Faking Apple

As a present for myself--for the next two years, because this is way over the budget--I got an iPod Nano from Power Mac Center. At the till, I asked the lady if a generic wall socket adapter/plug would do for charging and, of course, she said no. That's how I ended up buying an original Apple wall socket (PHP 1,090, according to the Apple online store).

Before I get to the main point, a little background story:

My generic adapter came with an MP3 player/speaker cube I got for Christmas last year. By the way, the speaker cube is the best. Before I got the iPod, I used it as an MP3 player by inserting a micro-SD card loaded with music into its built-in slot. It functioned the same way as an iPod Shuffle (well, but without the shuffle). No screen. The sound blasted loud and clear, while the battery power was very good.

When I got my Nano, I decided to use the wire that came with the speaker cube to connect it with my iPod. Though the resulting sound wasn't as loud as if I had directly inserted an SD card into the device (if the speaker was on full-blast), it could be adjusted by having the speaker on full blast while setting the iPod volume to 3/4s of the way full.

In summary, get the MP3 cube if you want a value-for-money speaker/audio player  that does the job good.

Okay, back to the plugs. I now have 2 plugs that I have to distinguish every time I want to charge, since they have similarities. It's not so hard to tell the difference when you look closer though. Here's a side-by-side comparison:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] (Left) Apple original plug and (Right) generic/fake plug[/caption]

Exhibit A: Front View

The very first way to distinguish the real one from the fake one has got to be text printed on the surface of the plug. Apple's has a more natural look to it, whereas the generic one has a "stamped-on" appearance to it. Second, the actual text differs. Apple's says "Designed by Apple in California," while generic's says "Designed HT WHP in California." Third, the shade of gray and texture on each plug's face is different. Apple's is a lighter color with a smooth, frosted/matte texture, while the generic one is darker with a patterned/rough surface.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] (Left) Apple original plug and (Right) generic plug[/caption]

Exhibit B: Back View

The most glaringly obvious differences can be found in the backs of the plugs. Apple's USB slot is found at the top, while the generic one's slot is found near the bottom. Upon further inspection, I noticed how the USB slot in the generic one is looking a bit crooked. Also, the colors of the faces are different again, with the generic one having a yellowish tinge to it.

The Verdict:

Well, it's not so confusing when you put the two side-by-side. Will I still use the generic plug? Not if I can help it. When it comes to electronics, I try not to risk it. I've had an awful experience with second-rate goods before, so I don't like to take my chances.

The Perils of Blogging

I've probably been in a funk lately. After reading a post written by a friend about her musings on the meaning of life, I took a little step back. I've been blogging since high school, when it wasn't as much of a mainstream thing. I was blogging before all the food and beauty bloggers did nothing but review products and places and re-post press releases. In short, I was blogging before it became the next big business decision to professionally blog.

It only took me a few minutes to think back to how I started. My first home on the internet was in Blogspot.com. It was during this time that I got interested in writing. I eventually moved to Livejournal where it was a bit more social with other LJ users, hence a lot more fun. At this point, I did a couple of reviews but mostly stuck to writing about the goings-on in my life. When the ownership changed (and so did the system), that's when I got into Multiply. For a while, Multiply was great because all my friends had their own pages. I was able to do a bit more reviewing, but there were also the photo albums to fill. Then it was purchased by another company and the site became jeje. *shudder* I stopped blogging for a while after that, but eventually found Wordpress. Here I am.

The lesson? When the website starts to go south, it's time to migrate. Aside from that, I was able to realize how my blog has matured over the years. Right now, I'm not particularly happy that I've mostly limited my writing to reviews. Whatever happened to just sharing my thoughts without them needing to go behind a product? No wonder I've been experiencing the burnout. Thoughts don't always have to be categorized into grading systems. I was just caught up in the excitement of it all, seeing some bloggers prosper and turn their writing into a business opportunity.

Honestly speaking, I don't think I can compete with that. I'd rather do this for the enjoyment and as a way to channel my stress and frustrations into a positive effort than to be obligated to mete out a satisfying review. Reviews are fun—as are increasing followers—but having my sanity intact is definitely more useful to me. I'm glad to have written this entry and to share my thoughts in earnest this time.

Time Traveling

Perhaps the fastest way to "time travel" is through music. These last few weeks have been spent combing Youtube for songs that I reveled in at a time when things were much simpler. I'm already building a playlist as I'm writing this down.

If I could time travel for real, I would go back to the optimistic high school student who could just enjoy the moment without being too pressured to succeed. Back then, there was just pure potential and the infinite possibilities of what I could become if I wanted to. Now, it feels like either "You made your bed, now lie in it." or "You ought to have figured it out at this point." Maybe 17 Again really is a thing...

Don't get me wrong. This isn't a rant about regrets as I'm simply not that kind of person. I prefer to move ever forward, but it doesn't hurt to look back once in a while because there were some wonderful and positive things back there that I don't mind taking with me to the present. Primarily, I would love to have the sense of confidence that I had before. Thinking, "Okay, I can do this! It'll be fun." As an adult, it's a bit harder to psyche myself up that way. There always seems to be this sense of urgency hovering above me every waking second.

No time like the present.

