…Ennui

Staring into the insides

of my eyelids, languid

wisps of thought drift

weightless, taunting

me with with its transcience

unfolding. And I lie

as the ocean does upon

the skin of shifting plates,

embracing in my coldness

a warmth

short of meaning…

…Manila Ocean Park

I have been itching for some time now to visit the Manila Ocean Park at the Baywalk to see if the 400 bucks entrance fee per person is well worth it. Finally I was able to squeeze in some time yesterday so Det and I trooped there. Getting there was a hassle though. The cab driver we hailed in Pembo, Makati was told that we’re going to Baywalk, near Roxas Boulevard. Imagine my surprise when the guy turned right on C-5, headlong into the molasses-thick traffic. Politely I asked him, “which way are we going sir?” He said “You told me to go to Baywalk right?” suppressing my temper, I told him that he’s heading into “Metrowalk, not Baywalk”. The cabbie realized his mistake and apologized. Good enough. Right then and there I told him to make a U-turn under the flyover, towards the direction of Kalayaan Avenue. Up until that point I was happy camper. The cab driver apologized anyway. Something in me tells me it’s just a ruse so they can make a killing on the taxi meter but then again, I took his apologies at face value and let it slide. Besides, I want to ask for a discount since the additional 50 pesos or so on our bill wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place . 30 minutes and countless stoplights later we were in Roxas Boulevard. As we were approaching the site the driver told me “Sir baka pwede nyo namang dagdagan.(Sir maybe you can just add some more to the bill)” My jaw just dropped to the floor. What nerve pushes people like this to inconvenience others and ask to be paid more in exchange? I told the cabbie “Pare, sobra na nga sa dapat yung babayaran namin eh (Dude we will be paying higher already because of what you did)” Det tugged at my arm. End of story? We paid the full bill and she even asked me to give the cabbie a tip. Well, that’s my wife. The quintessential selfless Christian married to a shrewd Shylock.

Upon getting there, the first thing that struck me was the imposing dome of the Manila Ocean Park. It reminded me of the Araneta Coliseum or the dome of Saint Peter’s. Anyhow, we managed to inch our way inside. We turned off the flash of our camera and went to the first tanks that had, among others, the king of freshwater fishes: the Arapaima or Piracucu of the Amazon River. Here’s a clip:

Past the freshwater tanks we went up a flight of stairs towards a man-made falls. Det and i were busy taking pictures near the falls when this skinny guy in a white shirt came out of nowhere and told us to step aside so he can shoot his wife and kid. Would’ve gladly obliged if not for two things: (1) We got there first and we were still busy setting up a shot when his ass showed up; and (2) He asked us to move over in a voice that’s devoid of all civility and politeness. Talk about people leaving their manners at home! I was supposed to give him a piece of my mind but Det tugged at my arm. I would’ve gladly punched that skinny, rude fucktard in the face but I had to content myelf to giving him the finger as Det dragged me further away. I hope Mr. Skinny Guy is reading this, if he knows how to read at all. Ah, I’d give anything to hurt and maim arseholes like that skinny mouse of a man.

Anyway, here are some other short video clips that we took as we went deeper into the oceanarium. It was a bit crowded and a lot of people still had flashing cameras in the no-flash zone. It’s a good thing I came there for the fish, not the people. Otherwise I’ll be really, really pissed off.

…Blind Date (a short short story)

My story began on a Wednesday, July 2, 2003. I was working as a graphic artist/copywriter for a Makati-based ad agency back then. Having parted ways with my call-center agent girlfriend almost two months before, I wasn’t really looking for a significant other, but fate had other plans that day.

A friend of mine who was working in a law office called me up around noon asking me if I’d like to be setup for a blind date. I said why not, but I wasn’t especially entertaining hopes that anything serious would come out of it. My immediate past consisted of a seven month relationship punctuated by fights and mistrust so I resolved not to put myself in a situation where I’d have to go through that all over again. I resolved to come just to amuse myself and while away some free weekend time.

Phone calls were promptly exchanged and the date was set for Saturday, July 5. The venue was Craic’s Irish Bar in Jupiter Street. The appointed time was 8 PM but I showed up at around 7 just to check out the place and get a nice vantage point at the far end of the bar after getting me a cold ice beer. I was supposed to wear a blue shirt but I came out in white, reserving the right to walk away or sneak out of the venue if my blind date doesn’t impress me with her looks (Yes, I was THAT evil!). After a few drags on my cigarette, I set aside my booze and pulled out my little sketchpad and started doodling scenes and people at random: The quaint Guinness posters hanging from the wall, normal-looking couples idly chatting and drinking the night away or sweet oddball pairs with ages so widely disparate it’s almost criminal. 

