My beloved and I spent a long 11 hours on set for the album's pictorial yesterday. She did all the hard work. I got to eat Shakey's Pizza.
The location was two different themed rooms at Victoria's Court motel. Like all things in The Philippines, this massive motel chain represents the sort of daily paradoxes you come to accept living here. Despite being an extremely religious and apparently conservative country, Victoria's Court is geared towards solely one thing, cheating on one's spouse. Privacy is of the very highest level including (get this) the encouragement of hand signals to book a room (one finger being a standard suite, five fingers being one of the deluxe themed room) to avoid having to speak to staff and in turn, be recognised at a later and inappropriate date.
I have never been to Vegas but I'm guessing Victoria's Court's themed rooms were a cheap copy of what you may see in the States. That said, they were pretty amazing and are a great novelty concept that I am surprised have not kicked off elsewhere in the world.
Pan down and click on some of the images....http://victoriacourtamh.multiply.com/
My beloved absolutely wowed our photographer and his staff and proved to them what I have known for many years, she is an absolute star.
If any of you get a chance and want to listen to some of the music she is producing and the videos from the shoot, have a look at myspace.com/official[insert name]. Remember my beloved's name is not spelt the normal way!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Titanic Struggle Continues...
Owing to the flood of emails (?) I have received asking for an update to my confrontation with the body corp turds about electricty, here goes: I have nothing to report.
I prosecuted my case before two slightly bewildered employees a few days back. They of course understood everything I said, but were not prepared on the spot to change a policy that would lead to the body corp association - if applied evenly for all residents - would cost the association millions of pesos in lost overcharging.
The two politely said they would get back to me. They haven't yet.
Rest assured I will update you all to ease your troubled minds about this important issue.
I prosecuted my case before two slightly bewildered employees a few days back. They of course understood everything I said, but were not prepared on the spot to change a policy that would lead to the body corp association - if applied evenly for all residents - would cost the association millions of pesos in lost overcharging.
The two politely said they would get back to me. They haven't yet.
Rest assured I will update you all to ease your troubled minds about this important issue.
A New Addition To The Family
Yearning for intelligent discussion in Manila, I purchased a turtle.
My beloved and I went walking in the Quiapo district (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiapo,_Manila) on Wednesday night, best described as the centre of old Manila, and inadvertantly discovered a huge market that stretched into different streets around Plaza Miranda and the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, a church founded in 1586.
In and amongst the deafening noise, everything imaginable was available for sale; fresh fruits, vegetables, electronics, pirated cds and movies, clothes, rabbits, dogs and, turtles.
Despite always finding them a rather amiable creature, I had no intention of ever purchasing a turtle. I do rememember my grandparents having a tortoise for years that seemed to just swim around happily enough in a tank in the backyard. I had passed a stall selling goldfish that attracted my attention but was quickly upsold on a small turtle for 130 pesos ($4) being kept in a small plastic bag submerged in a cup of water.
In the cab in the way home I started questioning the judgement of my purchase. Sure the turtle was cute and I did feel sorry for it in a little plastic bag but what the hell was I going to do with a turtle that in all likelihood would outlive me? 4 days on I still haven't resolved this question.
Anyway, the purchase price of 130 pesos has been easily outmatched by the money I have spent on creating suitable lodgings for our new friend. It bit Nerri earlier today who teasingly placed her finger into the water so my respect for the little turtle has increased considerably. I note it has never bitten me.
I took a trip to White Plains Road around the corner from Eastwood City yesterday which holds a string of nurseries and florists. 3 kilos of sand and 2 kilos of rocks 20 minutes later we headed back home to build a new home for our little friend.
Monday, February 16, 2009
I Swear I Don't Make This S@#T Up!
GMANews.TV - Tuesday, February 17
MANILA, Philippines - Four out of five or 80 percent of Filipinos are suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) due to stress and unhealthy lifestyle, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Monday. "Six out of ten people worldwide are suffering from NCDs or the so-called lifestyle diseases, while four of five or 80 percent of Filipinos have NCDs," Duque said at the relaunching of the "Healthy Lifestyle to the Max" program. Among those considered as NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.
[Ike's Lore: Stress doesn't cause cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. Eating pork and drinking San Miguel beer every day and taking a bus to save yourself a 100 metre walk does].
Duque said the three are now among the major health problems in the country. Duque said one way to address this problem is for the people to go on regular confession. "I suggest that they go to church to pray and confess their sins because its one way of managing stress, which eventually lead to non-communicable diseases," Duque said, adding that keeping sins can cause emotional burden and stress to an individual. - GMANews.TV
[Ike's Lore: I have so much to say it is best I don't say anything at all].
MANILA, Philippines - Four out of five or 80 percent of Filipinos are suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) due to stress and unhealthy lifestyle, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Monday. "Six out of ten people worldwide are suffering from NCDs or the so-called lifestyle diseases, while four of five or 80 percent of Filipinos have NCDs," Duque said at the relaunching of the "Healthy Lifestyle to the Max" program. Among those considered as NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.
[Ike's Lore: Stress doesn't cause cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. Eating pork and drinking San Miguel beer every day and taking a bus to save yourself a 100 metre walk does].
Duque said the three are now among the major health problems in the country. Duque said one way to address this problem is for the people to go on regular confession. "I suggest that they go to church to pray and confess their sins because its one way of managing stress, which eventually lead to non-communicable diseases," Duque said, adding that keeping sins can cause emotional burden and stress to an individual. - GMANews.TV
[Ike's Lore: I have so much to say it is best I don't say anything at all].
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Miriam Defensor Santiago: One Kick Arse Bitch!
Before I arrived in The Philippines I made two very clear demands to my beloved; by the time I arrive in Manila there must be a cable package installed and internet connection ready. Because she knew I would have rather sat at Melbourne Airport indefinitely and stab my eye with a blunt spoon than live without these two items, my beloved delivered and cable and internet were ready.
The cable package she purchased has some 70 channels. Because I do not speak Chinese, delete 15 channels from the list of viewing possibilities. Delete another 20 for the Japanese rubbish. Knock off another 10 for soppy, over acted Filipino movie channels and then delete another 5 for the regular Filipino channels. The remainder include all the usual goodies of CNN, BBC, History, Discovery, Animal Planet etc etc.
One gem stands out of the pack: Senate TV, Channel 3.
Senate TV is much like our Order in the House and the televised Senate and House of Representatives' proceedings during sitting weeks. Senate TV too is contained to sitting weeks and when not televising the Congress or Senate activities is a government channel that provides advertisements of different services and programs including the 'Guapo Metro' [read: 'Handsome Metro'] campaign that aims to clean up Manila by 2010. I can only think in the final edit a '0' was dropped off the end. The idea that Manila can look 'handsome' by next year is nothing short of ridiculous.
One of the stars of Senate TV is the feisty Miriam Defensor Santiago http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor-Santiago. Apart from having the coolest name in politics, she is a woman of an incredible intelligence, an amazing resume and admirably has made it her life's purpose to stamp out corruption in The Philippines.
The latter has ensured she has been the frequent target of assassination. That she has survived every attempt has only hardened her resolve, taking on a near messianic zeal when prosecuting those that she alleges are corrupt or those government spending programs or contracts that have been created or awarded to line the pockets of a particular politician.
The cable package she purchased has some 70 channels. Because I do not speak Chinese, delete 15 channels from the list of viewing possibilities. Delete another 20 for the Japanese rubbish. Knock off another 10 for soppy, over acted Filipino movie channels and then delete another 5 for the regular Filipino channels. The remainder include all the usual goodies of CNN, BBC, History, Discovery, Animal Planet etc etc.
One gem stands out of the pack: Senate TV, Channel 3.
Senate TV is much like our Order in the House and the televised Senate and House of Representatives' proceedings during sitting weeks. Senate TV too is contained to sitting weeks and when not televising the Congress or Senate activities is a government channel that provides advertisements of different services and programs including the 'Guapo Metro' [read: 'Handsome Metro'] campaign that aims to clean up Manila by 2010. I can only think in the final edit a '0' was dropped off the end. The idea that Manila can look 'handsome' by next year is nothing short of ridiculous.
One of the stars of Senate TV is the feisty Miriam Defensor Santiago http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor-Santiago. Apart from having the coolest name in politics, she is a woman of an incredible intelligence, an amazing resume and admirably has made it her life's purpose to stamp out corruption in The Philippines.
The latter has ensured she has been the frequent target of assassination. That she has survived every attempt has only hardened her resolve, taking on a near messianic zeal when prosecuting those that she alleges are corrupt or those government spending programs or contracts that have been created or awarded to line the pockets of a particular politician.
In her latest round of corruption busting, Senator Santiago ordered an inquiry into the appalling discovery by Russian customs officials of 7 high ranking Filipino policemen who were attending an Interpol conference in St Petersburg with 130,000 Euros. Savour the irony. Needless to say, that was a little more than the daily $250 US that each of the 7 had been provided for their conference-related expenses.
In the course of discovering at a televised enquiry on Channel 3 a) where in fact that amount of money had come from and b) what was the intended destination of that money, the good Senator declared to General De La Pas, head of The Philippines' National Police (PNP), that "if I was your Mama I would come around over there and spank you General".
With the embattled General only ever answering "I will have to take that question on notice Maam and ask my staff", Senator Santiago asked "perhaps general if I knock your head against a wall a few times you will give me a different answer? Mmm.....maybe not".
Senator Santiago came close to power in 1992 when she ran for President. After a series of 'unscheduled' power outages during the election count, Fidel Ramos was eventually declared winner.
Sadly despite her high profile role in Filipino political life, there is probably little chance - power shortages aside - that she will ever be able to secure the Republic's top job. Whereas I sit back and watch in awe the methodic dissection by Santiago of her prey, mixed with a touch of humour and a lot of venom, most here find her confrontational style utterly offensive.
That she approaches her job with such passion (rightly so when you witness the incredible level of cronyism and corruption in the face of such incredible poverty), marks her by the common folk as "loco".
Only in The Philippines would a corrupt General of a developing country with hidden bank accounts scattered throughout the world be regarded as the victim because he is being tirelessly questioned by one of the few Senators in political life here who could have grafted endless amounts of World Bank, IMF and US money but instead chose to represent the best interests of the people.
The Filipino concept of 'delikadesa', discussed in the article I posted a few days back, dictates an individual shouldn't be questioned because it insults their pride; the lazy, the incompetent and the crooked all get a free pass in The Philippines.
