CARLOS RECOMMENDS! PART 3

DAY 1 - 2 - End

At precisely 2:30PM, the Sun Cruiser will ferry the day tourists back to Manila. The island will be even quieter than before and everything will seem like a scene right out of the 2000 Oscar Award Winning Miyazaki animated feature, Spirited Away.

The time has come to do absolutely nothing.
And to see absolutely no one.

THINGS TO DO ON CORREGIDOR:

Walk around the island. Bump into no one.

Roam around the hotel and check out their newly varnished floors (above). Bump into no one.

Check out where Douglas MacArthur escaped from the Japanese (above). Amazing how historical sites look so much more, well, un-historical when you get up close to it.

Take the van to the highest point of the island, Topside. Walk back from Topside. Wander around the bombed out Corregidor Theater (above). Bump into no one.
Corregidor is a nature preserve and a protected historic shrine. There are no local communities on the island. Which explains why the island is so quiet. And why there is no crime.

Walk around the ruins of the barracks.

Walk around the batteries.

Walk around the Pacific War Memorials. And still, bump into no one.

Check out the Filipino War Memorial. Bump into no one.
Unsolicited Opinion: Among all the monuments on the island, I have to say that this is definitely the ugliest. Tsk tsk. Shameful. C'mon Senor Francisco Manosa. You did a good job with the hotel. What's your excuse for this flat grey...whatever. It's hideous. It's lame. It's hot, and extremely corny. Tear it down please and replace it with something more thought out.

Ahem. But I digress.
Check out the Spanish Lighthouse and it's solar panels (Very Cool).
Oh yeah, Corregidor is a Spanish word pala. It means magistrate or something like that.

Walk around the Japanese Peace Garden. Meditate a bit.

Marvel at the jungle as it consumes the ruins.
Bump into no one.

Walk down a lonely seaside road.
Look at craggy cliffs in the distance.
Prance through the woods.
Watch monkeys.
Watch birds.

Corregidor is a birders wet dream. From what I heard, the aviary is closed (above. Note the lack of birds) and most of them have been released into the wild. Even Birdwatch has released raptors on the island. Good job, guys.

Oh and did I say, BUMP INTO NO ONE.


In the late afternoon, I recommend a tram tour through the haunted hospital grounds before catching the sunset.
At this point, Crack open the purchased Yellow Tail and packed cold cuts and cheese.

After dinner, the highlight of the weekend, The Malinta Tunnel night tour with Edward, their star guide extraordinaire (Sorry, no picture. None of the ones I took of him came out). He was funny in a light and inoffensive way, gave everyone little costumes (Yours truly in regulation helmet with flashlight, top), knew his stories inside out, and kept his energy on a consistent level throughout. No wonder he was chosen Tour Guide of the Year/Employee of the Year or something like that. On his tour, you'll walk through bombed out tunnels, relive some key moments of World War II, and even get to see the bones of Japanese soldiers (middle shot) scattered among the rubble.

On Day 2, you can watch the Sunrise and do everything over again, or just laze by the pool with the Sunday paper and a San Miguel Light like I did.

Oh. And for all you serious cyclists - and you know who you are - biking is now possible on the island. Their former bicycle concession is gone and now you can bring your own. Just make sure to bring a helmet, pads, and to sign their waiver. You also must also check if there is space on the ferry for your bike (collapsible bikes preferred). Call the number at the bottom of the page for more information.

Final Analysis:
Although inextricable from it's World War II past, I discovered that it is actually possible to experience Corregidor as a legitimate tourist destination worthy of an overnight stay (like Tagaytay, Batangas et al) and not merely as a five hour controlled experience. An overnight stay in Corregidor is a must-do for any tourist staying in Manila for more than five days, for any expat who doesn't want to go to far away from the city on the weekend, and FOR EVERY FILIPINO - simply because they should. Corregidor is also very kid friendly.

RAINY SEASON PROMO
(valid through August): Weekend (Sat -Sun)
Twin double sharing Php 2,000.00/pax
Published rate (for the whole year): Php 2,500.00/pax

Inclusions: round trip ferry transfers, guided tour, shrine-terminal-entrance fees, buffet lunch on the first day, accomodation at the Inn
Contact: Kristine Castro 5268888 loc. 9502 for more information.

