Cruisin': Part 1 (of 3) of My Trip to Shanghai, Kobe, Fukuoka, Busan and Jeju (whew)

Day 0 (April 21, 2008) MANILA - SHANGHAI

We left the house at around 4:45pm to account for traffic and the long line at immigration. Ran into Cheyenne (Rafael) there, along w/ her mom and another companion as they were taking a connecting flight from Iloilo and headed for Australia, then at the waiting lounge I then saw Evangeline Chua and her littler brother, both of them heading for GuangZhou for a trade fair. Haven’t even left the country yet and already I’m bumping into friends I’d prefer to have seen abroad, if only to increase my simultaneous surprise and pleasure of doing so.

One chicken sandwich and a bottle of C2 Iced Tea served as an early dinner before our 8pm departure. Tried listening to Bill Bryson’s audiobook on the life of Shakespeare, but it proved to be a dull “read.” Good thing I had a portable DVD player at hand to help pass the time on Cebu Pacific’s no-frills or thrills flight, where they sell you the stuff (i.e. food and drinks) you’d expect to get gratis, then pass the time w/ asinine parlor games. I watched the first 1 and ½ eps of the Sharpe series (starring Sean Bean), not knowing that each show’s running time was as long as an average feature film. (Hmm, no wonder that “hour” took forever to finish.)

One 45-minute drive from the airport later we arrived at the Citadines Apart’Hotel. We had a bit of trouble using the elevator at first, turns out we needed to swipe our card in the slot before we could press on the keypad. Our room was a 1-bed and 1-bath apartment, w/ a completely stocked kitchen (at least w/ it’s cutlery) and fully furnished living room. Unfortunately TV viewing was restricted to the latter (unlike in other rooms where there was a hole in the wall separating living room from bedroom and the TV can swivel to accommodate whoever wants to use it), w/c, along w/ a DVD player, made up for me having to sleep on the couch’s pullout bed.

Day 1 (April 22, 2008) SHANGHAI

The gang went around the Apart’Hotel’s neighborhood looking for a place to have breakfast. We ended up at a small Ongpin-style restaurant where the staff seemed surprised at receiving so many patrons this early in the morning. We had noodles and juicy dumplings.

Later on our tour guide brought us to the Super Brand Mall (seemingly named w/ an instant Chinese-English electronic dictionary), where I was surprised to find a Tom’s World arcade. Guess that bear in a spacesuit mascot idea wasn’t a Pinoy invention. Another surprise was the absence of toilet paper in most (if not all) of the cigarette-smelling men’s rooms (ironic “No Smoking” sign inside them notwithstanding) on all 8 floors of this mall. So many shops, so little time.

Next stop was Yuyuan Garden, which, w/ its numerous shops and restaurants looked less a garden and more a Chinese version of Greenbelt Shopping Center in Makati City. (Turns out you had to pay extra to enter the garden, w/c to a cheapskate like myself means I’m doing a lot of window shopping.) With so much ground to cover even my loafers were starting to buckle.

Finally found a McDonald’s w/ a decent bathroom (read: non-squat toilet), so I had a late Chicken McNugget lunch, followed w/ a vanilla latte from Starbucks. The seedier looking shops at the back reminded me of those stalls I saw in Beijing, where they sold only buttons, adhesives or even just paper. Some shops even sold toy robots that were painted red and blue, given a helmet and a mask over its mouth. Voila: an Optimus Prime variant/bootleg action figure.

Dinner was at Ding Tai Fung at the South Block Mall of XinTianDi, a classier version of WangFuJing or HouHai (sans artificial lake/canal). The restaurant’s walls had illustrations of various celebrities, some of them even autographed.

The tour guide then took us to ZhongShan Road to check out some of Shanghai’s famous landmarks from across the HuangPu River, or at least as much as we could see this foggy evening, like the tackily lit Orient Pearl TV Tower. I bought myself some gelato for dessert.

(In case anyone’s wondering how I’m able to recall all the names of these places when I can’t even tell you where I had dinner last week, two words: Google search.)

Day 2 (April 23, 2008) SHANGHAI, THEN TO SEA

Taking advantage of the electric kettle, breakfast consisted of 1 sachet of Ovaltine and half a bowl of instant noodles (shared other half w/ Ma). While packing for our trip to the cruise ship one of the zippers on the Samsonite luggage came off. Lost something in translation while explaining my dilemma to the front desk, as I asked for pliers but they had a guy bring up some plastic rope, instead. With time to kill and an appetite to salve I took a stroll outside. No MacDonald’s in sight, so I went back to Citadines and waited for our bus.