I have posted one clip from youtube featuring the good Senator removing herself from the chamber after a dispute about the awarding of a Chinese contract to provide a new telecommunications system to The Philippines. It was discovered by Santiago that Senators and high ranking government officials had been lobbying the Chinese to increase their bid and in turn, receive a greater dollar kickback for their percentage-based commissions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F1k24ylW5U&feature=related
In a recent letter to President Arroyo, Senator Santiago wrote the following:
"...I wish I were a contractor, instead of a lawyer. Instead of having to be honest, competent, and hardworking, I can grow fabulously rich, and maybe reduce certain legislators to jelly. Instead of reading myself blind, I could just bribe public works and local government officials. Instead of going to boring church every Sunday, darn it, I can just build an entire church and thus secure the redemption of my immortal soul. Instead of serving as a moving target for paid character assassins and expensive PR firms whose only expertise in journalism is bribery of media practitioners who inhabit their pockets, I would be canonized by media. If I were a contractor, I would just buy off unpleasantness, such as adverse publicity or a congressional investigation. How convenient in a country whose many things are for sale, including men’s souls..."
It's On! Ike v Condo Association
I promise I don't like looking for trouble. I really don't. But those condo association turds downstairs are making things very difficult.
As stated in one of my earlier posts, the 'bill' we received was based on the building's total electricity consumption divided equally by the amount of condominiums in the building.
That alone is utterly offensive given 1) the bill includes a proportionment of various land tax and government levies that as a renter have nothing to do with me, 2) the building's common areas are lit up like a Christmas tree including a 27 storey l.e.d. feature that spans the entirety of the external wall and 3) perhaps the most obvious, 'equally dividing a bill' takes no account of individual consumption nor the size of people's different condominiums.
It gets worse.
Since arriving here I had given little thought to a very large (and locked) cupboard that faces opposite the lifts which open onto our floor. When we recently visited a friend a few floors up I noticed exactly the same cupboard. Yesterday when I was returning home, the lift doors opened up on our floor and I saw the cupboard door facing us slightly ajar. Poking my head in behind the door I saw a beautiful sight; 16 electricity meters servicing the 16 condominiums on the floor.
Each condominium is individually metered.
Now we could chalk off the first issue of proportioning electricity consumption versus an accurate reading of an individual's consumption. That left one other remaining issue, the claimed per KwH charge by Meralco (The Philippine's sole electricity provider).
The turds downstairs had claimed Meralco were charging a hefty 6.85 pesos per KwH. Comparable, if not slightly higher, than the rate we would enjoy back in Melbourne. The only problem with that (other than proof of higher prices when there is no competition), is Meralco claimed - after I called them and quoted the property's address - that the KwH charge is 4.95 per KwH.
Tomorrow I'm donning my pif helmet, loading my rifle and heading downstairs to bag me an elephant. I will take Nerri for cover. Or a human shield. Whatever works best.
As stated in one of my earlier posts, the 'bill' we received was based on the building's total electricity consumption divided equally by the amount of condominiums in the building.
That alone is utterly offensive given 1) the bill includes a proportionment of various land tax and government levies that as a renter have nothing to do with me, 2) the building's common areas are lit up like a Christmas tree including a 27 storey l.e.d. feature that spans the entirety of the external wall and 3) perhaps the most obvious, 'equally dividing a bill' takes no account of individual consumption nor the size of people's different condominiums.
It gets worse.
Since arriving here I had given little thought to a very large (and locked) cupboard that faces opposite the lifts which open onto our floor. When we recently visited a friend a few floors up I noticed exactly the same cupboard. Yesterday when I was returning home, the lift doors opened up on our floor and I saw the cupboard door facing us slightly ajar. Poking my head in behind the door I saw a beautiful sight; 16 electricity meters servicing the 16 condominiums on the floor.
Each condominium is individually metered.
Now we could chalk off the first issue of proportioning electricity consumption versus an accurate reading of an individual's consumption. That left one other remaining issue, the claimed per KwH charge by Meralco (The Philippine's sole electricity provider).
The turds downstairs had claimed Meralco were charging a hefty 6.85 pesos per KwH. Comparable, if not slightly higher, than the rate we would enjoy back in Melbourne. The only problem with that (other than proof of higher prices when there is no competition), is Meralco claimed - after I called them and quoted the property's address - that the KwH charge is 4.95 per KwH.
Tomorrow I'm donning my pif helmet, loading my rifle and heading downstairs to bag me an elephant. I will take Nerri for cover. Or a human shield. Whatever works best.
Monday, February 9, 2009
It's Official! I Have Lost Weight
Actually, it isn't official at all.
It's more like a case of staring at myself in the mirror for a few minutes after a shower, slowly spin around and try to remember what my body used to look like. I think I look slimmer, but I have absolutely no proof to back that up.
It may be the haircut.
Ever since the bestest ex-electorate officer now self-funded retiree and I decided to shave our heads in Koh Samui a few months back I think that may have created the look of weight loss.
And to be clear, if I have in fact lost weight it has nothing to do with my Fitness First regime, unless you include a workout session at FF to mean dropping by for 5 minutes, saying hello to the guard with the machine gun and seeing what movies I can hire for free on any given night. Seeing the money being drawn automatically each month from my credit card though does makes me feel a lot slimmer.
If I have lost weight, which I think I have, it is probably to due to a change of diet. Although I have taught Nerri to cook pasta, on most days we would eat soup and rice with some chicken and vegetables. Other than the cheeseburger I had at McDonald's a few weeks back, I haven't eaten any red meat since arriving last December.
I also think I eat a lot more here too, albeit smaller portions. That's very different to my Melbourne routine which consisted of three lattes during the day, maybe a bagel or a croissant on Chapel Street if La Camera or Sienna's had any fresh, and then a whopper (meaning 'big', not necessarily HJs) of a dinner late at night.
I'll keep you all posted. I am sure you will all be riveted with the results.
On a final note, we have been watching in horror the scenes on CNN, BBC and even Al Jazeera of the fires in Victoria. I received an email that a family many of us know lost their house to the fires a couple of days back and, as cliched and pointless as it sounds, I sincerely wish them the very best as they rebuild over the coming weeks, months and years. Thank God they were in Melbourne at the time.
It's more like a case of staring at myself in the mirror for a few minutes after a shower, slowly spin around and try to remember what my body used to look like. I think I look slimmer, but I have absolutely no proof to back that up.
It may be the haircut.
Ever since the bestest ex-electorate officer now self-funded retiree and I decided to shave our heads in Koh Samui a few months back I think that may have created the look of weight loss.
And to be clear, if I have in fact lost weight it has nothing to do with my Fitness First regime, unless you include a workout session at FF to mean dropping by for 5 minutes, saying hello to the guard with the machine gun and seeing what movies I can hire for free on any given night. Seeing the money being drawn automatically each month from my credit card though does makes me feel a lot slimmer.
If I have lost weight, which I think I have, it is probably to due to a change of diet. Although I have taught Nerri to cook pasta, on most days we would eat soup and rice with some chicken and vegetables. Other than the cheeseburger I had at McDonald's a few weeks back, I haven't eaten any red meat since arriving last December.
I also think I eat a lot more here too, albeit smaller portions. That's very different to my Melbourne routine which consisted of three lattes during the day, maybe a bagel or a croissant on Chapel Street if La Camera or Sienna's had any fresh, and then a whopper (meaning 'big', not necessarily HJs) of a dinner late at night.
I'll keep you all posted. I am sure you will all be riveted with the results.
On a final note, we have been watching in horror the scenes on CNN, BBC and even Al Jazeera of the fires in Victoria. I received an email that a family many of us know lost their house to the fires a couple of days back and, as cliched and pointless as it sounds, I sincerely wish them the very best as they rebuild over the coming weeks, months and years. Thank God they were in Melbourne at the time.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A Must Read for the Guilty
A mix of emotions attack me every time I see a little boy or girl running naked in a pile of trash on the side of the street.
The first instinct - as any human should respond - is to ask how can I help? The first instinct is quickly followed by a second and more passionate response - anger - wondering how the parents can just sit and watch idly by? The third - which is probably only a product of spending a considerable amount of time throughout SE Asia and the Subcontinent over the last few years - is to then be able to divorce myself from the 'human' emotions and be able to rationalise and explain the poverty and suffering.
The Philippines' abounds with natural resources. South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong or Japan do not. The latter countries of course are notable for being amongst the world's most successful OECD nations; the former famous for being a third-world backwater.
Internet chat rooms and blogs rage with discussion by foreigners (asian and white) claiming Pinoys are amongst the laziest people on earth and local Pinoys debunking the 'myth' pointing to the success of OFW's (Overseas Foreign Workers) as proof that not only are Pinoys not lazy, they are valued throughout the world.
Both views are correct.
OFW's - the greatest contributant to the Filipino economy through overseas remittances - have formed the backbone of the Mid-East's workforce and occupy the kitchens and factories of Europe. It is simply a fact that the OFW workforce is neither lazy nor unappreciated, albeit probably underpaid for the back breaking work they undertake.
The problem with containing an analysis of the Filipino work culture to the OFW experience is that it takes no account of the expectations and standards of countries where OFW's operate. To say that a Filipino worker in Singapore is a hard worker is more likely a product of Singaporean culture and their country's high work standards than an individual Filipino's.
As I said in an earlier post, people are people anywhere in the world, but some societies demand a little more from its people, and some societies demand a lot less.
There isn't a problem in The Philippines which can't be laughed away, sang away or drank away. A very mature way to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century.
I've never met a happier group of people whilst at the same time, I've never met a group of people who seem less interested in dealing with any problems in their lives.
The article pasted below by James Fallows of the Atlantic Monthly caused a huge controversy when it was first published back in 1987. Locals were shocked that their American 'friends' would produce such a harsh critique not just of The Philippines' economy, but of the very culture itself. The article is as relevant today as it was then with only two updates to be made; one, the population has increased from the quoted 55 million to now 90 million (in 20 years) and the promised, if not hopeful, reforms were either not implemented or bore no success.
I urge all to read it who struggle to understand why some countries thrive, and others do not.
http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/1987/11/a_damaged_culture_a_new_philip.php
The first instinct - as any human should respond - is to ask how can I help? The first instinct is quickly followed by a second and more passionate response - anger - wondering how the parents can just sit and watch idly by? The third - which is probably only a product of spending a considerable amount of time throughout SE Asia and the Subcontinent over the last few years - is to then be able to divorce myself from the 'human' emotions and be able to rationalise and explain the poverty and suffering.
The Philippines' abounds with natural resources. South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong or Japan do not. The latter countries of course are notable for being amongst the world's most successful OECD nations; the former famous for being a third-world backwater.
