Arrival, continued.

By on January 20, 2012 in Personal, Philippines, Travel

Cob durian

Our second durian.

After a couple days of delay, here’s the rest of the arrival story:

Menchu’s sister left early the next day and Menchu’s friends stopped by a few hours later for breakfast while we were in Manila.

Roze and Lorenzo let Menchu stay with them while Menchu underwent the medical exam and immigration interview that are required for visa applicants. Living in a small place with three children, they still opened their home to Menchu and we will always remember their hospitality.
her friend Gizelle stopped by for a time as well.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We made it to the airport in plenty of time thanks to a very friendly taxi driver. We arrived pretty early and had a bite to eat. i couldn’t connect to the free WiFi at Terminal Two for some reason so the wait seemed longer with no Internet.

The flight from Manila to Davao was nice aboard fairly new Boeing 747′s. They were much more comfortable than the 747′s flown by Delta between Narita and Manila. The PAL planes were equipped with moldable headrests, seat-back touch screens and even foot rests.

We had some oddly-named Jumbo mini cookies and peanuts with choice of beverage. Nice for just a two-hour flight.

I don’t think I’ve had a sweeter landing than the one at Davao airport. It hardly felt like we touched down at all. Smooooooth!

Check-in here at Jogue’s went fine and while I still recommend Jogue’s, the maintenance has fallen off a bit. Not enough to break the deal for me, considering the good pricing and atmosphere, not to mention the location which is very near NCCC mall and the all-important transportation, but I’m noticing little things that could be kept up a bit better in my opinion.

So far while here, Menchu’s friend Robina has brought us two durian. Number two is up top in the photo. She said that it was of the Cob variety. It had only a few big seeds/stones and the fruit flesh was creamy and super-delish!

menchu is telling me that the guests are on their way for our first of two get-togethers while here on mindanao so I’ll be going. Seven women, some kids and about 3 tons of food is about to drop in!


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Don’t forget to remember!

By on January 17, 2012 in Personal, Philippines

People wonder why I’m posting here and on Facebook while on vacation. “Aren’t you enjoying yourself?” they ask.

I’m having a great time here in Davao! I’ve just noticed that in the rush of “different” things that you see and feel and even taste when visiting a place fror a short time, I tend to forget the things I really want to remember to share.

For instance: I’ve been to Hawaii several times and to Davao once before. I know what it’s like to miss the things you’re used to having in far away places. I’ve seen people lugging taped and belted boxes and coolers filled with food and gifts and I’m used to seeing them go by on the luggage belts and carousels as I wait for my checked bags.

I’ve seen a lot of odd and funny things go by on those carousels but while waiting for our bags here at the Davao airport I saw something that I’ve never seen before.

As I watched for our bags, shoulder to shoulder with a hundred other people all anxious to grab their luggage on the first try before it slipped past, a backpack went by. Then a couple of carry-on bags. Then a big bag, a big box, a really big shopping bag and…oh my God! Wrapped in newspaper and going by right side up was a stainless steel kitchen sink!

I wanted so hard to remember that hilarious sight but I’d forgotten it already, only three days into our vacation.

So that’s why I’m blogging. I don’t want to forget to remember!


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This joint was rocking’!

By on January 17, 2012 in Personal, Philippines

So I’m sitting out in front of our little apartelle here in Davao in a plastic stackable chair that has clearly been designed to seat someone a lot lighter and I’m thinking that if I shift too much, I’m liable to snap one of the legs off. Just then, the chair starts wobbling and I think, “Damn! This thing is really swaying!”

My wife suddenly blurts out, “Earthquake!”

Yep, it sure was.


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Made in the sun

By on January 16, 2012 in Personal, Philippines, Travel
Jogue;s courtyard

The courtyard at Jogue's Apartelle in Davao

Not withsdtanding my uncharacteristic farggup of misplacing our e-tickets, we made it to Davao in two intact pieces with all of our bags and doodads in good order. Thanks go out to the helpful Delta attendant who checked us in at the kiosk and told us we could check three bags and not just two. We put Menchu’s carry-on in the hold.

We left Seattle slightly behind schedule on our Delta flight to Narita but we had over an hour to make the connecting flight from Narita to Manila so we didn’t worry none.

When we got to Narita, to my surprise, we had to clear security again. Why they feel the need to re-screen people from an American flight who have already been subject to a paranoid and anal retentive bureaucracy in the U.S., I can’t imagine.

I also can’t imagine that duty free shopping for liquor and other products is encouraged on board flights going into Narita when Narita forbids even liquids purchased on another airliner from being taken past security.

So if you fell for the Glenlivet Scotch at two for $36 dollars, you’d best be prepared to down that hooch before getting the pat down.

