted because it was the means of waste disposal for industrial, commercial and even human sewage. Ten years ago, they started cleaning it up. And today, there are both govt and private effort to rehabilate the river.

The effort to clean it up is not just romantic but all along the river represent opportunities to develop and create great commercial and living spaces. At the mouth of the river in the old city, its possible to create incredible tourist attractions - Sorrounded by Binondo, incredible govt building buildings, the old Spanish build Intramuros, old middle class spanish residential areas of San Miguel with Presidential Palace. There are still some incredible old houses and buildings belonging to old families in San Miguel, Pandacan, Santa Ana district. All along the river to the east/south-east are big pieces of industrial properties that can be developed into top grade residential/commercial spaces like well-known Rockwell. The various smaller properties along the river all also offer interesting opportunities for creative redevelopment. If you walk along the river, you can actually spot incredible huge beautiful churches that stands out frequently as go along it. Visiting the churches is already a worthwhile attraction.

The river has come a long way since they started cleaning it up. They even catch 50kg large Chinese carps and catfish once in a while. NGOS and even companies are continually putting in effort to improve things all along the river. Its not ready as mainstream tourist destination but if you like to see things in raw form, I recommend taking ferries and boat rides that is possible along the river and imagine what can be done with it. Its really a great river that can be again. There are photos available of the river in past that I find interesting and remind you that Manila was a city like European cities when Singapore was not even a real port.

How to have a good time in Philippines

Had a visitor here last week and he gave me the comment that he was surprised by how much he enjoyed visiting given that he was told by friends who have been here before that they found coming to Manila boring.

Actually the truth is Philippine is badly marketed place as far as foreign visitor is concern. There is a string of reason why its badly marketed and hence many visitors come here and miss the great things here.

There is only one easy answer to enjoying the Philippines - you have to know the people who understand what you enjoy to show or introduce it to you. Other than that, there is no easy answer. From the right food, to the right beaches, to not getting ripped off by taxi drivers and shops, to nice/fun places to hang out, this is not a place where just one size fits all. There are different things for different people. AND here is the strange thing - while this is a society that has free and open media, most people here just don't understand what foreigners and tourist want. Most of them have never travelled and don't have deep understanding of foreigners even those that have influenced them like the Spanish, Americans, Chinese, Japanese. Even the well-travelled well-to-do have not travelled to many places in Asia because they don't speak the languages. The disconnect between what foreigners don't understand and what most here don't understand about them, accounts for the disconnect between those who enjoy coming here and those that don't enjoy it. Its partly why I started this blog in the first place.

So what would I recommend someone who comes here for a few days?

1. Go to the beach - Boracay for parties, top of the line luxuries in Palawan and the adventurous - just google. There are many choices but getting there is not all laid out for tourist and visitors cheaply.
2. Enjoy the nightlife - most nights places have people hanging out. But Friday nights, weekend and hollidays are the most happening. You need to check out the music scene especially the original works of local bands - not the cover band stuff.
3. Food - 1) Try some pinoy dishes 2) Seafood is a good deal - go to a Dampa or a decent Chinese restaurant and order simple fresh stuff. Don't expect refinement and complexity with your Chinese food. 3) Japanese food is a GREAT here. 4) If you like beef, this is a good place to come especially if you are a fan of wagyu beef which they raise locally here 5) Alcohol is cheap - you can have fun anywhere if you drink enough. This is the most cost-effective place to hang out at wine bars in all of South East Asia. 6) Korean food is also getting really good here.- Forget spicy food, its not in their diet. 7) There is a long list of choices for desserts - if you like the sweet stuff this is a good place too. 8) If you get a chance to get out in the country - all you need to know is just look for someway to try the food in its simple basic fresh form - whether its the seafood, the dairy, the meats, or even the fruits and vege. For pork, just do the lechon or pork belly. For beef, just get a good steak, for seafood just stir-fry or steam. As to vege, the quality is very inconsistent but the pineapples, mangoes, strawberry is a must try.

4. Don't take the public tranport - take cabs and plan for traffic jams. You just got to pay for it.

Again, get to know someone who is from your home country or have lived in your country. Its possible because there is very good mix of people from all over here. Not in abundance but there is definitely people from almost everywhere in the world here. Then socialize and meet people - pinoys are very sociable - nothing beats just meeting people you enjoy spending time with.

Ber Months

Its the beginning of October. Its the start of what is known as the Ber-months - months that end with -ber: October, November, December. For some reason people think of the Ber-months as starting in October rather than September. I think its because the weather change. Its starting to get a bit cooler. The pool water is not hot anymore and gets cold actually.

Its also the end of the rainy season. We had a few big downpour last week but you can tell the rain is on its last legs. Last year there was even a few typhoons up to the end of October. They tell me its unusual and that this year is less rain than normal and last year it was more rain than normal. The schizophrenic weather somehow is poetic to me.