Internet chat rooms and blogs rage with discussion by foreigners (asian and white) claiming Pinoys are amongst the laziest people on earth and local Pinoys debunking the 'myth' pointing to the success of OFW's (Overseas Foreign Workers) as proof that not only are Pinoys not lazy, they are valued throughout the world.
Both views are correct.
OFW's - the greatest contributant to the Filipino economy through overseas remittances - have formed the backbone of the Mid-East's workforce and occupy the kitchens and factories of Europe. It is simply a fact that the OFW workforce is neither lazy nor unappreciated, albeit probably underpaid for the back breaking work they undertake.
The problem with containing an analysis of the Filipino work culture to the OFW experience is that it takes no account of the expectations and standards of countries where OFW's operate. To say that a Filipino worker in Singapore is a hard worker is more likely a product of Singaporean culture and their country's high work standards than an individual Filipino's.
As I said in an earlier post, people are people anywhere in the world, but some societies demand a little more from its people, and some societies demand a lot less.
There isn't a problem in The Philippines which can't be laughed away, sang away or drank away. A very mature way to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century.
I've never met a happier group of people whilst at the same time, I've never met a group of people who seem less interested in dealing with any problems in their lives.
The article pasted below by James Fallows of the Atlantic Monthly caused a huge controversy when it was first published back in 1987. Locals were shocked that their American 'friends' would produce such a harsh critique not just of The Philippines' economy, but of the very culture itself. The article is as relevant today as it was then with only two updates to be made; one, the population has increased from the quoted 55 million to now 90 million (in 20 years) and the promised, if not hopeful, reforms were either not implemented or bore no success.
I urge all to read it who struggle to understand why some countries thrive, and others do not.
http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/1987/11/a_damaged_culture_a_new_philip.php
Friday, February 6, 2009
Body Corporate Managers Are Turds
No surprises so far.
Not to be outdone by their Australian counterparts, the managers of Olympic Heights Condominiums Association have taken low service levels and high margins to a whole new level.
We received our first electricity bill yesterday. Slipped under the door in the dead of night and presented to us by Nerri, the 'bill' was on the letterhead of the condo's association. It seemed odd to be getting a bill from them and not the electricity company but I didn't give it much thought until I saw the cost for the period 22nd Dec - 21st Jan, 4,120 pesos (or $137 AU). Not a huge amount in cash terms, but worrying given the size of the apartment and the fact that we live in a developing country where presumably costs should be cheaper.
My beloved, already fired up after another round of telling family members to get a job and them responding with the normal yawn and San Miguel beer-inspired burp, hopped on to the phone to call the downstairs office.
After the expected 3 minutes of her talking and them not understanding (it wasn't a language barrier, they just don't seem to understand things), my beloved finally had them agree to send up the original bill directly from the one and only electricity provider in The Philippines. Joan Kirner would be proud.
The bill gets delivered to our door 20 minutes later. Whereas I had been expecting a forgery of some description, it did appear to be an original bill with only one small problem - it was the electricity bill for the entire building.
One more phone call, 3 minutes of non-comprehension and then the final answer; there is no bill for our unit. "How then", enquired my beloved, "could we be charged for something that doesn't have a bill?"
"Maam, we take the total bill and divide it evenly by the number of apartments there are in the building".
With little incentive to conserve any energy, I write this post from the bedroom with lights on in the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, lounge room and utility room with all air conditioning units running at full speed.
Not to be outdone by their Australian counterparts, the managers of Olympic Heights Condominiums Association have taken low service levels and high margins to a whole new level.
We received our first electricity bill yesterday. Slipped under the door in the dead of night and presented to us by Nerri, the 'bill' was on the letterhead of the condo's association. It seemed odd to be getting a bill from them and not the electricity company but I didn't give it much thought until I saw the cost for the period 22nd Dec - 21st Jan, 4,120 pesos (or $137 AU). Not a huge amount in cash terms, but worrying given the size of the apartment and the fact that we live in a developing country where presumably costs should be cheaper.
My beloved, already fired up after another round of telling family members to get a job and them responding with the normal yawn and San Miguel beer-inspired burp, hopped on to the phone to call the downstairs office.
After the expected 3 minutes of her talking and them not understanding (it wasn't a language barrier, they just don't seem to understand things), my beloved finally had them agree to send up the original bill directly from the one and only electricity provider in The Philippines. Joan Kirner would be proud.
The bill gets delivered to our door 20 minutes later. Whereas I had been expecting a forgery of some description, it did appear to be an original bill with only one small problem - it was the electricity bill for the entire building.
One more phone call, 3 minutes of non-comprehension and then the final answer; there is no bill for our unit. "How then", enquired my beloved, "could we be charged for something that doesn't have a bill?"
"Maam, we take the total bill and divide it evenly by the number of apartments there are in the building".
With little incentive to conserve any energy, I write this post from the bedroom with lights on in the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, lounge room and utility room with all air conditioning units running at full speed.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Album Release: Last Week of February
I realised I haven't been posting much about my beloved's singing career. It's not that I am not interested, in fact it consumes most of my life at the moment, but this blog was in part meant to be an outlet for me and a distraction from the day to day work of the album.
My beloved and I took the decision to self produce the album last year. While the outlay for us has been far greater than is the norm, the flipside is we own many of the songs over the next 3 years with the potential financial upside being greater than if she was merely signed into an ordinary record company arrangement. While the offers were out there for her, not only were the amounts of money woeful, there were no guarantees on when an album could actually be released.
Not only have we had to fund this exercise in all its parts (song rights, production, licensing, distribution, promotion [radio/tv/internet and concerts]) we have been responsible for the coordination of the post production and promotion team and our various agents at the music stores, shopping centres and radio stations.
The last two months have been far from the glamour of my beloved entering the recording studio for a few hours, recording a track, and then heading back home in a limo for dinner. Very little time is actually dedicated to singing. Most of the day (and night) is consumed with contract preparation and negotiations, constant haggling about price for the various services involved and oversight of the hundred and one people involved in developing, releasing and promoting an album nationally.
Notwithstanding the above, I always enjoy a challenge and I have found for the most part found the exercise mentally rewarding, if not financially draining.
My beloved's self titled album is due for release last week of February. To date 6 songs have been recorded with 3 remaining for the beginning of next week.
Video shoot by Treb Montaras (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37jI-z0QQNs) for the 'carrier' single is scheduled for Monday. It was meant to occur on Saturday but has been delayed because we took the decision to scrap the music of the carrier single and have it rearranged with a more RnB 'feel'. No, it is not normal to ditch your lead single and begin again a few days out but given she is relatively unknown here, her reintroduction into the industry has to be with the best she and the people around her can produce.
A schedule for TV, Radio and Mall appearances is currently being compiled for the promotion of the album during late February and early March.
FHM (fhm.com.ph) will feature my beloved without much clothing on in their March edition to be released late February. We deliberately asked for the March edition to time with the release of the album even though the shoot took place last November in a very dusty warehouse in San Juan, one of Manila's older suburbs from Spanish colonial times.
So that's basically it for the moment in 500 words or less. I will keep you all updated.
My beloved and I took the decision to self produce the album last year. While the outlay for us has been far greater than is the norm, the flipside is we own many of the songs over the next 3 years with the potential financial upside being greater than if she was merely signed into an ordinary record company arrangement. While the offers were out there for her, not only were the amounts of money woeful, there were no guarantees on when an album could actually be released.
Not only have we had to fund this exercise in all its parts (song rights, production, licensing, distribution, promotion [radio/tv/internet and concerts]) we have been responsible for the coordination of the post production and promotion team and our various agents at the music stores, shopping centres and radio stations.
The last two months have been far from the glamour of my beloved entering the recording studio for a few hours, recording a track, and then heading back home in a limo for dinner. Very little time is actually dedicated to singing. Most of the day (and night) is consumed with contract preparation and negotiations, constant haggling about price for the various services involved and oversight of the hundred and one people involved in developing, releasing and promoting an album nationally.
Notwithstanding the above, I always enjoy a challenge and I have found for the most part found the exercise mentally rewarding, if not financially draining.
My beloved's self titled album is due for release last week of February. To date 6 songs have been recorded with 3 remaining for the beginning of next week.
Video shoot by Treb Montaras (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37jI-z0QQNs) for the 'carrier' single is scheduled for Monday. It was meant to occur on Saturday but has been delayed because we took the decision to scrap the music of the carrier single and have it rearranged with a more RnB 'feel'. No, it is not normal to ditch your lead single and begin again a few days out but given she is relatively unknown here, her reintroduction into the industry has to be with the best she and the people around her can produce.
A schedule for TV, Radio and Mall appearances is currently being compiled for the promotion of the album during late February and early March.
FHM (fhm.com.ph) will feature my beloved without much clothing on in their March edition to be released late February. We deliberately asked for the March edition to time with the release of the album even though the shoot took place last November in a very dusty warehouse in San Juan, one of Manila's older suburbs from Spanish colonial times.
So that's basically it for the moment in 500 words or less. I will keep you all updated.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
These Savages Are Soooo Unsophisticated
Quick read of today's Philippines Inquirer was enlightening insofar as the issues that seem to be reported here (and throughout the world) are strangely absent between the sophisticated pages of The Age.
I'm guessing none of you read about the story of an unidentified 27 year old Chinese student who threw his shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University. Which is strange, because The Age ran the story of the former President, George W Bush, being at the receiving end of a shoe two months ago for 6 days straight.
http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/04/if-shoe-fits/
I'm guessing none of you read about the story of 6 rockets being fired by Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade at Israeli civilian complexes yesterday, one week after a truce was declared.
[UPDATE: 3 days on still nothing in The Age. I can only imagine the front page of The Age if Israel has the audacity to respond].
I'm guessing none of you have read about the debacle ensuing in Washington as high profile nominees including long time Democrat Senator Tom Daschle withdraw and the long awaited stimulus package is in tatters in light of the committed funds being used not to 'stimulate' a fragile economy but instead being used for the sort of pork barelling The One said he would outlaw as President.
[UPDATE: 2 days late, The Age finally runs with the story. In the age (excuse the pun) of news reaching all corners of the globe simultaneously I can only presume the editors at The Age were hoping this wouldnt be a big story around the rest of the world, including the unsophisticated and uneducated backwaters of The Philippines....Fancy a negative story about The One after only two weeks as President? I guess they got it wrong.]
I'm sure the savages here from the Philippine Inquirer and other newspapers wish they were half as educated and worldly as journalists at The Age.
I'm guessing none of you read about the story of an unidentified 27 year old Chinese student who threw his shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University. Which is strange, because The Age ran the story of the former President, George W Bush, being at the receiving end of a shoe two months ago for 6 days straight.
http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/04/if-shoe-fits/
I'm guessing none of you read about the story of 6 rockets being fired by Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade at Israeli civilian complexes yesterday, one week after a truce was declared.