The security checkpoint at Narita was the bone in the throat of this trip. Literally herded down a chute like cattle at market, we were goaded forward by a Japanese Edith Bunker, constantly at a half run and calling out international destinations, who checked for those whose flights were boarding and wouldn’t make it past the too-few stations.

Toward the middle of the pack, we were pulled and allowed to go through the Delta Butt Kiss Flyer line without removing our shoes, thus defeating the whole security theater presentation.

Manila’s NAIA presented us with long, long immigration lines but fairly easy bag retrieval and customs passage.

The taxi trip to the airport with an approved airport vendor was smooth and the driver kind and talkative.

Arrival at the hotel was marked with a 1st Worlder’s shock when the armed guard at the hotel door came over to help schlep our bags inside. Menchu tells me that the guards are expected to keep busy and assist however they can. What a welcome touch and so different from the quasi-Rambo “securitythink” in the U.S.!

Check-in was smooth and the porter attentive and after a P100 tip (about $2), he was our buddy.

More to come later. I’m late for my shower…


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Please distribute agency-wide

By on January 2, 2012 in Art, Culture, OWS, Police, Politics

2012-us-terrorist-identification-chart


Source: Gonzoville at Deviant Art


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Citizen uses justifiable force to gain cop’s compliance

By on December 28, 2011 in Crime and Punishment, Police

The cop should have known not to interfere with a Seahawk fan doing his duty.

 

Police say a man attending Saturday’s Seahawks game assaulted an officer, knocking him unconscious.

via Police officer assaulted, knocked unconscious at Seahawks game – seattlepi.com.

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Finally! Sensible truce declared in wars of Christmas

By on December 24, 2011 in Culture, Local, Religion

The truest expression of America is not the exclusion of all ideas for “safety’s” sake, it’s the inclusion of all ideas.

The holiday displays that previously have competed for attention on the state’s Capitol campus are now coexisting peacefully.

via No holiday arguments for displays at Capitol | Seattle Times Newspaper.

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Traditional Christmas is just as whacked

By on December 21, 2011 in Culture, Politics, Religion, Republican

Every year at this time you can find the dominant religion in America losing its tiny,  closed mind over Christmas.

Having been mixed with paganism and European tradition for a thousand years, suddenly the holiday is deemed to be under attack by the dominant religion’s imaginary evil nemesis.

In these times, faced with ignorant yahoos defending pagan conifers and scenes of their deity’s birth in the same breath, I like to turn to that bastion of wholesome American west cowboyness, Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy.

Gene put out what is one of the most beloved Christmas albums of all time back in the 1950′s and he’s always been associated with making Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer famous.

You just can’t get any more “right” than old Gene.

With his words, I’d like to remind the overwrought Right that their holiday has been like this for a long, long time.

So let’s do as Gene Autry would have us do in another of his holiday hits and, “Let’s give thanks to the Lord above ’cause Santa Claus comes tonight.”

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What’s the point of this?

By on December 16, 2011 in Uncategorized

Back in the day, when America Online was king and the Internet was just still so many soup cans connected with string, I wrote.

I wrote funny (no, really!) articles about current events and topics or just found a funny handle on something and grabbed it and ran.

I wrote sketches and even sold some jokes to a columnist. I went through voiceover classes and was deeply interested in making commercials.

Then something happened. I’m not sure yet just what it was but all of those interests faded out.

These days I come home from the job, have dinner and plop in front of the computer – substantially the same as always – but what I do from there is different.

I hang on Facebook, reposting other people’s posts and looking for things to post. All of my comments are short. Few of them are funny. 

I have become an extension of Facebook.

That’s essentially what Panzo.org has become. It’s no longer an extension of me augmented by Facebook and Twitter. It’s become an extension of those. A very opposite effect.

So then what is the point of this?

I hope I can figure that out.

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Do beggars work?

By on December 14, 2011 in Culture, Economy, Personal

There’s a fellow who has taken up shop right outside of a.Starbucks that I frequent. I see him and his dog there every day, in all temperatures and weather conditions. He holds the same sign saying, “Any kindness helps.”

I’ve taken to giving him coffee and a snack now and then. I bought a box of Milk Bone dog biscuits on discount and today I gave a few of them to his dog.

People sneer at guys like him. He’s younger than I am but I don’t know his story. He might be mentally ill, legitimately out of a job and on the streets, or he could be a meth head.

I can’t tell from the limited contact I have with him but he doesn’t turn down food or coffee so he’s not deeply addicted to anything. If he was, he’d demand cash. I’ve seen that kind of street begging before.

So let’s ask the question in the title of this post right here: do beggars work? This guy shows up every day and stays for hours in all kinds of weather. He doesn’t hassle anyone and he takes anything he’s given.

Does he have a job? Is this it?

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