1000 Kilometers, 1 B-Movie, 3 Coffee

 

Yesterday, I had to bring Mary back to Honda for her first 1000 Km check even if it meant having only a 3-hour sleep and waking up by mid-day after a stressful 12-hour graveyard shift. I was at Honda Alabang by exactly 1pm as scheduled.

Expecting the check-up to only last within 2 hours I spent some time eating in their homely cafeteria and then appreciating the customer lounge’s comfy couch and wide screen TV which was showing an HBO thriller that time. I likewise tried to get some cat naps to fill in my lack of sleep. And true enough after 2 hours I was called by the service agent. But to my dismay I was just about to fill in the service form from which the actual check up will commence right after I completed the needed details. I learned that the check-up itself will be after another 2 hours more. Damn. I can’t take another couple of hours watching another HBO rerun. Besides I’m craving for strong caffeine already.

An idea then came up, “ATC here I go again.” I’m thinking I can get some doze right inside one of the lovely cinemas. Ironically as I was preparing myself for a 115-peso-sleep, my body as if under hypnotism led me to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s store. My brain is trying to sleep but my body craved for caffeine. Just great. Inside me is an on going battle if who is the boss.

And so after my body got its coffee, my brain came next and it was selecting between four movies. Well a sleep is what I need so the sleepy brain picked what seems to be a B-movie. Dreamland here I come.

Right after grabbing my ticket for the movie Cloverfield, I excitedly entered the cool and almost vacant cinema, and then picked my spot away from the scattered movie goers. I don’t normally enter in between showing of the film, but then again sleep is my main purpose and so out of the norm I did it.

I was 30 minutes late from the start of the movie and my brain was already trying to prep itself into dreamland. I don’t know if I’m that dazed as I find the scenes quite dizzying but I realized sooner that it’s part of the movie’s effect. The Blair Witch Project came into my mind – Cloverfield’s shots are also set to come from one character’s perspective with its handheld video cam thus creating an amateur effect. Perfect. Just what I need to fall asleep.

I actually don’t know if my brain succeeded into getting its much needed sleep even after my body got its dose of the strong and large Americano. I never knew who won the who-is-the-boss-battle but I woke up watching movie trailers. So I looked at my watch and it was just an hour and a half. The movie finished earlier than I expected. It was a short film.

Upon checking my cellphone I found out that Honda still has not sent me an SMS for me to claim Mary. That gave me another hour to kill. So the curiosity to confirm if I was having nightmares while inside the cinema or had actually witnessed the weird ending of the movie, made me decide to watch the film from the very beginning.

The trailers eventually ended. The cinema lights once again dimmed and the featured movie once again started. And just as I find the ending weird enough, the start itself is just as unpredictable. A couple of people actually booed after seeing the chroma bars and as some weird text negatives uncontrollably started appearing and rolling. Unknown to us audience then, the film has actually started.

Cloverfield’s plot I soon find out was about a couple of young New Yorkers having a farewell party for a departing friend. One of them is taking a documentary of everything that’s happening in the apartment. Some were asked to speak their wishes and goodbyes in the video. This cinematography style went throughout the entire film.

The twist of the story then came. While at the peak of the merry making a loud noise was heard and the place suddenly shook with all the lights in every building outside going out momentarily. What happened next is reminiscent of the 911 attack. There was panic. Buildings crumbled. People running around the ravaged and dusty streets. Everything looked real enough with the amateur video effect.

There was chaos and confusion and video cam went shakier and then everything went blurred. Then the shaky cam captured a monstrous creature that would put Godzilla to shame. It delivered a damaging blow to the Brooklyn Bridge; it decapitated the historic Statue of Liberty sending the head crashing on the parked cars miles away. Suddenly I felt I was among those running for their lives. And more surprisingly I was beginning to enjoy the movie. Wow, I never knew I’d like this movie a lot. I regretted giving in to the urge to sleep when I came in earlier.

As the plot thickens, emotions going intense and the destructions getting greater, I felt something in my thigh beginning to vibrate and buzz. I was wondering if I was experiencing a 4D sensation. But damn, it was my cellphone alarm going off.  It was time for me to leave. Never before have I hated leaving a B-movie.

I went out of the cinema feeling bad not having finished the show. I walked out as if with the dilemma if I’ll stay and finish all of it or getting Mary out before Honda closes by 6pm.

My mind’s made up. 10 minutes before closing time I was back in Honda’s service area. It’s getting dark outside when I drove away, and I was still thinking of what I’ve just watched. I was in fact hoping that I’ll be transported back in Cloverfield’s set and would have cared less if Mary and I gets entangled in the devastation. I really got hooked.

*****

By the way, there were a couple more coffee shops Mary brought us within its 1000 Km break in period. She brought us to Bag of Beans in Tagaytay after a cold night dinner at Leslie’s (with my wife’s brother & sister-in-law) restaurant.

A week after that, we took the Talisay road going to Sto. Tomas Batangas. Mary endured the steep, tight and blind turns with me having her just at second gear for almost 15 Km to avoid careening off the road. Eventually that trip took us to a cozy and warm coffee shop in Tanauan Batangas – Dairymoor.