[UPDATE: 3 days on still nothing in The Age. I can only imagine the front page of The Age if Israel has the audacity to respond].
I'm guessing none of you have read about the debacle ensuing in Washington as high profile nominees including long time Democrat Senator Tom Daschle withdraw and the long awaited stimulus package is in tatters in light of the committed funds being used not to 'stimulate' a fragile economy but instead being used for the sort of pork barelling The One said he would outlaw as President.
[UPDATE: 2 days late, The Age finally runs with the story. In the age (excuse the pun) of news reaching all corners of the globe simultaneously I can only presume the editors at The Age were hoping this wouldnt be a big story around the rest of the world, including the unsophisticated and uneducated backwaters of The Philippines....Fancy a negative story about The One after only two weeks as President? I guess they got it wrong.]
I'm sure the savages here from the Philippine Inquirer and other newspapers wish they were half as educated and worldly as journalists at The Age.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Gee Wizz, Thanks! And It's Not Even My Birthday!
Over the weekend my beloved celebrated her birthday. (At a funeral).
After two years of not so helpful reminders from my her, I headed out to the Greenhills Shopping Complex to purchase an ice blue Nintendo DL Lite.
I chose Greenhills because I had been reliably informed of its discount prices. Discounted they were, but still about 20% more expensive than in Australia.
Anyways, I had never shown much interest in the mini game console previously.....how could I? With best selling game titles like Paws and My Little Pony it didn't really fit my style as a 31 year old male with a receeding hair line preferring a polo than a Von Dutch t-shirt.
Well, the good news for me - and the bad news for my beloved - is that the range of titles is much more impressive than I originally thought. 76 downloads later of some pretty good games I think the only time she has actually ever used the Nintendo was when she opened it up initially as her present. Somewhere after "Honey, can I look at it for a tick?" she never seemed to get it back.
Now, back to beating Andy Roddick in Top Spin 3....
After two years of not so helpful reminders from my her, I headed out to the Greenhills Shopping Complex to purchase an ice blue Nintendo DL Lite.
I chose Greenhills because I had been reliably informed of its discount prices. Discounted they were, but still about 20% more expensive than in Australia.
Anyways, I had never shown much interest in the mini game console previously.....how could I? With best selling game titles like Paws and My Little Pony it didn't really fit my style as a 31 year old male with a receeding hair line preferring a polo than a Von Dutch t-shirt.
Well, the good news for me - and the bad news for my beloved - is that the range of titles is much more impressive than I originally thought. 76 downloads later of some pretty good games I think the only time she has actually ever used the Nintendo was when she opened it up initially as her present. Somewhere after "Honey, can I look at it for a tick?" she never seemed to get it back.
Now, back to beating Andy Roddick in Top Spin 3....
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Best and The Worst
I first came to The Philippines about 8 years ago for a whopping total of 1 night. I was meant to stay a lot longer by the promise of a potential business partner of the opportunities in Manila for the establishment of an international college.
That partnership never evolved because there was never a business opportunity to be had. But to be fair to him, I may have stayed as a courtesy a second night if it was not for the news the following morning that the TGI Friday's that I had dinner at the night prior had (about 1 hour after I had left) been destroyed by a passing motorcyclist who had thrown into the restaurant a couple of grenades. Perhaps a disgruntled customer but more likely the work of the New People's Army (http://www.philippinerevolution.net/cgi-bin/npa/pwb.pl), the armed group of the Communist Party that has been battling government troops and blowing up soft civilian targets here for the last 40 years. It is because of the NPA that a security guard shoved a stick into my popcorn, padded me down and made me walk through a metal detector before entering a cinema to watch Transporter 3.
I don't remember much of the trip given it was so short but I do remember the music at an open air bar I was taken to for drinks after the yummy deep fried meal at TGI's. The band, comprised solely of Filipino's, were fantastic and anyone who knows me knows I'm not really a fan of the live music scene. All covers of western singers, but truly better than the artists who originally performed the songs.
I have quickly come to learn during my crash course in the SE Asian music scene that the talent on display was by no means contained to that one bar 8 years ago. Filipino singers are remarkable, both because of their raw talent and the sheer number of them flooding every bar, restaurant and cafe in Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpar, Hong Kong, Jakarta and of course, here in Manila.
That's the best.....now for the worst.
Covers, covers, covers, covers and more covers. Or, to use the local parlance, revivals, revivals, revivals, revivals and more revivals. There is not one local artist on the top 10 list here whose album is not entirely comprised of covers. And not just covers of western artists, covers of local artists too. As explained to me by a half Chinese cousin of my beloved (meaning I could have half of a sensible and productive discussion), Filipino's are afflicted with a serious case of 'LSS', 'Last Song Syndrome.
Whereas we would normally condemn an artist who had made their name through never producing any original music, here it is celebrated.
And here in lies the problem of the failure by Filipino artists (with I hope the exception of one) to cross over into the West; singing Kenny Rogers' classics or a Tagalog love song from the 1980s just doesn't cut it with Generation Y.
That partnership never evolved because there was never a business opportunity to be had. But to be fair to him, I may have stayed as a courtesy a second night if it was not for the news the following morning that the TGI Friday's that I had dinner at the night prior had (about 1 hour after I had left) been destroyed by a passing motorcyclist who had thrown into the restaurant a couple of grenades. Perhaps a disgruntled customer but more likely the work of the New People's Army (http://www.philippinerevolution.net/cgi-bin/npa/pwb.pl), the armed group of the Communist Party that has been battling government troops and blowing up soft civilian targets here for the last 40 years. It is because of the NPA that a security guard shoved a stick into my popcorn, padded me down and made me walk through a metal detector before entering a cinema to watch Transporter 3.
I don't remember much of the trip given it was so short but I do remember the music at an open air bar I was taken to for drinks after the yummy deep fried meal at TGI's. The band, comprised solely of Filipino's, were fantastic and anyone who knows me knows I'm not really a fan of the live music scene. All covers of western singers, but truly better than the artists who originally performed the songs.
I have quickly come to learn during my crash course in the SE Asian music scene that the talent on display was by no means contained to that one bar 8 years ago. Filipino singers are remarkable, both because of their raw talent and the sheer number of them flooding every bar, restaurant and cafe in Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpar, Hong Kong, Jakarta and of course, here in Manila.
That's the best.....now for the worst.
Covers, covers, covers, covers and more covers. Or, to use the local parlance, revivals, revivals, revivals, revivals and more revivals. There is not one local artist on the top 10 list here whose album is not entirely comprised of covers. And not just covers of western artists, covers of local artists too. As explained to me by a half Chinese cousin of my beloved (meaning I could have half of a sensible and productive discussion), Filipino's are afflicted with a serious case of 'LSS', 'Last Song Syndrome.
Whereas we would normally condemn an artist who had made their name through never producing any original music, here it is celebrated.
And here in lies the problem of the failure by Filipino artists (with I hope the exception of one) to cross over into the West; singing Kenny Rogers' classics or a Tagalog love song from the 1980s just doesn't cut it with Generation Y.
Monday, January 26, 2009
I Was About To Complain But....
The weather here as been 'reasonable' since I arrived in Manila but seems to have spiked in the last few days.
I was going to blog about the pools of sweat I have been waking in lately because I haven't yet worked out the timing system on our aircon but, since reading online that Melbourne is in the middle of a 40+ heatwave, I think I was place this post on hold for a while.....
Good luck y'all!
I was going to blog about the pools of sweat I have been waking in lately because I haven't yet worked out the timing system on our aircon but, since reading online that Melbourne is in the middle of a 40+ heatwave, I think I was place this post on hold for a while.....
Good luck y'all!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
With a 24 HR McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Dairy Queen at My Doorstep, I'm Going to Get Seriously Fat!
Throw into the mix no dog to walk daily and Nerri cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner each day for us, I'm worried I'm going to stack on some serious pounds.
Fear not, Fitness First hysteria has grabbed hold of Eastwood City!
Situated as a helpful buffer betweeb the chain of fast food stores and our 'condominium' to use the local parlance, I joined up with the seemingly hundreds of others to Fitness First's 'once only promotional package' that will presumably be the same rate as every other month.
And it ain't cheap; 2400 pesos per month which roughly converts to $77 AU but for fear of turning into a human blimp I figured a necessary expense.
The real test however is how often will I go?
Fear not, Fitness First hysteria has grabbed hold of Eastwood City!
Situated as a helpful buffer betweeb the chain of fast food stores and our 'condominium' to use the local parlance, I joined up with the seemingly hundreds of others to Fitness First's 'once only promotional package' that will presumably be the same rate as every other month.
And it ain't cheap; 2400 pesos per month which roughly converts to $77 AU but for fear of turning into a human blimp I figured a necessary expense.
The real test however is how often will I go?
God's Unheplful Interference
As I continue to be flabbergasted each day as to why so many people here with so little money want to do so little work, I have come to understand God's very unhelpful interference with life here for the ordinary Filipino.
Whilst I could provide a thousand and one examples in my short stay of attempting to pay money for a service and then be rejected because of an unwillingness to provide that service because staff are either too tired, no available change, about to go home, haven't yet began work etc etc, I will stick to one example particularly close to home.
A large chunk of money is owed to my beloved that had been incurred by close relatives last October. Despite promises of "next week...next week....next week" the debt of course is still outstanding. It seems the relatives in question had made no effort at all to ever try to source the funds to repay the debt despite promises to the contrary. Like all things here, a problem now is one that can be solved later.
Relocating to another continent is never cheap even if it is to The Philippines and my beloved set a very firm deadline to receive the funds by Sunday 25th January. Of course, the debt was not paid.
But why I have come to so despise the culture of sheer laziness here was best epitomised in an sms my beloved received from one of the relatives in question last night. The sms was not a further promise to pay, it was not a proposed payment plan and it wasn't even an apology for failing once again to deliver the funds as promised. It was instead a parable about a man who requested a flower from God but instead was delivered a cactus. An when that man then asked instead for a butterfly, he received a worm. The man was deeply saddened by God's rejection of his request but when he woke the next morning, the cactus had borne a beautiful flower and the worm had turned into a beautiful butterfly.
The short of all this bullshit was that his conscious was absolutely crystal clear; if God had wanted him to repay the funds he would have been provided the money. My beloved wanted her money back (read: flower) but had been delivered zip (read: a cactus). But that was for the best, according to God. At least, his interpretation of God.
