Greenbelt

An aunt gave me tickets to Repertory Philippines' "The Wizard of Oz". Since none of my cousins and siblings wanted to come with me due to weekend activities, I took the high school bestie, John, with me.

It's weird. I don't have any pictures of him. What I have pictures of is fabulous Greenbelt. 

Surprisingly, the koi were not as rabid as they are in Nuvali. I hope Ayala learns that lesson. 

The girls were daring each other to jump

I don't usually go to Greenbelt because it's out of the way (and MRT Ayala is one of the most stressful train stations), and I feel like I can never go there without spending a lot of money.

But John is always here because he lives a few tamblings away. Ikaw na sosyal!

Anyway, I arrived early and he was still changing (he asked if he needed to wear smart casual... he was serious). So I roamed around Greenbelt 5 for a while and took pictures.

Foreigners love dining al fresco here, while the locals dash for aircon. I think the heat is a novelty for them.

*wants to live here*

*or here*

So this is how you "beam" a curved plan

I couldn't help but take a closer picture

While roaming around the place, it got me thinking that so much money is spent on place like this beautiful shopping mall, but a very limited number of people can enjoy it to the fullest. The green areas were surrounded by labels like Banana Republic, Cartier, Zara, etc. It's obvious that the space was created for luxury. I just wish we had more green spaces that are open to the public. 

Anyway, we watched the play, but they took away my camera (boo), so I had to make do with iTouch pictures during intermission.

There was a celebrity here. I'm not sure whether it's Jenni Epperson or Angel Jacob. They're both tall and skinny and have short hair. Oh well.

The play was nice. It was made for kids but we enjoyed it anyway. It's a perfect starter for John, who has never seen an play performed by an actual company before. We must watch plays more often.

After that we went to MOA to meet some friends whom I haven't seen in a long time (FREE Dinner!!!! Thanks, JC). Then I got home at past 10pm. I got scolded by the grandparents and had a fight with my mother over it. 

I don't want to sound like a bad daughter, but they have to get over these late nights. I don't like commuting in the dark either, but it's necessary. I've done this so many times and they've scolded me just as much as they had before. You see, I'm trying to potty train them into getting used to me having to ride public transportation after dusk. Architects have deadly deadlines after all, and nights spent in the office are not unheard of.

A Sudden Farewell: A Heavy Heart

Taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

I just found out that the body of Jesse Robredo, Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, has been found after his plane crashed just off the coast of Masbate four days ago. He and the two pilots were proclaimed missing until their bodies were found earlier today.

I'm surprised at how emotionally affected I am. After all, I don't know him personally. I didn't feel this way when Dolphy or MJ died. For the latter, it was like hearing that a friend of a friend of a friend has died. You feel sympathetic, but after a few minutes, you won't care anymore.

But the death of Sec. Robredo feels different. 

Maybe it's because I had such high hopes for him. When the President announced his appointment last year, I immediately checked him out in the web and unlike what I usually see with other politicians, I liked what I found. For me, his appointment remains one of the President's good choices (along with Mon Jimenez for Tourism, De Lima for Justice and Carpio-Morales for Ombudsman). 

Maybe it's because while death in general is melancholic, sudden death will always be horrible. The nation is now scrambling to cope with this loss, especially since our political system is filled with greed and corruption. Incorruptible politicians who have stalwart records are rare, and the Philippines has just lost one of its gems.

I don't believe in the saying "the good die young". I believe that the good die young for a reason. My mind is reeling with conspiracy theories and foul play. After all, the person who has the national police under his thumb is expected to have enemies.

I hope that the government can find a suitable replacement, someone who is impervious to the nastiness that has infected it. I also hope his death will not be for nothing, that people may realize their mortality, no matter how high up they are, and no matter how good they try to be.

Mugs and Stress

Have you ever been in a situation where there is so much to do, but you can't do anything at the moment?

I feel that way right now.

Anyway, I bought a super large mug to hold the coffee I would need to drink in order to finish all things I need. There's that Practice and Governance exam coming up.

I bought this for 50 pesos. It holds at least 3 regular cups.

 My brother also chooses to study beside me, making me feel even more unproductive. He says I have a better workplace, but he's just too lazy to clear his desk.

Meh, Topy. Meh.

Maps

I will not move on with my life UNTIL I GET THAT SITE-SPECIFIC SLOPE MAP!!!!

That's all. :)

Tanay

I went to Tanay, Rizal today to get some data on my site and visit the site itself.

It was a very... very... very long commute. It's one of those moments when I wish I had a car. But on the other hand, my sense of adventure and restlessness has been stuck inside the city for so long. The trip was a perfect way to break the monotony. And besides, I had Ate A with me again. I wanted to go alone, but my parents convinced me to take her along. They were right. She was very helpful, and she took the uncertainty away.

We took 4 jeepneys to get to the town. The ride lasted for about two and a half hours. But once we got out of the city, it was all rice fields and mountains and low-rise buildings. The non-urbane environment reminded us of home.

I'm so sad that I didn't get to take pictures of Tanay's town proper itself. It's a charming town. My first ever roommate, Joyce, lives there. Wala lang. :) 

We went to the Municipal Hall first, but the building is still under construction. We were directed by a guard to their temporary office at the upper level of their public market. They were so helpful. This boosts my theory that the hired government workers are way way nicer than the elected and appointed ones. Unfortunately, they didn't have all the documents I needed. Eurghasdjasdjleurgh!!!!! They were accommodating though, even if their cramped office seemed busy.

They gave us directions to go to the PAGASA Tanay Upper Air Station, which is located in a place called Sitio Mayagay in Brgy. Sampaloc.

They said it was far. I guess living in the city has skewed my perception of "far". Far for me means on the other side of the city. "Far" for them is about an hour and a half and two jeepneys away.

