D'Aguilar Street, Hong Kong (while looking for the marker of Jose Rizal's clinic)

According to this website, I can find a marker for Jose Rizal's former clinic in C26.

I had one free day at Hong Kong and looked and looked and looked at that damn corner of D'Aguilar... i wasnt able to find the metal marker of our idol Rizal's clinic. 

What I took a shot of instead is this marker for San Miguel Draught beer in one high-end pub-like drinking place. 

 So, they also make the posing-posing in Hong Kong, eh? Another stolen shot...

San Miguel should pay me for the free shoot and advertising :-) 

Anyway, the photographer in stripes didnt want me stealing a shot...

...so I had to shoot somewhere else. Damn them, they can't beat the beauty of the Filipina anyway. 

But nearby, are these high-end girlie bars? 

No success in finding the markers of Rizal. Interesting street though, still. Didnt know alleyways like these exist in HK. 

Strange street name: "D'Aguilar."

Next, I tracked the place where the first Philippine Flag was had sewn...  

Johnny Delgado, RIP

One of our high calibre, unpretentious, true actor has passed away. First saw him in the black and white version (because out tv was black and white) of" Kakabakaba ka ba?" Whattamovie, what an ensemble performance. 

Grade school, saw their weekly Goin' Bananas. Cant forget that gag where he screamed in the parking lot of Victoria Court--"kung sino ka mang kasiping nang asawa ko ngayon, lumabas kaaaaaa!" and a deluge, rampage of men draped in towels trampled him. :-)


He can play the nonchalance well, or the overacting agre effortlessly. He's the closest equivalent we have to Robert Duvall, I would say. More deserving a national artist award than that Caparas hack. 

He gave up on their so-called "showbiz" for a time, then came back to leave a series of last performance and perfect the legacy.  


Thanks, Sir Johnny for the memories. 

Ang Paghahanap ng Lumpiang Shanghai sa Shanghai

Nagawi ako nang Shanghai, sa Bansang Tsina nuong nakaraang buwan.

Isa sa mga nilista kong misyon ay ang makahanap nang Lumpiang Shanghai. Ito ang naging resulta:

Merong Breadtalk, merong floss

May chicken wings at pinutanginang spaghetti bolognese (walang kwenta. wag oorder nang pasta-pasta eklat sa Shanghai, Bansang Tsina)

May binarbekyu na kung anu-ano (masaraap ang mga ito pero mahal)

May masarap din an parang kundol na kinamote (masarap din)

Pero, wala, walang piniritong kahit spring roll na lumpiang shanghai. Mukhang walang lumpiang shanghai sa Shanghai! Wala.

Itong dalawa na ito na ang pinakamalapit sa lumpiang shanghai na natikman ko...

(pinirito rin, pero ang laman nya ay parang buong isda)

Mukhang mas malapit ito, kasi parang eksaktong karne rin nang lumpiang shanghai ang laman.

Pero kakaiba ang pabalat nya at hindi pinirito. Parang binabad lang sa sabaw.

Sino kaya ang nag-imbento nang tawag na lumpiang shanghai sa lumpiang shanghai? Sinungaling sya.

Nagkakantutang paru-paro (at iba pang kakaibang taytel ng mga pictures)

Nagkakantutang Mga Paru-paro

"Parang Nilamukos na Kulubot na Mukha"

"Sasairin, sisipsipin ang iyong bulaklak"

"Siksikang Quiapo, Palengkeng Simbahan"

"Mukhang Alimango"

"Pepsodent"

Rebyu: Gerilya Fighter, Good Novel (akda ni Norman Wilwayco)

(sinandwich ng sedaris at rushdie para ipakita ang manipis na librong ito--na sa sobrang galing ay kayang tapusin sa isang upuan)

Simula nang mabasa ko ang maikling kwentong ito na itinuro nang isang blog, aba kaagad-agad na humanga ako kay Norman Wilwayco.

Agad kong pinuntahan ang Bookay na tindahan sa Maginhawa St. Diliman (nanduon daw ang mga libro nya) para bilhin at basahin ang kanyang mga nalimbag nang obra nya. Nabili ko ang Gerilya. Matindi ito.

(nilimbag sya gamit ang papel nang parang sa Precious Hearts romances. Ang galing. Parang personal project talaga. Walang padri-padrinong negosyante! Rakenrol!)

Mahusay si Norman. Panalo ang nobela. Maaksyon, matapang, hindi boring.

Bagamat ang mga hardliner ay pwedeng punahin ang panggigilid ng awtor, sa pagpipigil at matamlay na opinyon tungkol sa relevance ng kilusan ngayon, hindi na dapat ito gawin. Ito ang kanyang piniling tirada ng nobela, hindi na dapat pakialaman iyon. Pinili marahil ng awtor ang mabilis na daloy ngkwento at wala nang pahina pang magugugol sa pampabagal ng anumang disertasyon pa.