And the verdict? All three coffees actually tasted the same. I just can’t remember which shop cost the least. Definitely not The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

*****

Wrote this blog’s draft while at our company’s parking lot, waiting for my wife…

Mary’s in Town (or City?)

“Freedom!!!” – William Wallace, Braveheart

“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it” – Ellen Goodman, RD Dec 2007 All In a Day’s Work

 

I’ve been holding on creating my first blog for this New Year, 2008. Why? Because I find my recent ones were leaning on my pessimistic side. And so for a couple of weeks I was like someone in rehab trying to control my urge to an addiction. I promised myself that I’ll start this year’s blog at least with some positivity in it. Well, I will try.

During the start of this work week - Sunday, I found a new way to entertain myself while in the bus to work. I shut the curtains, closed my eyes and tried guessing which part of the trip I’m currently at. Amazingly I’d rate myself 90% correct most of the time. So I find this ”time killer” relieving that I was so enthused that I did it again on Monday.  But on Tuesday, I got an email message that meant I might not be doing it for long, thankfully? It says, “Please claim your guarantee letter”. Hmm, that one-liner worked like magic that day. It was like espresso in my blood. It got me excited.

That was the start of a covert operation that lasted for two days. The moment I got home and was greeted and asked by my wife if how was my day; I gave out only half-truth and half-lies. “It was another stressful day…I had a bad day”, I answered. I pictured myself as someone tied to a chair in gloomy room lit only by a swaying incandescent bulb but nevertheless not saying anything to my interrogators.  Deep inside, I was grinning hard like Joker in Batman.

The secret tasks include maintaining a poker face during our discussions; deleting any sent items on my cellphones and emails just in case she checks about anything regarding the car subject matter (I’ve emailed and texted a couple of people about this exciting update. Someone’s got to know); discreet bank account withdrawal. And of course, the execution of the main goal…getting the car.

D-day came. After waking up early (for my day-off) today, I got the perfect alibi - I’m going out for a birthday celebration of a colleague. I left home with my car documents stashed inside by backpack appearing to be just going for a casual beer party. Instead I was heading to Honda Cars Alabang.

I mentioned in my blog before that I’ve been there like a car buff’s ghost yearning for a subcompact sedan. Well that wish was granted at last. Just more than 4 hours after I arrived there and with several document signing and payments (there goes my savings!), I got out of the dealership with Mary, our lovely new Honda City.

Hurriedly yet safely, I drove and went back home. And to my surprise my wife still remained clueless when I arrived. She was thinking that the car was someone else’s. She can’t believe that it’s the car we’ve been waiting for. If I said I was grinning like Joker, I saw her grinned like Jim Carey in the movie, The Mask, when I confirmed that it’s ours. That broad. To say she was happy to see it, would be an understatement.

We gave Mary a quick trip together to Tagaytay, grabbed some Starbuck’s coffee and headed back home. That’s our way of breaking in the engine and the cup holders. Sweet.

Now this is New Year. Our New Year with Mary. Expect more blogs regarding her.

And by the way, ever wonder why we named it Mary? It was derived from my colleague’s name who is celebrating his 50^th birthday today. Bawi na lang ako (I’ll make up for it) next time. But thanks for giving me a wonderful alibi.

    

Rio and Gino

“The owner doesn’t pick the car, the car picks its owner” - Transformers, The Movie

This week Rio & Gino captured my attention. Rio is good. Gino is bad.

My recent promotion gave us hope (false?) to start considering getting a new car. So last week, despite my nagging headache and pouring monsoon rain, we gave the car showrooms near our place a visit. I never knew that the idea of picking a prospective car would be more exciting than I can imagine. Nope these are not Jeremy Clarkson’s favorites, but new cars nonetheless.

We dropped by Toyota first and inside I noticed that the saleslady was attractive…err, the cars I mean. Unfortunately the car model we are looking for wasn’t on display at that time as the sales agent said that we actually dropped by just a day ahead of the launching date. So instead we just receive a catalog and an invitation for the next day’s unveiling event. We weren’t able to attend it though.

Our next stop was Kia. From outside the glass door, I doubtingly peered at the red shiny car and my mind was playing images of the Top Gear’s hosts sneering at it. Then someone from the poorly lit office led us in for us to take a closer look at the Korean underdog.

It was then that we were introduced to and greeted by Rio – Kia’s 2007 subcompact model. (I learned later that it is this year’s COTY for its category). Upon closer look and subsequent discussion with the sales agent we realized that it is within the price range of the Toyata base model Vios. What make it standout though are its features – power locks, windows and yes, the engine itself. Given those facts it seems like it could make the Japanese car a run for their money. Well, it looks like Kia’s “The Power to Surprise” motto is proving itself to be so true.

A couple of days after that, I received an unexpected invitation to test drive it. And of course, I’m not that foolish to let such opportunity slip away. I was so excited I arranged for it to be done first thing on a Tuesday morning. “Let’s start the day right”, I said to myself.

