back at homebase

I was able to get out in freezing cold Shanghai and landed home four days ago in time for Ez 2nd birthday and to celebrate Christmas after two years spending it on the Chinese city.
I love Philippines because it gives me access with the internet sites freely and uncensored and this in a way encourage me to write and post something here. I love my country because family and friends is here and December weather is amazing.

Manic Monday

I have nothing much to say specially during Monday. I feel I am going to be sick this week and need to drink a lot of water to prevent the malady.
Blogging in China is difficult but my laziness to write would be the true issue not to blog.
I need to be the office early. Happy Monday all!

PS
I am enjoying listening to Kings of Inconvenience...a kind of music stuff you want to have near you for easy and smooth listening.

Well Spent

Off to to people's republic today where the access of blogger, facebook and youtube is blasphemy. So there would be few attempts that i would communicate from here. Anyway, my time here spent with family was all well importantly with Nang as his husband and my little Ezra as his father.
Indeed, there is no place like home.

Here comes that rain again

Just arrived in Manila tuesday from shanghai, the evening weather is fine and we were caught on traffic in quezon blvd, yes the underpass was still unpassable.
friday, i went to our office in makati while its ok going inside Metro Manila from Bulacan the leaving was an absolute struggle. Ayala mrt station was packed with passengers wanting to ride the train to get home. it's impossible to get ticket easy, so my friend ed decided to walk from to the next depot... magallanes. It's a painstaking task we walked 20mins greeted by rains along the way.
We made it gasping our breath but still a long queue for security check as in very long.
We managed to get inside the train Taft bound, the coaches going on the other side were packed with people, so we did roundtrip as Ed coined the ride getting in the last station but not getting out from the coach.
In north EDSA the situation was the same, lots of people, long queues, and few transportation to take the waiting home.
After the experience, I thought I don't want to go back to Manila during rainy times then I thought again i thought like that because Shanghai must spoiled me for her better infrastructure and comfortable services.
And so I woke up or I have awoken the Filipino in me and started to behave myself that Manila still the best. She survived many wars and conflict, emerged from thousands storms and countless natural disasters. So these days that weather is treating Manila and the rest of the Philippines so badly let's remain hopeful and stay safe.

imortal

imortal.mp3 - xhris

life

late sleeping waking up early.... getting old

i love Judy and Mary

The Japanese punk/rock band popular in the 90's called Judy and Mary is really a killer. I was looking for their videos in You Tube and found lots and lots mostly live performance and found them kicking ass especially the cute voice of Yuki, Judy and Mary's vocalist that's full of energy and fun for life! Her voice in usison to the melodic rock and roll team.

If you know the anime series Samurai X, yes this band play the opening theme called Sobakasu and mind you it sounded even better when this band from the rising sun play it live and loud.
With the twist choreography and hair bangs highlight, this video is one of my favorite.

Communication!!!!

thoughts

hanggang ngayun inuubo pa rin me. i got dry cough and felt sick last week. shanghai weather these days is terribly humid. it's dry and it's really hot with less oxygen roaming around the city to supply your system.
friday, i bought tablets of medicine to remedy the malady, for my cough and the running nose. the last went away but still dealing with the cough.

hello from the darker side of the shadow

hello from the darker side of the shadow.
the great wall of C still blocks us from broadcasting.
that's why a long absence happened.

anyway, hope this proxy would serve me long to channel
my thoughts away from mainland to you dear readers

i felt like i am broadcasting in a very remote
secluded place but really i am notthough i kind of likened
the idea of s secrecy and discovering something
that would make you imortal for hurdling the barricades.

out for now.

Out of Words 24 : The Descent

Out of Words 24 : New Ruins

dexter in the cottage sipping soup and smelling flowers

Ok time to move my ass and update this blog. I have been busy in the office and lazy juicing out creativity out of myself that if there are still left or really everything inside me are garbage and don’t have the right to even called them art.

Anyways, I am recently watching DEXTER, focused on the guy named Dexter Morgan that works for the police as forensic blood expert but has a dark side as a serial killer. Last night I finished season 1 with conclusion that the story’s twists were not bad at all. On the average, I watched 2 episodes every night given my brain would not force me to sleep.

