Manila Earthquake Preparedness

I am an ocean away but this freaked me out.

I wonder if any candidate has a gameplan for this? Please ask.

What Annapolis Seafood Palace Did Not Do

My white 3GS iPhone was stolen at Annapolis Seafood Palace, Annapolis Street in Greenhills last February 13, 2010 during dinner.

Our family gathered at this well known and patronized restaurant to ring in the Chinese New Year. Now, I was taking pictures of each dish they were bringing out for the Panto / Lauriat. I would take the shot and put it in front of me below my plate. By the fifth round, the server offered to change my plate. It was soon after this that I noticed that my iPhone was missing. Before saying anything to my cousins next to me, I checked my bag, the back of my chair, the floor. Nada. I calmly told them and they checked our surroundings with me. We had a good hunch that it was swiped during the plate changeovers, covered by a napkin or a dirty plate. At this point, we called attention to the manager in charge and the head waiter that night to see what they can do about the situation. Their answers were in these lines: “Our waiters are really busy tonight.” My relatives spoke with them again and were ignored while the manager was busy preparing checks and counting money and change. They were also brazen enough to insinuate that we were maybe joking amongst ourselves. Talking to the manager and head waiter was useless. A call to a part owner for assistance unfortunately proved futile. ”Walang magagawa eh, sila ang in charge diyan ngayong gabi.” Maybe shut the doors? Do a quick search? “Nakakahiya sa customers. Maaabala lahat.” It was obvious that their management did not have protocols in place when such incidents occur. No surprises there but it didn't just open and wasn't just some some restaurant so I guess we had our expectations. We were seated at two round tables at the far end of the restaurant, had the aquarium wall next to us and taken cared of by two servers. It was busy but not a high traffic area because we were up against a wall. Too bad there were no CCTVs. It is never right to point fingers so I won’t even go there.

The management of Annapolis Seafood Palace could have handled this a better way. Bah Humbug.

All the talk was pointless and I couldn’t sit there anymore. I left with one of my cousins and just filed a police report. For what use? Probably for nothing. I texted my younger brother right away to notify AT&T and they suspended the line within half an hour. It was ample time to hack into the phone though. We were in close proximity to cellular phone hacking/reselling haven after all. This person had the audacity to make several phone calls and send messages in that short span of time. The phone numbers are listed on the billing statement. I was tempted to play detective but why bother? AT&T will reverse all incurred charges after the fact, no pain there. Now that’s customer service.

Everyone and their mothers made the monetary value of such a phone in the black market known to me early on. I heeded these warnings, watched and guarded my iPhone so closely the whole time I was in Manila. It still got stolen. This I don’t think much of in Jersey or NYC. It’s one of those nuisances I don’t miss. I’d like to buy nice things and be able to use them freely whenever, wherever without having to feel vulnerable or paranoid.

The point of this post is not to bad mouth a business establishment. It’s a word of caution, added awareness if you must.

I can’t just suck it up, stay quiet and think “Di bale na, Hayaan na lang! Wala nang magagawa” It’s a vicious cycle there that I refuse to be part of. These days, we have various platforms, I can write about it.

I was initially cursing under my breath. The thought of having to rebuild my network/contact list made my blood boil. But this soon dissipated. Thanks to social media and technology! Identity theft also crossed my mind but realized that the stealing in this case was most likely a crime of poverty and not of passion. Good luck with your hand in this life or the next dude, I hope you put the ill-gotten gains to good use. I began to see humor in what happened to me 1.5 days before my flight back to NY. It’s just stuff. Easily replaceable. I was taken aback by the quick emotional 180. It must be from the sheer gratitude for all that was given to me and was able to do the past year. You never know, hey it could have been worse for all of us at that restaurant.

Oh the chaos that is Manila, it is truly love / hate. I look forward to my next trip back!!!
I end this by what would be cliché now - Mind your smart phones!!! And oh, don’t forget to sync, sync, sync!!

End of story. Thank you for your time! Maraming Salamat Po! 8)

We Still Care

I was on facebook mobile waiting for my yoga session to begin the day Ondoy hit the Philippines. The speed of the feed updates was abnormal turned plain scary - statuses and tweets for help and prayers. Not to be dramatic but wow, getting wind of bad things happening to where you grew up on your smart phone? Helpless. I offer each and every yoga practice to someone, something. It keeps me focused and helps me really get into the asanas (poses). So I just om'd and namaste'd for everyone's safety.

Home is where the heart is and I have inevitably become somewhat detached from Manila after living in the East Coast close to five years. I've started to forget street names, directions, restaurants, celebrity and political figures' names (not that they're important). This is probably true for those living overseas too . That doesn't mean we have stopped caring.

Last Saturday, two friends hosted a birthday party/mixer turned fundraiser in the City. The event raised close to $4000 which will be turned over to Ayala Foundation USA. Not too shabby. It was a night of fun, networking all for a worthy cause. This was pretty much mobilized by facebook. Most if not all of the attendees are from the NJ/NY metro. A good mix of people. Isn't it interesting how social media has changed our lives? Yes, it can be a tad narcissistic and impersonal but it can still be harnessed for many good things. I saw, from the feeds again, how relief efforts and volunteerism just exploded. Coolness. Proves though that there's just no relying on government help.

My friend May has compiled a list on how else to help. Go here. (Cheers May!!) Ketsana then Parma, more help will definitely be on its way. I think though that help should start at home or with people you personally know. Helpers, neighbors, company employees who are not as fortunate. Ayusin mo muna bakuran mo bago bakuran ng iba ba yung expression? I've been told that the mood's a bit somber but I have faith that Pinoys will definitely brush this off, not to forget, but to move on. This too shall pass. Don't we smile these things down anyhow?This was a freak happening but hopefully, lessons will be learned, future preparedness and lifestyle/go green changes happen. Please do take extra precaution on health, a little wary of the flood waters not receding as fast as they should. Breeding grown for disease!

Take care you guys back home. We are far, far away but yes we still care and have you all in our prayers!!!

Traffic Like Manila

It was just like being in Manila for awhile today. I got stuck in a major traffic jam a good 21 miles away from home. It was NOT moving for a good hour. I called my ahiya to find out what on earth was going on online. Yep, an accident (the rain was pouring and all) and I had the good fortune to pick that route. Har Har Har! I planned to take the longer way home by taking the side streets but decided to "fly" on the freeway. Sometimes you really should trust your first instinct and not second guess it.

It started to ease up after another 40 minutes, I guess when they cleared the freeway section where the mishap happened. I flew home after that. I was bored so I started singing to myself and taking pictures.

Manila: On The Retail Radar

Read on: - WWD

It's Good To Be Home

and by "home" I mean both Englewood and Manila! Whatta ride!!!