Natural High - Walking In The Rain

I got to experience this first-hand, as I was out walking with a few friends Sunday night. We were brisk-walking around the village, when it suddenly started pouring. I never thought that it would be rejuvenating and exhilarating to be walking in the rain. You don't feel tired at all. You don't feel thirsty of course, but that's beside the point. One of my friends commented that he felt wide-eyed and bushy tailed after walking ergo, a sudden rush of energy. Another friend told me that it did not feel like walking at all...it was more like doing laps in a pool. Yet another friend felt ashamed to be walking in bad weather, because it made her feel like she was in a wet t-shirt contest. Whatever the case may be, it all adds up to an amazing experience money can't buy.

BKK CRAZY - DAY 2

I've still got the onion taste in my mouth from last night's dinner, even after brushing my teeth 3 times already (what would my dentist say?). Today's itinerary: Jim Thompson's House, MBK Mall, and meeting up with Pam's friends.

Feeling traumatized from the first day's almost 3 hour marathon, we opted to take a cab in order to save on both time and energy. First stop was Jim Thompson's House. I was pleasantly surprised at the experience of seeing Thai architecture, culture, and artifacts. I could say that this Jim Thompson fellow lived a good life in Thailand, and the Thais appreciate and honor what he's done for their culture by opening up his house and turning it into a museum in his memory. I was a bit surprised that it took an outsider, a Western man at that, that put Thailand on the map as a player in the silk industry. Now if we could get someone to do that for the Philippines... Anyway, I bought a couple of souvenirs after the tour and I bought my mom a pair of silk pillow covers for a birthday present. It cost me an arm and a leg, but what the heck, it was for my mom.

After the tour we agreed to walk to MBK Mall, which we now ascertained to be a few minutes walk from where we were coming from. I was rambling about finding hidden treasures when you walk in my previous post. I did find just that! I made another pact to myself as I was planning for this trip: that I will not leave Thailand without buying one of those Buddha heads cast in iron. A few steps away from Jim Thompson's house stood another house that sold all of these traditional Thai ornaments, including an assortment of Buddha heads! I just had to buy something! I ended up buying this iron head and another figure, which I have no regrets in doing so, cause it was almost dirt cheap. My only regret though is that I didn't bring a bigger suitcase to bring home more stuff.

We arrived at MBK Mall, and its exactly how I remembered it from the last time I went there. MBK is one hell of a crazy place! I have not been to any other shopping mall that can compare to the dynamism that place possesses. Its like being in 10 different tiangges in one. The sea of humanity is just incredible! Add the fact that this mall is huge! Its very easy to be overwhelmed, and overwhelmed I was. Its futile to attempt going from floor to floor to find what you're looking for. The trick to surviving MBK is to let the tide come rushing in and lead you wherever. Keep on walking - you're bound to find something you like. Pam & Mike stumbled upon a Lacoste sale, and they literally went nuts over it. I wouldn't be surprised if I see them and their relatives wearing Lacoste everyday cause that's how overboard they went! After satisfying their urge to shop, we went to find a decent place to eat. We ended up eating at this very beautiful and modern food court in the upper level of the mall. We were very surprised to find this quiet, secluded food court amidst the chaos MBK Mall regularly witnesses. After lunch, we indulged Pam in her imeldific quest to find new shoes by going on a side trip to Discovery Center.

After our MBK experience, which ended late into the afternoon. We went back to the hotel to refresh and get ready for the night's adventure. We met Pam's friend at the Suan Lum Night Market, which is due to be torn down to be made into another mall. We had dinner in this restaurant called Somboon. I think its a pretty popular place among locals and tourists because that place was packed to the rafters! The restaurant was 4 storeys high, and we had our table at the top-most floor. The food? Damn good! We had our fill of crab curry, oyster omelette, and river prawns! If that would have been my last supper on Earth, I would have died a very happy man.

Up next after dinner was Lebua State Tower, where we would meet another one of Pam's friends at Sirocco, a bar at the 64th floor of this high-rise structure. This is the high life - exclusivity, breath-taking views, snobbish people, and expensive drinks! You could see the lights of Bangkok for miles away.