After reading Shanghaiist article, I went to this cozy café bar in Tongjiang Road near Hengshan Road called The Cottage. From my place it’s like 15 minutes walk so I dropped by and viola! I found another new and exciting place to hang out during weekends the other one being Taikang Lu which I only have known and been to last month and have not written about it since discovery.

Nestled along the street which possesses a collection of some of Shanghai old bourgoisie residences, the two-storey building in noticeable green and yellow façade has treasures inside. Hanging on it’s old wooden planks roughly painted white wall are many mementos such us match boxes, photographs, ads, books and cd’s collected by owner Lao Ming through the years of his travels around the world. Occupying the space also are small antique furniture while in use are up for grab for a price. The place is wi-fi and there are pc to get you connected and write in your blog about this artsy café bar and tell about a view of a courtyard garden from the window while you sip your cup of cappuccino and pipe out your personally made cigar on a lazy afternoon.

Oh I am crossing out Crossroad, the Singaporean restaurant in Parkson in HuaiHai Road as my favorite eats because the one I regularly order lamb chops were not available at the time I got there and more so because I got LBM after eating satay for replacement. I was taking pictures of my meal then the waitress asked me not to, probably they want to keep a secret the meal that would make your digestive system exploding.

In Luoyang, a former ancient capital and small city in Henan Sheng, the traditional way of eating is imperial. The way the people eat in the restaurant, or I bet at homes also, was influenced by how the emperors and empress during the Tang dynasty. You’ be given different kind of soup which actually numbers like 24 soups, vegetable soup, chicken soup, beef soup, pork soup, noodles soup you name it they have it. Then at the center of the table there will be a big porcelain bowl, were you can throw away in your sipped soup because you won’t finish them all so you’d to avoid being full and try the other soup in line for you to experience. Lavish isn’t ? So for just an hour I felt like a Tang emperor. Louyang food tastes great and considered that as my favorite Chinese cuisine along with spicy Hunan.

Also in Louyang, personally I met the most famous flower in China called Mudan (牡丹花).

Out of Words 22 : Generations

Out of Words 21 : Huashan Road

Out of Words 20 : Sanya on a Sunday

NEEDless to say

I got this "panuto" from Marie's facebook.

Type your name into Google with the word needs in quotes. For example: "(your name here) needs". Write the first 10 results in a note, comment and tag friends.

So I tried it myself, and used my name in full and viola!!!
here's what i need according to Google.

1. Christopher needs Blog cadre (no i don't need one.)
2. Christopher needs to be eliminated (are you threatening me??!!
3. Christopher needs a P. A (female please, sexy, beautiful, and can do head massage hehehe)
4. Christopher needs Tech Support. (hmm i want a web designer for facelift my blog, yes!)
5. Christopher needs London. (I want to be there but if you're referring to Victoria, ok lang)
6. Chris needs Hospital Appeal. (clueless)
7. Chris needs Wikipedia. (Yup, useful site to stop me from wondering.)
8. Christopher needs A Kiss Doll. F doll would be better.
9. Christopher needs to relax and forget about what is going on. I love this. very true.
10.Christopher needs Eastwood. ( might be referring to Gran Torino, Clint latest film, haven't watch that yet.

Try it and have fun!!!

Every Color, Every Hue

When my wife Nang texted me that music legend and rapper Francis Magalona just passed away I felt sad and was in disbelief that such a good and young man would leave the world so soon. I dont't know but I felt a distant relative has passed away.

Looking back, how influential FrancisM in my life first manifested when I learned to rap Mga Kababayan Ko in full. I mean who would not know that song every grade school that time knew how to rap the song by heart. I sang a long with this guy when his music plays on the radio while I recorded it on my cassette tape player. I was a fan more of fan of Francis M than Alma Moreno on dancing wearing tanga in Loveliness and thought Yo! expression was very very cool.

Like a true radical poet FrancisM bravely commented on social issues, wrote powerful verses against corruption and drug addiction and had a say or two about life simplicity and hope. FrancisM had defined OPM music well way better than his contemporaries that sadly exploited good music.

From poppy synth rythym, the Master Rapper experimented and jived perfectly rock music to his opuses. I remember in the 90’s that if you like rock you hate hiphop music or viceversa. There were so much hate and cursing with these two groups, but FrancisM was one of the instrumental force that unite these opposing poles with the birth of EraserheadsSuperproxy and launching of FrancisM FreeMan album sparked a harmonious blend of rock and hiphop/rap music in the Philippine scene.