Case of The Missing Wheelchair

Traveling with a small kid or a senior citizen is never easy, not that I'm complaining. It goes without saying that you must make sure your vulnerable companion doesn't have a hard time. That's why there are strollers and wheelchairs to make the whole experience more convenient.

Now here's my grandmother who has arthritis, as with plenty of elderly people. After multiple shots to the knees of lubricating sodium hyaluronte to ease the pain, her doctor forbade her from walking or standing for long periods of time. It was agreed upon that any long trip, from now on, would require the use of a wheelchair. That same arrangement was decided for a family vacation to Hong Kong, and the chair would simply be checked with the luggage at the airport.

It was all well and good on the way to Clark International Airport. We were told by Seair staff that the chair need not go into cargo immediately and that granny could still use it all the way to the tarmac. As promised, a member of ground crew collected the chair as we boarded the aircraft.

Trouble started upon our arrival in Hong Kong. Fresh off the plane from the early morning flight, we stood at the aerobridge exit looking to see if they already had it waiting for us. No sign of the wheelchair, so we went to immigration and then proceeded to the luggage carousel. Still nothing. Eventually, most of the other passengers from our flight had already left with their respective bags, so it was time to ask airport personnel for assistance.

A young man armed with a walkie-talkie directed us to one end of the carousel, where all irregular-shaped luggage from the same flight were gathered. Only baby strollers were found, so we had to explain to him repeatedly that we were lacking a wheelchair. After several exchanges with his walkie-talkie contact, he asked us to sit and wait while they double-checked. We spent the time walking up and down the other luggage conveyors checking to see if, by some coincidence, the chair wound up there. No dice.

Eventually, he came back and told us that they didn't find it in the plane. We countered that we had the chair right up until we had to board and were told that Clark staff would make sure the chair was with our flight's cargo. We had to insist for him to triple-check the plane, so more waiting time elapsed.

Some 15 minutes later, the young man came back and told us that the Seair plane was already en route back to Clark. He urged us to file a lost item report with their office. By then, another airline (this one coming from mainland China) had already taken over the luggage claim from our Clark flight, so there was nothing left to do but to follow. Of course, we didn't go without at least demanding they either lend us one of their own chairs or replace it on the spot, but the staff insisted that they couldn't lend or replace without first conducting an investigation. We ended up filing the report and leaving our contact number. Having little choice but to let their investigation take place, we finally got out of the airport early afternoon.

For the meantime, we convinced granny to spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel. Come nightfall, we placed a call to the airport office and inquired about the chair. The investigation was still ongoing and they were awaiting the response of the airline, they said. That's when our end started to get seriously upset. How long does it take to locate a wheelchair? We were the only party on that flight with a chair, while the others all brought strollers. It wasn't even a connecting flight! The only thing we got out of them was the promise to contact us immediately once they locate it.

The next morning was roughly the same conversation when we called them up again. We were upset, whereas they were polite but non-committal. After sending out a few e-mails to the airport management and airline customer care, we were on our way to Disneyland with no choice but to try the wheelchair rentals.

While we were buying tickets at the train station, we finally got a call from the airport informing us that the chair had been found. They would deliver it to the hotel within the day, but could not guarantee what time it would arrive. After heaving the initial sigh of relief, we asked them to leave it with the hotel. There was really no sense in going back and waiting for it.

Despite being incredibly thankful that a perfectly good wheelchair didn't go to waste, I have to comment on the way the situation was handled. It's funny because we're in the age where contacting  each other and getting answers is already expected to happen in real time, yet a day had to pass before there was word on the wheelchair. We're not talking about a bunch of missing clothes. A wheelchair is fundamental for mobility. If the passenger was totally disabled without it, how then, do they plan to fix things?

Clean Air Act?

The outdoor areas of Eastwood City are death traps of pollution. Yeah, it sounds a little extreme, but it sure feels that way. Before the smokers of the Philippines hasten to defend their preference, I want to point out very clearly that I don't really care whether or not a person smokes. WHERE they smoke, on the other hand, proves more of a concern.

I love Eastwood City. It's a great late-night hangout with just about everything in it. Even during the mornings, it's abuzz with activity. However, there is a HUGE failure in implementing rules on proper smoking areas. I've seen all the signs that indicate where to take cigarette breaks, but it's so obvious that very few pay heed. This, of course, worsens on workdays. I've seen guys walking through crowded public areas while puffing away, completely oblivious to the people behind them who are subjected to their smoke clouds.

What ever happened to consideration for others?

 

Globe Complicates Things

Here’s an update on my quest for a new phone:

I hate Globe right now. I stopped by their SM Megamall branch and saw on one of the fancy touchscreen TVs that the Galaxy Mini was being offered. -- Hey! I didn’t even notice that, since the Libis branch was almost closing when I inquired.

There I was, diligently waiting in line to have my questions answered. My turn came, and I asked the representative if I could use up my Globe Loyalty Points (I have 3 or 4 years on me). She checked my account and informed me that it wouldn't be possible, even if I used the points to get a discount and pay the remainder in cash. According to her, the only way for me to get it is if I upgrade my plan from the P499/month to a P999/month.

Now why in the hell would I have to do that? I was already willing to pay the rest in cash! That's already an instant asset for them. The Samsung shop offers it cheaper, so if Globe won't even give me the benefits then might as well buy the phone where it has a lower price.