CARLOS RECOMMENDS! PART 2

DAY 1 continued...
Arrival on the island was at about 9:15. Still a full day ahead. I was thrilled pink to realize that while all other passengers were herded off to begin their tour of the island, my "fellow consultants" (In the cheesy picture below: The Living Room technical director Denis Lagdameo, fellow tour guide Greg Dorris, and my wife, Tesa) were whisked off in a separate van to be leisurely checked into The Corregidor Inn (above). I even had time for a half-hour nap before venturing out. Yes. Not feeling like a lemming on the island. Plus one hundred points for the weekend. Definitely.

And I have to say, although the inn was designed by Arch. Francisco Manosa, the man who gave us such overwrought works as the Puerto Azul Beach Resort, the Coconut Palace, and the uber-hideous Our Lady of EDSA Shrine, I have to commend him for using a design (below) appropriate to the context of the island's history. The wide balconies, Machuca tile flooring, large windows and mix of Spanish and American colonial motifs reminded me of the old Army Navy Club in Manila. Quite unoffensive. Almost lovely. Even the check in counter had fresh Hibiscus (gumamela) plucked from the hotel gardens (Sorry. No picture. Just take my word for it.)

However, the lobby, like most other lobbies in the Philippines, was a little cluttered. Luckily, it did not suffer from other Philippine interior decorating sins such as horror vacuui and grimy neglect. In fact, the lobby was rather spotless. It bore no fried pork smells nor the scent of burning plastic. The only niggling issues I pointed out were that the barstools were in an awkward location - hindering flow into the dining hall, their bric a brac was in desperate need of rearranging/refreshing, and their gift shop was spilling out into the TV lounge area. But truth be told, even I must admit that I was being OC about this. Nevertheless, as we speak, Sun Cruises is resolving these issues. Hopefully, should any of you decide to take up their discounted overnight deal this month - and only this month- all of these little things I mentioned would have already been addressed. The scene below has been cleaned up and does not exist anymore.

Even the rooms of the inn were a trip back in time (below). The "capiz" windows (which were really fiberglass), rattan beds, and lack of a television set helped me imagine that I was staying at pre-war US Army Officer's quarters in Clark Air Base. As I said ealier, "US Military Chic". Even the chunky box airconditioner seemed quaint in it's slight obsolescence (Frankly, I was ecstatic that they even had air-conditioning at all). Unlike many other fellow Filipinos, I didn't find the hotel eerie or spooky. But then again, this was my perception while the sun was high.

At night, things are a completely different matter (above: hallway taken at 10:00PM). Can you say, "The Shining"? Just look down the hall and imagine two bloody girls (literally) chirping the words, "Come play with us...". All we need is a very nervous Shelley Duvall and the scene is complete. But don't get me wrong. One man's spooky scene is another man's serenity. I believe the reason why most fellow Filipinos consider the Corregidor Inn eerie is simply because the hotel is far too quiet for Filipino tastes. Personally, I consider the lack of noise (white or otherwise) to be a GREAT thing. For anyone out there who values the art of silence, I'm telling you, Corregidor is the place to be. Turn off the aircon, open the window and the only sound you will hear will be the hush of nightwinds and the cluck of random crickets (and perhaps the hum of your neighbor's airconditioner). For the record, I eventually turned the aircon back on and I experienced NO - I repeat - NO paranormal activity during my entire stay at the hotel.

A quick inspection of the grounds. The hotel has a pool (above). Don't worry, the ugly little Nestle boards flanking the boulder have already been removed. There is also talk of planting ferns on the boulder and turning it into a garden feature instead.

At the bottom of the hill next to the hotel, there is a cute little chapel with cool retro/modernist hardwood confession booths. Hello, a wedding on Corregidor. Now that's an idea. Very edgy (photos above). Beside the chapel, there is hostel for students/budget travellers and a recreation center with billiards and a bar are located right across each other (below).

The hotel has no spa but massage room service is available (No review for this). At noon, we joined the rest of the tourists at the restaurant for a buffet lunch and serenade. The musicians were stupendous. The buffet was well, satisfactory but not really my style.