The weather is going to be very nice from now on - cool, dry. If you go to any place with green open spaces, crowds are everywhere. People like sitting outside watching people. But there is a very very lack of public and open spaces. I had a beer in a strip mall with open spaces in lower-middle-income level neighbourhood and the prices there was as high as the high-end places. Progress.

Events outside are typically well attended. Some of these events are even black-tie and the women dressed to the hilt and live symphony. Its quite a spectacle.

The downside is that traffic can be counted on to be bad most evening. Its so pleasant, why go home? Well, the traffic for one thing. If I have to go out, I try to get there early to avoid it. I love the morning when there is no traffic. I wake up as early as 5am when its still dark go to a Park and get some exercise.

If only my work is not bothering me so much, I can really enjoy myself. At least its a busy social season. I seem to have to attend a lot of events and have dinners with people.

First Christmas Song of the year

This morning I heard my first Christmas song for the year. Bing Crosby's Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow:



It gave me a flashback of last year when I was returning from Singapore and they played the music in the plane upon landing. Philippine is probably the first place you hear Christmas music publicly in the region, maybe even in the world.

Last year I wrote at length my love for the music and my Christmas here. I am actually trying to decide what to do for Christmas. I first thought of returning to KL to get a few things done but Christmas there is boring. I don't want to have my friend being charitable to me again this year so I like to plan something.

In the meantime, I know its crazy because its just after Labour day in the US but am really in the mood for more Christmas music.

Going into September

This week, I suddenly realized that days was getting darker earlier and its US labour day weekend meaning the end of summer there.

Its actually kind of strange because we are still in the middle of the rainy season here so you don't think of a change in season. It does not end typically until October sometimes even way into. As I wrote before, the rain has not been anywhere close to what it was last year. There have only been one big storm in July and nothing since. The weather has been fantastic and I regret not getting out more. When its like these, coming to Philippine to vacation is really a good idea because the hotels are cheaper and the weather is just perfectly fine if you are not too fuzzy about a bit of rain in the evening and night. (Have you ever tried chilling out on a verandah/balcony with your girl while it rains outside? Trust me guys, its a really good idea.)

You actually can feel the air getting drier not that its ever really as humid as you get in Singapore/KL. So its really good weather if it does not rain. Its really like fall in Florida when there is no hurricane which don't happen often now these days it seems.

I think I will head out to the Esplanade/Manila Bay area again this weekend, maybe get a book to read and just chill out.

In the City on a Long Weekend

This was a long weekend and although I have a number of things on my mind, I wanted to catch a short break and regretted not planning to get away. There are of course plenty of great places to go but the problem is that it require planning because it means flying somewhere usually. Tourism for Philippine has that issue because many, actually most, places require a flight from Manila.

BUT surprisingly, I had a great break. Its amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it.

Firtly, the day weather was great. It did not rain until the evening and very lightly. Most morning were sunny and cool. The afternoon was breezy and cloudy so it was not hot or too humid. Usually its rains like cats and dogs at least one part of the day this time of the year. Last year, I remember it rained almost every morning. But this weekend, the weather was really just right for some R&R. I hope the weather holds up for the rest of the rainy season.

In the morning, I actually managed to find some green around. In particular I headed out to the Manila Bay and Esplanade area. The weather was so good and the salt air was incredible refreshing that I almost lost track of time and almost got a ticket. You can only street park in the area until 8am. The only problem is the area is pretty bad for breakfast. All you have is the fast food joints and chain-coffee places. You can head over to Binondo later but I still havent't figured out how to park in there.

I also headed out to explore lesser part of the city known as municipalities of Las Pinas and Paranaque. These are basically townships that are part of the greater Metro Manila. Without traffic, it was actually very pleasant to drive around. Think of it like boroughs of Queens or Brooklyn in New York.

If you ever wonder where the call-center personnel, clerks, accountants, teachers, contractors live, your everyday unimprovished pinoy in other words, these townships give a good idea. These townships have a long history that began with small villages called barangays. The urban design were based on a time when there were no cars and no one dreamed of a two-car garage suburban homes. Malaysians and Singaporean don't typically understand that the planned two-story detached house suburban towns we grew up with are the contruct of late 20th century after the mass market car was invented. These planned development also do exist here and are typically gated communities called villages.

Think of barangays like new villages in Serdang, Kepong in Malaysia or colonial shop houses in Singapore or cobblestone lined streets historical part of European old cities and old cities of US like Boston or Georgetown. They were originally not designed for cars although typically the roads are paved but there are no pedestrians walkways. However there are the less older gated-villages that are very well plan and the houses are actually bungalows. The older part though, the plot of land can be small and the building built up to the street, most without parking bays. The plot of land are not uniform and the roads meandering again, without cars in mind. Each house and buildings is unique unlike the planned towns we are used to. Most of them are two and three storey concrete buildings with individual characters. Of course some of the buildings that are closer to the wide-enough-for-two-car roads have commercial activities like eateries, convenience stores, saloon/barber etc. At the entrance to these barangays are typically tricycles that can take you deep into the townships as these townships can be very big. They have schools, clinics, police station, community halls, basketball courts, churches, etc. There are even factories, offices, warehouses.