What bullshit.

Furthermore, I'm not loving the phones on display there. It's all Blackberry and iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. But whatever happened to the more inexpensive models?... I honestly don't get it. Have you completely abandoned your other customers? It seems just a little bit elitist is what I'm saying. And obviously, loyalty apparently stands for very little with this company.

Upgrading

I am dreaming of buying a new phone. --“Dreaming” being the objective word, since I don’t have the means at present. So I am merely window shopping, looking for phones with the specs and price that suit my interests.

Inevitably, the time comes that a person will want to have an upgrade of gadgets. This could either be a good or bad thing. I’ve seen some people change expensive phones yearly, and yet I’ve also seen people who’ve had their phones for over 6 years. After announcing that I was thinking of getting a new phone, I was immediately asked by Dad to explain why I wanted one again after only 2 years of using my current phone. My reason was depreciation. Mind you, I’m not saying that my phone is already fully depreciated after only 2 years. But I have certainly made that phone a lifeline of sorts. That’s why I started to think about the way gadgets depreciate.

I figure that there are 2 types of depreciation to a piece of technology: first, you have the physical depreciation; and second, you have the outdating of your gadget.

Physical depreciation would pertain to the daily wear and tear that your piece of equipment will experience. We’re talking about all the nasty things that you could accidentally do to your phone like dropping it on the floor, wearing out the keypad from usage, cracking the screen (this really happened to me when I put a heavy book in my bag and forgot that I had a phone right underneath), getting it wet, etc. There is always the option to bring the phone in for repair. But sometimes, the repair is just as good as buying a new phone. When I tried to get my Nokia’s case replaced because of cracks and peeling paint, the Nokia person told me that it would cost around P9,000. Never mind…

Outdating is the one that usually precedes physical depreciation as the reason for changing equipment. While you’re in the market trying to buy a reasonably priced gizmo, you already know that the upgrade is available but only to a more expensive product. There’s the matter of which camera resolution is better, what the better platform with the most apps downloadable, does it have wifi, etc.

Personally, my reasons are both physical depreciation and outdating. I have 2 phones at present: one for my Globe sim and the other for my Sun sim. (I do have a dual sim phone, but I believe I was scammed by the official repair center. It was a nightmare. The phone is not usable, despite it being brand new.) The Globe phone is a really old 6610. The firmware is from Nov 2004. I don’t even remember how long I’ve had this, but I know that I was using it when I was still in high school. Yeah, that’s over 4 years already. It’s basically being held together by tape and one of the keys on the keypad is missing. But I have to say that it works well enough for call and text function, though the memory is a bitch.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="My Nokia 6610. I won't even try to post the picture of the one I actually have."][/caption]

My Sun phone is still new. It’s an E90, which was a gift from my dear cousin. Unfortunately, this is the phone that’s attached to my hip, so you can expect all the mayhem to happen to this one. I’ve had to pay P500 to get all my data erased because of a stupid virus, but I cannot pay P9,000 to get it to look new again. That defies logic, heartbreaking as it is.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nokia E90. If you ask me, it's man's best friend next to their pet dog."][/caption]

This phone has been used on various trips while I’m on roaming. It’s what takes fabulous profile pictures for FB and decent food pictures for http://marielleong.wordpress.com. I use it to cram the hell out of tests (lecture powerpoint presentations) via its Quickoffice app. I even use it to write future blog entries. Basically, what I’m saying is that this phone’s been to hell and back. I wouldn’t know what to do without it because it’s been the best rebound phone. Ever.

Yes, there is such a thing as a rebound phone. I once had a beautiful Motorola Q8 (my first qwerty), a high school graduation gift from my parents. It didn’t have wifi, but I used it like how I use the E90 now and it ran on Windows Mobile (a-ma-zing). Basically, my world revolved around it. And there was an untoward incident in school (at the same time where other students’ stuff started going missing as well) where I, stupidly, left it on a desk with my 6610 when I went to the bathroom. When I remembered to retrieve it, the thief left only the 6610 behind. I don’t know if that asshole had a sense of humor or pitied me enough that he/she/it left me with 1 phone to use. But you have no idea how many times I have wished harm on that person and his loved ones whenever I remember. I can’t say I’m entirely over it, because I’d probably punch that person in the face if I only know who was behind it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="219" caption="Moto Q8. I went through the 5 stages of grief on this one."][/caption]

Sorry. I know it seems so wicked of me. But you have to know that I am a person who tries to keep away from any sort of confrontation. However, it doesn’t sit well with me if a person sneaks around and tries to mess with me or my stuff. Those are unforgivable offences.

Both phones have certainly been used to their full capacity, but I have to admit that they are still working okay. The logic, though, is that by the time I get the funds together for a new phone, I can set the 6610 down for semi-retirement.

I don’t believe that you should wait for one phone to die before you get a new one. You should have room to back-up the data on each phone before they refuse to even power on.

