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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 w [View Full Entry]

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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. [View Full Entry]

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Entries for the time being will be short, just so I can get caught up until I have a more stable internet connection and can expand on the outlines. Afternoon Sunday, traveled south to Paranaque, one of the cities that makes up Metro Manila, see Tito Roger and family at Manila Memorial Garden, where my Lolo (Grandfather) Tomas is buried, along with young Manuel, a brother of my mom's who died when he was young. Families set up canopies, parasols, folding chairs, and picnic blankets to enjoy a day with their ancestors. Roger says the Garden is covered with families who [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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