Suddenly, my eyes locked on this girl sitting on the opposite end of the bar. There was definitely something in her that caught my eye but before I found out what it was, I found myself drawing a quick portrait using my Staedtler HB pencil. She was wearing a red halter top and jeans. My date was supposed to come in a white blouse and she won’t be in until 8pm if her text message is to be believed so I didn’t even bother checking on my phone, not knowing the precious battery life is barely hanging by a thread. Around 8:05 PM I checked my phone again and I almost spat out my beer upon finding it dead. By that time, the quickie portrait was finished. The girl was fiddling with her phone and twice I saw her try to make a phone call. At one point I can see her actually talking on her phone while I waited for my date impatiently. At around 8:40 I stood up and decided to call it a night. I scribbled my name on the portrait and stood up. After two bottles of beer, a dead phone and a lame portrait, I finally decided to spend my night elsewhere where the beer doesn’t cost as much. As I passed miss-girl-by-the bar I slipped in the drawing under her margarita and walked out the front door without even looking back. While I was hailing a taxi I heard the waiter yelling at me: “Ser! Ser! Sandali po!”

I backtracked and had the surprise of my life when I found out that miss-girl-by-the bar was there waiting for me near the entrance of Craic’s. Needless to say, she recognized my name from the scribble at the bottom of the sketch and took her chance to know if the guy she was waiting for was me indeed. As for me, I would’ve found out earlier had my phone held out a little.

To make the long story short, that was how I first met my wife of almost two years now.

(note: This original short story won me an overnight stay @ the Mandarin Oriental last February. Talk about a story serving a higher purpose heheh)

…And then there were 10

What could’ve been the most reliable witness to the RCBC heist, the worst robbery-murder in the Philippines to date, died in Saint James Hospital in Laguna province yesterday morning, bringing the total body count to 10.

As of today, a 2 million peso pot is dangled for information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of this grisly crime but if the news is to be believed, no solid leads have been established as of yet. The killers are still out in the open, perhaps enjoying the spoils of their deed which costs far more than the actual amount of money they hoarded from the vaults.

Crimes like these would make you want to think of things like Death Penalty or Capital Punishment. Human Rights Advocates believe that it is inhuman to take someone else’s life as punishment even for the most heinous of crimes. Well, tell that to the family of the victims of such crimes. Tell that to those who actually suffered the agony of losing a loved one just because someone is too lazy to play it fair and decided to get more than he worked for, snuffing people’s lives along the way.

Death and suffering should be served in equal, if not greater measure to the perpetrators of these bestial acts. It is true that some of the most cruel punishments in the world have been meted out to the wrongfully accused, but for people like these, a cruel punishment would not suffice. They’re better off dying a slow, creeping death or simply death most violent.

Personally I am in favor of the death penalty. In fact I am in favor of barbaric capital punishment as long as the justice system in this country convicts only those people who deserve it: those who swindle stupendous amount of many using elaborate scams, those who kill in cold blood, those who rape and those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of their political or religious belief. I am also in favor of public execution, but please, not in the Luneta Park. Those grounds are hallowed by blood of martyrs including that of our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal.

As for the punishments themselves, here are some historical examples of torture and punishment that might serve the purpose:

. Hanging, Drawing and Quartering

2. The Iron Maiden

3. Impalement

4. Being Flayed Alive

5. Good old Beheading

beheading

…Hooray for payday!!

It’s been another typical day at the office. coached 3 agents. Did 8 monits. Not bad for someone who warms up quite late everyday, I guess. I just hope tomorrow (which s actually later TODAY) isn’t as wet as today (which is technically yesterday). Tropical Storm Kosme (or Cosme) is swinging by for a visit on the P.I. so I have to have my trusty jacket ready.

Anyway, it’s early morning of the 15th. I hope the ATM would give me something really nice to smile about later. Gotta sleep early because today isn’t just another pay day. My scorecard has been good and just like a kid expecting a full bag of goodies on Christmas day, I’m expecting something commensurate to the effort I put in for the first quarter of the year. I’ll meet someone later at the mall then have lunch with my wife somewhere, oh and yes…I will report to the office @ 5 pm. Ah, the vagaries of call center life.