Sampaloc is a sleepy barangay. But once we reached Mayagay, the view was worth it.

The Upper Air Station kinda looks like an octagonal UFO with a lighthouse on top.

The station, powerhouse, and the Nuclear Research Institute's... stuff. There are only 50... stuffs... in the world according to the staff. :)

I have a soft spot for PAGASA. I hate it when people blame them for not-so-accurate weather forecasts *ahem*Mr. President*ahem*. As one of my profs said, the weather is something that not even the highest form of technology can accurately predict all the time. And since the government isn't investing in research, how is the agency supposed to keep their scientists in the agency?

And also, news about the weather is provided by the media. I don't rely on weather news anymore because they often hype up things and misinform people. I go directly to PAGASA's website.

Anyway, we roamed around the property.

Ate A wanted pictures for her Facebook. I had to oblige of course. :)

Sir Alejandro, the station chief, took us around (omgiwantyourname!!!!). He allowed us to go inside the UFO building. He eventually led us to the deck.

And what a deck it was.

I want a 360 degree viewing in the middle of the Sierra Madre too!!!

And the wind... THE WIND! After suffering the city's temperamental weather, feeling the wind on top of the mountains is just glorious.

Here's a picture of my hair flying.

Ignore the haggard face. I was just haggard.

More views!!!

I wanted to go to the hut, but there's no path... and I'm scared of snakes

Some houses near the site.

Green Roof potential???

Hello. :)

Who'd want to live here? I'd want to live here.

I wanted to hug the ball. But I did this instead.

I left the site with uplifted spirits. Even though I didn't get everything I wanted from the trip (boo topomap BOO!!!), I'm very happy with what I found. My mind is reeling with ideas that I have to hold off until the schematics phase. But there's still a lot of research to be done. Sigh. I want to draw already.

We went back to the dirty, hot, polluted city and I practically dumped myself on my bed after a long shower. I'm trying not to think of all the things I have to do. 

Such is my life at the moment.

Relief (feel) good

I don't really understand the act of posting pictures of yourself helping out.

I'm not against relief efforts. They are necessary regardless of the country's development, regardless of the type and scale of disaster.

I am also not against posting of pictures that show the relief efforts being done. It increases the nation's morale, boosts the people's pride in their countrymen, and shows donors that their donations are being put to good use. And of course there's the fact that participating in these activities is not easy and takes a lot of energy, so people who do this deserve the credit.

What I'm against is the posting of these pictures for the wrong reasons.

And I may be judged for being a hypocrite, because I haven't attended or participated in any relief effort... yet (that sleep thing in my other post, I admit that's an excuse). But I am bothered by the images online of people posing with the goods they have packed, TV stations showing off their celebrity talents helping out, and people writing about how it "feels good" to be spending their time helping out instead of "studying for that exam" or "doing this project" or "doing other things". That space in the internet may be used for other things like telling people how they can help (there can never be too much of those), or suggestions to permanently mitigate floods like what Paolo Alcazaren does on his facebook.

I feel as if these pictures are just a pat in the back for some people and advertising for others. It may sound harsh and ungrateful, but I don't need to know that you were there for twelve hours helping, or that your muscles ache because you hauled off too much stuff, or that you skipped a class or ditched your studies just to help others. It sounds like the universe better appreciate what you're doing because you're making such a huge sacrifice.

Well there are people out there who are making bigger sacrifices like the coast guard and the military who are risking their safety and scooping people up from the water, like the people in charge of the chaotic evacuation centers who are there 24/7, like the people who take the responsibility of coming up with recovery plans (if there are such people), etc.

I am not trying to say that your help is unwanted. Help is help. But for me, your help shown off by yourself decreases its value.

Am I wrong to feel like this? Am I the only one feeling like this? If I am, please feel free to tell me.

Honestly, writing this makes me guilty and irritated at the same time.

History, Posh, and Poverty

Manila Bay

11 August 2012

Pedro Gil is a one-way street in Manila that goes from Roxas Boulevard, Taft Avenue, and reaches until Paco. The street is quite historical, and holds access to landmark buildings as well as Manila Bay itself.

My sister studies medicine in UP Manila (the best med school in the country, if you ask me *chos*) and she stays in a condominium along Pedro Gil. It makes me jealous that her school is five cartwheels away from her home (translate: across the street). The convenience... OH THE CONVENIENCE!!!

I walked along Pedro Gil this morning, because I rarely get to do so alone. Fortunately, the floods were not as bad here. Roxas only gets inundiated if the winds are strong enough.

I had to take pictures with stealth because Pedro Gil is just like most streets in Ermita: a mixture of history, posh, and poverty.

I started walking towards the bay. I told my sister I was just going to buy breakfast. Meh. Impulse.

Hello, St. Paul. 

Rob Ermita is a favorite haunt of foreigners coming into the city. Unfortunately, it creates an unfair competition with the small businesses in the area. Fortunately, the small shops, restaurants, bars, parlors, and brothels of Malate and the rest of Ermita are still going strong.

Hyatt Hotel

Hello Roxas Blvd!

Diamond Hotel. I babysat there once.

It was very tempting to jaywalk. But I didn't want to die.

It took longer than I thought. But at last... Baywalk!

It looks ok from afar (see picture at the start), but the Manila Bay is very polluted. 

People come anyway.

People even fish here. Some enterprising manongs rent out reels.

Parts of the pavement were damaged by the typhoons and rains. Hopefully, nobody steals these bricks.

On the way back, I saw some kids playing near the unappreciated monuments.

Hello R. Magsaysay Building! You so pretty.

It was 8AM by the time I started to go back. My sister was pretty mad at me, because I told her I was just getting breakfast. I took more than an hour.

So I bought her breakfast and went back.