life-defining-picks

THE ETHNIC PECKING ORDER

lifedefiningpicks — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:00:09 +0000

Sa unang pagkakataon na nanirahan ako sa labas ng Asya, ngayon ko lubusang nakita ang katotohanan ukol sa sinasabi nilang “Ethnic Pecking Order”. Sa totoo lang, matagal ko na itong alam at tanggap, kung saan ang mga puti ang nasa itaas, samantalang ang mga may kulay ang balat ang nasa ilalim. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, kung saan sa bansang aking kinaroroonan ay nagkalat ang mga kabayang naninilbihan sa industiyang serbisyo, mas lalong kapansin-pansin ang katotohanan sa nasabing teorya.

Kung babalikan natin ang pinagmaulan nito, masasabi kong ito ay nag-ugat na sa kasaysayan kung saan naunang naging sibilasdo ang mga puti na sumakop sa kabilang kontinente na kinaroroonan ng mga may kulay and balat. Matapos ang mahigat dalawang libong taon ay masasabi kong patuloy pa rin ang pananaig ng paksa. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, naging mas positibo ang pananaw ko sa masakit na katotohanang ito.

Una, bilang isang mamayan ng nasyon na lubos ang kasikatan sa kahirapan, korupsyon, kwestiyonableng seguridad ng bansa at kung anu-ano pang negatibong mga opinyon (at katotohanan na rin), nagiging hamon ang mga balakid na ito upang ipakita natin sa mundo na hindi nasusukat ng mga nakalulungkot na katotohanang ito ang ating galing at pagkatao bilang isang indibidwal. Nagiging paraan din ito upang mas lalo pa nating ibuhos ang ating kabuuan upang ipamalas sa kapaligiran ang ating kakayanan na maaring sa iba ay kagulat-gulat. Nagiging layunin natin ang ipamukha sa lahat na nagkakamali sila kung ang natatanging tingin nila sa ating lahi ay yung mga bagay na tuwirang negatibo. At ang masarap dito ay kung sa huli ay ating lubusang napagtatagumpayan ang bawat pagkakataon na kanilang sinusukat ang ating kakyanan sa kulay ng ating balat.

Ikalawa, ang sarap din ng pakiramdam na magtanga-tangahan sa simula at sa huli ay gulatin sila na higit pa tayong may aking galing kumpara sa kaya nilang ipakita sa mundo. Nagmumula ang pakiramdam na ito sa bansag ng iba bilang “dark horse” or “underdog” na kung sa huli ay matamo ang tagumpay, tunay na napakasarap ng pakiramdam – pawang emosyon na hindi mo ipagpapalit. At sa pagkakataong ito ay matatamo mo ang respeto ng mga taong di nag-akala na kakayanin mo ang simpleng pagsubok – ito yung tipong masasabi mo na lang sa isip mo ang mga katagang “akala mo ha, buti nga sayo”!

Ikatlo, para sa akin ay mas nagiging proud ka bilang isang Pinoy. Kung sa simula ay naglalakad ka ng nakatungo, ngayon ay mas confident kang itaas ang iyong noo at ipagmalaki ang lahi na iyong pinangmulan. Maging anuman ang iyong trabaho o kalagayan sa buhay, di dapat ito ang maging sukatan ng iyong galing at kaalaman. At dahil mas higit ang hamong ito kumpara sa mga dinaranas ng mga puti, lokal at Asyanong mula sa first world countries, mas mapagpalaya at inspiring ang resulta kapag nasa kamay mo na ito.

BOARDING THE BIG BUS OF DUBAI

lifedefiningpicks — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:06:12 +0000

Every time I grab a new magazine, I skim through all the pages first then go back to seemingly interesting articles to read them in full. I apply the same principle whenever I board the “Big Bus Tour” in a new city that I visit – it’s really one of the most convenient ways to have a quick glimpse of the entire city in just a matter of 8 to 12 hours.

Since I am very new to Dubai and haven’t seen much yet after 6 weeks, I decided to get on to the tour one Saturday morning to finally see the major highlights that this grand city can offer.

Starting it off in the Dubai Mall station...

Side comment - Great to see some retail shops from the US present here which aren't in Asia - Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue! I wonder if they also have Neiman Marcus and Macy's here! Hahaha!

Cruising Dubai Mall...

Cruising Dubai Mall with Burj Khalifa as the background...

Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world (for now)...