So sure was he of God's will, the ring leader had pointed out to my beloved that he had been consistently praying for the funds since last October when they first incurred the debt. No doubt he and the other relatives have plenty of time to pray, indeed in a household of 7 adults only one of them has a job - the live in maid. Must be all that praying they are doing because it seems unemployed people here don't even have the time to cook or clean for themselves.
Hallelujah for overseas remittances.
It is difficult to shake our terribly pc liberal values being raised in a country like Australia but let's give ourselves a break and not feel too guilty.
Whilst I could provide a thousand and one examples in my short stay of attempting to pay money for a service and then be rejected because of an unwillingness to provide that service because staff are either too tired, no available change, about to go home, haven't yet began work etc etc, I will stick to one example particularly close to home.
A large chunk of money is owed to my beloved that had been incurred by close relatives last October. Despite promises of "next week...next week....next week" the debt of course is still outstanding. It seems the relatives in question had made no effort at all to ever try to source the funds to repay the debt despite promises to the contrary. Like all things here, a problem now is one that can be solved later.
Relocating to another continent is never cheap even if it is to The Philippines and my beloved set a very firm deadline to receive the funds by Sunday 25th January. Of course, the debt was not paid.
But why I have come to so despise the culture of sheer laziness here was best epitomised in an sms my beloved received from one of the relatives in question last night. The sms was not a further promise to pay, it was not a proposed payment plan and it wasn't even an apology for failing once again to deliver the funds as promised. It was instead a parable about a man who requested a flower from God but instead was delivered a cactus. An when that man then asked instead for a butterfly, he received a worm. The man was deeply saddened by God's rejection of his request but when he woke the next morning, the cactus had borne a beautiful flower and the worm had turned into a beautiful butterfly.
The short of all this bullshit was that his conscious was absolutely crystal clear; if God had wanted him to repay the funds he would have been provided the money. My beloved wanted her money back (read: flower) but had been delivered zip (read: a cactus). But that was for the best, according to God. At least, his interpretation of God.
So sure was he of God's will, the ring leader had pointed out to my beloved that he had been consistently praying for the funds since last October when they first incurred the debt. No doubt he and the other relatives have plenty of time to pray, indeed in a household of 7 adults only one of them has a job - the live in maid. Must be all that praying they are doing because it seems unemployed people here don't even have the time to cook or clean for themselves.
Hallelujah for overseas remittances.
It is difficult to shake our terribly pc liberal values being raised in a country like Australia but let's give ourselves a break and not feel too guilty.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Sponsor's Dream....
Got a product you want to promote in The Philippines? Sponsor a basketball team!
It seems 'naming rights' for basketball teams are taken quite literal here.
Not sure what I mean?
Example 1:
"How about those Talk n Texters last Saturday, they were great".
Example 2:
"Gee wizz, Rain or Shine got their asses whipped!"
Example 3:
"Tender Juicy Chicken are playing really well this season"
To use a football analogy and applying the same standard, Carlton would become the Optus Team, Collingwood the Emirates Team and Richmond the Dick Smith Team.
And in the case of the three examples I provided above for the Philippines Basketball Association, Talk n Text is a mobile phone company, Rain or Shine is a car spray painting business and Tender Juicy sells deep fried chicken.
If a team is recognised first and foremost by its sponsorship name, some of you may be asking what happens when the sponsor changes? Well, folks, welcome to The Philippines. The name of the team changes overnight.
It seems 'naming rights' for basketball teams are taken quite literal here.
Not sure what I mean?
Example 1:
"How about those Talk n Texters last Saturday, they were great".
Example 2:
"Gee wizz, Rain or Shine got their asses whipped!"
Example 3:
"Tender Juicy Chicken are playing really well this season"
To use a football analogy and applying the same standard, Carlton would become the Optus Team, Collingwood the Emirates Team and Richmond the Dick Smith Team.
And in the case of the three examples I provided above for the Philippines Basketball Association, Talk n Text is a mobile phone company, Rain or Shine is a car spray painting business and Tender Juicy sells deep fried chicken.
If a team is recognised first and foremost by its sponsorship name, some of you may be asking what happens when the sponsor changes? Well, folks, welcome to The Philippines. The name of the team changes overnight.
Yes, Having a Maid is Good.
I recently received an email from the bestest ever former electorate officer who is now a self-funded retiree at 33 asking the question, is it good having a maid?
Yes, is the short answer.
And I want all of you to ponder that this morning as you sit at your desks glued to your monitor in your crinkly shirt because you didn't have enough time to iron it properly while balancing a shitty instant coffee and a piece of lukewarm toast.
And when you have finished pondering it, ponder it again tonight when you are stuck with cooking a half-arsed meal that you then have to spend 20 minutes cleaning up.
Yes, having a maid is good.
Yes, is the short answer.
And I want all of you to ponder that this morning as you sit at your desks glued to your monitor in your crinkly shirt because you didn't have enough time to iron it properly while balancing a shitty instant coffee and a piece of lukewarm toast.
And when you have finished pondering it, ponder it again tonight when you are stuck with cooking a half-arsed meal that you then have to spend 20 minutes cleaning up.
Yes, having a maid is good.
Alaska Aces Rock!
Don't know who the Alaska Aces are? That's ok. I didn't until 2 days ago either.
After an exhaustive 35 minute shower mentally penning different ways that we, Team Beloved, can better promote said beloved, I wanted her to pick a basketball team to support and start attending games.
The country is gripped by basketball fever as the Quarter Finals commence for the Philippine Basketball Association or 'PBA' and billboards of the various players adorn freeways, flyovers and the side of buildings throughout Metro Manila.
We headed out to MOA (Mall of Asia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_Mall_of_Asia) to meet my beloved's younger brother and his girlfriend of indeterminate age, background, profession, education or hobby because she doesn't speak.
During lunch I made small talk and asked about the basketball finals. Beloved's younger brother pounced on my question and was proud to inform me that his girlfriend's uncle was in fact the manager of one of the quarter finalist teams, the Alaska Aces.
"We have heaps of tickets" said beloved's younger brother.
"Really?!", I asked, "that's great!". "What is the seating like?" (by 'like' I meant the position of the actual seats and not the comfort level. This should be obvious to most but no doubt one of you will nit pick).
"Behind the players", he matter of factly said.
"Yes...but how far behind?" I enquired.
"Like, the next row behind" in a very Avril Lavigne sort of tone (chuck in the 'what.ev.er' and you will get the picture).
"Oh, that is good" I replied.
(I trust every one enjoyed the verbatim recital of the conversation. I have a friend back in Melbourne who I will, for the purposes of this blog and to protect his anonymity, call him Masan Trinivasan, who has a penchant for describing stories verbatim.)
Anyway, with that we are now proud supporters of the Alaska Aces. I don't know a thing about them but I intend to make a whopper of a scene at the games so the camera keeps floating our way and beloved gets that little bit more attention.
After an exhaustive 35 minute shower mentally penning different ways that we, Team Beloved, can better promote said beloved, I wanted her to pick a basketball team to support and start attending games.
The country is gripped by basketball fever as the Quarter Finals commence for the Philippine Basketball Association or 'PBA' and billboards of the various players adorn freeways, flyovers and the side of buildings throughout Metro Manila.
We headed out to MOA (Mall of Asia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_Mall_of_Asia) to meet my beloved's younger brother and his girlfriend of indeterminate age, background, profession, education or hobby because she doesn't speak.
During lunch I made small talk and asked about the basketball finals. Beloved's younger brother pounced on my question and was proud to inform me that his girlfriend's uncle was in fact the manager of one of the quarter finalist teams, the Alaska Aces.
"We have heaps of tickets" said beloved's younger brother.
"Really?!", I asked, "that's great!". "What is the seating like?" (by 'like' I meant the position of the actual seats and not the comfort level. This should be obvious to most but no doubt one of you will nit pick).
"Behind the players", he matter of factly said.
"Yes...but how far behind?" I enquired.
"Like, the next row behind" in a very Avril Lavigne sort of tone (chuck in the 'what.ev.er' and you will get the picture).
"Oh, that is good" I replied.
(I trust every one enjoyed the verbatim recital of the conversation. I have a friend back in Melbourne who I will, for the purposes of this blog and to protect his anonymity, call him Masan Trinivasan, who has a penchant for describing stories verbatim.)
Anyway, with that we are now proud supporters of the Alaska Aces. I don't know a thing about them but I intend to make a whopper of a scene at the games so the camera keeps floating our way and beloved gets that little bit more attention.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Kids are Cute, The Music is Shite
Desperate to do the opposite of the locals, I decided to partake in some exercise and take a walk last night down to the SM Mega Mall in Pasig City, a suburb neighbouring Eastwood City.
After doing a bit of shopping and having to endure the endless love songs cum elevator music that is so popular here, the place went bezerk when the theme to Top Gun was played over the loud speakers.
Enough said.
After doing a bit of shopping and having to endure the endless love songs cum elevator music that is so popular here, the place went bezerk when the theme to Top Gun was played over the loud speakers.
Enough said.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Swap the Curry for Rice
Dealing with the business side of my beloved's pursuit of stardom I've quickly come to realise that I might as well be back in India.
Some of you over the years have been bombarded by my explanations for the inequalities of life faced by so many millions across the globe. It is probably presumptuous to even believe that I can provide an explanation for a series of very complex problems that policy makers across the globe have wrestled with, unsuccessfully, over so many decades. But one common feature strikes me time and time again when visiting countries like India, The Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia versus other countries in the region like Singapore or Hong Kong; there are a hell of a lot of men sitting around doing nothing.
I remember taking my computer for repairs at a small shop in Malvern a few years back run by an Indonesian chap. We got talking about things in general whilst he was trying to make sense of endless Microsoft 'essential' updates. He found out that I had just returned from my first trip to Jakarta and I had observed the wide gulf between rich and poor. "Please tell me you are not one of those people" he asked. I was a little taken aback and then replied "what do you mean those people". "You know", he responded "people who think there is something wrong with having rich and poor people".
My ALP sensibilities were terribly offended.
"Let me tell you something", he said as he stopped working and looked up from the monitor, "you could give every Indonesian $1 million dollars tomorrow and I promise you one week later some would have doubled their money, some would have blown their money".
Those words have stuck with me not because they are entirely correct - it doesn't, for example, deal with the issue of institutionalised poverty and people who will never be given the chance to blow $1 million dollars - but it does highlight the differences amongst people. Some are more responsbile, some irresponsible, some will gamble it, some will spend it on grog whilst others may invest it wisely or just put in the bank for a rainy day.