We thought that our night would end at Sirocco, or so we thought. As luck would have it, it gave us one final adventure before it would let us rest for the night. We were on our way back to the hotel when our non-English speaking cab driver nudges Mike, who was dozing in the front seat. As it turns out, our cab has no gas, right in the middle of the main thoroughfare. We alighted the cab, and we realized that we were dropped right in the heart of Patpong, a popular nightspot with a seedy reputation. We ended up walking a good distance in our semi-formal attire, haggling with cabs along the way. Imagine this scenario as the night-cap of a picture perfect 2nd day - A breezy Tuk-tuk ride at 2 AM, mildly intoxicated, in semi-formal wear, among good friends.

BKK CRAZY DAY 1

We touched down at Bangkok at around 2 PM Manila time (there's an hour difference in the time, so it was 1 PM in BKK). Suvarnabhumi Airport, when you first see its entirety, can be both impressive and daunting with its modern styled architecture. But once everything sinks in, the exterior looks like a giant, shiny durian. I realized after 15 minutes of walking around that other airports such as Chep Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong or Changi Airport in Singapore are still more impressive and traveller friendly. But I won't complain, especially when I know how much of a wreck our local airport is.

Upon stepping onto the tube from the plane, the cameras started flashing. Our initial picture taking starting from the plane, walking a straight line until the immigration counters took about 30 minutes. I was a bit taken aback by the long lines that greeted us at Immigration. Was I in the Philippines?! Apparently, the newly opened airport still has a number of kinks to resolve. Lining up here took another 30 or so minutes. However, it was when we got our luggage that I received a bigger shock and regretted dissing the Manila Airport. First of all, my luggage was one of the last few bags to come out of the baggage carousel. In fact, I was already picturing scenarios in my head on what to do in case my bag got lost. To my credit, I did not lose my luggage (I know Pam and Mike were silently hoping that I did), however, someone did try to pry open my bag as the lock got lost and the zipper handles were broken. It will take more than long lines at the airport and broken luggage to ruin this trip for me. I promised myself that I would have a grand time in Thailand, and I'm not going to let anything rain on this occasion. On a side note, as I was nearly frantic from searching my bag, a number of women approached Mike to ask him for help on lifting their heavy luggage from the moving carousel. Pam and I observed as an old lady, a middle-aged woman, and another dubious looking woman give Mike the "helpless, single female traveller" look. Mike being the gentleman that he is, obliged to every single request, eventhough we knew that those bags were'nt exactly light. I don't know, I guess Mike has that porter look.

We checked in at the Bangkok Palace Hotel, which isn't so bad by the way (we expected worse). After a brief rest and a game to determine who gets first dibs on the bed (I won), we decided to go for a walk to Siam Paragon. We asked the hotel concierge for directions on how to get there - he said that it was within walking distance and that it would take a maximum of 20 minutes to get there on foot. I guess the concierge thought that he was talking to a group of marathon speed walkers because the trek that he guaranteed would take 20 minutes tops, took us a little less than 2 hours! However, I must say that the blame does not lie solely with the concierge for lying to us about the real distance to Siam Paragon. We stopped several times to eat, take pictures, eat again, and take more pictures. I have no regrets with walking though. Between walking and taking a cab, i'll take walking anytime. In a city like Bangkok, taking a cab should always be the last resort. To say that traffic is bad is an understatement. Also, how would you be able to explore and discover hidden treasures if you opted not to use your legs. And discover treasures we did.

We first had green mangoes by the road. Filipinos have their mango with bagoong, the Thais do it differently. The man gave us plastic baggie of mangoes along with a mixture of chili powder, sugar, salt, and other spices. The taste? Lets just say that we all had to buy bottled water after tasting it. In Thailand, even their mango is spicy. I know, I tend to exaggerate. After walking a few hundred meters, we stumbled upon their version of carinderia / hawker stalls selling traditional Thai delicacies. Pam tried what the locals called "pork salad", a hodge podge of different ingredients and flavors, with a heat level that registers high on the Richter scale. Mike was in tears as he was wolfing down pork salad wrapped in vegetables. We then quelled whatever heat was left on our tongues by having tea-flavored ice cream.

Needless to say, after our numerous stops to eat authentic Thai streetfood, conduct crazy picture taking sessions at Central World Plaza, and bicker over the distance and time we've been walking, we finally arrived at Siam Paragon Mall. We were like children let loose at a toystore. We headed straight for Siam Ocean World were we ogled and prodded the marine life. Entrance wasn't cheap, by the way, so we made the most out of our visit. We took a couple of hundred pictures, stared hard at the fish, cradled a lizard in my arms, poked a starfish, and read all the educational literature.