Rotana Hotel - one of the most regal here...

On the road...

Jumeirah Emirates Towers - one of the most iconic structures in the metropolis... Tower 1 is composed of corporate offices while Tower 2 is a hotel (or have I interchanged it?)...

A certain building near Emirates Towers with a pretty interesting advert...

Etisalat (telco network company) building...

Wafi: the Egyptian-inspired entertainment venue...

Bus shelter outside Creek Park

Creek side - the home of old Dubai....

Historically, it's where trade happens, now it's the venue for Arabian Dhow River Cruise...

Feels like Manila Bay

Interesting to see how the "old" and the "new" can simply be divided by a body of water...

Seeing more of "old" stuff...

Dubai Museum: Perfect place to have a snapshot of how everything led to "now"... Funny thing though, there's not much to see inside - it only took me 15 minutes to finish everything!

As they have started with fishing and pearl diving, these boats were considered part of the essentials!

This version is used to transport "people"...

This is interesting - "outdoor sleeping" during summer!

Water supply in the desert...

The usual canon across all "history" museums...

Story-telling using wax models...

Spices...

Replica of a boat from the 1900s...

And of course the museum ends with the retail shop... (what's new?)...

View from the other side...

So aside from the creek, there's also this wall that defines the "old" Dubai...

Old mosque...

Another heritage landmark on this side of town...

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house, now a tourist landmark known as Heritage Village and Diving Village...

Yes, they still exist!

Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's house, now a tourist landmark known as Heritage Village and Diving Village...

Yup, it's all about boats! One resto in the village using this to create that creek side ambience...

The "humble" entrance to the world famous Gold Souk...

But then when you enter, it's just so difficult for the shops to be humble in the display of merchandise...

Ginto kung ginto!

Gold! Gold! Enough said!

Some random scene while walking back to the bus...

At first, it was interesting to listen to the narration, but halfway through, it was already quite irritating as the stories are repeated over and over again!

Pinoy resto somewhere in Satwa... Will perhaps give it a try some time

Another "boat"... This time in front of the patio where UAE's flag is erected...

And this is the flag that I was talking about... Every color means something, but I totally forgot already!

On to Jumeirah Road... First highlight, the Jumeirah Mosque...

Got a li'l senti upon seeing this... Reminds me of Glorietta-1997!

The Italian-inspired Mercato Mall...

First beach to see in Dubai. Looks quite ok, but not really impressive - I've seen tons that are better.

The funny thing was that this was only how far my camera could reach... since it's prohibited to take photos on the beach itself... what's up with that?!

Jumeirah Beach Hotel

Wild Wadi - one of the new water adventures in the city...

View of Burj Al Arab...

Madinat Jumeirah... again!

This time, off to the new Dubai - The Palm up to Atlantis... On the way there, saw this pristine view which I totally appreciated!

The strip of shoreline apartments. Really stunning! Should live here next year!

The Atlantis!

The grand and iconic gate...

Indoor aquarium... Didn't check it out, but I'm pretty sure it's the same indoor aquarium just like those in other parts of the world...

Water theme park of some sort... Swim with dolphins and the usual stuff...

Some unique ceiling design...

And this is the view in front of the hotel...

That concludes the almost 8-hour "Dubai Magazine" skimming... Now that I know the nice spots, I will go back to them, spend more time to get to know them ever more, this time in full!

GOOD FRIDAY

lifedefiningpicks — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:35:42 +0000

Traditionally, I would either be doing the Holy Week ritual (visita iglesia, church ceremony, procession, etc.) or spending quality time with family and friends in the beach or somewhere in Tagaytay (as I always go home every time this season kicks in). This year, the only similarity is that the day was simple and quiet. As the Catholic’s Holy Week isn’t really celebrated here in Dubai, I ended up doing chores and errands – quick haircut (finally, after two weekends of saying that I’d get one), grocery shopping, a trip to my now “official mall” (MOE) and some house cleaning (not the whole flat as I’m dead lazy, as always!).

Metro Day! From Internet City to Mall of the Emirates. Found this interesting board!

Typical Carrefour cart with my microwaveable food stuff and toiletries for the week ahead...