Then, again, I'm really not the man to judge this lunch as I am a firm skeptic when it comes to the concept of "buffets" to begin with. Luckily, they had an ala carte menu. I ordered a clubhouse sandwich (I saw some American Vet eating one at the table next to mine) and I was very pleased. It was just like the sandwiches they used to serve at the Army Navy Club in Manila. Nostalgic. "US Military Chic" once again. I also learned from Kristine at Sun (5268888 loc. 9502) that for those who want to bring their own food (vegans, kosher, halal, or whatever), The Corregidor Inn can cook/heat/store your food for you at Php100.00 per kilo. Corkage for wines imbibed on hotel premises is Php500.00 per bottle. But then again, I found it unecessary to bring any as we found Yellow Tail for sale at their recreation center for Php250.00 per bottle. Fabulous. I recommend that you bring your own cold cuts and cheese to the island if you wish to add a touch more civility to the experience.

But in fairness to the island, they got their breakfasts right. My eggs were done perfectly crisp on the edges, just the way I ordered it and the portions were generous (above). The coffee was also brewed and NOT from a sachet as one would expect in most provincial establishments. Unfortunately, no one in our group ordered the western "continental" breakfast. But judging from what I saw on the neighboring tables once again, the quality wasn't too far from ours. Sun Cruises also tells me that they are working on expanding/improving the choices and standard of the island's cuisine (and the improvements should be completed by the time this blog hits print). I await with baited breath the arrival of hamburgers, hotdogs, milkshakes, or any other American style fare. Think: the menu of Army Navy Club/Manila Polo Club/Manila Golf Club or any other club established in the Philippines during the American Colonial Era. "U.S. Military Chic" once again and in total keeping with the history of the island.

Last photo: The best seat in the house. Get there early to grab it.

Next. What to do on Corregidor.

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

Whee. I finally arrived as a bonafide travel writer in this town. Just last month I accepted my first travel junket: an all expense paid cruise in exchange for an article. Well, actually, I'm exaggerating. It wasn't really an offer for a cruise, it was for an hour and fifteen minute ferry ride across Manila Bay to Corregidor. And it wasn't really an all expense paid trip either - I paid for part of the food and drinks (I personally don't believe that lifestyle journalists should get a totally free ride on anything - it compromises opinions). And lastly, I wasn't really sent there to write an article, I was sent there on an assignment for Sun Cruises. I had to write a detailed report about the quality of accomodations and services at their hotel on the island (which I will not include in this post). I did, however, write an informal diary and list of recommendations to be posted below. But even though it wasn't a one week sojourn around the waters of Southeast Asia with semi celebrities and silly socialites aboard the Superstar Scorpio whatever, it was a definitely a trip that I would repeat without batting an eyelash. And here are the three simple reasons why: Its' affordable, interesting, and I don't have to sit through hours of traffic to get there.

DAY 1
Although departure time was at the ungodly hour of 7:30 am (their terminal is located between the Folk Arts Theatre and the Harbour Square Complex beside the CCP), I just accentuated the positive. I considered it as an opportunity to enjoy a sweeping view of Manila (above) over waffles at Pancake House Harbour Square and to swig down an iced double espresso shot with sugar free vanilla syrup at the Starbucks next to it. But if you are neither into franchise cuisine nor coffee, then I recommend you bring your own carbohydrates and caffeine with you and snarf it outside the Sun Cruises departure lounge before rolling off to the rock.
This is the MV Sun Cruiser (above), the ferry which ferries back and forth from Manila to Corregidor. It has air-conditioning, outdoor seating upstairs to the rear, and the bathrooms are WAY above average for Philippine maritime standards - "sittable", if there is such a word. The staff are also courteous, efficient, speak English well, and wear these rather stylish navy inspired outfits which give an image of professionalism. This will be first of many "U.S. Military Chic" moments of the weekend.
This is the last that I saw of Manila for the next twenty four hours (above). The trip took exactly one hour and fifteen minutes. Newspapers were available on board. Karaoke machines were not. Thank god.

Next: The Accomodations.

GOODBYE AND THANK YOU!