Bagamat sa aking pagbabasa, di ko napigilang isipin: hungkag na nga ba ang pakikipaglaban mula sa kuta sa bundok? (Tandaan: si Satur ay congressman na. Si Popoy naman ay dinedbol sa UP pagkatapos mananghalian sa mamahaling Chocolate Kiss sa loob ng UP Diliman). Hindi tinumbok ang paksang ito ng diretso, pero pinahapyawan sya nang sapat kung tutuusin. Pinahapyawan din ang iba pang mga katanungang ito:

--Kailangan pa ba ang mga kasama para maipagtanggol ang naaapi sa kanayunan? Parang ang sagot ng nobela ay: oo, kailangan pa sila laban na rin sa patuloy pananamantala ng naghaharing maylupa. Nandyan pa rin silang mga ulupong. Mga bisnesman na gahaman, isama na ang mga ulol na cafgu at sundalo.

--ang mismong conflict ba sa loob ng kilusan ay puspos na rin ng lamat (tulad ng ibang organisasyon,  parating may iringan, parating may nananamantala, maraming dudahan), kaya kailangan nang baguhin organisasyon ng pakikipaglaban???  

--o talagang sa panahon ngayon, nasubukan na ang komunismo—at hindi na sya tenable bilang purong ideyalismo, patungong minimithing utopia. Kailangan nga itong pag-usapan. 

---Sinabi senyo mabibigat ang binanatan ng nobela. Ano pang sustansya ang hahanapin mo sa isang librong napakanipis at mahigit sandaan lang ang bentahan?

Oo, may mga maliliit na pwedeng i-gripe. Katulad nang maraming typo. (Hindi kaya naasar ang mga hurado nang Palanca (na madalas may pagka-OC sa mga typo na ito?) . May mga habi ng istorya na di naibuhol sa huli. Sana rin iniba na lamang tono nang chapters nang para kay Ala, at hiwalay rin ang para kay Tony, para maarok sya nang mabilis nang masa. Pero napakaliliit ng mga angal na ito kumpara sa matinding dating at daluyong nang nobela.

May lovestory pa, may saysay, at tila may mala-Rambong eksena pa nang pagsungkit nang nakabaong bala sa katawan. Meron ding pag-ibig at trahedya ng ina, ama, at anak.

Wow. Bibihira ang ganitong babasahin. Kailangang suportahan ang librong ito. Ikalat. Basahin nang marami. Ipanregalo sa Pasko

-----
POSTSCRIPT

Hinahanap ko ang Mondomonila at Responde.'Ala na sya sa bookay ukay, ubos na raw. sinabi sa akin na magpunta sa Junkie Shop sa Cubao X. pinuntahan ko pero sarado. Gabing-gabi yata nagbubukas ang tindahang yaon.

Nakita ko ang Mondomanila sa Mag:Net sa may Katipunan, aba, ang presyo, limandaang piso! Alam kaya ni Mr. Wilwayco ito? Magkano kaya ang kanyang royalty sa mga kopyang maibebenta nga nang mag:net nang limandaan ang isa (samantalang medyo lukot na ang pabalat nang mga kopya sa establisymentong ito)

Thanks, Emmanuel

For the pride and composure.

We intended to see the live telecast at Something Fishy to try the breakfast while undercards are on, but arriving around 930am, wow the place is already packed! (at price of 750 PhP) Went to the Eastwood cinema, also no more seats! (even at price 650 PhP at that place).
Had to drive back to Robinson's Galleria. Four screens are showing the fight, all almost full! What we got are two seats just four rows from the neck breaking front! Anyway, it was worth it. Few remarkable things I jut down here for posterity:
--trailer for Wapakman shown several times. directed by Topel Lee. I hope this can be marketed overseas :-)
--the telecast shown at Robinson's Galleria had no commentary whatsoever. Did not miss Chino, but Quinito Henson, at least, should have been piped in.
--I suddenly remembered the "Phantom Punch" that stupid Rod Nazario and Murad Muhammad were previously brandishing. Those two leeches were almost successful in preventing Pacquiao to make it.

--in the replay, there was that weird, stupid, denr commercial, a la war of the worlds. whatsthefuckingpurpose of that ad, lito atienza? you need to scare people?
--great quote by manny (this is not telecast in the replay)... when asked by Mario Lopez... "I understand you have injured your hand... and look at your ears... does it hurt" , Manny said, "My hand doesn't hurt, my hand doesn't really hurt, but my ears... really hurt."... while pointing at his ears which really cauliflowered after the fight. Brought chuckles at the theater, but we appreciate the sheer, innocent, humble honesty.
--later i read that his ear had to be drained of blood. so this now the treatment for cauliflower ears after a fight? (i remember hagler having a similar terrible case after a fight with leonard)
--12 rnd tko is rare. no one won in the betting at the office. manny was still hunting cotto, although he's already the clear winner by the starting bell of round 10. take that running mayweather!
--Noli de Castro, Chavit, th eone guy that looks like Jimmy Santos, the other guy that looks like Sev Sarmenta, are all there again as pararaps during the national anthem.