Next question would be what to do tonight and tomorrow! Great opportunity to consult the website for “What to do in Dubai as a tourist” again – it’s a bit of a stretch though to search for something “Good Friday” related. :)

DUBAI TOURISM 101

lifedefiningpicks — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:10:57 +0000

After working and living in two different foreign countries, one of the important things I have learned is that to continuously enjoy the ride, one should maintain the “tourist” mindset. Once you feel that you are already a local in that certain place, the thrill, curiosity and excitement of exploring what your “home away from home” may offer can just simply fade away – and that, you don’t want happen as it would eventually lead to boredom and irritation (on the extreme side). For sure, there would be other aspects to consider to sustain one’s level of interest in a new place, but this is only one bit which based on my experience, matters quite a lot.

Hence, I am taking that conscious effort to always see myself as a new tourist here in Dubai (despite the fact that I have a resident visa stamped to my passport), knowing that this will allow me to always love what I am seeing, appreciate what I am experiencing, and perhaps most importantly, not have feel the unnecessary stress that may come along my way. Simply put, keeping the I-am-a-tourist-and-I-am-on-a-holiday mode (but of course, while still being responsible), will make each and every single day a pretty exhilarating one. :)

In the spirit of the thought, I am fortunate to have experienced a couple of “touristy” activities in the city over the last two weekends – desert safari (complete with dune bashing, camel ride, buffet dinner and belly dancing) and Friday Brunch in a South African joint (not uniquely “Dubai”, but part of every expat’s lifestyle – just like how it is in Jakarta and Singapore – only difference is doing it here on a Friday instead of the typical Sunday sked! Hahaha!). Some pictures to sum it all up… :)

Black and White Photos

lifedefiningpicks — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:28:27 +0000

With the advent of digital cameras coupled with an idiot-proof digital imaging capabilities of personal computers, my collection of black and white “feeling photographer” photos significantly increased over the last three years, and the number also became directly proportional to the amount of travels and holidays I have had. While most people collect cliché pieces from destinations they have visited (e.g. fridge magnets, key chains, shot glasses, mugs, t-shirts, etc.), I consider my set of photos as the priceless souvenirs of my indulgence and exploration moments. To bring it to the next level and make them real conversation pieces, I finally managed to do what I have been wanting to produce – a mini-collage of choicest photographs that serve as wall ornaments, this time in the flat that I just recently moved-in to.

9 of 400+ favorite photos

Unintentionally, the “black and white” minimalist concept caught my eyes while roaming around Ikea to find inspiration as to how my new abode would look like. After a couple of weeks, I successfully managed to furnish a bare 1-bedroom apartment, while bringing to life the deconstructed theme found in the value-for-money home store. With no background in interior design or architecture, below is the bare minimum that I managed to put together. Not extremely proud of it (yet!) as there are still tons to buy to complete the picture, what matters to me at this point though is that I really feel good every time I enter my flat as I am bound to enjoy a relaxing time in a place that reflects my personality – may be colorless, but has that endearing impact that you simply can’t and won’t ignore. :)

Living Room

Dining Room

Bedroom

Bathroom

Balcony

NEW CHAPTER… FOR THE NTH TIME!

lifedefiningpicks — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:12:54 +0000

Tagging myself to be leading a “transient life” turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy… unfortunately or fortunately. After packing four luggage bags and two huge cargo boxes to conclude my temporary life in Singapore, which lasted for almost a year, I found myself repacking all of them after a break of nearly two months in the Philippines. Just when I thought that my “transient life” would come to an end, destiny begged to differ. In an unexpected twist of fate, “Welcome to Dubai!” turned out to be the compelling message, which opened a new chapter in my fairly exciting adventure.

Truth be told, I am easily endeared by any concept within the realm of “new”, “fresh” or “change” – which also indirectly means that I easily get bored with monotony, stagnancy and flatness. It may be a function of my age, my go-getter personality or the fact that I don’t have such heavy responsibilities yet, which allows me to take sharp curves and turns or maneuver my moves on the path that I am leading. After receiving three job offers (one in Manila, one in Singapore and one in Dubai), I opted to choose another expatriate post which shows promise in terms of answering my hunger for getting on with something different again… not just within the context of work per se, but more on the “life” that I will be experiencing – new country, new continent and new opportunity to start all over.

Three weeks ago, I found myself breathing the air of a new place that I’ve never been in. At a glance, I saw Dubai to be very much similar to Las Vegas – a city built within a desert filled with recreational spins, making it the “Adult Disneyland” indeed. I never thought that it would be as such, but that certainly was a pleasant surprise. On the physical surroundings, it appears to be consistently “grand” – good, because everything that you see appears to be an eye candy, yet bad, because they all seem superficial which magnifies its seemingly ostentatious personality. I might be wrong, but this was my first impression.