What you will notice is that the streets are clean and the houses mostly neat and well-maintained, some very colorful. I keep wondering where are the garbage cans? Each of them are unique in designed unlike what we are used to in uniform planned houses. Occasionally you will notice some very big buildings or houses of four five stories. They are either apartment buildings or house of someone who has made it pretty big with a big family and choses to continue to stay in the area rather than move to planned townships which are further away or older established houses that are very expensive that can't house a big family.

On a holliday weekend like these when cars and trucks don't run the streets, you will find children playing in the streets, people hanging out at major corners, hawkers with pushcarts. Walking to churches to markets, etc. Its actually very lively and you get a very small town close-knit feeling that neighbours know each other and socialize constantly. It reminded me of going to my grandmother in a new village in Gombak which I used to visit every weekend when I was a very young.

One of the things you will notice is that there are definite improvement going on on these towns. Many buildings have new coat of paint, new attachments and shingles, rebuilt bigger and better with parking bays. New cars/vans/trucks. New appliances. More new small business. More new advertising like billboards and signs. You can feel lives improving, neighbourhood getting organised, people enjoying their lives.

Not all townships are safe, clean and well-organised. Some like Tondo can be worst than the famous favellas of Brazilian cities. Even those that are safe, you may have to go through areas that may not be that safe. I would not recommend staying out late and taking buses and jeepney back if you stay at these places.. But its definitely an experience to visit and live in these areas. They are relatively cheap to stay in. Monthly rent can be halve or less of what you would pay at apartments in the newer organised planned condominium townships that are coming up. There typically are no room for a car. Public transport is of course another matter all together.

Way into the future, when they fix public transport in this city, these townships will actually be great places to experience and live. It feels cosy and small-townish. In coastal towns like Cavite City with sea breeze and great weather they have here like this year, it feels like staying in one of those expensive coastal town villas in the Greece or Italy.

Manila Hostage event

I have not posted a number of weeks because I was preoccupied with other things. I really did not want to write about something so negative but admist the debate, I felt I have to bring my perspective on it.

Basically what happened was that things got out of control and it was not handled well. The details of the event is actually almost a soap opera, a drama. You really have to wonder why did it have to be so?

At the core of the issue is how could the career of a policeman and his pension money result in death of so many innocent lives? In the end, can't individual values protect each other from such extremes? Isn't such behaviour just a form of modern cannabalism?

The police officer was a college graduate and decorated officer, in 1986 voted one of top ten outstanding policeman by Jaycee International. BUT he did wrong and was dismissed and pension taken away. How he could not accept what happened to him, given that he is a career policeman, in essentially a corrupt system in this country for so long, is a testament that no matter who we are or how strong we are, all of us depend on society and systems for support as well as checks and balance. Most of us can easily get trap with entitlement and corrupt ourselves to losing perpective of the larger picture.

AND I am not talking about just the police officer.

What happened here is not unique. You constantly hear of extreme behaviour by individuals who have been unjustly done by China's corrupt and fast change of its economy and society. Oklahoma bombing, Colombine High School. What happened in Thailand recently over politics is not that different. Its just that in this case, guns was available to a particular individual and systems failure by decades of poor governance.

Lets take the raging debate in Hong Kong, China and other jurisdiction. ALL the people who make heavy criticism of what happened should ask themselves how much do they know about the Philippines other than their maids and call operators they deal with on occasion. How much do they know of the country, people, history, systems, social behaviour, education?

What has happened is something that most Pinoys regret and they themselves are torn about it. They debate here is just as fierce as anywhere. It does not help the situation that outsiders who knows little about them are bringing 21st century instant response impatience into the issues which has deep implications.

Do Hong Kongers/Chinese have a right to criticize? Yes. Do they have a right to debate it? Yes. Do the Philippines owe an explanation and duty to correct their problems? Yes. BUT do even Hong Kongers/Chinese who are not family members have a right to be impatient about it? No.

Many of the problems of the Philippines began with the failure of leadership starting from Marcos days that continued to this day. The elites of this country failed to lead a people not suited to suffer what they have had to suffer. In some way its remarkable this country has not turned communist and in fact a vibrant growing democracy that is slowly and increasing gaining its footing.

As I said, the kinds of things that happen here also happen in other places if you know where to look and give it a fair context. I would turn the problem to Hong Kongers and Chinese - is the senselessnes that happened here this week any more senseless than those that happened during the Cultural Revolution in China? if there is a similar failure of elites in China, are they so sure they won't turn back to communism? If the economy of China collapsed for two decades today would China remain capitalist and where would Hong Kong be? If those things happened, are you so sure the senselessness in China/HK would not be EVEN WORST? Just because the scenario are highly unlikely, does not give anyone any entitlement.

Put it in the right context and then make a judgement that you have a right to. Be careful of entitlement whether its someone with a gun or even if its just expressing it.