IN MEMORIAM...

BYE BYE BAYWALK...

When I first heard that Mayor Lim was going to ban alcohol and close down the performance stages on Roxas Boulevard because they were too loud, I was elated beyond belief. For three years I had to live with the shrilly strains of a karaoke machine until four am on a daily basis and the thought of a more "family-friendly", noise pollution-free Baywalk thrilled me to no end. But now I see that not only did he remove alcohol and bands, but the Cafe Adriatico, the Fruitas Fruit Shake Stand, The Ice Monster, and EVERY concessionare on the boulevard and Plaza Sulayman, I am once again in doubt of the wisdom of our new Mayor's decisions. Just last night, when I passed by the area, Roxas Boulevard was once again dark, deserted, scary, and littered only by the shadows of street children, stray dogs and vagrants. Sigh. Easy come. Easy go. Mayor Lim, I'm still not feeling you. Your first one hundred days are nearly up and you still haven't convinced me that you are a better choice for Manila. Time to get your groove on. So far, I just think you are a stuffy old goat who just killed the party. A cheezy, crowded party - yes. But it was still a party nevertheless...

I wonder how the businessmen who owned the concessions feel as well. I would definitely be p*ssed off if my contract was suddenly cancelled and my shop unceremoniously removed for reasons that were beyond my control and the "fault" of the previous administration.

C'mon Mayor, you could have just regulated the place better, you didn't have to kill it.

IN MEMORIAM...

MABUHAY KA JULIA...

For the last few years, I have been given the honor of touring the Peace Corps Volunteers around Fort Santiago as part of their arrival initiation program. Great bunch of guys. I can safely say I have never met a Peace Corps Volunteer I didn't like. Which is why it only broke my heart to hear the news about Ms. Julia Campbell. It's always a tragedy when such young beautiful souls are taken away from us too soon. Log on to her blog and read about how much she loved her life here in the Philippines. Her last entry is especially ironic. You can also read an entry from a friend of mine who was with her the day before she disappeared. Log onto Christina's blog here. Leave a testimonial if you knew Julia too.

I now hear there are moves to name a street after her in Albay, the city in Bicol where she worked as an English teacher.

May eternal rest be granted unto her soul in a land that she loved more than most.

IN MEMORIAM...IN MPEG...

MANILA IN MEMORIAM 1945

Exactly sixty-two years ago this month, the capital of the Philippine Islands was brought to it's knees through fire and sword in a conflict known as the Battle of Manila 1945. Caught in an unfortunate encounter between the United States Armed Forces and the Japanese Imperial Army, Manila, a city once known as the "Pearl of the Orient" was beaten down to a disease ridden wasteland, it's citizens transformed into quivering madmen.

Sadly, every year this month goes by without much fanfare (most Manilenos care more about Valentine's Day and the EDSA Revolution), and every year I come up with assumptions about what the city would have been like should this tragic incident never have happened. For starters, I believe that the genteel residential districts of Ermita and Malate would still be intact and populated by it's original residents, the island of Corregidor would still be operating as a military base, the Tranvia trolley system would still be plying the streets, while the seven churches of Intramuros would still be standing. It would have been a completely different city from what it is today, and I perhaps would be a completely different person because of it.

And now thanks to my friend Butch who sent me this Google Video link called Old Manila, I now have a brief glimpse into what Manila was like before 1945. It's a home movie shot by a Manila visitor and it's a priceless account of what we lost and what we as citizens should aspire to recreate. Be sure to check out the Manila tram system in full operation, the clean canals of Binondo with it's sleepy residents walking along it's banks, and a brief shot of some suburban beach resort (which I might assume is Pasay?) with people actually swimming in the Manila Bay.

Manila is dead. Long Live Manila.

Also, thank you to life partners Te and Lisette for the wonderful post on your blog. So glad to have had you both on the tour.