First task then is to get myself settled into the new office and find my new flat (as I was only given a couple of weeks to temporarily stay in a hotel) at the same time. Luckily, one of my cousins is actually based here – hence, my primary support is very strong, making the start-up run smoothly.

Some pics worth sharing, see below! :)

Madinat Jumeirah

Dubai Mall

Dubai Fountain

Mexican dinner

Night cap...

Knowledge Village

Knowledge Village (X-Ray and HIV Test Center for Resident Visa processing)

Metro Station (the best I've seen so far - better than SG, HK, NYC, SF, MLA!)

Metro Station

Mall of the Emirates (interesting advertising space...)

St. Francis Catholic Church in Jebel Ali

Palladium (one of my favorite buildings... quite similar to NYC's Chrysler

Long Brunch On A Long Weekend

lifedefiningpicks — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:06:27 +0000

Thanks to Deepavali (though I don’t really understand the complete story/essence of it), it’s a long weekend! Hence, I managed to have a “stressless” day which commenced with a long brunch at Mercure Hotel with my flatmate – pizza, pasta, varieties of cheese and wine!

After a short nap (thanks to the heavy meal, I felt sleepy immediately), the day ended in Haji Lane with fellow Pinoys. The culinary treat continued with seafood nasi goreng (plus extra plain rice), chili prawns, Grey Goose and Kilkenny.

Tomorrow’s gonna be another food day perhaps… Will have to sleep after this post so I can immediately wake up to another round of “yummy” / “delicious” / “sarap”! :P

The Cup That Signals “Christmas”

lifedefiningpicks — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:49:23 +0000

Finally, these special cups are out! Back home, it had been an annual activity to collect Starbucks purchase stamps from Nov-Dec to get hold of that elusive “planner” after gulping at least 21 (if my memory serves me right) cups of coffee. Unfortunately, the same promo was not implemented in Indonesia while I was there, and is also not done here in Singapore (hmmm… Pinoy lang ba ang nauuto ng promo na to?! hahaha!).

Anyway, the more important element to it is what it signals, i.e. the best season of the year! For now, there remains 49 days before the grand celebration – can’t wait for it… perhaps because it automatically means that I would be home, I would not be working, I would be with family and friends, I would be sharing and receiving gifts, I would be… the list can go on and on and on! :)

I Love Singapore # 1

lifedefiningpicks — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:29:55 +0000

“I Love Singapore… because of Ya Kun!”. After discovering one of the many branches of this heritage-coffee-stall-brand near my office building, my trip to the joint became a Monday-Thursday morning habit. What’s even more interesting is that my order did not change since day one – Kaya Toast and regular coffee (except that one day when I experimented by having the peanut butter toast, which unfortunately, did not tickle my fancy). And another amazing angle is that the “auntie” facilitating the order-taking and cashier-handling has been the same person since day one – hence, my order is now just triggered by a smile and a spoken “good morning, auntie” and she will automatically punch in my “usual”.

While I’m quite adventurous in food (especially in trying anything and everything), my daily breakfast had been so monotonous – and I love it that way. To put a minimal twist to it, I’m absent on the stall every Fridays though… Why? Well, coz it’s time for a once-a-week trip in Starbucks for my tall/grande hazelnut non-fat latte and original bagel with cream cheese (which by the way, had been my “regular” Starbucks beverage for nearly 12 years now!).

Personal insight: “In a fast and continuously changing world, it is refreshing and comforting to know that there are things that remain and will forever stay constant!”. :)

Touch It (For Days) and It’s Yours!

lifedefiningpicks — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:34:03 +0000

Just saw an interesting marketing stunt along Orchard Road this evening.

The mechanics is pretty simple – contenders just need to touch a car (well, for four days though) and the last man touching it brings the car home! When I passed by, they were there for 32 hours already and from what I’ve heard, the contestants were given only a very short time for break periods (perhaps only to address “call of nature”… made me think now, won’t they sleep for four long days?!). Also heard that this is now an annual on-ground activation done by the automobile brand – for sure the previous rounds had been successful, thus, the repeat!

Call it a profound sacrifice, perseverance and commitment… for a brand new car, why not?! :)

Search for the last man "touching"

Yup, they all want the car!