It's been a busy month over at The Living Room. Although no artist talks/exhibitions were held, the place was still abuzz with guests who share my objective of changing the way we look at the misunderstood City of Manila. First to check in at the end of June were Barcelona residents, Gabriel Diaz (above) and Miguel Trillo (below). Gabriel Diaz is an affable journalist of Uruguayan descent whose last assignment was in Sierra Leone. Miguel Trillo, the more serious one of the duo, is a photographer obsessed with documenting the urban avant-garde/demimonde and the characters that dwell within. They were both sent over by Casa Asia to create a visitor's guide to Manila's alternative scene. They visited places as diverse as Imelda Marcos' Shoe Museum in Marikina, the I Love You Store, Cubao X, Club Mwah, and seedy little strip joints below the LRT Monumento station in Caloocan. We anxiously await it's publication. Some of Miguel's portrait work are posted below; some more are posted over here.

And bringing up the end of the month was Christian Razukas, the bespectacled fellow featured below. As the film programmer of the Louis Vuitton Honolulu International Film Festival, he flew into town for a few days just to check out the goodies on display over at Cinemalaya Film Festival held the CCP. And apparently, he was very pleased. A very charming fellow, he claims to have fallen in love with the city and hopes to be back in town again to check out other film festivals. Check out more about the scene surrounding the HIFF by clicking onto their blog here.

We hope this isn't the last time we see these guys over here in the town everyone loves to hate. The Living Room wishes you three a fond farewell for now and "Mabuhay!"

Oh. And thanks a million Doug for the fantastic post. Wish my tummy didn't look so big though...

BEIRUT BEFORE AND AFTER...

Manila is a city of reinvention. Either through the forces of nature (earthquake, typhoons...) or through the forces of man (World War II, lack of heritage architecture protection laws...), Manila still finds itself caught in a neverending cycle of death and rebirth. Another such city is Beirut. Like Manila, it was also one of the world's most beautiful cities. And like Manila, it too finds itself being pummeled to the ground by the hands of both fate and man. So in honor of this city that was once called the Paris of the Middle East, let me link you to Downtown Beirut, a site that shows you how Lebanon managed to pick itself out of the ashes of hell and how they are sadly finding themselves slipping back into it once again. Note: The second link is very graphic. Not for the faint of heart at all.

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOG...

I just cleaned out my blogroll. And aside from removing sites which haven't been updated in the last three months (My regrets to all those who are gone), I also included two new sites to make up for the loss. The first one coming from At Maculangan and the second one from Peach Abubakar (and At once again) for Marikina Shoe Expo (aka Cubao X).
The first one, called "Life Is Almost Perfect" (top three photos) is the photoblog and random musings of At Maculangan, photographer, vegetarian, and husband of fellow blogger Art World Muse (above). Some shots were taken locally, lots were taken in Spain, and all of them are pretty wonderful in their own right. Some interesting shots to check out are the family portraits, the black and white lomograph of dogs mating, and some everyday scenes of Barcelona.
Meanwhile, "Cubao X", the other new blog on my list is not so much a personal dialogue as it is an expression of a zeitgeist. The Marikina Shoe Expo (not to be confused with the City of Marikina itself) is the epicenter of the Manila's edgiest art scene. In less than five years, this one-time footwear wholesale market tucked away behind the Rustan's Superstore now houses alternative exhibition spaces like the Chunky Far Flung Gallery & Cafe, Black Soup (above - with chairs), PABLO, Future Prospects (below with former The Living Room resident, Jenifer Wofford), and shops like Bespoke and Vintage Pop (bottom shot). The blog, "Cubao X" hopes to be the liason and between the galleries/artists/creative entrepreneurs of Marikina Shoe Expo and the general public both here and abroad. I just hope that the contributors of this blog will soon post the addresses of each space, post directions on how to contact them/get there, and update their activities schedule religiously. This site - just like the Marikina Shoe Expo itself, shows a lot of promise. I really hope it lives up to it.


Log onto the sites here and here

And thanks Meg for the lovely post.

WHEE WHEE UM...NOT SO WHEE...

Aside from the one 103 comments I received in my Inbox, here are a few more reviews for the article, "It's The Hacienda World As We Know It".

