Smoke-less

I used to love to hang-out in coffee shops - sipping scalding hot coffee and lighting a stick of cigarette one after another. I can sit, sip and smoke hours on end reading a book. I used to hunt for coffee shops the moment I go to the mall for I did prefer to just order a venti of cafe Americano and smoke my favorite brand. That seems to be eons ago. I quit smoking for quite sometime now and I certainly have no regrets whatsoever. A friend once asked if I do not miss smoking. I stopped and thought about it and I really cannot decide if I miss it or not. Someone told me that if I want a smokeless cigarette I should try an electric cigarette. But why should I? I am fine being "smokeless".

Crazy Weather

The weather here is crazy. One moment you'd be melting from the heat and the next moment a deluge. The sudden heavy downpour caused a lot unsuspecting commuters to be drenched - as in soaking wet from the rain. Now, how could one expect these "wet" commuters to ride on a public transport? The sudden downpour is also culprit to flash floods. D2's new shoes were soaked! She said she was contemplating on taking off her new shoes and walk barefoot but thought better against it. Anyway, I told her that if only she listened to me and got those women's rain boots on sale then her new shoes would have been spared. Lesson learned - the weather is unpredictable. Always bring an umbrella.

Mid-year Crisis

My mid-year general cleaning is looming closer and closer. I dread opening the smallish-darkish storage at the basement for its content might come tumbling down on me. The last time I opened the door of the closet was sometime in January. I stored all the Christmas decorations not really in a highly organized way for when I was almost half-done, I sort of jammed, stuffed, shoved, wedged, pushed (and all other related verbs) , the rest of the Christmas decor. Now, I can envision the storage door pulsating and about ready to burst once I come near it. Oh well. I guess I just have to "brave" the task.

Boxes? Check! Plastic wraps? Check! Oh and I need to get a real sturdy box cutter for a regular cutter is just too frail for cutting cartons. Alright then. Basement, here I come!

The Karate Kid 2010

Ethan and I were supposed to watch Toy Story 3 last Friday but ended up watching The Karate Kid of Jaden Smith instead. Why? Well, the seats for the two screening time of Toy Story 3 were already sold out so we ended up watching the remake of the 1984 Karate Kid.

Daniel La Ruso is Dre Parker. Mr. Miyagi is Mr. Han. Wax on, wax off is jacket off, jacket on, drop and hang. Whatever! The remake was more interesting as it was filmed entirely in Beijing. The Kung Fu master handyman was more authentic as it was portrayed by Jackie Chan. The movie should have been re-titled Kung Fu Kid for it was what Mr. Han taught Dre Parker.

How interesting to note that the producers of the remake are the parents of Jaden Smith - Will and Jada! Wow! Jaden is one lucky kid. Imagine having the full support of his parents to the point of producing the movie. There were a lot of ho-hum parts at the start of the movie. It was like swimming through a pool of jell-o where the characters were all trying their darnest best to "act". I almost fell off my seat when the new American best bud of Dre Parker came on screen. It was like seeing the American missionary's son of my childhood.

Anyway, the movie became more interesting towards the middle when Mr. Han started training Dre Parker. I was actually waiting for the "wax on wax off" part of Mr. Miyagi but Mr. Han's "chaket off chaket on..." was more apt - especially the part when the movements were translated into actual kung fu moves. Jaden Smith is alright I suppose. He is a sensitive child actor and would probably do well even if his parents do not produce all his coming movies.

It was an "okay" movie. Dre Parker's martial arts moves were better than Daniel La Ruso. Now that I think about it, I don't think there were any credible karate moves done by Ralph Macchio except the part where he had to stand on one foot and do the "claw". Oh well. Ethan and I still need to schedule Toy Story 3.

The Phillipine Army Museum and Library

It is so sad to think that so few know of the Philippine Army Museum and Library within the PA Headquarters. It is more sad though to know that the original PA Museum and Library used to sit right smack in the middle of Serendra at The Fort, a pulsating commercial and high-rise residential area in Taguig, Metro Manila. The former Fort Andres Bonifacio saved for some 100 hectares, was sold to Metro Pacific Group under Republic Act 7227 known as the Bases Conversion and Development Authority Act of 1992. I am sure the prime military land fetched a handsome sum but the thing is a chunk of Philippine history was affected.

The old PA museum used to be located along MacArthur Avenue within the vast PA Headquarters. The building was built and used by the Americans even before WW II. What very few know was the fact that at the back of the old museum was the main entrance to a labyrinth of underground tunnels also built by the Americans. The tunnel even reached up to Villamor airbase. When the Marcos regime crumbled, the museum was opened to the public and so were the tunnels. From 1989 up to the early 1990s, the museum and tunnels were there for everyone to see. I never heard of that piece of news back then. Currently on an almost weekly basis I pass by the PA Headquarters (or what's left of it) and never even heard that there was a PA museum much more, tunnels under The Fort!

When the military land was sold, the old PA museum was dismantled and rebuilt piece by piece at its present site. The original PA HQ was under the city of Makati. Today, only the 100 hectares of PA HQ is situated in Makati for a boundary dispute between Taguig and Makati ensued when the military land was sold.

I took Ethan to the PA Museum and he was greatly impressed by the obsolete tanks on display on the grounds. We went inside the museum where a civilian tour guide walked us through the history of the Philippine Army. It was no Ayala museum. Parts of the exhibits needed repairs and the tour guide was quite shaky as he tried to walk us through Philippine history in Taglish. I felt sad. Sad for the plight of the PA museum. Sad that I only paid 20 PHP per head for entry fees. Sad for the present political and economical situation of the Philippines. Sad for the realization that too few Filipinos are keen on caring and preserving what is truly "Filipino" - sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa. ( I will be a true Filipino in thought, in word, in deed.)