--1100 PhP for the tickets for talampunay and me are well worth it!
--another great quote (ive read in an espn coverage later of the postfight presscon)... "He talked about backing to the ropes sometimes when Cotto hit him, said he wanted to make Cotto believe he wasn't hurt. Then he paused and smiled, and said, "But .... it really hurt."
--good article from someone who covered the fight ring side.  

--Nov 15, 2009 was a happy day in the Philippines!!!

Thanks, Manny!

(picture grabbed from an AP article)


***

I watched two replays of the fight with two different commentaries (HBO and Skysports in UK). I noticed that the camera shots were closer on both broadcasts. Could these two be using different cameras in the arena? How can they fit so many sets at MGM?

I also saw that Cotto was not that manhandled. In terms of solid punches, he was also able to throw a couple himself. (Malakas lang talaga sumuntok si Manny, in comparison. Manny punches are probably four times the impact). But all the articles that you read today explains it like Cotto was humbled, manhandled, beaten-up, etc, rarely a comment on some good rounds in his favor.
Then again it's natural in boxing, as it is in life--when you lose, you are put down, like you failed to do anything right in the whole fight.

Review: Einstein: His Life and Universe

The book is a well-researched and well-referenced biography. Walter Isaacson is the former Managing Editor of Time mag and CEO of CNN. (He’s a distinguished biographer though even before he assumed many of these executive roles). His own fascination--bordering on idolatry--with Einstein is evident on the pages. Why bordering on idolatry? For one, I think the book’s treatment on Einstein’s first wife is unfair or not balanced. But save for this one minor quibble, the book is near perfect. I can imagine that the author has an army of fact-checkers, archivists, and professional reviewers (Professors/Physicists) in the making of this book. The book benefited from these assets, evident up to the bibliography (for further reading). If you consider that the author probably paid for these services, the book should be a good buy, like a machine delivered after thorough R&D :-)

The first chapter until the part on Einstein’s Miracle Year and formulation for General Relativity are remarkable. The arguments with Bohr and the delving into thought experiments are engrossing. Chapters near the end (discussing politics and immigration to America) bored me a bit. This is probably not the fault of the book. This should be natural for most biographies formatted from birth death (not all decades will be full of excitement and achievement. Then the Epilogue on the strange journey of Einstein brain—the literal chopped-up, stored in a jar, and ferried-in-a-pickup-truck brain—propped me up again for a fascinating ending.

In ending, if I may digress a bit, there are so many quotes and anecdotes that are attributed to Einstein by so many people with vested interests--like the one about Einstein as a kindergarten proving the existence of God as an absence of heat whatever (there's even a youtube video for this). This book more or less contains all of Einstein's snippets, aphorisms, 'quotable-quotes,' and surely all major milestones in his life. There are even lengthy discussions by the author on possible 'misquotes.' So if the quote/anecdote is not in here, it's probably urban legend. 

And on hindsight yes, you can even use this nonfiction as a reference book for real, academic discussions. Some sort of 'semi-textbook' on certain topics on Theology, Physics, and Math. 

Definitely worth anyone’s money and time. The most expensive hardbound that Ive bought ever at that time. Im happy with the purchase.

Susubukan ko lang magsulat nang tonong tambay uli

Pwede ring sisiga-sigang tambay.

Putangina talaga ang magtrabaho kikinaanginang opisinang puro mala-lunggang kyubikel. Tangananangnang mga kasamahang pilit na pilit mag-inglis puro ahhh ahhhh ahhhh eehhh ahhh uuuuh naman sa gitna. Hindi makumpleto ang letseng sentenses.

Samantalang ang mga bwakaknginang konyong grumadweyt nang skolastika, mukhang gustong-gusto naman naririnig ang pilantik ng mga dila nila sa ibabaw nang ngala-ngala. Hindi tumigil sa kakaboka nang parang saranggola. Nagpapahaba nang miting! Biruin mong sang oras na nag-uusap nang inventory at hirit nang hirit, hindi pala naintindihan na kaya naiipon ang sakit-nang-ulong imbentori ay dahil hindi na pwedeng ibenta ang nailaunch na nung nakaraang buwan.

Meron din namang isang baklang bukbukin ang mukha na todo kung sumipsip at humigop para mapromote at makapili ng Hyundai Tucson. Pukinginang kaplastikang daig pa ang plastic crate sa tibay. Sobrang santo at napakagaling pag nag-adbertays nang sarili.

Putsa. Motherfuckers mamatay na kayo.

Club Punta Fuego

Spent 3 days on this place for another one of those 'Planning Sessions.' Not a single dip was enjoyed in any of the pools. I didnt see any one on the beach as well.

Great food though. I think Mgt assigned a Chef just for us because of the recent disaster at Taal Vista (their sister company).

The fish below and creme brulee (or was it Panna Cotta?) were the best--among the already fantastic lot of snacks, dinner, dessert, lunch, breakfast, etc--for me.

Now anticipating the new orgchart and added workload, demmit.