I do believe people are people wherever you go but I also believe certain norms in some pockets of the globe can exaggerate the strengths and weaknesses that we all have. To be even more precise, there are a certain set of norms that are expected of people in a city like London, Berlin or Tokyo that are not expected in Manila, Bangkok or Delhi. By 'norm' I'm really talking about a work ethic. And to be fair, it is isn't contained to this part of the world. Ask a businessman from Dusseldorf his opinion of workers from Barcelona and you will cop an earful.
On a daily basis in Manila I hear about the "Chinese this" or the "Chinese that". It isn't so much rascism as it is an undercurrent of jealously that the newcomers on the scene (comparatively!) dominate - and I mean dominate - the business world here.
Just like in Jakarta. Just like in Kuala Lumpar.
But nothing can better illustrate the above than the government mandated holiday period - extended after public pressure - between the 21st Dec to the 5th January. Roads were empty, shopping centres closed and you could actually see a blue sky with the absence of polluting factories. Take a walk through Chinatown though and it was business as normal. The narrow streets were packed with the hustle and bustle of men and women selling goods, buying goods, haggling for the best price and closing deals on mutually acceptable terms.
Oh, the difference to the rest of Manila.
Idle men sitting on the edge of pavements while their women head off to work. Groups of taxi drivers milling around smoking (and sometimes drinking) who are quick to turn away a fare if the proposed distance is too short, too long, too left, too right....you get the picture.
Churches will be packed on Sunday as men pray for the well being of their families before heading off for siesta because they are so tired from collecting the overseas remittance from a distant relative who will forever be saddled with guilt for living in the 'comfort' of the US, Canada and Australia all the while working his or her guts out doing 50 hours a week while the family back in Manila spend a working day singing stupid love songs on their Karaoke machine.
And of course all of this is a pretty crude stereotype but god knows there is fair bit of truth behind it too.
Next time any of you are in (no natural resources former swamp land) Singapore, take the 300 metre trip across the causeway into Johor Bharu, Malaysia. People are people but some societies expect a little more of its people, some expect a lot less.
Some of you over the years have been bombarded by my explanations for the inequalities of life faced by so many millions across the globe. It is probably presumptuous to even believe that I can provide an explanation for a series of very complex problems that policy makers across the globe have wrestled with, unsuccessfully, over so many decades. But one common feature strikes me time and time again when visiting countries like India, The Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia versus other countries in the region like Singapore or Hong Kong; there are a hell of a lot of men sitting around doing nothing.
I remember taking my computer for repairs at a small shop in Malvern a few years back run by an Indonesian chap. We got talking about things in general whilst he was trying to make sense of endless Microsoft 'essential' updates. He found out that I had just returned from my first trip to Jakarta and I had observed the wide gulf between rich and poor. "Please tell me you are not one of those people" he asked. I was a little taken aback and then replied "what do you mean those people". "You know", he responded "people who think there is something wrong with having rich and poor people".
My ALP sensibilities were terribly offended.
"Let me tell you something", he said as he stopped working and looked up from the monitor, "you could give every Indonesian $1 million dollars tomorrow and I promise you one week later some would have doubled their money, some would have blown their money".
Those words have stuck with me not because they are entirely correct - it doesn't, for example, deal with the issue of institutionalised poverty and people who will never be given the chance to blow $1 million dollars - but it does highlight the differences amongst people. Some are more responsbile, some irresponsible, some will gamble it, some will spend it on grog whilst others may invest it wisely or just put in the bank for a rainy day.
I do believe people are people wherever you go but I also believe certain norms in some pockets of the globe can exaggerate the strengths and weaknesses that we all have. To be even more precise, there are a certain set of norms that are expected of people in a city like London, Berlin or Tokyo that are not expected in Manila, Bangkok or Delhi. By 'norm' I'm really talking about a work ethic. And to be fair, it is isn't contained to this part of the world. Ask a businessman from Dusseldorf his opinion of workers from Barcelona and you will cop an earful.
On a daily basis in Manila I hear about the "Chinese this" or the "Chinese that". It isn't so much rascism as it is an undercurrent of jealously that the newcomers on the scene (comparatively!) dominate - and I mean dominate - the business world here.
Just like in Jakarta. Just like in Kuala Lumpar.
But nothing can better illustrate the above than the government mandated holiday period - extended after public pressure - between the 21st Dec to the 5th January. Roads were empty, shopping centres closed and you could actually see a blue sky with the absence of polluting factories. Take a walk through Chinatown though and it was business as normal. The narrow streets were packed with the hustle and bustle of men and women selling goods, buying goods, haggling for the best price and closing deals on mutually acceptable terms.
Oh, the difference to the rest of Manila.
Idle men sitting on the edge of pavements while their women head off to work. Groups of taxi drivers milling around smoking (and sometimes drinking) who are quick to turn away a fare if the proposed distance is too short, too long, too left, too right....you get the picture.
Churches will be packed on Sunday as men pray for the well being of their families before heading off for siesta because they are so tired from collecting the overseas remittance from a distant relative who will forever be saddled with guilt for living in the 'comfort' of the US, Canada and Australia all the while working his or her guts out doing 50 hours a week while the family back in Manila spend a working day singing stupid love songs on their Karaoke machine.
And of course all of this is a pretty crude stereotype but god knows there is fair bit of truth behind it too.
Next time any of you are in (no natural resources former swamp land) Singapore, take the 300 metre trip across the causeway into Johor Bharu, Malaysia. People are people but some societies expect a little more of its people, some expect a lot less.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Sad Cause of Delay
Over the past few days I have been mostly offline and I apologise for any emails that have gone unanswered.
Some of you will know whilst I was in Thailand at the start of November my great auntie, Raja Ramler, passed away. I could not attend the funeral in Melbourne the day after and it was a horrible feeling of disconnection from my family. Before I left for The Philippines I had lunch with my great uncle, Lolek Ramler. He had lost weight and looked understandably drawn but he did his best to put on a brave face after losing his wife of some 60 years.
Last Thursday my father had contacted me to advise Lolek had been admitted into hospital, had lost considerably more weight and appeared to be weeks away from passing. Dad had organised for my grandmother (Lolek's sister) to fly to Melbourne on Tuesday morning with him to visit; no small task for a 95 year old.
On Monday afternoon Lolek passed away.
I am weary of dwelling on any personal loss I feel given the two sons, Paul and Gary and five grandchildren Carly, Dean, Sarah, Elliot and Alana are now facing the indescribable grief caused by the loss of their Mother and Father, Grandmother and Grandfather within just a few weeks.
Success is often - wrongly - attributed to the amount of personal wealth an individual holds. Off that definition anyone who has ever inherited a cent is 'successful'. I would prefer to define success by the personal adversity an individual has faced and their ability to still earn a buck despite the incredible odds suggesting otherwise. Off that definition, Lolek and Raja were succesful in spades.
My grandmother and her brother, Lolek, had six other sisters. The sisters had been rounded up with their parents (my great grandparents) at the family house, forced to dig a large hole in the backyard, pushed in and then executed in 1939.
My grandmother was already married by this stage to my grandfather, Frederick Cass, and had left for the safety of Melbourne prior to the outbreak of WWII. They were joined by Lolek 3 years later who had spent his time firstly in the Polish army and then the British army on his way to a desolate port in Townsville, Queensland with a couple of pounds in his pocket. After spending the next few years in the spare room of my grandparent's house in Elsternwick, he moved out to marry Raja and start a small furniture manafacturing business. 50 years later that small business was to become Australia's largest furniture contractor with clients including the Sydney Olympics and Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Westfield Shopping Centres, Crown Casino and the Hyatt Hotel Group.
Sitting on the otherside of the world I would dearly prefer to be in Melbourne with my family right now and share with them the loss of two incredible people.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/16/1084646068783.html?from=storylhs
Some of you will know whilst I was in Thailand at the start of November my great auntie, Raja Ramler, passed away. I could not attend the funeral in Melbourne the day after and it was a horrible feeling of disconnection from my family. Before I left for The Philippines I had lunch with my great uncle, Lolek Ramler. He had lost weight and looked understandably drawn but he did his best to put on a brave face after losing his wife of some 60 years.
Last Thursday my father had contacted me to advise Lolek had been admitted into hospital, had lost considerably more weight and appeared to be weeks away from passing. Dad had organised for my grandmother (Lolek's sister) to fly to Melbourne on Tuesday morning with him to visit; no small task for a 95 year old.
On Monday afternoon Lolek passed away.
I am weary of dwelling on any personal loss I feel given the two sons, Paul and Gary and five grandchildren Carly, Dean, Sarah, Elliot and Alana are now facing the indescribable grief caused by the loss of their Mother and Father, Grandmother and Grandfather within just a few weeks.
Success is often - wrongly - attributed to the amount of personal wealth an individual holds. Off that definition anyone who has ever inherited a cent is 'successful'. I would prefer to define success by the personal adversity an individual has faced and their ability to still earn a buck despite the incredible odds suggesting otherwise. Off that definition, Lolek and Raja were succesful in spades.
My grandmother and her brother, Lolek, had six other sisters. The sisters had been rounded up with their parents (my great grandparents) at the family house, forced to dig a large hole in the backyard, pushed in and then executed in 1939.
My grandmother was already married by this stage to my grandfather, Frederick Cass, and had left for the safety of Melbourne prior to the outbreak of WWII. They were joined by Lolek 3 years later who had spent his time firstly in the Polish army and then the British army on his way to a desolate port in Townsville, Queensland with a couple of pounds in his pocket. After spending the next few years in the spare room of my grandparent's house in Elsternwick, he moved out to marry Raja and start a small furniture manafacturing business. 50 years later that small business was to become Australia's largest furniture contractor with clients including the Sydney Olympics and Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Westfield Shopping Centres, Crown Casino and the Hyatt Hotel Group.
Sitting on the otherside of the world I would dearly prefer to be in Melbourne with my family right now and share with them the loss of two incredible people.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/16/1084646068783.html?from=storylhs
Monday, January 5, 2009
Down For the Count: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4......
Nerri collapsed yesterday.
(No, it wasn't as a result of exhaustion caused by overwork.)
I heard a bang coming from the bedroom but didn't think much of it. Unexpected loud noises are pretty much a a normal part of life in Manila. The bang was followed a few moments later by the scream of my beloved who found Nerri on the floor spread out like Jesus Christ on the cross.
As a big fan of the now defunct medical tv show Chicago Hope (E.R was crap), I was as cool as a cucumber as I calmly asked Nerri and my beloved (who had spent the day with her at a relative's party) a series of precision questions to quickly diagnose the problem.
Truth is it didn't take a genius to work out what was wrong. It seems she ate some bad food the night before, had vomited earlier in the morning and was suffering from diarehia throughout the day, all unbeknowst to us. The poor girl was so dehydrated and had only drank (...drumroll please...) two cups of coffee for the day! Mmm....dairy on an upset stomach complimented by a dash of caffeine to sooth away dehydration!