The bus took us to a “pre-departure” building; w/c was apparently still far off from the actual harbor. Almost like checking in the front desk of a hotel then having to take a cab to get to your room. Even w/ our pre-confirmation status the lines were still long. Finally we received a “gift bag” of water, chips and cookies for our approx. 1-hour ride to the harbor, and were greeted w/ strong, chilly winds. Great, it’s Vancouver all over again. When we got up the gangplank we were greeted by a Pinoy security guard. Seems there’s going to be more Filipinos working on the ship than vacationing in it.

Our interior “large” stateroom on Royal Caribbean’s Vision Class ship Rhapsody of the Seas definitely looked a lot bigger in the online pictures. Instead of 2 regular bed we got 4 fold-out bunk-style beds. Naturally I got the top bed. It was smaller than my dorm room in BLCU, and the bathroom’s shower area was tighter than a phonebooth. Toilet was a combo H2O-vaccum model, w/c made flushing w/ the lid up very noisy.

We had a late buffet lunch at the Windjammer Café, followed by an emergency drill a couple of hours later, then afterwards I hit the gym w/ Elissa and Erlynn, where I was hit w/ a bad case of stomach cramps. Hate it when a burp gets trapped in my gut. Thankfully that passed (Elyssa's suggestion of drinking hot tea worked) before I visited the sauna and Jacuzzi, unlike the bout of seasickness some of us in the group experienced.

Dinner was at the Edelweiss restaurant as we served by an Indian and Pinoy waiter. I ordered the salmon. The optimist in me thinks all the attention and great service from the waiters is just them loving their job. The pessimist in me suspects it has more to do w/ the fact that the ship has "gratuity guidelines" suggesting how much to tip each waiter per day, per customer. Lessee, minimum of $2.50 from approx. 1700 passengers times 3 meals a day for 7 days comes to... a lot of freakin' tips.

Elyssa’s mom was made to eat some crackers and a Fuji apple to help ease her seasickness. Too bad the same couldn’t be done for Elyssa, who said she hurled into her barf bag the moment she stepped out of the diner.

After an easy-come-easy-go moment w/ a quarter and a casino slot machine, we caught of bit of the husband-and-wife team juggling act at the Broadway Melodies Theatre. Physically speaking they looked more like a magic act, w/c made the realization that they just juggled (and had to shout nicely at the audience for applause) all the more disappointing.

Day 3 (April 24, 2008) AT SEA

Ship’s really rock-a-bye’in now, and we still have a whole day of sea travel before we reach Kobe. Tried to walk like a zombie to keep balance, but for the most part ended up walking like a drunk. Rocky waves days like this might explain why the plates and glasses at Windjammer are made of plastic/fiberglass.

‘Lynn, Lyssa and I went down to the medical bay at Deck 1 to look for some anti-seasickness patches for Pa. There were none available in the pill vending machine (w/ a small basket full of quarters for use on it), so the doctor told us to look for it at the duty-free shops up on Deck 6. No patches there, either, so I ended up buying a pair of non-medicated anti-drowsiness wristbands for 15 bucks(!) Why is placebo and acupressure so pricey?

I spent time hanging at the library, w/c was very accommodating, having scheduled meeting for “Friends of Bill W.” (aka Alcoholics Anonymous) and “Friends of Dorothy” (aka gays). Makes me wonder if that “Cigar Aficionados” meeting might also be code for something else, but I digress. I watched one episode of Sharpe before heading back to the gym (yes, I brought several sets of gymwear), where again I got cramps. Maybe I shouldn’t breathe through my mouth.

Tonight was the Captain’s Ball, so that meant formal wear, w/c for me meant to dress up like it was JS Prom. Didn’t pack a jacket, so I made do w/ a dress shirt (w/ the fashion faux pas of my white T-shirt peeking out underneath). Compared to the other guests I was definitely underdressed. (Hell w/ it, just drink the champagne.) After some ballroom dancing (but not by me) the passengers was introduced to Norwegian Captain Stein (that’s his first name) and the rest of his international crew. The Captain mentioned the number of nationalities currently on the cruise, w/ Koreans dominating the roster. Photo-ops w/ other crewmembers followed.

Kobe to come.

Ben's Birthday Weekend

I hosted small birthday party at Fernand's condo at Asia Tower in Makati, but after all the preparations w/ the food, sounds and venue I overestimated the effectiveness of inviting guests via Facebook. So save for one friend (and her sister) who actually RSVP'd, it was the ones that I contacted by text message (and YahooMessenger) that made it to the party. Sigh, why can't people embrace technology like me..? :p

Here's pix of me and and the wonderful people who came and wished me well.

Overall it wasn't too bad. Now I have enough cake, beer and leftovers from Haagen Dazs and North Park to last me till next week. ;)

Summary of Expenses:
Rental fee for function room: P1,550.00
Takeout dinner, North Park: 1,201.20
Ice cream: 1,602.01
Supplies: 305.40

This Sunday it was the families' turn. Shabu-shabu at Gloria Maris Greenhills (at the less fancy wing). Man, I just wanna sleep after family brunch. Turns out an hour's nap was all I needed. After that is was catch-up time w/ My Name is Earl, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles and Life. (Happy, Eileen?)