I wanted to study all possible resources, so I went to Globe to ask if my rewards points would get me anywhere. Let me just ask: Whatever happened to nice “loyalty gifts” from globe??? Back then, if you were a member for 3 or 4 years, you’d get a top-of-the-line phone. Now, 3-4 years is nothing but a rebate. The phone they offered for free seemed like an entry level qwerty. (At any rate, it did not adhere to my specifications.) And, get this, it wasn’t even in stock! You could get an iPhone, but you’d have to pay an additional P20,000+.

With that said, I have considered saving up for an iPhone because, to me, it’s the most awesome phone I can think of. But seeing as the price tag is hefty beyond words and I am a humble commuter, I would never be able to travel and not feel too frightened all the time. It’s been 3 years since my Moto Q got stolen, and I’m still not completely over it. What more for a P30,000 phone?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="358" caption="iPhone 4. The Ultimate. A Distant Dream."][/caption]

So far, what I plan to buy is a Samsung Galaxi Mini. It's perhaps my idea of the cheaper alternative to an iPhone, costing only a fraction of a price (P6,990). I had a look at the apps available on the Android platform and saw that I could get whatsapp (wifi chat, functions like yahoo messenger) and Quickoffice. I'm not much of a gamer, but I am an extreme texter; so the Swipe feature (slide-texting without needing to lift your finger) looks good.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="330" caption="Samsung Galaxy Mini. Yes, this could definitely be it."][/caption]

I'm still up to the challenge of testing other phones and seeing if they can surpass my value-for-money perception of the Galaxy Mini. Can't wait to have something to review...

By the way, I did literally dream of buying phone last night. That’s what spurred me to write this entry today.

The Eternal OCD

I am not without my own share of neuroses. People notice this about me. It takes me 2 hours or more to complete a blog entry that can be read in 15 minutes or less, because I want it to come out in such a way that most represents my voice/style. Is that so much to ask if you are a writer?

Beyond that, my OCD manifests itself in my germophobic -ness. I feel so uncomfortable when I travel without a small bottle of hand sanitizer. And, of course, I am scared shitless by public restrooms. They need to, at least, have hand soap. It's highly unsanitary (SUBSTANDARD!), if they don't.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="222" caption="I have a favorite Bench Hand Sanitizer. It comes in a spray bottle with a lavender scent. The official website doesn't even have a photo of it. Arg. :l"][/caption]

I have had a frightening experience in China, where I was in a public market's building with a completely full bladder. As many of you well know, a lot of the public toilets in China are still squat-type (in KFC, malls, you name it...). The ones with actual toilet bowls are usually reserved for the old or disabled. Through the years, I've grown to accept that you have to make due with what you're presented, lest you get a Urinary Tract Infection or kidney stones from holding it in so long. --And frankly, it's no different from a public toilet here in the sense that, if the custodial staff doesn't clean it so often or if someone forgets to flush or if someone just has stinky pee, it'll look and smell bad all the same.

So anyway, I had to rush into that bathroom and found mounted squat toilets connected together by one long common "canal" that passes through all the stalls. In the first stall I came across, the door stood ajar. I was about to go in when I saw a woman squatting. She didn't bother to close the door. I quickly walked away to the next stall.

As I was trying to get settled, the custodian decided to show up and do a little cleaning. She "flushed" the toilets from one end of the room (the last stall) by dousing the canal with a lot of water. I was ready to pee when I saw someone's feces float by at a rapid, splashy pace a few inches from my ass. I completely freaked out and decided to hold it in (agonizing as it was) until we got out of that building.

For the record, you get used to the toilets there. It's a small price to pay if you want to enjoy the sights and eat the good food. My advice to people who plan to visit is to pee right before you leave the hotel. Get that out of the way, at least. Then bring a great deal of toilet paper and a small bottle of liquid hand soap, just in case. But surprisingly, a lot of places there have soap and toilet paper. Maybe more than places here in the Philippines, where you have to buy the essentials from a vendo machine.

Also, (and though I am well-aware that these states are mostly autonomous) Macau has really beautiful toilets in their hotel-casinos. Ditto for Hong Kong's malls. Everything is as hi-tech as they can get. Automatic flush, automatic faucet, automatic soap dispenser, and the place smells good too.

My point is that I am OCD, but not without good reason. And providing that I am equipped with my small set of essentials (soap, sanitizer, tissues), I can adapt anywhere fairly well. Also, to a certain extent, it is beneficial in my (intended!) line of work. I don't beat myself up too badly over being a little neurotic in this case...

 

*Photo from Bench website.

I am the "Praning" Consumer

I'm getting paranoid with all the products out on the market these days. It doesn't help that I have a cousin who always discovers the next scary common ingredient that may eventually prove to be carcinogenic.

It started with mineral oils (as mentioned on my food blog entry). She said that it clogs up the pores and my Dad added that it's a derivative from petrol. How healthy could that be?

Then, it moved on to hydrogenated oils. Again, my cousin said something about it getting stuck in the body forever. I totally freaked out and banished all things containing hydrogenated oils from my diet. I can't even buy anything from the grocery without reading the labels carefully first.

The boyfriend isn't spared either. I drag him to the grocery just to show him what's bad for him. The poor thing.

So while I was trying to figure out if there was proof to what I was told about mineral oils, I found this site called The Beauty Brains. They answer all your beauty questions in a scientific manner:  a must for a scaredy cat like me.

