finding the FUN in FUNNY

The restrooms in UP are always (to put it very nicely) interesting. There’s always new graffiti to read or conversations to overhear. I once got stuck in a stall in AS. And just my luck, NOONE WAS THERE TO RESCUE ME. The space below the door was too small for me to crawl out (and crawling on a UP banyo floor just isn’t very… favorable) so I resulted to stepping on the seat, the tank, and hoisting myself up the walls that separate the stalls and jumping off the ledge. Akyat-bahay style. My clothes were covered with dust, filth, and other disgusting stuff that accumulate near the ceiling.

Last week, I went inside the SC banyo (read: the banyo where only brave/desperate/stupid souls go) to pee. It has a 2 peso “maintenance fee” and a banyo caretaker. I went inside the stall (which, by the way, had no lock, no hook for the bag, and no flush) and heard, “ATE, TATAE KA BA?”

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

“Uh… Hindi,” I replied. After i peed, I went outside and she said, “Ako nalang magbubuhos ng tubig.”
“Okay. Saan ako pwedeng maghugas ng kamay?”
“Wala.”
“Ah okay. Um, 5 pesos lang meron ako.”
“Wala akong barya, Ate.”
…

Never again. Only in UP, I swear.

*

me: i have to finish my RRL.
gold: i don’t know what RRL means but i’m guessing Real Real Love?
me: HAHA NO!!! Review of Related Literature aka CHAPTER 2 of my THESIS!
gold: malay ko ba. ako, yun lang ang kaisaisang deadline ng buhay ko. to find Real Real Love.

*

me: i saw a shirt that said “LOVE: NAKAKAMATAY.” did you write that? hehehe.
juanch: no, i made one that says “pagibig: mabuhay ka!”

*

lola ditas (holding gia’s blackberry): what’s this? can i use this for internet?
gia: yes lola you can even check your email.
lola: so i can have pen pal?! or *looks at my lolo and whispers* CAN I HAVE INTERNET LOVE AFFAIR?!?!??!?!

*

me: how’s your vertigo?
gold: steads naman… but the grade of my glasses got higher.
me: i need to have my eyes checked too. my hair fall’s bad again 😦
gold: wow grabe talaga pag tumatanda noh? blindness, hair loss, headaches, heartaches…
me: ang heartache walang pinipiling edad.

*

me: i’m going to wear glasses na. i look like a slutty professor.
kester’s reaction: when you start teaching, on the first day of class, you should bring a whip.
ria’s reaction: well, you’re already slutty so we just need to work on the professor part.

*

during a family reunion, i pinned my neckline together because it was too low. roxy looked at it and said, “why did you staple your dress together?!”

*

roxy: raisa what is the end of everything?
me: what?
roxy: THE LETTER G! HAHAHAHAHAHA.

*

issa: can i repost your [“girls get torpe too“] entry? anna, BAKURAN MO NA SAYANG!
me: EH ANONG GAGAWIN KO?!?!?! AYAW NIYA AKO AT HINDI SIYA GO GETTER!!!!!
issa: seryoso ka talaga as proven by HOW HE MUST BE TALKED ABOUT IN ALL CAPS! HE JUST MIGHT NEED FURTHER ENCOURAGEMENT!

*

husband: i love you wife. i want to eat you, pero sabi ng doctor, bawal daw ako sa sweets.

*

me: you know how to play your cards.
husband: yes. i also know how to play with your heart… but i won’t do it.

*

husband: good night, wife. dream of me.
me: you are my dream come true.

*

over text
bunny: am i seeing you this weekend?
me: no i’m sick. i can’t. sorry.
bunny: why, what’s wrong with you?
me: cough, colds, the works.
bunny: want a hug? 🙂
me: i want something more. if you know what i mean…
bunny: meds? 🙂

*

me: UGH YOU ARE SO CORNY CAN YOU JUST LEAVE????
bry: i can leave… LEAVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!
me: 😐

*

james: nagka-thing ka na ba with a girl?
me: what do you mean? like a lesbian relationship?
james: oo.
me: nope. bakit, bagay ba sa ‘kin maging lesbian?
james: pwede.
me: hmmmm. (turns around) bel, what are you doing tonight?

pwede?

jokes!!!!