We proppped her up and started getting her to sip 2 glasses of water and then 1 glass of pineapple juice over about 15 minutes. I ducked down to Watson's Drugstore and picked up some Lomotil and got it quickly back to our little patient. About an hour later she seemed better but was understandably hungry so lucky Nerri was treated to a very tasty dinner of plain rice washed down by a Gatorade.
The good news is after another 2 glasses of water she fell asleep, woke up the next day and had never felt better. Which is just as well, because there is a hell of a lot of cleaning which now needs to get done.
(No, it wasn't as a result of exhaustion caused by overwork.)
I heard a bang coming from the bedroom but didn't think much of it. Unexpected loud noises are pretty much a a normal part of life in Manila. The bang was followed a few moments later by the scream of my beloved who found Nerri on the floor spread out like Jesus Christ on the cross.
As a big fan of the now defunct medical tv show Chicago Hope (E.R was crap), I was as cool as a cucumber as I calmly asked Nerri and my beloved (who had spent the day with her at a relative's party) a series of precision questions to quickly diagnose the problem.
Truth is it didn't take a genius to work out what was wrong. It seems she ate some bad food the night before, had vomited earlier in the morning and was suffering from diarehia throughout the day, all unbeknowst to us. The poor girl was so dehydrated and had only drank (...drumroll please...) two cups of coffee for the day! Mmm....dairy on an upset stomach complimented by a dash of caffeine to sooth away dehydration!
We proppped her up and started getting her to sip 2 glasses of water and then 1 glass of pineapple juice over about 15 minutes. I ducked down to Watson's Drugstore and picked up some Lomotil and got it quickly back to our little patient. About an hour later she seemed better but was understandably hungry so lucky Nerri was treated to a very tasty dinner of plain rice washed down by a Gatorade.
The good news is after another 2 glasses of water she fell asleep, woke up the next day and had never felt better. Which is just as well, because there is a hell of a lot of cleaning which now needs to get done.
Treb is In Da House
We had a good win today when Treb Monteras, winner of MTV Asia's Best Director, agreed to shoot the video for my beloved's first single on her self titled album. More to come....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37jI-z0QQNs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37jI-z0QQNs
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Witches, Ghouls and Jesus Christ
In my last post I briefly touched on the superstitions of a 92% Catholic country.
I could perhaps be more critical of the local population and observe people here know more about the rituals of Catholicism than the actual religion itself but I will leave that judgement for another day.
But in the meantime consider this:
An Aswang (or Asuwang) is a mythical creature in Filipino folklore. The aswang is the most feared of supernatural creatures on the Philippines and is the subject of a wide variety of myths and stories, the details of which often vary greatly. Spanish colonizers noted that the Aswang was the most feared among the mythical creatures of the Philippines, even in the 16th century.
The most popular original definition however, is that it is a ghoul, an eater of the dead. After consumption, the ghoul replaces the cadaver with banana trunks.
Since the stories recount aswang eating unborn children, pregnancy is a time of great fear for superstitious Filipinos.
Typically, an aswang is revealed by using a bottle of a special oil extracted from boiled and decanted coconut meat and mixed with certain plant stems upon which special prayers being said. When an aswang comes near or roams around the house at night, the oil is said to boil (or froth into bubbles) and continue boiling until the aswang departs.
I could perhaps be more critical of the local population and observe people here know more about the rituals of Catholicism than the actual religion itself but I will leave that judgement for another day.
But in the meantime consider this:
An Aswang (or Asuwang) is a mythical creature in Filipino folklore. The aswang is the most feared of supernatural creatures on the Philippines and is the subject of a wide variety of myths and stories, the details of which often vary greatly. Spanish colonizers noted that the Aswang was the most feared among the mythical creatures of the Philippines, even in the 16th century.
The most popular original definition however, is that it is a ghoul, an eater of the dead. After consumption, the ghoul replaces the cadaver with banana trunks.
Since the stories recount aswang eating unborn children, pregnancy is a time of great fear for superstitious Filipinos.
Typically, an aswang is revealed by using a bottle of a special oil extracted from boiled and decanted coconut meat and mixed with certain plant stems upon which special prayers being said. When an aswang comes near or roams around the house at night, the oil is said to boil (or froth into bubbles) and continue boiling until the aswang departs.
The Chinese Are Ruining My Day
My beloved's scheduled recordings for the 6th and 9th of January have just been cancelled.
Her manager has cited the Feng Shui implications of '6' and in turn, '9', given it looks like a 6.
For a Catholic country there are a lot of strange practices here which bear no relation to Catholicism.
Her manager has cited the Feng Shui implications of '6' and in turn, '9', given it looks like a 6.
For a Catholic country there are a lot of strange practices here which bear no relation to Catholicism.
$4 Massages and $26 Cakes
I'm struggling to get my head around pricing in Manila.
How is it that I routinely pay more for a cup of coffee here than I would on my old stomping ground of Chapel Street?
Is it because the waiters and waitresses are earning more than $16 per hour? No. $1-2 would be closer to the mark. Is it because the rent is much higher? Possibly in some areas but in the majority, no.
And when I mean "here" yes, that means Eastwood City where a premium price is to be expected but also includes our local SM Mega Mall ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_Megamall).
There is certainly no shortage of competition; Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Seattle's Best (never heard of them? Nor had I. www.seattlesbest.com) appear on every street corner competing with regular cafes and restaurants.
The answer may be two fold.
My beloved and I were invited to Conways Piano Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel a few nights back to watch a New Zealand band who were cousins of some friends back in Melbourne. Small world. Now, these guys were living the life. 6 guys, 6 hotel rooms at one of the best 5 star hotels in Philippines and 6 buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners each day on top of their ordinary wage for performing at the hotel. Every 3 months they would move on to another Shangri-La Hotel; their last location was Jakarta, their next was Beijing.
Anyway, the guys were complaining about the low numbers at the bar. I had presumed low occupancy to explain why there was only about 15 people at a bar that could comfortably accommodate over 100. Occupancy according to the guys was running at 91%. A very healthy amount by any definition. In response to Conway's low numbers in the month of November, management had jacked up all the prices by 15% across the board to try to maintain the same revenue from previous months; to state the absolute obvious (but clearly not obvious to the management of Conway's) this led to even lower numbers in the month of December!
And so when it came time to order drinks I was just a tad hesitant but was pleased when my beloved opted for a fruity tea thing and another singer we were with only wanted an orange juice. When in Rome do as the Romans do so I ordered a San Miguel beer.
Come closing time I was presented with the bill: 940 Pesos / $29.30.
The size of the bill compared to the content of our order was ridiculously large even by Australian standards. Indeed I think it may have even been cheaper to drink at a bar in London or New York.
The last time I was really stung for a small order was with Telmo Languiller (Member for Sunshine) of all places in Rome. To be more precise, I think Kieran Boland was one the one who was actually stuck with the bill (a bill that neither one of us could really afford as we backpacked across Europe). We bumped into Telmo in the Vatican bookshop. He of course was on a 'study trip'. Study trip in Rome I enquired? No he replied, in London, but Rome was 'just a stopover'. A 4 day stopover. How nice. Anyway, he invited the two of us to coffee around the corner near the Trevi fountain.
Unaccustomed with such things I plonked myself on the nearest seat to the piazza to enjoy a sunny day in the middle of winter. I remember being a little bit surprised that so many locals were huddled inside the cafe and only a few enjoying the rare day of warmth outside. Some of you who have made your way through Europe, particularly Italy, may have realised the folly of my actions. 3 cuppaccinos later was quickly followed by a bill of approximately $30 - yes, $10 per coffee! As I learnt the hard way a grading system within cafes is enforced: cheapest is standing only at the bar and progressively gets more expensive the further out from the bar as you stretch outside. The short of it is I had unwittingly sat in the most expensive seats the cafe had to offer.
All of this reminescing is a long way from my original question of explaining some of the high prices around Manila. By my earlier example at the Conway's, one answer could be the rather skewed business philosophy of raising prices when numbers are down. But that explanation only extends so far given many of the cafes and restaurants in Manila's shopping centres seem to enjoy very healthy numbers.
The second maybe even more simple; there is such a gulf between rich and poor here that a proprietor is simply making profit margins that would make an Australian operator blush off the back of Manila's fabulously rich. For a developing country The Philippines can never be accused of not having enough money. Like Thailand and Indonesia, the seriously rich here make our BRW Top 10 list back home look like a bunch of paupers with their paultry billion here or billion there. In Manila we talk about 10s if not 100s of billions. Mind boggling stuff.
And nothing better contrasts the extravagence of life for some here in Manila than my time in the Aristocrat Bakeshop when I went to purchase - and then cancelled - a cake that was the equivalent of $26. I did however follow through on a 2 hour massage for $4.
Go figure.
How is it that I routinely pay more for a cup of coffee here than I would on my old stomping ground of Chapel Street?
Is it because the waiters and waitresses are earning more than $16 per hour? No. $1-2 would be closer to the mark. Is it because the rent is much higher? Possibly in some areas but in the majority, no.
And when I mean "here" yes, that means Eastwood City where a premium price is to be expected but also includes our local SM Mega Mall ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_Megamall).
There is certainly no shortage of competition; Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Seattle's Best (never heard of them? Nor had I. www.seattlesbest.com) appear on every street corner competing with regular cafes and restaurants.
The answer may be two fold.
My beloved and I were invited to Conways Piano Bar at the Shangri-La Hotel a few nights back to watch a New Zealand band who were cousins of some friends back in Melbourne. Small world. Now, these guys were living the life. 6 guys, 6 hotel rooms at one of the best 5 star hotels in Philippines and 6 buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners each day on top of their ordinary wage for performing at the hotel. Every 3 months they would move on to another Shangri-La Hotel; their last location was Jakarta, their next was Beijing.
Anyway, the guys were complaining about the low numbers at the bar. I had presumed low occupancy to explain why there was only about 15 people at a bar that could comfortably accommodate over 100. Occupancy according to the guys was running at 91%. A very healthy amount by any definition. In response to Conway's low numbers in the month of November, management had jacked up all the prices by 15% across the board to try to maintain the same revenue from previous months; to state the absolute obvious (but clearly not obvious to the management of Conway's) this led to even lower numbers in the month of December!
And so when it came time to order drinks I was just a tad hesitant but was pleased when my beloved opted for a fruity tea thing and another singer we were with only wanted an orange juice. When in Rome do as the Romans do so I ordered a San Miguel beer.
Come closing time I was presented with the bill: 940 Pesos / $29.30.
