Tripping Over Taiwan, Day 2

March 10, 2011: Lots of walking done on this wet, chilly, and oh-so-nippy day. Or to be precise, little opportunity to sit and rest when we're not on the tour bus. Thank goodness for a filling Western-style breakfast to get me through the morning. The rains followed us to Queen's Head, the famous rock formation at Taiwan's Northern coast that, thanks to natural erosion looked less like an Egyptian queen's head and more a giant deformed chess piece. People still lined up for the ideal spot to photograph its deformed chess piece-shaped head, though.

Tripping Over Taiwan, Day 1

March 9, 2011: Our PAL flight brought me and 16 senior citizens to Taiwan in under 2 hours. Despite the old fluorescent lighting giving the place a dull ambiance, it was nice to see how considerate the airport was w/ providing free surgical face-masks (for the airborne germophobes) and reading glasses at their arrival card filling stations.

For our trip Tommy is the trilingual tour guide, switching back-to-back-to-back from Taiwanese, Fukienese and English. He oriented us on the bus w/ 2 important tips. One: Even on narrow roads that look like One Way streets, always look both ways before crossing. Two: No need to carry shoulder bags "football" style as purse-snatching is not a problem in Taipei.

The More Things Change,...

2005

2011

Letter to a Spanish Couple (Edited)

Dearest HudBud (& Loren, my Hud-Hombre)

Belated Fleece Navigator! (write back if you don't get the joke.)

Not Out w/ the Old, Could Do w/ the New

Just a few personal items that ought to be disposed of in the name of aesthetics (or fashion mercy), but my practical side feels that nothing short of their disintegration would get me shopping for replacements.

New Years!

Or... "Boy, this was a violent week for me."

Xmas! ('Nuff Said.)

Of Martyrs & Faith

Faith Quieng texted me last week asking if I was free on the 19th of this month. I found out weeks before that she was tying the knot on that date w/ Steven, her co-worker from Saint Jude Catholic School's IT Department (Faith works at the Guidance Councilors office), so I replied w/ Congratulations and teasing her about the office romance. Also weeks before I know Irene was invited but had no ride to either the wedding or the reception. I volunteered to act as escort and gatecrasher. Now it seemed I was promoted to car-pooler and guest.

I was surprised to learn (since I didn't really read the invitation thoroughly) that the wedding was going to be held in the high school building's chapel on the 2nd floor instead of St. Jude Church, but then again it's at the former where SJCS employees can get married for free. Great present from the bosses, if nothing else. No wonder they allowed me to park inside.

My second surprise came in finding out that the Uy Twins were in town. I missed seeing them last year, and with Marilyn and Marinette both based abroad in Colorado and Singapore, respectively, they only get to come home twice a year, usually at the end of the year. ('Lyn hasn't changed, but 'Nette's lost some weight.) This is also the first time in a long while I've seen the complete Uy Family ('Rents, Richard, Twins and Maricris) in attendance (Auntie Lily was a principal sponsor).

Third surprise: Adrian Ong was in town, on vacation but decided to help our batchmate and official wedding photographer Jervy Santiago get some shots of the ceremony.

As with all the weddings I've attended where the bride was Chinoy and the groom Pinoy (3, counting this one), the guests of the latter outnumbered the former 8:1. Irene and I arrived at Dragon Gate Restaurant an hour early, w/c was just as well since parking was going to prove difficult for the guests who decide to arrive on time. While emcees Frances and Jacob (probably getting their names wrong) left more to be desired (like a better emcee, singular), Jervy saved the video presentation w/ a last minute change on the projector screen from big to humongous.

Faith is the 2nd of 5 daughters but the first of them to get married. One down...

Starting SHOT

Dec. 16, 2010: As invited, promised and under pretend-threat of whatever-kind-of harm from the Managing Editor (I'm sure it wasn't bodily), I attended the launch party of SHOT Magazine at The Establishment. Being a Fort Strip newbie it took me awhile to find the place, because even if the pillar w/ the letters F, O, R T on one side served as a landmark, The Establishment's front door was pretty inconspicuous. An hour and a half past the time stated on the invite and place was moderately packed w/ people I didn't know. The dress theme was supposed to be the Golden Age of Hollywood-ish, but I lacked a Rat Pack suit or a James Dean leather jacket, so I instead wore the new shirt my sister-in-law gave me.

Normally my at-present dateless social life has me spending quiet evenings at home watching downloaded programs, but Ana G. is one of maybe three people that can get me off my duff and leave the house past 8pm to attend her late-night events. And tonight was a big deal to and for her. Print journalism may be dying but print magazines still have some life left in them, and I think she's more than qualified to see one of them through. Cocktails like brown nachos, popcorn and pigs-in-a-blanket were being served before the official unveiling of the maiden cover, all to be washed down w/ a controlled (read: limited) open bar. The bartenders wouldn't make me a mixed drink w/o paying, so for the whole evening I made do w/ glasses of white wine.

Moi, Carlos and the Managing Editor

Master of ceremonies Lucas Raven's voice reminded me of Russell Brand sans British accent, or perhaps Maurice Arcache w/o the chain-smoking rasp. The band led by Eddie Alejandro (I'm guessing related to Rachel and Hajji Alendro, since both were also present at the event) was so-so, insisting on singing an 80s cover song w/ a loud monotone akin to Cake. Oddly enough they didn't sing a single song w/ the word shot in the lyrics for some thematic symmetry. (And there's so many to choose from! Pat Benetar's Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Billy Joel's Big Shot, JLS' One Shot, and --duh--LMFAO's Shots.) I met Frenchman Henri Muzzarelli, who's in the high-rise windows cleaning business, and Carlos, who works in media and between appetizers shared his best and worst FHM-worthy multiple-partner sex stories. (True of not, it was entertaining to hear.)

The semi-crowded Establishment.

As for quasi-celebrity sightings, aside from the Alejandros there was Avi Sawa, whose almost-dress seemed to be composed of a foot or two of leather and strategically placed double-sided tape, and Vicky Belo, arriving from another party next door and showed up only to have her picture taken and to use the ladies' room. I imagined approaching her in all her low-cut-dressness and saying, "Hi, I know your ex-boyfriend's parents. Nice couple. Did you know they're attending weekly Bible study sessions w/ my ex-girlfriend's parents now?"

Finally there was party co-host Patrizha Martinez, whom I honestly didn't know until TV5's showbiz-gossip program Juicy aired their piece of the SHOT launch about a week after. Apologies.

Alas, I was not in the VIP list to receive a complimentary issue of SHOT, but I managed to browse throught a copy before the VIP owner, Nico, saw me keeping it close to my chest and asked in a strong French accent, "Are yoo mehkeeng lov to eet?" I'm guessing that would've sounded classier if spoken in actual French.

Speaking of shots, after 3.5 glasses of wine I was ready to call it a night, as tipsiness was already kicking in and would probably leave me unable to drive home straight if I had some more. Paid for it the next day w/ a allergic reaction of a splitting headache and hives.

Scene At a Warehouse Supermarket

Spotted while going around S&R this morning:

What kinda kid is counting calories on a modified lollipop? They're not eating these things for their health value, yannow.

"Toasted Vanilla" w/ "Cocoa butter." Not sure whether to bathe in it or eat it.

"Calming Lavender," for the fussy baby that's sick of the original Furious Yellow.

"Less Intense." That's pretty much how I'd classify any liquid you put in your mouth that has zero alcohol.