Resurrecting Pinoy Pride

After what happened last Monday, it’s important to believe in our country more than ever.

My commentary on the Quirino Bloodbath entitled “Resurrecting Pinoy Pride” can be found over at the Philippine Online Chronicles.

once on this isla verde

We took advantage of QC Day (NO SCHOOL!) and headed to Batangas for the second and last ocular before the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). We had to go on a weekday to make sure we could talk to the schools and government offices. Since the only boat going to Verde was at 9AM, we had to get up at the crack of dawn. They were passing for me along SLEX, so I told Ernest to text me when they were at Sucat so I could leave my house. In an hour, Ernest texts me this: “Zuuuucccaaahhttt na powwhzzz ussss -Lil E.” Apparently this translates to, “We’re in Sucat –Ernest.”

When they arrived in Shell, I got a text from Bry: “Jhabee uz. Front of zelect and bhipi teller.”
“What the fuck is Jhabee?!”
“JOLLIBEE!”
“Oh.”

And because we started speaking Jejemon as early as 5 in the morning, this stuck throughout our entire trip. We started replacing all Ss with Zs, so we have renamed the language to JeZemon.

It was my first time in this relatively unspoiled island. It has no wi-fi, no electricity, and no cars. Ah, Isla Verde.

Meet 11 members of Team eARTh:

Clockwise, top-bottom: Bel (Momma B), me (Lady A), Junsy, Simon (King Chiu), James (Baby James), Bryan, Kira (Sister K), Joanne (J.O. to the Mendo), Aubrey (Queen B), and Jun (Papa P)

Bel found Simon’s doppelgänger too:

HAHAHAHA.

We ate lunch and dumped our stuff in Sawang. It’s a really pretty beachfront campsite where we’ll be sleeping during the ICC. The only person there was Kuya Butchoy, the caretaker. We then headed to the grade school.

Not so welcoming sign:

L-R: the Assistant Project Head (Lil E), the Program Head (Baby James), and the Project Head (yours truly):

Spot the not:

Ingenious way to recycle:

Then we moved on to the high school. Their skirts reminded me of my De La Salle Zobel days.

On the way back to Sawang, we had a short meeting with the government officials. Then we changed for a dip.

The sea looked so inviting.

Lil E, Lady A, and Baby James:

I loved being with Bio and Geol majors. May species identification na nagaganap.

Legs legs legs mo ay nakakasilaw.

Legs legs legs mo ay nakakauhaw.

James: Budz, ang hot mo… Sa upper body lang.
Thanks a lot, Budz 😐 Unfortunately my thunder thighs and ass-et are genetic. There ain’t no nothin’ I can do ’bout ’em.

Bleached?

We brought out the skim boards, fruits, played the music (Beach Commandment #1: Always bring portable speakers and an iPod) and got the party started.

We kickin’ it back old skool by collectively bathing with a poso. The lack of electricity forced us to have a candlelight dinner, which was not as romantic as it sounds—it was even better. Much better. I literally got a headache and stomachache from laughing so much from all the “If you know what I mean…” and “Orrrr…” and Flirting 101 discussions.

At midnight, the girls decided to spread our sleeping bags in one area and lie down. The guys just HAD to arrive and disturb the peace. James being James walked around us in circles with a candle, saying a prayer. He punctuated the vigil by saying, “Hindi ba kayo nagtataka kung bakit SAWANG ang tawag sa lugar na ‘to? Sawang… Sawang… Sawang… ASWANG.”

We had a dance showdown for awhile, then the girls lay down in the benches while the guys started their guy talk, thinking we had fallen asleep. After a few hours of eavesdropping, we started reacting to their bullshit which freaked them out.