Some were good:
I read your article and found it enlightening to say the least. I was not offended by it at all, and did find parallels in my growing up in Manila/Pasay. My grandmothers were Filipinas, and grandfathers were Americans who transplanted to the Philippines following the Spanish-American War. Although I left the Philippines for greener pastures, I do treasure the years I did spend there, particularly my formative years. Thank you for writing the article.
CCC

I was forwarded your treatise (treatise daw!) on the rise and fall of the Kastilaloy wannabes. Being a fellow part-Spanish, part-Chinese, part-Filipino (read: mongrel!), I thought your piece was hilarious. And perhaps more importantly (but only just), it was so true! Especially so as a full-time stock-market watcher. Apart from the Ayalas, and to a much lesser degree the Lopezes and the Aboitizes, I am always asked by foreign investors: "Where have all the Spanish gone?" And my answers run along the same lines as your piece's -- though clearly in much less... eloquent fashion. I feel the economics of the Tisoy's near-extinction from the local business sphere is summarised thusly: "the Spanish are asset-rich, the Chinese are cash-rich." Which is the PC way of saying Tisoys are lazy so-and-so's with an over-inflated sense of entitlement, while the Chinoys are hungry, cunning, agressive bastards (in the best possible sense). I forwarded the article on and got one telling reply: "Well he's getting ultra heat from this and its only beggining. He obviously hit a lot of big sensitive nerves." From a super Tisoy, obviously. Major sense-of-humour failure. I love it. Good on you for speaking your well-informed mind!
RG

I read your controversial article with much interest and I was able to relate. As for those who don't agree, puh-leeeeeeease! You are most right and as for other mestizos you talk about, the american-mestizos ARE very different, they have a lot more backbone...I think you are doing a very commendable job in getting filipinos acquainted with their own culture (something that seems to be sorely missing in this country.
CS

But among the (very few) positive letters I recieved, this is by far my favorite one. By a man named Josemi (above) who used to work for the Intramuros Administration (an institution close to my heart because I am in Intramuros everyday.) It's not often that I meet other Tisoys with a fondness for the walled city. Too bad he isn't here to complete the work he started.

!Hola Carlos! I am Jose Miguel Razon living here in Vancouver, Washington. My cousin Tany Garcia who lives in la Madre Patria, Madrid sent me your article. I am very impressed. Como sabes, I am Spanish-Filipino and I thoroughly enjoyed your openess and objectivity in your article.. as well as the historical nuances. The obliteration of Intramuros... yes, that was the focal point cuando todos tuvimos que ir a muchas otras partes. I worked for the Intramuros Adminsitration as an archival transcriber and translator form 1985-1987 and my old boss, Fr. Merino handed me stacks upon stacks of archival material just waiting to be transcribed and translated. IA is probably not existence any more... or is it? I worked under Sonny Tinio... but those were the old days. I felt then Carlos that I had in my hands (though photo copies of archival texts from the Museo Historico Militar and Archives of the Indies) that I was doing something noble to perhaps rekindle our rich hispanic past. I left the Philippines in 1987 headed to NY, NJ and then Montreal , Canada and then Portland, Oregon.. then to California and then here now in Vancouver. I work for a financial company handling all their Spanish accounts. What can I say? You write with so much lucidity and accuracy peppered with your winsome love of the English language. I've forwarded your article to my family in Australia who will no doubt appreciate what you had written, again with so much clarity and you also wrote as a third person.... taking in all the impressions that people mentioned to you. I am 49 years old and single and love living in the US because I can speak Spanish here and, cono, get paid for it. When I talked to one of my clients (who was from Argentina) she asked me where I was from. I told her. She said , "ah para un filipino usted habla muy bien espanol" so I told her that I am of Spanish ancestry (and Italian and Swiss and British on my Mum's side) When I tried to explain to her where the Philippines was, she replied, "ah si.. las Filipinas esta al lado de CUBA y Puerto Rico!!!!!!" I calmly explained to her where the Philippines is located. Your article bordered on hilarity which I thoroughly enjoyed. Nothing was exaggerated and you hit the nail right on the head! My love for the Spanish language was fired up in 1979 when I wanted to take avanced courses at the Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Espana and I finished the course. I spoke the espanol de casa and wanted more. I began to work as a free lance tour guide after that for major tour agencies. I would like to contribute essays and such and I think that your Walking Tour of Intramuros would be something to get involved in too.
Sinceramente y kita kita....
Josemi

Sure Joey, contribute away!