I'm still not 100% convinced that there are no huge side effects on these chemicals. I'm well-aware that the FDA (or BFAD, in our case) has approved these ingredients and their doses beforehand. However, it seems to me that, just because something is approved because the doses it comes in are non-toxic, doesn't necessarily mean that it's actually safe (completely non-toxic) either.

I can't help but feel that the local health agencies try to push the limit on the "allow-ability" of certain products in the market, just because they are so damn useful and the demand is so great. Meanwhile, we, as the benefiting consumers, try to convince ourselves that everything'll be okay because the standards have been set.

Take a cellular phone, for instance. We are definitely informed that it emits a level of radiation (though FDA approved), yet we still allow ourselves to abuse it. In fact, I personally admit to abusing my cell phone by having it on hand at every waking hour. I even sleep with it beside my head, so that I can surely wake up to the alarm.

Knowing that it is so easy for things to get out of hand when it comes to using products, I have taken it upon myself to try and be disciplined when it comes to what I buy and how I use them. But obviously, a lot of the more safe and healthy options are also the more expensive ones. It becomes a difficult choice to make.

Good luck to all of us then...

School Wars

Today, I stumbled upon a blog entry that documented a school paper war wherein members of one old Catholic school (School A) dissed the members of another (School B) for supporting the RH Bill. They said that School B was anti-poor and whatnot.

And all I thought was... "Here we go again, just like Jesuits vs. Dominicans in the 1800's. We're supposed to have gone a long way from the time of Rizal, but it seems to me that nothing has truly changed."

Luckily, the author of the blog post was a bit more just in stating personal opinion. But since we're on the subject...

School A was going on about how School B was dividing the church. I thought, "Well, technically, the fact that you have made yourselves into different sects is as much a division of the church as anything you are claiming."

I seriously hope that they'd consider, even for a moment, ACCOUNTABILITY. You could comment all you want on being anti-poor, but when you get put on the spot to make RESPONSIBLE decisions that will affect your life and the lives of others, let's see just how many of these "supporters" pass the test with flying colors.

Last night, I saw an expose on ABS-CBN's xXx where they arrested an abortionist. It was mentioned in the program that a lot of the visitors of this abortionist were in their teens (15-16-years old).

These groups can argue all they want about what constitutes as an abortifacient, but nothing is more abortive than abortion itself. And that abortion was likely caused by misinformation, because it seems to me that some groups feel that members of the society are not entitled to the knowledge they deserve.

This is more than school spirit. This is about bringing the present and future generations up to speed  with what they seriously NEED to know.

And please don't spout crap on how you can handle hormones or temptation or evil just like that. We are, after all, only human. --And the irony is that some of the people who give fervent support for School A's stance are, I know for a fact, quite the hypocrites. There is a word for that: it's called nagmamalinis.

Some Cab Drivers = Legalized Criminals

This morning, I got into a taxi en route to school. Halfway through the trip, I got bored and picked up my Stieg Larsson book. Before I even read through one paragraph, however, I heard a singular beep. My book was soon forgotten, and I launched into alert mode.

You see, a couple of days ago, I came across an article on the net that went on to detail the various scams and schemes that modern-day Filipino crooks applied to get their "loot". All the modus operandi presented were quite scary. There was something about hooligans who try opening unlocked taxi doors to rob both taxi drivers and their passengers. Just as well, there was something about baby stealers who hang around hospitals.

And then, let's not forget the evil taxi drivers who are not satisfied with their damned fare increase and who opt to tamper with the fare meters to add to the bill. This practice is called butingting, and is targeted at locals and foreigners alike. It has to do with attaching wires to a discreet button that the driver can access. whenever he presses the button, the meter's fare elevates but an alarm sometimes sounds as an acknowledgement to the manipulation. Though some drivers burn off the sound system of the machine to silence it.

Needless to say, I was convinced that the beep signified that a butingting had been conducted. I warily checked the meter and the drivers movements for any curious movements. The report also mentioned that tampering would cause the distance indicator to stop altogether.

My mind started to flash back on all the times that a taxi had scammed us, on both the local and international scale. Boy, do I have a lot of stories to share:

In Kuala Lumpur, there was this man who discreetly covered the meter with a small towel when we told him where we wanted to go. Upon reaching the not-so-far destination, he parked somewhere in the middle of the road and named the price of the fare. It already struck my mom as bad that the meter was being covered, even though the destination was only a few minutes away. But not wanting to make a fuss, we rumaged through out wallets for the payment. Unfortunately, we came up short. (We already planned to go to the money changers in the mall, and did not anticipate that the fare would be that much.) He started to declare that we could pay in SGD if we didn't have RM. He gave us some crack convertion of his own fabrication and harried us into paying quick. When we met up with my Dad, he told us that the guy basically scammed us out of a hundred or so pesos because of the faulty exchange rate... That driver was a class A asshole.

Next, there was this incident in GuangDong, China where we instructed our diver to convoy with the taxi in front, so that we could visit the nearby newly-opened giant Wallmart. The driver agreed and off we went. However, we noticed that the second car (the follower) actually took the lead because the smart-ass driver claimed that he already knew where to go. In short, the 2 taxis got separated and went to 2 different Wallmarts. The distance of the wrong Wallmart was 10-15 minutes drive away from the wrong one. The hour was spent trying to rectify that mistake and set up a meeting point.