We had to catch the one and only 3AM boat back to the mainland. The “dock” (a.k.a. shack) was situated right in front of the cemetery. “Hala, magiging 12 nalang bigla tayo,” said James. Gago. To make matters freakier, Kuya Butchoy started playing “My Heart Will Go On” with his phone. In front of the cemetery. Right before we were boarding a boat. Good job, Kuya.

We got back to the mainland at 6AM and headed straight to UP for our Friday classes. In Petron, we found this:

Sodomy was haunting us.

We were all on autopilot mode, floating to, from, and during classes. It was the epitome of Alanis Morissette’s song that goes, “I feel drunk but I’m sober… I’m tired but I’m working… I’m here but I’m really gone…”

24 days ’til the ICC! FIGHT!

(Some pictures from Bel. Thanks Momma B!)

girls get torpe too

Last summer, I traded a part of my heart for a windsurfing lesson given by a guy na itatago natin sa pangalang Mr. HotStuff. This Mr. HotStuff is a windsurfing champion and nephew of one of my favorite professors na itatago naman natin sa pangalang Diyosa. Diyosa set us up, thinking we would hit off. It seemed serendipitous because an article on him and his windsurfing skills came out in Inquirer the day my article on summer flings was supposed to be published. ALAM NA. Jam and Jona, who were both students of the Diyosa, prepped me for it. Jam even helped me decide what to wear (Little Black Dress, beach-style). Jona was like, “OMG YOU CAN HAVE BEACH-LOVING, WINDSURFING, SHAKESPEARE-READING BABIES TOGETHER.”

After two dives with my dad, Juanch, Gia, and Kiano, I headed to Mr. HotStuff’s house where he would give me the lesson. Diyosa was there with her equally Diyos-of-a-husband and their two sons–the cutest, smartest boys I have ever met. When I met Mr. HotStuff, I was immediately smitten by his shy disposition and uh, six-pack abs. (I couldn’t help staring for mga 2 seconds. They were just so… Yummy.)

Unfortunately, I sucked at windsurfing. Whenever the sail would tilt to my direction, I’d panic, screech, and jump off the board. At one point, I freaked out, wrapped my arms around him and we both fell into the water. (It was an accident I swear it wasn’t a flirting tactic.) He tried to appease me when I couldn’t get the sail up by saying the winds were pretty strong. And they really were (defensive?!). By the end of the lesson, he asked me to sit at the edge of the board while he sailed. The pretty Philippine sunset served as our backdrop.

When we walked back to his house from the shore, Diyosa began the inquisition.
“So, what’s the grade of your student?”
“4.0,” he said.
“Ha? Anong klaseng grade ‘yon?! May removals?!”
“Dapat may take two,” he said with his oh-so-boyish smile.

I had to make sure my bikini bottom was still on.

After that, I didn’t hear from him. At all. No text. No “Mr. HotStuff has added you as a friend on Facebook.” And I started thinking, “OH MAN WAS I TOO TALKATIVE? IS IT BECAUSE HE THINKS I’M FAT? AM I THAT BAD OF A WINDSURFER? IS IT BECAUSE I ALMOST DROWNED HIM?”

To soothe my ego, my friends and I unanimously decided to put him in this imaginary box we have labeled Shit From the Past. All our exes and half-exes are here, along with memories of failed relationships and relationships that failed before they even began.

K, so let’s fast forward to three months later. My friend and I were planning to meet up before my yoga class. She knows the story and she knows him well, which is why itatago natin siya sa pangalang Cupid.
“By the way, Mr. HotStuff is here,” she texted.
“WHY??? SHIT! MUKHA AKONG TAE DAPAT PALA NAG COCKTAIL DRESS AKO HAHAHAHA!”
“Haha you’re so funny! Gaga! I’m here at Vanguard.”
“Where’s that?! Ah, I know na… I’ll follow my heart nalang ’til it leads me to… Mr. HotStuff. JOKE.”