Francis M died on a Friday, 44 years of age. Francis M, may God bless your soul. Thank you for your art and music and for the inspiration for self expression and sheer love for countrymen and Motherland.

Pahimakas, Francis M!!! Maraming maraming salamat!!!

Dormant

what to write here today? (thinking...)

1. I was so busy in the office last month with Qingdao project going late night to home and even working on weekends yes Sunday included. I welcomed the first day March very awake getting out of the office around 4am already. Anyway, the work have been done and hope the government would be happy on our output.
2. I stop blogging and taking pictures for awhile because of the too much work.
3. I never stop watching films though, I enjoyed watching Frost/Nixon and not enjoyed Synechdoche NY which made me naive to profound thoughts that bored me so much and quit viewing. There was this DVD shop in Xinle road, 10minutes walk from my place, and it's the source of my collection but 12rmb per movie/cd is quite expensive than the 5rmb u get in the streets. But I like the shop because the dvd movie are filed accordingly and they have tons of it.
4. I am loving being a pirate fishing good stuffs on torrent pond mostly downloading audio and H.
5.Shanghai is wet and very cold and I hate it. I wish the sun would show up this weekend and temperature would rise to 15degC.
6. After so much stressful days at work I drug myself with vitamins now. China is giving us a lot of vegetables during lunch and lately I am enjoying muching apples and fruits.
7. Office scheduled me a project for competition. I think this is very challenging and I like the task that requires me to think for some gimmicks to make it stand.
8. My passport expires May, so does my visa. I pray next week I could escape office go to the consulate and renew it at once.
9. The effect of recession roams around the city like a serial killer at large and the way it takes away someone job or lower the salary is fast and furious. Once in awhile you'd hear stories, sad one, and you just wish that life would go on after.

Anyway, enjoy the weekend everyone!!!

i am...

...still in the office!
...working OT.
...running out of landscape gimicks!!!
...missing home!
...missing ez...
...missing nang...
...sighing.

Last Night

Last night the sky of the city was fill again with lights and sound of fireworks to celebrate the Lantern festival and to mark the end of Chinese Spring Festival which started two weeks ago. We were release in the office like an hour early because of the special day so the hall was almost empty by six o clock.

We are very busy in the office and work even on weekends but I still can still squeeze in some time to watch a good movie before I go to sleep like last night I did watch DOUBT.

PS

Undoubtedly, I miss home.

Untitled

Shanghai sky is gray today and raining a bit and turned my window misty glass that you can write your name in the panel. Outside temperature, according to yahoo average at 7deg C and sun will show up only after two days in the weekend.

Watched Flood last night I could believe the British filmmakers produced such kind of cheap flick bad acting corny storyline that I turned off my dvd before it ended. I felt my marathon of good movies ( Slumdog Millionaire, Milk and docu The Wrestler and Encounters at the End of the World) was cut off by the said movie. I also found Tropic Thunder more annoying than funny and Eagle Eye too naive.

Anyway this morning I was delighted to watched Tzururu Miyabi's 肉嫁 ～高 柳家の人 and made my start of the day beautiful but I still prefer the building up of the story in ゑんぼ my loyalty stay still with the cute Misako.

China is still giving us 4 more days to rest and unwind but I choose to rot here in Shanghai given the bad market lately and unsure corporate future.

I am still surviving anyway I'm just so damn lazy to be literate.

...

Year of the Ox

Writing this message on the eve of the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year and to celebrate it with friends later on the 28th floor with a good view of the Shanghai night sky that will dominate later with actions of Chinese fireworks and with powerful boom and bang across the city streets.

I wish a better year for my to my Family to lovely Nang and beautiful Ezra and Pangilinan family to relative and friends, and to hard working officemates here in China.

Happy "Niu" Year everyone!!!

祝你新年快乐!

The Best

I must say that this vacation is the most exciting vacation of my life!!! Thanks Nang and Ez for making it happen!!!

Out of Words 19 : Guho

Out of Words 18 : Bukid

On Getting Old

Masarap pa lang mag blog habang tinatanggalan ka ng puti na buhok ni Nang. Nakakaantok. zzzzzzz!!!