Thrilla from Manila

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL To be honest, there has been so much going on in Manila during this trip, things that happen from morning until late at night, that it has been difficult for me to get to an internet cafe to post things to the web. This is, of course, a poor excuse for not updating the log, especially with all of the excitement. Another factor, which many stateside are likely not aware of is the fact that the earthquake in Taiwan at the end of December, while causing minimal damage on land, tore apart the submerged high-speed data cables in the South China Sea. As a result, the internet connections throughout the entire Philippines are choppy, prone to mid-upload drops, and even when successful, can barely keep pace with coelocanth evolution. So, I hope this post ... read more

Monday morning was cool and cloudy at the Charter House in Manila, though strangely, I had a dream that Duke lost their Saturday game against Virginia Tech 55-50, after blowing a first half lead. Today was a day of historical visits to the Spanish colonial period and through the recent political history of People Power. We traveled past the Mall of Asia, the largest mall in all of Asia. I was worried that the Mall was built so close to the shore that it would be reclaimed by an inconvenient truth. We continued along Macapagal Highway to a brief stop at the Philippine Film Center where, it is rumored several workers were buried in the concrete as Imelda Marcos rushed to finish its construction; the place is now said to be haunted. We passed the US ... read more

Sunday dawn in Makati brought the promise of morning mass near Charter House. Waking up was easy with minimal jet lag, since I hadn't really slept the night before leaving Durham. The cafe on the second floor was simple, with only a few tables occupied by couples or small groups of three or four. the wait staff was courteous and prompt, with my parents ordering traditional Filipino breakfast, which consists of small dried, salted fish (dilis) served with fried rice and eggs. I swapped out the dilis for corned beef which, unfortunately was a little damp and likely from a can. My native food has not usually sat well with my Americanized stomach, much to the chagrin of my parents. Fortunately, the new environs emboldened the suppression of my usual pickiness, so I volunteered to try ... read more

If you want to stop a tank, call a Filipino. As our shuttle sped through the honks and bellows of Manila traffic, the crowds of people dodging cars, sprinting to roadside shops and markets melted away, replaced by high rise buildings and concrete mazes that signaled we would soon be entering Makati, the rich business district of Manila. Taking a left at Villamor Air Base, we detoured through a pensive neighborhood of old mansions walled off from the bustle of the street; these are the homes of Manila's elite, the billionaires. Portions of the old Fort Bonifacio, where Ninoy went on a hunger strike and was kept under arrest during Martial Law, have been converted into the modern tower of neon that is Global City. Modern malls and hi-rise condominium complexes are built in parallel, offering ... read more

The plane landed with a lurch and a holler of a Filipino accent exclaiming, “Hoo! Alright!” from the enthusiastic passenger behind me. As I stepped off the plane, I noticed the humidity, though not overly. The temperature itself was pretty mild, as was the décor of the Manila airport. As airport agents directed the flow of passengers along the hallways straight for the immigration counters, I peeked out to see the layout of the tarmac, trying to see if I could find a memorial or marker for where Ninoy had been assassinated. This was to no avail, and as I found later, my flight may not have even docked at the terminal where it happened. What did strike me was the large blue sign, with white block letters proclaiming a watch for Bird Flu. Just beyond ... read more

Manila glistened unassumingly in the cool, but muggy January night as my Cathay Pacific flight approach Ninoy Aquino International Airport. I had just finished a meal of what looked like adobo chicken with rice, which was a significant improvement over the food from the Chicago to Hong Kong flight. This, while watching an episode from Season 2 of House, one where I remembered getting the diagnosis of black plague as soon as I saw the pitch black aspirate from an axillary bubo. One scene haunted me as my plane landed—the memory of the footage of Ninoy Aquino, sitting on the plane on the tarmac of that very same airport. He had just returned from political exile in the United States, and calmly told the reporters crowded around him on the plane that he knew how dangerous ... read more

HONG KONG!!!!! Not much time to write, but praise Hong Kong airport for FREE internet access. It took an hour and a half to contact my parents in Manila trying to get the Sam's Club AT&T card to work on the pay phones here, but I eventually got through...otherwise, I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to be picked up in Manila. Potentially problematic, thankfully averted. The 747 ride was remarkably without incident, for a 15 hour affair. We took a spectacular route over the North Pole, though unfortunately, much of the Canadian and polar route was covered by thick clouds so I couldn't see the ice below, and slept through most of it besides. I was quite awake, however, to see the Siberian landscape shortly after sunrise: a limitless stretch of tundra in all ... read more

Chinese history, anyone? Have to be quick, since I didn't bring my laptop (the 747 does not have power ports) and access at O'Hare is costing me $5 per 15 minutes. Ugh. A frantic, horrible rush to finish packing, as usual, but compartmentalizing everything into zip-up plastic bags made loading up the luggage so simple. I was skeptical, this morning at RDU when I turned my bag over to the United Airlines folks. They take care of it all the way to Hong Kong, then turn it over to Cathay Pacific for the final leg to Manila. I am concerned, to say the least, about the luggage making it to Manila with me, given the change of hands that will have to take place. I can't even check in to my Hong Kong--Manila flight until I ... read more

Sitting in the Nicchitta laboratory, thinking about all of the things I'm trying not to forget before my flight in less than 48 hours. I'm still in a post-holiday disarray, trying to get my affairs in order in North Carolina before the long trip (especially the 15 hours from O'Hare to Hong Kong). I've never traveled in Asia, certainly not as much as my parents. I got excellent experience in European travel, first to Russia via Finland in the summer of 1998, Paris in January of 1999, then Switzerland, Italy, Greece, England, and Scotland in the summer of 2003. Asia holds a new wonder, mystery for me. This is unlike all the previous trips, because this is a reconnection with home. I've heard much about the Philippines from my parents and family, seen them off on ... read more