A second incident in China, this time in Beijing, was a planned trip to the Bird's Nest Stadium at night for a quick photo-op. We got into a cab and it took about 30 minutes to get to the stadium. We even drove on this big, curving bridge. When we got there, the place was closing down for the night, and we couldn't get past the main entrance. Bummer.

We went back a few days later via cab from close to the same place we hailed the cab the first time. It took us 15 minutes. Turns out, the first cab gave us the good 'ol ikot (turn).

In fact, the ikot thing in China happened again on a different occasion and, this time, cost us an extra P600.

~~~

Come to think of it, taxi drivers here in Manila don't even print out the receipts for fares. They have these "high-tech" meters that are supposed to be tamper-proof and capable of printing receipts, but only 1 out of 10 taxis I get on actually end up giving me a printed copy.

Should we, the commuters of the Philippines, be expected to list down the 9 out of 10 cabs' plate numbers and file reports en masse to the LTFRB?... Who has the time or effort?!

What I suggest is the concept of a Ghost Rider: LTFRB hires an undercover person who is put specifically on the payroll to ride taxis (or all other forms of public transportation, for that matter) around Manila. He can also double as an errand person, but one who keeps tabs on transpo operations. Then any infraction is reported via plate number and the name of the taxi/bus company... I think all commuters agree that these petty crimes happen on such a regular basis that it won't be hard at all to spot these legalized criminals.

I didn't watch the SONA, but how I wish that the president mentioned something about the public transportation sector's SEVERE rehabilitation. In fact, I dare him to go around Manila as a commuter in incognito mode. Let's see if he survives the daily grind.

Insecurities

To be completely honest, I am an insecure writer. It is my creative illness more than writer's block or procrastination is.

A couple of years ago, when I was the most active in writing, I used to jot ideas down everywhere. --on tissue paper, my phone, or scrap paper. It got to the point where I decided to bring a mini-notebook everywhere with me, so that I would be prepared when the inspiration struck.

Essentially, what stopped me from writing was the fear I developed from reading other materials that started to feel like we were all sounding the same. --like me and every other writer in the world (except for the New York Times bestsellers authors) were spewing the same old, same old. This refers to topics and opinions alike.

What made it worse was when I got into writing reviews. Being a critic, regardless of if you reviewed food or some other goods/services, requires credibility and being highly opinionated. The credibility part is a matter of honesty. If you plan on giving a fair review (pros and cons alike), then you were set. With being opinionated on the other hand, I had a bit of difficulty.

Sometimes you just want to skewer someone. To be cheeky because you had meant to be. But it's not always easy to simply say it, as I have been brought up to try and be tactful. And when I see some "out there" reviews, I can't help but think that maybe the author is just being an asshole for the shock factor. Like it's a form of sensationalism, really, so that more people will read the piece. But then perhaps the credibility goes out the window?... It does, after all, seem like an exaggeration.

And so, if you're wondering why I'm here again and still trying, perhaps it's just the writer in me that has to churn something out. Never mind that no one's paying attention and that these blogs may seem like a crock of shit. I'm starting to learn what it really means to do this for the art: Finding the balance in being fair, but having an entertaining way of sharing my stories. And loving my material, regardless of readership. (i.e. Don't be a sell-out for the sake of having an audience.)

I keep coming across this quotation, and it seems to fit the bill perfectly:

 

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like no-one's watching.
Sing like no-one's listening.
Live like there's no tomorrow.
Fear like a stone.

 

 

My Internet Gaming Phase

I always thought it was odd that boys are so into their violent video games. But I don't want to invoke the wrath of hardcore gamers. Plus, I also found that the internet can be your procrastination wonderland if you let it. I was also the victim of spending too much of my free time rotting away and playing cutesy games on the net.

When I wasn't busy, I would fall prey to the cuteness of Pet Society (where I had a blue rabbit named Kelly), Biotronic (sort of like Bejeweled, but with a bigger grid), and then there was Baking Life (a craze that swept the school, but I came in on the second wave when everyone was getting off).

Baking Life is kind of evil. The modus operandi is to get you to invite friends to work for you or make your bakery bigger once they accept your invitations. The more you expand our bakeshop, the more friends you need to get to the next level. So when you run out of friends to invite or your old friends stop playing regularly, you're toast. Come to think of it, it's like a kiddy pyramiding scheme, isn't it?

Eventually, I started to get really busy with summer classes and time spent in the kitchen. I only got to play 2 times a week, so all my baked goods started burning and I couldn't care any less. The final straw came when I saw their April Fool's newsletter with bacon on top of the cupcakes. And though it was obvious that this was just a prank (which Google also does every year), I realized that this game was absurd. So goodbye, Baking Life!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="364" caption="Ok, it just got ridiculous."][/caption]

P.S. As for the other games, I've gotten sick of them before I grew tired of Baking Life. But I'll occasionally play Biotronic because that's, at least, a little more challenging to the brain.

The Book Club

I keep trying to read books this summer, but I find myself drifting in and out of the drive to do it. These days, I don't have so much downtime and I'd rather watch a movie or TV show, since they can cram so much into an hour or two of entertainment. My bookshelf contains half-read novels like:

1. Drowning Ruth

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300"] Oprah's Book Club novel is getting ignored.[/caption]

2. Virgin of Small Plains

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300"] Another murder mystery blah.[/caption]

3. Remember Me?

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="278"] My brain started to hurt from the writing style.[/caption]

And there are maybe 3 or 4 more books that I can't be bothered to finish. I used to make reading lists when I was in high school. So much for that...

Today, while I was in that accursed bookstore with friends, we  decided to recommend books to each other with the golden rule that the books shouldn't have to be too deep or intense. They should just be entertaining, so as to keep us reading despite our schedules. --which is basically how we thought up the idea of starting our own private book club.

We settled on a horror story by Bob Ong, titled: ang mga kaibigan ni mama susan.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="385"] Fuzzy webcam photo[/caption]

It's not exactly an Oprah's Book Club candidate, but reading circles shouldn't have a reputation for featuring only bodice-rippers and tear-jerkers.

This is supposed to be pretty scary, and my goal is to finish it in 2 days. (It's a thin book, anyway.) So expect a review in 2 or 3 days. :)

Amusing Drivers

On the contrary to my entry, Commuters are Survivors, there are some commute experiences that aren't so bad. Take, for instance, my taxi ride to school this morning.

When I got into the cab, the old manong driver spoke in English, asking me where I wanted to go. This went on with him making observations on a passing motorcade of cars with adverts taped to them, while I mostly kept quiet, smiled and nodded politely, and wondered if he usually acted this way with all his passengers.

Somewhere along EDSA, he turned on the radio to DZMM and listened to the radio show there. Oldies were playing and Rico J.Puno's rendition of Barbara Streisand's Memories came on. The man started to sing enthusiastically. It was a hoot.

When the song ended and the DJ commented, "Ang galing ni Rico J! Di mo akalaing bastos! (Rico J. is good. You wouldn't think he's obscene.)", Manong laughed and launched into his own commentary about Rico J. and this 70's action star/politician  who was known for making jokes about how much a button on his suit cost, much to my amusement.

He carried on to muse lightly on the Marcos administration and how Rizal Park used to be quite a national treasure during the Marcos regime. Some of the things he said:

On Rizal Park

"Dati may mga speaker pa. So kahit saan ka pumunta, may music. Tapos, every hour iniiba yung music: minsan may rock, minsan soft music... Yung CR malinis pa! Halos pwede ka nang kumain dun sa loob... Ang mga restaurant doon, hindi fastfood. Yung class na class, pero mura... Napabayaan eh. Ngayon, ang dugyot na!" The last part said with disgust.

-which became about Nayong Pilipino and Intramuros:

"...Alagi kasi ni Imelda yan dati eh. Pati Nayong Pilipino may mga aquarium na panay exotic fish. Tapos may mapa pa ng Pilipinas... Ang Intramuros dati wala pang iskwater yun!"

On NAIA:

"Dati MIA pa yun: Manila International Airport. Ang linis linis at maganda pa. Number 2 sa Asia. Katumbas ng Japan."

From C-5 (Pasig) to Taguig, he started pointing to buildings and factories:

"Dati lahat iyan mga pabrika... Ito, sa mga Concepcion... Dati yan gawaan ng electronics. Pinopondohan ni Marcos ang mga nagpapatayo ng pabrika para lahat ng nakatira malapit dun may trabaho na... Dati, base ng Army lang ang Taguig... Gobyerno ang may-ari niyan dati. Bandang huli, binenta na. Pinagpilahan. "