The size of the bill compared to the content of our order was ridiculously large even by Australian standards. Indeed I think it may have even been cheaper to drink at a bar in London or New York.
The last time I was really stung for a small order was with Telmo Languiller (Member for Sunshine) of all places in Rome. To be more precise, I think Kieran Boland was one the one who was actually stuck with the bill (a bill that neither one of us could really afford as we backpacked across Europe). We bumped into Telmo in the Vatican bookshop. He of course was on a 'study trip'. Study trip in Rome I enquired? No he replied, in London, but Rome was 'just a stopover'. A 4 day stopover. How nice. Anyway, he invited the two of us to coffee around the corner near the Trevi fountain.
Unaccustomed with such things I plonked myself on the nearest seat to the piazza to enjoy a sunny day in the middle of winter. I remember being a little bit surprised that so many locals were huddled inside the cafe and only a few enjoying the rare day of warmth outside. Some of you who have made your way through Europe, particularly Italy, may have realised the folly of my actions. 3 cuppaccinos later was quickly followed by a bill of approximately $30 - yes, $10 per coffee! As I learnt the hard way a grading system within cafes is enforced: cheapest is standing only at the bar and progressively gets more expensive the further out from the bar as you stretch outside. The short of it is I had unwittingly sat in the most expensive seats the cafe had to offer.
All of this reminescing is a long way from my original question of explaining some of the high prices around Manila. By my earlier example at the Conway's, one answer could be the rather skewed business philosophy of raising prices when numbers are down. But that explanation only extends so far given many of the cafes and restaurants in Manila's shopping centres seem to enjoy very healthy numbers.
The second maybe even more simple; there is such a gulf between rich and poor here that a proprietor is simply making profit margins that would make an Australian operator blush off the back of Manila's fabulously rich. For a developing country The Philippines can never be accused of not having enough money. Like Thailand and Indonesia, the seriously rich here make our BRW Top 10 list back home look like a bunch of paupers with their paultry billion here or billion there. In Manila we talk about 10s if not 100s of billions. Mind boggling stuff.
And nothing better contrasts the extravagence of life for some here in Manila than my time in the Aristocrat Bakeshop when I went to purchase - and then cancelled - a cake that was the equivalent of $26. I did however follow through on a 2 hour massage for $4.
Go figure.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Rollin' P Diddy-Style Bitchez
Cruising around the windy, bumpy and crowded streets of Manila in a black 10-seater, V12 Ford E-Series Wagon is about as appropriate as going Chanukah shopping in the Bakara market, Mogadishu.
A vehicle that large would be inappropriate on Australia's wide roads designed to support a population 5 times smaller; characterising the E-Series as 'serving no practical purpose' would be an understatement.
It seems members of the Filipino music industry think otherwise.
As my beloved and I were ferried around by her manager's driver-cum-bodyguard from one recording studio to another in this gigantum vehicle that required a 3 point turn every time it enters a new street, I took the opportunity to relax, stretch out my legs and enjoy my new favourite game show 'Eat Bulaga' (www.eatbulaga.tv) starring Vic Soto on the headrest monitor.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A Small Slice of Heaven
Eastwood City is great. Principally because it looks nothing like Manila.
Set back a hundred metres from the main road beyond large walls, the 'City' is the product of Megaworld Corporation, a massive property development firm based in The Philippines but with projects throughout Asia.
Best described as a really large estate similar to Robina Town Centre on the Gold Coast, Eastwood City is comprised of 15 high rise residential towers (with 5 more being built), large corporate offices to some of the biggest companies in the world (Dell, IBM, etc), 2 shopping centres and a heap of outdoor restaurants and cafes all within walking distance.
And as testament to the demographics of the City's inhabitants, not 1 but 2 dog boutique stores cater to the multitude of Chihuahuas, Shitzus and Pomeranians prancing around the landscaped streets blisfully ignorant to the fate of their fellow canines outside the walls of Eastwood City.
Set back a hundred metres from the main road beyond large walls, the 'City' is the product of Megaworld Corporation, a massive property development firm based in The Philippines but with projects throughout Asia.
Best described as a really large estate similar to Robina Town Centre on the Gold Coast, Eastwood City is comprised of 15 high rise residential towers (with 5 more being built), large corporate offices to some of the biggest companies in the world (Dell, IBM, etc), 2 shopping centres and a heap of outdoor restaurants and cafes all within walking distance.
And as testament to the demographics of the City's inhabitants, not 1 but 2 dog boutique stores cater to the multitude of Chihuahuas, Shitzus and Pomeranians prancing around the landscaped streets blisfully ignorant to the fate of their fellow canines outside the walls of Eastwood City.
Monday, December 29, 2008
My Best Friend is a K-9 Called Larry
There seems to be no shortage of guns in Eastwood City.
Tall ones, skinny ones, fat ones and short ones; revolvers, shotguns, machine guns and rifles; all types of weaponary accessorise the bright white uniforms of the Eastwood City Security Force.
Of the more hairy variety are members of the Eastwood City K-9 unit, a rather sleepy looking collection of german shepards whose duty it is to sniff out any explosives.
A reader may be mistaken to believe Eastwood City is therefore one of the more secure places in Manila until you come face to face with the 'security force'. A suit may maketh the man but a gold shield, elaborate braiding and a license to kill does not necessarily make a security guard.
To be fair, I have never been impressed with our security guards back home either, a rag tag collection of obese men in their 60s and Indian students who look like they have just finished puberty. The difference however is that the Chubb force are not armed to the teeth with enough American weaponary to hold down the Alamo nor would they ever contemplate using an upturned rifle as a stool to rest their weary heads (I kid you not).
Tall ones, skinny ones, fat ones and short ones; revolvers, shotguns, machine guns and rifles; all types of weaponary accessorise the bright white uniforms of the Eastwood City Security Force.
Of the more hairy variety are members of the Eastwood City K-9 unit, a rather sleepy looking collection of german shepards whose duty it is to sniff out any explosives.
A reader may be mistaken to believe Eastwood City is therefore one of the more secure places in Manila until you come face to face with the 'security force'. A suit may maketh the man but a gold shield, elaborate braiding and a license to kill does not necessarily make a security guard.
To be fair, I have never been impressed with our security guards back home either, a rag tag collection of obese men in their 60s and Indian students who look like they have just finished puberty. The difference however is that the Chubb force are not armed to the teeth with enough American weaponary to hold down the Alamo nor would they ever contemplate using an upturned rifle as a stool to rest their weary heads (I kid you not).
Carry-On Luggage and Small People
Perhaps I'm a half empty glass kinda of a guy, but I'm already dreading my departure after only 3 days of arriving in Manila.
I certainly won't miss the pollution, the traffic jams or the levels of inefficiencies which have expedited my hair loss. I won't miss the blank stares from shop clerks, the idle hands of would-be pickpockets who reach into my pocket on escalators or the celebratory gunfire from the neighbouring shanty town.
But I will miss Nerri.
On past trips to Asia I have been spoiled by live-in maids who have sought to take care of the mundane tasks that we all have to endure in Australia. There is something very special about waking every morning to a spotless abode smelling of freshly brewed coffee and a cupboard full of perfectly pressed clothes. So when the opportunity arose to enjoy the services of a 'Yaya' whilst in the Philippines, we both agreed to take one on given the ridiculously cheap costs involved.
Nerri has been great; always cheerful, maintains the apartment perfectly, is a great cook (although next week I am testing her on Western food !) and always make sure we have completed our various jobs for the day.
The question now is, does carry-on luggage extend to 35 kg Filipinos?
I certainly won't miss the pollution, the traffic jams or the levels of inefficiencies which have expedited my hair loss. I won't miss the blank stares from shop clerks, the idle hands of would-be pickpockets who reach into my pocket on escalators or the celebratory gunfire from the neighbouring shanty town.
But I will miss Nerri.
On past trips to Asia I have been spoiled by live-in maids who have sought to take care of the mundane tasks that we all have to endure in Australia. There is something very special about waking every morning to a spotless abode smelling of freshly brewed coffee and a cupboard full of perfectly pressed clothes. So when the opportunity arose to enjoy the services of a 'Yaya' whilst in the Philippines, we both agreed to take one on given the ridiculously cheap costs involved.
Nerri has been great; always cheerful, maintains the apartment perfectly, is a great cook (although next week I am testing her on Western food !) and always make sure we have completed our various jobs for the day.
The question now is, does carry-on luggage extend to 35 kg Filipinos?
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Kuya, Bed Sheets Please?
Using some of the broken tagalog I've begrudgingly had to learn, I headed off to Quezon City's SM Megamall to solve one of the biggest problems I have had to face since arriving in Manila - multi coloured bed sheets.
I'm not sure why the owner of our apartment would have originally purchased a fitted sheet, doona cover and matching pillow cases reminescent of a Suga candy store but sleeping on a poly cotton rainbow for 3 months was not an option.
3 days and 5 mega malls later I finally found a plain white set of sheets for the princely sum of 3100 pesos (about $100). I had no intention of spending that sort of money. 3100 pesos is the sort of money you spend to permanently remove people who have crossed you in life. 3100 pesos is the sort of money you contribute to your friendly neighbourhood General to overthrow an elected government. But in my case, 3100 pesos was the premium that had to be paid to enjoy 100% unicoloured cotton sheets.
As I write this posting my lounge room has been turned into a Chinese laundry (no offence to my Asiatic friends for the crude stereotype) freshly washed sheets hanging from every chair, door handle and light fitting in an attempt to have it dried before bed time. With Nerri away and the two laundromats within Eastwood City closed we have had to take matters into our own hands.
Let us all pray that I won't be sleeping on a bare mattress.
I'm not sure why the owner of our apartment would have originally purchased a fitted sheet, doona cover and matching pillow cases reminescent of a Suga candy store but sleeping on a poly cotton rainbow for 3 months was not an option.
3 days and 5 mega malls later I finally found a plain white set of sheets for the princely sum of 3100 pesos (about $100). I had no intention of spending that sort of money. 3100 pesos is the sort of money you spend to permanently remove people who have crossed you in life. 3100 pesos is the sort of money you contribute to your friendly neighbourhood General to overthrow an elected government. But in my case, 3100 pesos was the premium that had to be paid to enjoy 100% unicoloured cotton sheets.
As I write this posting my lounge room has been turned into a Chinese laundry (no offence to my Asiatic friends for the crude stereotype) freshly washed sheets hanging from every chair, door handle and light fitting in an attempt to have it dried before bed time. With Nerri away and the two laundromats within Eastwood City closed we have had to take matters into our own hands.
Let us all pray that I won't be sleeping on a bare mattress.
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