But needless to say, most opinions about my essay were, well, not so good. The negatives flew in fast and furious, some coming as far away as the United States.

Celdran is no sociologist, and his use of rash generalization abounds in this article. If he opened his eyes he would see that this UNIVERSAL PENCHANT for being superior to the next guy is a societal ill existing in most countries, not exclusive to his streotyped mestizo ... the Anglo vs. all non whites and every ethnicity in the US...the Anglo vs. the blacks in apartheid throughout Africa... the anglicized (ala Michael Jackson) blacks vs. the more African featured blacks everywhere... the haves vs.the have-nots... the Christians vs. the Moslems... the Christians vs. the Jews... the notion that the Arian race is supreme.....it is all a sad state of affairs that prejudice exists in many forms...and people should be free to carry any passport they so choose and speak any language at the dinner table they are most comfortable with as long as they don't grandstand their theories as though their thoughts are original, as if they are privy to the inner feelings of every mestizo or fellow human being enabling them to judge why people behave the way they do...his generalizations about the "mestizo" are prejudiced and reminiscent of a friend in XXX whose half white daughter is not black enough (reverse prejudice)...as I recall a most gracious Enrique Zobel, visiting my parents when I was a child in Honolulu and clearing the table and insisting on doing the dishes!!! A man of his social stature happily doing the dishes!!! The epitome of the wealthy Manila mestizo unfairly streotyped in Celdran's article spoke great Tagalog, loved this country, never considered himself too good to do menial tasks like he did at our home if need be, was gracious, humble, generous and kind, worked hard and played hard, and what is so wrong with that???? Celdran is presumptuous and may I say blind to the notion that many a non mestizo marvels at the" fairness" of a newborn baby " ay ang ganda, ang puti puti ng bata", "ang bilog ng mata!" "ang tangos ng ilong"...I have heard those lines repeatedly over a lifetiime. It is wrong to cheat, wrong to be a bigot, wrong to think you are better than the next guy, wrong to abuse power...and you can be guilty of these things as a mestizo or not.
CH

My reply:
Thank you for your opinion. I'm glad to see that this article - although not in it's finished form nor printed yet in any journal as of yet - has provoked some reaction here and wherever FILIPINOS (not indios, not tisoys, not chinoys, not ifugaos, - BUT all FILIPINOS - are located. But first, allow me to apologize for any offense you may have taken from the article, but what I said still stands and I cannot retract my words even IF I wanted to. But nevertheless, allow me to clarify some points you brought up.

"If he opened his eyes he would see that this UNIVERSAL PENCHANT for being superior to the next guy is a societal ill existing in most countries, not exclusive to his streotyped mestizo."

Nothing in the article mentions that I believe ONLY Mestizos are privy to such insularity. Read it again and you will see that I have no claims as it being a sole "mestizo" value. So now that that is clear, I am glad to see that you agree with me that perhaps "some" mestizos share this UNIVERSAL PENCHANT.

"Celdran is no sociologist"

Another thing we both agree upon. I am quite flattered that you might think so but unfortunately, I am merely a man who threw his observations and opinions up in the air, and wherever and on whomever it fell upon, I can once again only offer my apologies.

"Celdran is presumptuous and may I say blind to the notion that many a non mestizo marvels at the" fairness" of a newborn baby " ay ang ganda, ang puti puti ng bata", "ang bilog ng mata!" "ang tangos ng ilong"...I have heard those lines repeatedly over a lifetiime."

"A man of his social stature happily doing the dishes!!!"