After Ocean World, it was time to raid the shops. I was surprised to observe how robust the shopping culture in Bangkok was. It actually reminded me of how Singaporeans and people from Hong Kong did their shopping. There were luxury brands, high-end specialty stores, and even retail outlets selling car brands like Ferrari, Bentley, and Aston Martin, no less. Pam & Mike raided the shops while I tagged along with them. Pam bought a number of underwear large enough to stage a mini fashion show, while Mike bought a book on Sudoku, which he answers whenever he's in the bathroom. We stayed in Paragon until closing time, and by then my eyes were about ready to pop out from hunger. We took a Tuk-Tuk (say it 10 times!) to Rosabieng, where in my opinion, I had the most delightful Thai meal. We had Pad Thai, Crispy Catfish, and Bagoong Rice, among others. I also had my liquid gold, my personal ambrosia - Thai Iced Tea with Milk! I told myself that if I could only choose a single Thai dish/delicacy to have during this vacation, it would have to be this drink. Luckily, it did not disappoint, it tasted exactly as I had dreamt of.

All in all, it was a blast of a first day! I'm sure the next couple of days will be much, much better.

BKK CRAZY

March 1 - 7:10 AM, outside the Centennial Terminal

I'm already here at the airport. Sometimes it sucks to be the early bird. No, you don't always catch the worm, sometimes you wait...for a long time. I don't remember setting an 8 AM meeting time with Pam yesterday. So here I am, about an hour early, standing right outside, taking in the Manila air, while writing at the same time.

I know for a fact that Pam is still at home right now. I called her on her cellphone and I can hear the tricycles breezing past in the background. She's probably waiting for her boytoy to pick her up. :) As for Mike, hell, I don't know where Mike is. Hopefully, he's on his way basing from the fact that among the 3 of us, he's the one who lives closest to the airport.

The minor hitch of being early (once again) notwithstanding, I am psyched to be going to Bangkok. This was a trip that took a year to plan. Finally, the stars aligned and all the hitches were ironed out - We're finally going! I'm betting that this trip will be one for the books. I can feel it.

9:40 AM, near the Duty Free shops

We're about to board in a few minutes. Mike, not surprisingly, arrived last. Pam and I went ahead to check in and we just asked the lady at the counter to reserve Mike a seat. We went around the airport's measly version of a Duty Free, which we were able to complete in 5 minutes, and when Mike finally joined us, we went looked around some more. But I won't complain. I feel too good to be let down by our excuse of an airport. This is the first international trip I'll be taking that I paid for with my own money. Add the fact that I'll be spending time with good friends. Nothing will let me down today.

12:00 NN, Mid-air

We're about halfway through the flight now. I just finished my meal of "pork with rice", at least thats how the attendant called it. "Barely Edible" is what I would call it. It didn't look like pork to me. The headache I had from take-off has thankfully, subsided.

The trip already has the makings of a classic. The insults have already begun, laughter follows shortly. I've been jeered at by both Pam and Mike for my controversial blog entry (its gone by the way). We've been teasing Pam with her boyfriend (which I hope does not get to read this blog). All of this during the first hour we've been together!


Wow, people seem to be in a peeing mood right now. Its Pam's 3rd trip to the lavatory already. I tell both of them that I've never used the toilet in a plane before. They give me weird looks. Hopefully, I get to experience using the plane's toilet for the first time during this trip.


The new James Bond flick is on the screen right now. I would be watching it if I wasn't too giddy & excited. Mike's been reading the same magazine over and over. So with Pam's full bladder, Mike's compulsive reading, and my constant fidgeting, you could say that we all are excited for this trip.

A Yuppie's Predicament

Ah...the pitfalls of being in your 20's, working, and having disposable income. Suddenly you have all these issues and decisions you have to make, which a few short years ago you wouldn't even imagined having. Sometimes, I yearn for the days when the biggest decision I would make is what to have for lunch or which TV show to prioritize. I miss the simple, trivial, no-brainer moments of life that signified youth. Today, my concerns are more complicated, serious, and nerve-wracking -- exposing the inevitable move to adulthood. Whereas my issues in the past revolved around how to keep myself amused on a daily basis, my issues today take on a forward-looking view of saving, investing, and planning for retirement. Yep, this is my dilemma - 'Mo Money, 'Mo Problems, a rapper once said. You might think that I'm just stressing myself out by thinking of these burdensome issues. To a certain extent, thinking of the future may be both frightening and stressful, add to it the fact that one of my worst fears in life is to end up living under a bridge in a mattress of cardboard boxes. I guess i'm just really a pessimist by heart, and sometimes its suffocating just thinking about what the future holds for me. I also think that i'm showing symptoms of becoming a materialist. I want to have a lighter view of life. I want to enjoy my relative youth and not worry too much about growing old. I think I need to talk to a shrink...or a financial planner.