~~~

Basically, I gathered that Manong is maka-Marcos, and that some cab drivers have a lot of interesting things to say.

It's like that other time when I was in a cab with Zeny and we were trying to psychoanalyze Hyden Kho's actions. We chalked it up to kamaniakan, when the cab driver suddenly jumped in and started talking about how it wasn't really all that different from what other people do for kicks. He went as far as to give an example: "Parang yung mga tao na may malaking salamin sa kisame sa ibabaw ng kama."

You can imagine how awkwardly that trip went.

Commuters are Survivors

Communting in the Philippines seems like a fight for survival. (And, in some cases, it actually is.) With the incredible lines and tedious crowds, I'd take my train ride in Seoul, Korea, any day of the week. Their rush hour train cars may be "full" and there might be some elbowing, but it certainly doesn't compare to the way our MRT (smaller than S. Korea's) gets packed like a can of sardines. Plus, most of the stations I've been to have defective ticket machines, which is one of the reasons for the long line in the first place... Goodness forbid you get smooshed up to someone who neglects to apply deodorant. People here don't just elbow, they cram their whole persons into an overfilled train.

The buses aren't much better. You, at least, get the option of avoiding a crowded bus and getting on a more spacious one, since there's always a line of buses everywhere. The downside: a lot of bus drivers here suck. They brake suddenly and overtake like there's no tomorrow. Just check the news: a lot of traffic accidents here are caused by negligent bus drivers who insist on speeding and overtaking. Perhaps they forget that a bus isn't the size of a Mini Cooper.

I've also mentioned to people time and time again that some cab drivers are the scum of the earth. But a whole lot has improved since the flag down rate was raised to P40. Only a small number of drivers ask to charge extra these days. They seem pacified. --at least, for now.