OK. Two comments that have me dumbfounded and I must admit that I don't know how to react to them at all. Please correct me if I am wrong. But in the first statement, it seems that you are proud of "puti" (white sharpnosed) features being considered as "better" or superior to non "tangos ng ilong" (brown flatnosed) features? And in the second comment, you seem thrilled about rich people taking pleasure in cleaning up after themselves? I am sorry, but no genetic features should ever be considered as superior to another and cleaning dishes is not like feeding the poor or building schools either - it's a basic chore every human being should know how to do. Frankly, I have nothing to say about these two comments all. As a matter of fact, I wish you could elaborate upon them for me. Lastly, please realize that my "rash" generalizations are rooted upon the opinions that I have heard and observations that I have made within that sector of society. The "Spanish Mestizo" of this new millenium (light, dark, and wannabees included) have completely insularized themselves and are totally out of touch with the rest of the Philippines. This NEW generation of upper middle class Spanish mestizos are nothing at all like the generation of the "gracious" Mr. Enrique Zobel which you remember so well (and some might say that is a good thing). Believe me, I did not create these characters or stories out of thin air. They are composites/archetypes of what I have experienced and heard in the thirty three years of living in Manila as a SPANISH MESTIZO himself. And I do not say "SPANISH MESTIZO" proudly nor with shame - I say it only as a matter of fact. In the end, my opinions will perhaps never be compatible with yours due to generational differences and/or upbringing. What I see here is that we can only agree to disagree for now. Nevertheless, thank you for your spirited response. I am glad that my article gave you the opportunity to think long and hard upon this issue.

Our correspondence then got heated and took a really bad turn:
Carlos, sorry to have upset you... the original response did not seem to bother you coming from what you thought was a man, but somehow, realizing i was a woman...you seemed rather disturbed...curious... 1) Not wanting to belabor this too much further...I wonder if most people would find humor or novelty at the thought of Donald Trump doing the dishes as a dinner guest ... your image of the mestizo as a spoiled brat, so to speak, implies that someone like EZ would think this beneath him, and my memory of this wealthy, powerful man doing the dishes stood out, not really having ANYTHING to do with the color of his skin or his heritage. Sure, anyone should be able to do the dishes for himself, but the fact that he did, a man who probably never does, shows not every upper crust mestizo is above menial tasks, as implied in your characterization of Inaki ...it came to mind after your mention of the Todas and the Sorianos. 2) Re the reference to non mestizos marveling at the "puti" and "tangos"...I am merely countering your characterization of the matriarch in Inaki's family who seemed to have disdain for the more native look...it works both ways...I frankly think the kayumanggi is exotic and beautiful. Where you deduced that I felt otherwise is merely in your imagination, because I never said it! The main point I make is that your tunnel vision, negative take on the mestizo is not exclusive to them and is such a screaming generalization...it does not offend me, it just annoys me that you seem to think you can conclude and point out that all these negative character flaws can be attributed to the mestizo and not just any spoiled Filipino of privilege, or for that matter any spoiled elitist in any country... As a result, I feel your article is frivolous...that is just my personal opinion...enough said.

Luckily though, the writer of the aforementioned letter and I ended on amiable terms. This is after all, the blogosphere and all opinions are simultaneously valid and inconsequential.

But not only did I manage to offend folks from way across the seas, I also managed to offend those as close as from within my own family:

M, Mr.M makes a good case in point. It is commendable that his rebuttal has focused on the merits of the persons stated and not on the divisive nature of the article. Needless to say, Carlos' actions have been upsetting to myself and my family included. I apologize to your family for any resentment that may have arisen from his writings.
A RELATIVE OF MINE

Some likened the essay to popular literature...
It truly is offensive!!!... The Celdran article panders to the masa reading public ... without regard to history and truth ... it touches on half-truths, legends, exaggerations, gross errors, etc. ... makes for a no-brainer, funny, interesting reading (for an educated person who knows the difference) but can hardly qualify for what one would call a researched piece or a literary gem (and poses problems for those who don't know better) ... can we say Da Vinci Code? Read more on a thread here...

While others wondered from where the hell I'm coming from...
Do you also have Spanish blood? How do you feel about the chinese invasion of the Philippines? Doesn't it bother you? I feel you did a who lot of generalizing about the mestizos from the Philippines. Everyone has a right to an opinion but fact is fact. We are not all like the Elizalde or Ortigas who went astray. JD

My reply: I know the Ortigases and Elizaldes and trust me, there are more out there who have gone astray way farther than they did.