On that fateful (at least for me) day, I arrived on time for the test drive. For this, I’ll be driving a silver automatic Rio. Actually, any color will do for me, but the red one on display would have been better.

Since it was my first time to drive an automatic transmission car, I had a couple of minutes familiarizing myself with its gear shift and the feeling that one pedal is somewhat (and actually is) missing. The rest after that went smoothly. The car performed great on rough road conditions as well as straightaway accelerations. Sweet.

The drive ended at their factory as the dealer was kind enough to let me see the other color schemes and likewise try out the manual models. I think they’re really considering me to be a potential buyer. I hope the same way too. Fingers crossed.

If Rio completed my week, Gino ruined it.

My wife and I went to Tagaytay the other night to de-stress ourselves, have a beer, pizza, and a bit of bonding time away from work and our humid home.

There, we were able to fulfill our long-time curiosity to see and feel how it is to be inside Café Lupe – a bar just a couple of steps away from Starbucks Coffee. It wasn’t that bad, but I’d rather go next time to Cowboy Barn in Robinson’s Dasma. The ambiance there is better and the band we’ve seen so far didn’t disappoint us. But that’s another story.

After a couple of hours inside the bar we checked out the view outside just at the back of the coffee shop. And one thing that amazes me most of the time is that I rarely get bored looking at the Taal lake from that vantage point; Be it on a sunny day, gloomy day, starry and/or moonlit night, any condition just has its own fascination to offer. Ah, life’s simple pleasures.

Unfortunately, these natural wonders are lately threatened by the irresponsible acts of man. Take for example Gino who happens to afford a Starbucks cappuccino but dejectedly didn’t have the manners to throw his cup in a thrash bin after enjoying his caffeine load. Grrr. Tado.

Well did I meet the man face to face? Nope. But on the unlucky cup (which my wife accidentally stepped upon while on threading on the gravel) is his name written on it (too much CSI?). I’m now thinking, how many Ginos out there are making this irritating mistake? I know the answer. What a depressing thought. So, if I’d be chosen to perform environmental vigilante jobs, I’d be happy to oblige and get those other Ginos out of this wonderful planet. (Evil smile).

So please, let there be more Rios and less Ginos.

Day 6 (The Twin Towers)

A tourist’s bragging rights for visiting the Twin Towers isn’t complete if he hasn’t been to the Sky Bridge. So today as discussed since our day 1, we convinced our lazy bodies to move out of the mattresses, leave the cold bedroom behind and brave the hot and humid Malaysian climate outside so we’ll be on time for the Sky Bridge’s pass issuance.

Our group arrived at Petronas by past 7 am. Seeing that the area was somewhat clear of people we thought we were the early birds. Good thing we smelled something fishy just after a couple of minutes - Who would want to come it late for the opportunity to visit the Sky Bridge? None.

We were right. After asking for directions & following the way to the visitor’s entrance, a beeline of tourist have started to queue and accumulate. We estimated that there were already 70 plus visitors including ourselves. The pass per day only accommodates only around 200. We were included in the 9:15 am batch.

The Sky Bridge visit we learned wasn’t only just going straight up and it will be over. It started with a 3D movie presentation in a small but comfortable theater, then it was followed by an interactive visit at an activity center where several aspects of towers’ construction was shown. One will find his height’s compared to the Towers’ by positioning in a portal that automatically computes the comparison at a push of a button. Cool.

The Sky Bridge visit proper is limited to approx. 10 minutes only (to allow the rest of the visitors for that day). Even then, it was worth enough as the view looking down from the bridge is just as awesome as the view from the outside looking up. One thing I learned from the guide was that the movie Entrapment’s tower scenes weren’t actually shot at the location but was rather filmed in a studio with similar set up. Made me hate that movie even more.

At the end of the tour, another place we paid a visit was the shopping area at Jalan Bunus, which to our surprise (or dismay) sells a majority of textiles for typical Muslim clothing. The whole group didn’t find anything interesting so we checked our map and saw that Central Market is just a couple of blocks nearby.

So despite Lani’s protesting legs we proceeded with the transfer anyway.

We passed by interesting mosques and buildings along the way that I was busy taking photos and shooting videos. Even one bus didn’t escape my wife’s attention. It has an F1 paint job on it. So posed she did - right in front of the curious crowd.

Upon reaching the Central Market, the gloomy sky poured in. What better reason to enjoy a hot coffee (or noodles for Noel).

We find a nice coffee shop in the middle of the shopping center. It’s Old Town White Coffee. Their coffee menu was diverse and unique. And of course, importantly, the price tag is cheaper than the rest of the cafes in the Central Market. And this is one of the cases where “you-get-what-you-paid-for” line doesn’t apply – the coffee we got was real good. So good it could give Starbucks a run for their money.

The cheap but tasty coffee gave us some ringgits to spare for last minute souvenir shopping. So shopping we went. And there was this one stall (KL Idea) which we spilled those spare bills (coins actually). The store owners were nice and accommodating and I learned from them that this year is actually Malaysia’s 50th anniversary as a nation. Philippines celebrated it’s 100th year a couple of years ago. I rest my case.

Next: Day 7 (Where to Now?)