Today, I have encountered another commuter's nightmare. An idiot. This one liked to collect pet bottles, screw their lids on tightly, then wedge the bottles under the wheels of approaching buses. The result would be a flattened pet bottle, but not before the crushing weight of the bus blew their lids off with a bang at high pressure and breakneck speed. In fact, the lid of an empty Sting Energy Drink flew uncomfortably close to my general direction. I wanted to whack the guy with a baseball bat. He was even amused, laughing at his activity! Instead, I opted to move as quickly away as possible and let karma deal with this dumb shit.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="462" caption="Derek Ramsay, endorser of Sting Power Lime, please kick this guy's ass."][/caption]

As if it isn't enough that commuters have to be weary of thieves and mad-hatter drivers...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="403" caption="He might just go Hulk on you..."][/caption]

I want there to be a politician who knows what it's like on the hellish commute circuit in Manila. There may be so much controversy surrounding the appearance of NAIA to people who come in and out of this country every couple of weeks, but I hope no one forgets those who have to suffer through the particularly inefficient public transportation system EVERY. FUCKING. DAY.

NBS... Pagtitiis.

I am (--or used to be) a voracious reader. When I was younger, I was an avid collector of various 'pocketbook' series: Sweet Valley, Buffy, Harry Potter, etc. And now that I am a great food enthusiast, I look for cookbooks, magazines, and humor. So, naturally, I lived and breathed National Bookstore. It was almost impossible for me to describe my delight when I got to go there every couple of weeks to pick out the book of my choice.

Unfortunately, I don't have so much time to read now. But when I do try to buy a book, I get dismayed by the fact that NBS isn't what it used to be. --I could be wrong though, perhaps I don't remember the way things were and that that is really how they've run things since the beginning.

The service isn't so helpful. Yesterday, I was in the Robinson's Galleria branch, not knowing what to get. I found the database computer (the one in the middle of the room, not behind a the customer service counter) unmanned, so I decided to look for the poetry books myself by typing the word 'poetry' on the search field. The results came out, and I browsed a list of books from both international and local authors alike. A moment later, I found the middle-aged saleslady standing behind me looking rather impatient.

Saleslady: Ano po 'yon? (What is it?)


Me: I'm looking for a book of poetry, but I haven't really decided what to get. Do you have Filipino poetry books?

Saleslady: Foreign authors lang po meron namin. Walang local dito. Doon po. *points to something at the bottom of 3 shelves away, serious look still on her face* (We only have foreign poetry authors. No local ones. Over there.)


Me: Ok. Thank you.

*Note that the computer database said that there were several local poetry books.

Funny enough, today I found myself in the Main branch of NBS with a friend who was looking for a book from the Filipiniana section. I asked the cashier ladies to help me out, since there was no line on that floor and they weren't doing much. The cashier searched her computer briefly and said, "Paki check na lang po doon." *points to shelves of the Filipiniana section* (Please check there.)

I know people don't really try to make it an issue in the Philippines and maybe it's because NBS is a supposedly simple and no-frivolities/it's-all-there bookstore, but the service is really lacking when compared to Fully Booked where friendly members of the staff go as far as to personally lead you to the right shelf and pull the right book out.

Also, I've noticed that NBS Ali Mall isn't categorized all that well. I thought it was because of the renovations they recently did to the store, but it's been a couple of months and books of certain categories are still not organized according to the author's last name. It sounds so geeky of me, I know, but imagine looking for a CD in your favorite music store and finding out that they don't even bother to sort according to the artist name. Wouldn't you be upset too?

Update May 17, 2011:

I went to NBS Market! Market! on Sunday (May 15) because my mom needed some white pencil things. Upon arrival, I decided to take my chances in looking for a book that I wanted to read, so I asked a nearby salesgirl to point me in the direction of the Filipiniana section. Instead, she asked for the title of the book I was looking for. I was pleasantly surprised, since the service seemed promising. And then, the kicker: Apparently, the whole Filipiniana section was "displaced" (i.e. not in their proper shelves).

I gave her the title and she proceeded to the customer service section, while I stood there waiting and found another computer database close to where I was standing. Upon checking, I found that, this time, the computer was for customer use because of the fancy, user-friendly lay-out.

According to the computer, my book could be found in Shelf No. 9. Alas, because of the displacement, the idea of Shelf No. 9 was a myth. The salesgirl eventually came up to me and looked at what I was looking, and we both saw that the book was out-of-stock. I asked her to point me to the Filipiniana section, nonetheless, since I figured that I might as well see if there were other titles that would interest me. She smiled apologetically and pointed to the general fiction section... Ah, there it was, the Filipiniana section wedged between some Neil Gaiman books and other general fiction books.

Because I Can't Write in Multiply Anymore...

Another blog. That is correct:

Let me just say that I logged in to Multiply to finish an entry I made a month earlier, cringed at all the ads/plugs/spam and 1 active user, and decided that it was time to say goodbye.

I already have a food blog here that's not so active, since I have told myself that I should only write culinary gems there. However, seeing that my normal day-to-day existence is less than glamorous, perhaps limiting myself this early on in the game isn't the best idea.

This is my new warehouse, people. Howdy!