TRAVEL LIGHT

Reposting my past facebook status, and its replies:

Kapag nagkataong nakasabay mo si Batman sa jeep na biyaheng Quiapo, anong gagawin o sasabihin mo?

Salic B. Ibrahim: meranao ka? anda ka soong?

Everyday I pass through a mall going to my present work site. I take the same route on my way back home. There is one scene which I found almost too common in every malls in Manila, with the only exception perhaps of Rockwell Powerplant.

I have observed inside the mall’s fastfood chains, coffee shops, and usually in the foodcourt, elderly people, some are dressed to the nines, in groups of four to five, are occupied in a seemingly serious conversation. More often there is someone doing the talking while the rest listen attentively. They even have documents, which appears to have an important part in their conversation. Also, one group knows the other group occupying the next table. Some of them have ordered something to eat or drink while the others have nothing but a glass of water taken from the public drinking fountain.

These people are obviously not having a bible study session nor by chance they are in a speed dating event. I suppose its not even a real estate brokering conference or a conclave of believers waiting for the end of the world. What these people are doing is one mall mystery that really baffles me – like why some people like to brush their teeth inside the mall’s comfort rooms, or why some people think the mall is one big nursery ward, where they can display their recently born infant for public viewing.

It’s different strokes for different folks, when it comes to dresses and get-ups. Some people find choosing what to wear, a very difficult task to perform. While others treat dressing up simply like flagging down the first taxi that appears during rush hour.

I am not a fashionista. I only buy clothes that I’m comfortable with, if it is necessary and within the bounds of my budget. I stroll down the men’s clothes section of a mall if I happen to be just near it. I don’t usually go there on purpose, but only to get a glimpse of whats on the racks and to see if some items would dazzle me. More often, most remain uninteresting.

I grew up in a period when the word metrosexual has not been invented and David Beckham was just starting to kick balls. To be simple and rugged was the in-fashion during our time. Suits were a no-no, unless you’re a pimp or a government agent. Being groovy is defined by shirts and denims or cords for pants, and sneakers or sandals for footwears. The only known accesories before were, a zippo lighter, a bandana or white kerchief, and a Visine or EyeMo eye drops. Our generation’s passion to all things natural like the grass had made the simple smell of Jovan Grass Oil as our choice of scent then.

Whatever is the fashion trend, I remain loyal to simple styles in dressing. After all, fashions fade, style is eternal.

Two nights ago I had a drinking bout with a Brother DeMolay who is an old friend-since-childhood. For 16 years now he has been and still is, a Seafarer. He had just came home a month ago from a one year tour of duty. Now he is already looking forward to his next boarding schedule. Hopefully if he passes the recent Deck Officer’s examination, he will then be ranked a Chief Mate of his next ship.

Among other subjects, the most interesting topic of our drinking talk evolved around us getting old. No, we didn’t talked about how time flies fast, and with it our becoming older and a notch wealthier or poorer. We simply talked about how we can measure our irrelevance via our capacity in drinking wine and other beverage. We agree that when we were young we can consume in one sitting the whole content of wine gift baskets. Not even two or three wine gift baskets can stop us from greeting the dawn still standing up. But that was once upon a time, when our blood runs wild.

Now, we’re like two grumpy not-so old men who can’t even last till the last drop of a Tanduay dark rum lapad – our all time favorite. Wine gift baskets for us now have simply become objects for display. We already stopped drinking while there’s still one-eight part left in the bottle of rum. We already felt sleepy at 10:30 in the evening, like little children.

A lot of vehicles now running on our streets are imported used cars. They are twice cheaper than a brand new or a locally sold used car of the same brand. So to keep up with the Joneses, the conspicuous consumers have their sights set to Subic. Subic has become a Mecca of imported used cars. If you see big SUVs like the Big Horn, Surf, Trooper etc., on our streets, it is most likely that that vehicle came from Subic. Most commonly transported to the free ports of Subic are right-hand drive vehicles which are converted to left-hand drive and sold at a cheaper price. Subic handles auto transport coming from all parts of globe.

Car shipping to the Philippines, or importing used vehicles are generally not allowed. Subic being an international free port is exempted but not without the usual customs. However, returning residents or OFWs, since they are considered modern heroes, are given a special privilege to bring in one they own. Provided that ownership is at least 6 months old on the day of importation.

For the OFW’s international car shipping, the car’s year model is not a question. What is important is that the shipper is the absolute owner of the vehicle for at least the past 6 months and can prove that he/she worked in that country where the car will be exported. This includes, Income tax returns, visa/passport, and so on as the case may require.

Imagine if all our OFWs will bring home one car each. Then there will be no more traffic in EDSA. The whole stretch of EDSA will become one big parking lot.

Thanks to Mr. Bond, James Bond, everytime the number 007 is mentioned, it automatically suggests something that is spy-related. Like the latest high-tech spy phone which is aptly named, the phone-007. Phone-007 is yet another gadget made to assuage the vast ocean of human insecurities.

The phone offers a lot of can-do features for electronic eavesdropping. The only basic requirement are, a computer and an Internet connection. The unit stays at your home, or in your bedroom. It has a built in microphone, enabling it to record embient sounds around it. So don’t be surprised when you listen to the recorder and hearing other voice inside your bedroom, when you left your wife home alone. Phone-007 is web connected device, which makes you able to hear the recordings on any computer for free.

Like other phones, Phone-007 can record every calls made on it. Phone 007, however, has an added feature. When Phone-007 start recording, owner will also get notification sms or notification calls to a specified number being set. Call this high technology bugging. It would not have been difficult for us had Garci used this kind of phone when he called Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

So to make you at least assured that everything is doing fine with your family, have a Phone-007. But wait, have you checked on your mobile phone or your car lately? If you see a miniscule device with a number 007 embedded on it, be wary. Your wife might be more updated on spy gizmos and gadgets than you think she can handle.

I haven’t had a personal mailbox. Although some of my colleagues had personal mailboxes, I really never felt the need to have one. First, because I don’t have many personal correspondences or any subscriptions to anticipate, and secondly, I simply don’t have the time to go through the usual bureaucratic maze in order to get one. The idea of having a personal mailbox simply did not tickle my fancy, especially at a time when my lifestyle was so mobile, fast paced and spartan. But this was yesterday.

When you settle down, your pace becomes slower. But you realize that it is only yourself who had slowed down, the things around you remain in a perpetual mad rush. Then you understand why people need mailboxes. Because mailboxes serve as catchments collecting the flow of material information addressed to you. Even how fast the flow of things are, those that are intended for you can easily find their way to your mailbox. And all you have to do is collect them.

This is perhaps the reason why commercial mailboxes came into existence. Before, personal mailboxes are only available at the Post Office. Now, you can find and apply for a commercial mailbox inside shopping malls. I was surprised to see such commercial mail boxes when I entered a Parcel Service store inside a mall. This is indeed a novel and effective idea. If you have one of those mailboxes, you can now pick up your mails while shopping in a mall.

The thought of having one myself is now no longer far fetched.