So at the end of the day, what's done is done and I cannot retract the words that I have written, all I can do is own them and apologize to all out there were offended by it while simultaneously thanking those who thought that the essay was a real eye opener about the current state of ALL Philippine-based Spanish Mestizos and their wannabees (and not just that of only ONE specific mestizo individual/family/group in particular).

This essay and this issue have now been put to rest. Don't expect any more replies from me regarding this but please do feel free to talk about it among yourselves though.

Hasta Lluego. Regular fluffy programming will continue tomorrow.

OYE! QUE MONADA!

Since I'm on a roll regarding all things Tisoy, I was tickled the color rosa to find this video on the Maarte blog. It's an animation short about the history of the Philippines in Spanish done by Dent Productions. And although it may be a wee bit simplistic and a smidge inaccurate (the Philippines was colonized by the United States for MORE than ten years), I still find the whole thing too cute for words. For an English version, click here.

AND THE LOVE FEST CONTINUES...

Wala lang. Just received this on a post that I did long ago. It's from a Visayan lady studying in the University of San Carlos (my father's alma mater) in Cebu. And although she was off to a rough start, the letter really hits a good stride towards the end. Moreover, I simply like this letter because it's effusive yet sincere and is an excellent indicator of what non-Manileno's in her age bracket are thinking and the English that they use to say it. It seems that the silent majority has finally found the words they were looking for. Nevertheless, I'm sure a lot of you out there would disagree..

I especially like the new way to create a smiley face on the bottom of the letter and thank you Cebu Ceboom CeBlog for the cartoon.

hello I am Gesal Marie Arnoza a Political Science student of the University of San Carlos, here in Cebu City, and as a student of this great department, I am here to share what I have. Gloria have done so much in our Country, If people use inquiry first, read the news paper and look at both sides of the coin, I think we will have lesser people complainig against Gloria and we will be to arrive at a better act of judgement. Well first Gloria said her sorry already, and I think no other Politician can be that honest like Gloria! The opposition? Look at them thay always complain! Can they just not stop? According to my Politcal Science proffessor Sir Poca, The Opposition are just tigers who wants to impeach Gloria the dragon, and when Gloria would be gone, the opposition would be become the new dragon again. Oh come on, can they not see the discernible events happening? They are only augmenting things up! They keep on opposing and complaining, do they not know that Gloria has done a lot of things for country? Our GDP increased, many homeless people were sheltered, and even death penalty was abolished( there are still many more) But despite all these Gloria still tries her best. And some people hates her becuse of EVAT? Oh aome on, do they not know that she is doing this to improve our economy? We have a very high foreign debt, do they not know that? And they blame her fot the increase of our oil prices, well no matter who are President will be, our oil prices will really increase, don't blame Gloria blame the countries are exporting oil. Anyway for the Opposition, Instead of opposing and wasting the money used during their meetings and sessions. I pray that our politicians may turn back to God for enlightenment and for all of them to work together for the improvement in the standard of living of every Filipino, I hope they will see how far behind ( light years ) are we with our neighboring countries, how severe is our miseducation, how high is our poveryt rate and how worse is our economy. I hope there will be unity and harmony in our Politics. I am a Filipina and I am hurt with our status quo , with our present situation. I pray that we will all see and work togehther in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You (",)

LEARN! LEARN! LEARN!

THE MASTER CLASS
For all those out there looking to join the ranks of the overeducated, fellow blogger Watergirl and the folks over at PAEF are throwing this gig next monday.

World MBA Tour

Manila

Monday, July 17, 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Makati Shangri-la Hotel

Participating Schools:
Australia: Brisbane Grad School of Business
France: HEC MBA
Italy: MIP - Politecnico di Milano
Spain: IE (Instituto de Empresa)
Singapore: Universitas 21 Global
UK: Manchester Business School
and of course,
USA: Columbia Business School, Hult International Business School, Ohio State University, Fisher's College of Business, Hawaii Pacific University, University of Michigan Global MBA

Online Registration is free: www.topmba.com
Admission to the event is free.
Contact Mila Tan at the PAEF office for details:
www.paef.org.ph
Phone: 812-0945

Thanks cartoonstock.com