Ironic Man: The Curious Case of The Reader With The Hang Over (or simply, Me in Manila)

After more than 2 months of intense hibernation, the grizzly bear slowly awakes and attacks. the smell of a new season gently seeps into his cave, giving him thoughts of food and pleasures for his taking. The hunger is getting stronger, the need more imminent. He is ready to pounce on anything that fancies his discerning eye. He is ready.

And then he caught a rather nasty case of flu so went back to bed and sleep for another winter.

Life.

Just when I am about to go for a rather long holiday, i got this rather weird flu: My nbose (yeah you read it as you see it) is combgesteb with the wonderful air from Manila, my body is aching from my toes to the tips of my hair, my eyes look like Dopey after a pipe of Hash with Snow White. Heck, imagine all the seven dwarfs in one guy!

So just when I have the inspiration to tread the paved stinking streets of Manila, armed with an umbrella (it's raining intermittently), a pack of condoms (hey, who knows, I might be lucky), flip flops (it is flooding around Ermita --- yuck, imagine all the goos flushed having an interpersonal relationship with my feet!) and a determination to spend at least a thousand bucks a day --- I got this flu!

(Isn't it ironic, don't you think? It's like rain on your wedding day.....it's a free ride....)

Thank you Alanis Morrissette for putting into undying words and music what I feel. I think I should put you up there with my favorite artists along with Pirot (remember Pronvincial Jail?), Snoop Dogg and Judy Ann Santos singing a lullaby.

Great.

Might as well torture me with watching pinoy teleserye.

Vacation Views, Anyone?

I have more than an hour before the clinic starts and more than five hours to decide whether I should suffer muscular fatigue and adrenaline boost with our contemplated sports activity this afternoon.

I can not hide my anticipation for my last few months in India. It has been almost a year since I went home or was home in the Iloilo, Philippines. I could just savor Batchoy or the endless array of sea foods at Tatoy's or the Bulalo at theMarina's....and the cold San Miguel beer! I mean, common! If this is something that you don't look forward to, I wonder what is!

Salivating from that thought, I was thinking where I should be going for my remaining holidays. Sure, I do have 89 days left ( to be exact), but I still have 14 days (excluding weekends and official holidays) left to soak my liver up to the possible limit it could take.

So, where would I go? There are very limited places that we can go (as Filipinos) that doesn't require a visa. Let's look at the possibilities.

1. Bangkok. It's about 400 dollars round trip from Calcutta, but I could fairly say that the "been there, done that" dictum plays here. I have been everywhere and anywhere in Bangkok and have had the "experience" to last me a lifetime... (Considering I have 21 lives, I might go back again and again)

2. Kathmandu, Nepal. Think of the movie The Lost Horizon. Olivia Hussey in Shangrila. Wow. I just need to pay 35 dollars visa fee on arrival.

3. The Maldives. Beach-y. But according to some reliable sources, I would need someone to "be with" and watch the sunset. Heck I want to be drunk! Maybe those size-challenged tourists would like nicer...

4. India. I haven't been to Rajastan and Ladakh and Pondicherry. I would love to -- but I am so sick with the Indian food!!! Sobra na, Tama na!

5. Dubai. Requires visa and would be the perfect place to lounge the whole day in the hotel room ordering room service, surfing the internet and watching tv. Oh, of course, they have amazing man made beaches.

So there..

I have to close this. I have to go and save the world.

Don't tell anyone I am superman.

Thank God It's Fri-Holiday!

It is 7:24 am. I am supposed to have showered and with a cup of black coffee, I should have been in the office for the daily staff meeting. But I am not.

Today is a holiday here in Manipur. It is a beautiful tribal tradition where the brothers (in the family) honor their sisters (or the women in their family). The Manipuris have realized a long long time ago the importance of women in their society. Although they maintain a patriarchal society, women are revered and respected as an equal. And the holiday starts with the sisters visiting brothers to maintain the fraternal bond and the brothers in return would give presents to the sisters.

I love this holiday. It not only commemorates the role of women in the society, but also, for my greedy reasons, allow me to sleep late (meaning at 10 PM) and wake up late (meaning at 6:30 AM). And fun because it is a Friday!

And while the streets are playing drums (as of now) and there is an unknown and unfamiliar songs in the the air, here I am on my bed typing my early morning blog. The air is festive, definitely, but the drums are not as upbeat as I expected them to be.

Anyways, I am invited later today to witness this event at a staff’s house. Of course, there will be food, so I have to prepare my stomach for real hot and spicy stuff.

I wish we have holidays like these in the Philippines. Not just the Saint’s day or something. Something solid and can identify us as a nation. Not just having festivals for the sake of festivals – one town or province copying from another town or province. Why can’t we celebrate the family? Why can’t we make it personal?

Have a grand parents appreciation day, even if your Lolo is in Jail for corruption?

Celebrate your ex-partner’s day?

Rejoice for the birth of your 14th sibling day?

And while you are thinking about your personal holidays, I would finish this and slowly ease my way back to dreamland.