Tendon(ic) Tuesday

Went for a workout at Slimmer's World at Trafalgar Plaza in Makati (w/c I sometimes get to do whenever Ma goes for her facial treatment), and while doing a post-workout stretch I may have pulled a neck/shoulder muscle. (Tip: Don't stray from proper yoga stretch techniques). Now I move around like I'm wearing those neck braces you see on people when they've suffered whiplash. I say "look like" coz I don't really have one but instead have to concentrate on not nodding nor tilting my head back, although turning left and right is okay. In video camera terms I can pan but not tilt.

This made preparing food slightly awkward since I could only work w/in peripheral vision (bless eye-level cupboards and dang below eye-level kitchen counters). And since I don't have a neck brace a Salompas pad (and Alaxan) will have to do.

Excuse me, I have to adjust the office chair height.

Slackish Sunday

I was supposed to join my brothers for a swimming party at their Mariana Heights condo in New Manila, but we opted for Plan B (i.e. they go swimming and just come to my house for lunch) instead.

Didn't leave the house today and just watched a lot of downloaded television and one movie, La Vie En Rose (aka La Mome), a sad-but-not-depressing movie about French singer Edith Piaf. The film reminded me of Chaplin, not only for the way the film jumps back and forth w/ the timelife but also w/ lead actress' Marion Cotillard's uncanny resemblance to Piaf. I think they shaved her hair above the forehead slightly to match Piaf's hairline (as well as her eyebrows).

As w/ keeping w/ our President's tradition of moving holiday dates for longer weekends, Bataan Day was moved from April 9 (Wednesday) to today. Not that I have plans to go out or anything. Am looking for a venue for the b-day party on Saturday, though. ;)

Sister's Saturday

After lunch I got some office work done and rushed to the SM Supercenter in Pasig to catch my friend Joy Alano's 1-Act play called All I Want at the Coffee Nook, w/c she directed. I went w/ Wella and w/o the benefit of a newer street atlas book (it was in the other car) we got lost for almost half an hour and and ended up missing almost half the play.

The Coffee Nook was located in the same floor area of the supermarket, so having a play inside a packed coffeeshop w/ only glass walls to dull the noise of grocery shoppers outside wasn't exactly ideal. You could also tell it was the playwright's first play since the jokes were kinda predictable and the dialogue contrived, but it had its moments. Actually it reminded me a lot of my first One-Act Play. (Reworking the diaglog on it now.)

After the play Wella and I ordered coffee then went to Tiendesita's next door to check out she stalls. She ended up buying a faux vintage Wonder Woman print T-shirt.

Sis' birthday was also today, and for dinner she treated us to Banana Leaf at Robinson's Ermita. Food we ordered was better than what Goldy and I had last week when we ate at BLeaf in Greenbelt (w/c was followed by 1 scoop of Gellato ice cream immediately afterwards, but I digress). It was during dinner I realized that I forgot to pay for the coffee at Coffee Nook! I texted Wella and she suggested that we have to be them, so I said fine and that next time we get lost looking for that place that's the first thing I'll do.

Fishy Friday

In anticipation for the huge amount of food I'll be consuming at Lola Ina's for dinner, I only had salmon steak ("steak" apparently refers to the way the meat is sliced, and not some weird fish-beef hybrid) for lunch, w/ 1 tomato in place of rice. A real stomach-slimmer, that one.

Also anticipating long hours of after-dinner chatchit from the 'rents and visitors from Bicol, I brought along my portable DVD player and watched Confessions of a Superhero, a documentary featuring 4 street performers who dress up as movie/comics/cartoon characters along Hollywood Blvd., specifically Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Hulk (that's 3 for DC Comics and 1 Marvel, in geek ratio). "Superman" here is Christopher Dennis. Imagine Christopher Reeve's older, scrawnier cousin.

Anyhoo, I digress. Dinner had our usual orders: flame-grilled tuna collar, broccoli stir-fried w/ garlic, tuna belly, shrimp tempura, pork liempo, spicy fried crab and calamari. Every time. But I never tire of it. Dad ordered some red fish sloshed in sweet-and-sour sauce, but it didn't go over very well.

Among our dinner guests were my chosen Confirmation godparents, Jesse Robredo and wife Lenny, the former currently the mayor of Naga City (5 terms and still going strong, I believe). Busy guy that he is I hardly get to see him, so it's always a treat when we do meet up. Boy, there's a feeling I'm familiar with. (Just kidding, milady.)

On the sorta down side, I just recovered from that a cold a caught from one of my nephews when I caught one again, this time from my sister-in-law, who sat next to me at the dinner. Can't blame her; wild seahorses couldn't drag her (nor any of us) from the food at Lola Ina's.