This blog has slowed down as of late. The author seems to be in creative limbo at the moment. The supposed "journey" the author planned to take has stalled a bit, hence the lack of articles worthy enough to be crafted and posted. Let's hope he gets his creative groove back soon...

I'm currently contemplating on whether to give this blog a major revamp. I think that in order for this blog to gain a wider readership and interactivity, some things have got to change. But the question is what do I have to do, in order for this blog to gain a slight notoriety. More biting articles? Profanity? Pictures? Anyway, i'm all up for anyone's two cents worth. I'm posing this question to my 4 readers out there. What do you want to get more of from this site? What can I do away with? Indulge me

...

The past few days have pretty much been a roller-coaster ride of sharp turns, steep falls, and nauseating loops. I don't even know what to feel anymore. I have to be strong and brave...for my family, cause I'm sure that the coming days are going to be rougher and more turbulent. I have to force myself to be happy and keep busy, otherwise i'm going to fold. So what I'm going to do is to hold the fort for as long as I can bear it - to be emotionless throughout this entire ordeal until it blows over. To be seemingly unaffected and to act as if everything's normal is the only way I can think of to get through this.

I want to afraid for myself, but I can't - cause I see what fear is doing to my dad, and I can't accept what it has turned him into. His own fear has defeated him, pounded him into submission, and left him in a wreck. I don't even recognize my dad anymore.  I feel very sorry for him, I can't even comprehend the amount of stress and anxiety he's going through right now. Whatever the outcome of his predicament may be, I'm sure that he's going to end up emotionally scarred for the rest of his life and he's never going to be the same.    

Congratulate Me!

Today, I reached a new milestone in my life - I was actually able to last a whole year working in a company! I didn't think it was even humanly possible. I can finally say that I had the patience to stick to a job, albeit 365 days. Though a year is nothing compared to people starting and ending their careers with one company (That will never happen to me, by the way), I still am proud of the fact that I was able to hold on this long. It was a combination of different factors actually - good people, good pay, and a light workload! Haha! Call me a slacker, but its the truth. If you've got all these things working for you, 1 year is a breeze!

The Problem With Being In The Marketing Industry

The title itself is self-explanatory. Working in the marketing field for almost a year and a half now has allowed me to make a few observations regarding this industry , more specifically, how non-marketing people see us.

Catching up with different individuals over the holidays contributed to my observation that people who don't work in the industry have a very vague idea as to what marketers (people who are in marketing) really do. I've observed this on more than one occasion. For example, when talking to a friend who works in the field of computers. He asked me what I did for work. I nonchalantly replied "Oh I work in the Marketing Department." I literally saw his eyes turn glassy, as if he was a deer staring into the headlights. He absolutely had no idea what I do for a living.

Do you notice that most professions evoke a certain image in the mind whenever one mentions it? When you say "I'm a nurse", for example, you immediately picture a lady in a white outfit, carrying a bunch of charts and an array of medical tools. When one says "I'm a chef", you picture a jolly, balding man wearing a chef's hat and an apron. Heck, even the word call-center agent evokes an image of a person sitting at a desk, wearing a headset, mindlessly jaberring away. However, when you now say, "I'm a marketer." Now what image comes to your mind? An old lady carrying a big rattan basket, on her way to the wet market to buy fish heads and what not. Seriously speaking, the profession known as a marketer does not even evoke an image in the minds of people who are not in the industry. Now how fulfilling is that?

The better question to answer is - What does a person in Marketing really do? Honestly, I don't really know the answer to this question, and i've been asked more than a few times. What do I reply to queries like this? I give them the patronizing, talking to a 3 year old spiel: "Well, I handle a particular brand. I prepare marketing plans, I come up with promotions for it, I evendevelop TV commercials (even that's a lie)." I give them this answer with the hope that whoever I'm talking to is satisfied enough, and drops the topic altogether. Maybe I don't really have a clear grasp as to what a marketer like me is supposed to be doing, and combine that with poor explaining skills - you come up with a half-assed explanation like that.