See ya around (sniffle)...

I, Clod-ius

Man, I'm a jack@$$.

While chatting w/ a friend online (American currently living a Bohemian artist lifestyle in Beijing) I realized for the first time what another friend (and sometimes my mom) meant when they said I'm insensitive to another person's feelings by making jokes in bad taste.

Now, if u knew me you'd realize that any joke or wisecrack I make regarding friends is done w/ tacit approval of said person and w/o any malice (i.e. I am under the impression that he/she's ok w/ it based on their mannerisms). I don't go through doors unless they've been opened, knowwhatimean? Old-fashioned ribbing and teasing.

In 2004 (when both my friend and I were in Beijing) she was assaulted by a mentally unstable student from our university. Long story short she suffered some head trauma (but recuperating nicely at present, thankfully) and that student (Korean w/ major connections) was never brought to justice. Some time after the attack she seemed to be alright, smiling and joking about. She must be coping, I thought.

During our last chat I made an off-hand comment after she excused her missing a line in our conversation as a result of "brain damage." (Her words.) Here's where my inner jack@$$ stepped in and said "Well, at least your excuse is believable." She gave a rejoinder ("at least your present is returnable") but called me to task for "appear(ing) to make light of a very real condition." I said I thought it was ok because she seemed to be making light of it herself.

The impact of my offense didn't hit until she started to tell me in more graphic detail the assault and its aftermath (details her mother failed to mention in her letters to me and detail I won't repeat here 'coz they're a bit horrifying) and then said, "i've never moped about anything in my life. but neither am I going to turn it into a cheap joke. it's like laughing about rape."

She was right. This woman survived a horrible aggravated assault and I'm treating it like she lost her freakin' wallet.

Needless to say I apologized repeatedly (it's not enough, I know) and promised no more brain jokes. We're okay now.

Another reason I'm telling you this story is because I don't want that to happen again. The instant you think I go too far or say something obtuse please tell me right away and don't let if fester and grow. HelloKittyPeanut is already ignoring me because of a misunderstanding (and is apparently a lot less understanding about the concept of apologies).

If that ever happens I prefer that we talk things out, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for both parties, because from experience I know that discomfort goes away, and the relief that follows outweighs the former.

Hmm, just realized that my last statement sounded like I was describing post-constipated twosies.

Sunday Blah-dee Sunday

Ugh, the stifling summer heat. Surprisingly it was the lack of activity that almost did me in today. Phone calls to friends didn't turn out as expected, and within less than an hour of having 2 of my nephews sneeze on/ at me did I develop a cold.

Am also trudging through Peter Milligan's run on X-Men. Dull drama at best, waste of time that could be spent reading better comics at worst.

Easter Sunday w/ Kids and College Moms

When I got the text from Anne inviting me to her daughter (and my goddaughter by-proxy) Zylle Aniela Cole's (aka ZAC) 1st birthday party, I thought "Tom's World" was short for "Tomorrow's World." Turns out the place was like a Pinoy version of Chucky Cheese and NOT a sci-fi themed museum.

To "blend in" properly I brought kids w/ me: nieces and nephew Jasmine, Mia and Hans. We got unlimited ride privileges and a handful to tokens to splurge on whack-a-mole machines, basketball shoots and the like. The rides, though tame, nonetheless made me slightly queasy. Hans participated in the magic show and even sported looks of genuine bewilderment when the foam balls in his closed fists improbably debt doubling. They gave him a giant plastic sword for his efforts.

Chatastrophe

My online chats w/ friends always seem to come in "phases," as in they would start off light, go on for several weeks, then stop altogether, w/ perhaps an occasional Hi or Good morning from me every now and then. In seasonal terms you could call these my Summer Months. It was always something to look forward to, knowing there's a ready ear on the other side of cyberspace.

While it makes me sad that the chat periods come and go, I understand why it has to be. It's not like I have a intimate relationship w/ these people, and we do have lives to live and (sometimes) other friends.

From Fungster to E.Ang to GoodMorningDear to DCo to JCL to ItalianChic. Now the latest casualty is HiyaFelineLegume (man, I suck at aliases), but the reason for the end of this phase ticks me off: I'm being ignored. Long story short: our last chat ended w/ a verbal tiff. While HFL apologized and I admit to overreacting (and apologized the next day), I think that could've been the end of it. No such luck. Being flat-out ignored by the one person who said they'd never do that "because I don't want to be rude" strikes me as hypocritical.

Are you mad at me? Fine. Need some cool-off time? Fine. Just tell me. Don't be all rude and pretending you don't see me. This kind of runaround is exactly what caused the the verbal tiff to begin with, remember? If by some cosmic-technological improbability you really haven't been receiving my messages since that last chat (w/ your busy social/work sked and all), then apologies again. Otherwise: Pfft, what a disappointment.