I think being in this field requires a person to be a jack-of-all-trades. You have to know a little bit of everything. Here's how I sum it up - you need a little bit of an artist's creativity, a dash of an accountant's financial acumen, a story-teller's imagination, a businessman's savvy, a pinch of a fortune teller's foresight (or lack of), the persuasion skills of the Godfather, and the theatrics of a Hollywood actor. Yes, I honestly think that this is what one needs to thrive in the field of marketing. However, be reminded of what they say about jack-of-all-trades - they are masters of none.

The Art (Or Lack Of) Small Talk

I went to all of these gatherings and reunions over the holidays, hobnobbing with new people and reconnecting with old friends who knew me from my days as a student. During casual conversations and other verbal exchanges one would define as small talk, the conversation almost always seems to go the topic of work and things related to work. I like to believe that its an unwritten rule when making small talk. Here's how a typical small talk conversation goes on my end.

Me: Hi! How are you? (Peck on the cheek if its a girl, handshake for a guy)
Person: Hi! I'm fine. I'm doing great. So what do you do now?
Me: Oh, I'm working already
Person: Thats great, so where do you work?
Me: (Knowing that if I gave the name of the company I was working for, it wouldn't even register, but I try anyway) I work for NutriAsia
Person: NutriAsia??
Me: (This is hopeless) I work for the company that makes Datu Puti, Mang Tomas, and UFC Ketchup
Person: Oh!!! OK. Wow, that's a good company!
Me: (What's so great about a company that makes vinegar?) Yeah, its alright.

At this point, I always think that after all the pleasantries are over, and I can now go back to being my silent, unassuming self (In other words, be left alone). Sometimes, its over after the initial exchange, but more often than not, the conversation gets more long winded and painful to bear.

Person: Where's your office?
Me: Its in Ortigas.
Person: Where in Ortigas?
Me: (I stop and think for a while, as I am really bad with directions) Uhhh, its at Centerpoint Condominium (The person i'm talking to has a blank stare), At Garnet Road (Still drawing blanks), Near Emerald (Finally, a spark of recognition) and Metrowalk (I think he/she knows where i'm driving at)
Person: Yeah, I know that place. Where do you live?
Me: (I'm already anticipating another exchange waiting to happen, I make ready with my canned answers) Paranaque
Person: Wow! That's far. How do you get to work?
Me: Sometimes I drive. Most often I take the MRT
Person: MRT? From where?
Me: From Ayala
Person: What's in Ayala?
Me: I ride to work with my Dad, he works in Makati. Sometimes I leave my car there, and just take the train. Its better that way. Less traffic. (At this point, I don't think I can keep up with this type of conversation any longer. I pray that the other person drops the topic)

I really have a problem with small talk. I can only dish it out in small doses and short bursts. If there was a Small Talk 101 being offered anywhere, I would probably be first in line to sign-up.

Post-Holiday Funk

I think I've developed a kind of  post-holiday depression. Probably from enjoying the holiday season too much. Now that it has come and gone,  I feel that my vigor and energy has left with it. The rejuvenated feeling I was hoping for with the new year has not materialized as of yet.

For the past days since the calendar changed years, I've been feeling lethargic. I don't want to move, and when I do use my motor skills, I get tired easily. I also thought that I would be excited to go back to work once the year starts. Boy, was I wrong. I hate work right now. I hate how the office looks and I hate to admit it, but I wasn't looking forward to seeing any of my officemates. I'm not in the right frame of mind to work, i've even entertained thoughts of ditching work completely.  I want to be alone, isolated from everyone.

Yesterday, I was sick. My stomach was bothering me and I was running a fever. Today is a little bit better, but i'm still far from being at my optimum level. I snapped at people for no apparent reason, other than just not wanting to converse with anyone. Right now, I am not focused. I'm thinking of many things, not having anything specific to do. I'm on survival mode, doing routinary activities to help me find my groove.  Just hoping for the funk to leave my body and everything to get back to the normal scheme of things.

I want to sleep in, but my body doesn't want to cooperate. I don't want to eat, but my stomach protests. At least my body doesn't want me to give in to depression quite easily. The mind however, is another creature altogether. My mind is in conflict with itself. I want to be angry, but I am yearning for comfort. I want to be alone, but I am looking for contact.

I feel like an idiot by posting this rant here, but i've learned that writing down things, specifically my pains, helps me get over them easily. Should you read this, and feel compelled to write something in return, please do so. I think its going to help a great deal. Also, if you think my condition is actually worse than what I've been writing gibberish about, do tell me, so that I may talk to someone and get a prescription for it.