When I finally found Cupid, we were talking talking talking talking then Mr. HotStuff walked up to us. The sight of his light brown eyes (I AM TALKING ABOUT A GUY’S EYES HERE WTF OKAY) made my heart seize. He was sooooooooooo(count the Os)oooooo cute I almost threw up on him (Gold: DAPAT SINUKAHAN MO NGA!). I have imagined This Moment before and had the perfect conversation starter. You know, play it cool and be like, “So was I that bad of a student that I didn’t hear from you?” with a half laugh or something.
“Mr. HotStuff, si Anna, o,” said Cupid.
He smiled and said, “Hi.”
I smiled and said, “Hi.”

AND LOOKED AT THE PAVEMENT.

AND BEGAN PALPITATING.

AND STARTED SWEATING.

AND SAID NOTHING ELSE.

?????????????????????????????????????????

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ME. OF ALL PEOPLE.

When I told my kuya about this, his response was, “WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY SISTER?”

WHAT IS FLIRTATION FAIL. All my confidence and energy was zapped by his light brown eyes (AGAIN WITH THE EYES!!!!!).

“I should just put him in the box that says The One That Got Away. O kaya naman The One that let Me Get Away para may pride pa ako,” I told Dana after.
“Akala ko ba Shit From the Past?”
“Ay. O nga pala.”

it’s an ad, ad, ad, ad world

Today, the most awesome Ma’am Aileen Salonga made us watch two ads. The first was Dove’s Onslaught ad as part of their Campaign for Real Beauty:

I loved it. I love that this campaign celebrates all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. The Dove Evolution is another one of my favorites. I feel insulted by GlutaMax’s current tagline, “Kutis Mayaman.” The corollary being… Dark skin is kutis mahirap?

Since our lesson today was on the ways to read, resist, and rewrite a text, Ma’am Salonga then showed us this.

I don’t know what to make of it. When I showed it to Kester, he said what I thought: “I’m speechless.”

books, glorious books!

“Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who my friends are!” said Ai-Ai de las Alas in Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat. In this case, it’s, “Tell me what your books are and I’ll tell you what my books are!” I was inspired by Ma’am Chingbee’s entires on her books (Part I and Part II). Except I’m not as masipag to count because I always get ADD when I count anything.

I tried spending a whole day sorting out my books by genre and gave up. Labels complicate everything, not just in relationships, but in literature too (echos). Asking what my favorite book is is like asking a mom who her favorite child is. Ask me who my favorite writer is and I’ll tell you according to nationality and genre (American Non-Fiction: David Sedaris, American Fiction: Jodi Picoult, and so on).

These are my pre-UP books, which have all migrated to the attic. I have read almost all books in the Sweet Valley series: Sweet Valley Kids, Twins and Friends, High, University, and every special edition in between. Same goes for Baby-Sitters and Animorphs.

When I graduated from Sweet Valley, BSC, and Animorphs, I moved on to Gossip Girl (?!?!), Princess Diaries, other young adult fiction, and chic lit. I loved glossy magazines too, like Candy and Seventeen, which are stuffed at the bottom. Must get rid of them during the next UP Recyclables Fair on the 25th! On the upper right shelf, you’ll see the famous barrel man from Baguio that I got in second year high school. When my friend Pat asked what pasalubong I wanted from Baguio, I said, “Get me anything that reminds you of me.” She got me a barrel man. There’s also the archer holding a heart, which was given to my mom by one of her suitors back in high school. She wanted to throw it out but I asked if I could keep it. It’s really ugly and it’s actually cracked and chipped, but I liked it. I like holding on to things that have interesting stories, even if they’re just dust-gatherers.

I have two beds in my room. One is where I sleep, the other one is a repository of readings and odd things. The left side has brochures and other kinds of data from the Department of Tourism, and the SUPER AMAZING HANGING FOLDER from Office Warehouse. When Ma showed it to me, my mouth literally dropped open, just like the design of this folder. It costs something like 70 pesos. It’s a must-have for office/school supply geeks like me. There are books for my thesis, sunblock for when I run or go to the beach, medicine for my sinusitis, readings for this semester, the tail end of my laptop charger, and the My Pilipinas Moleskine. Moleskines are overrated (I know, “it’s just a notebook!”) but I love them anyway. I’m currently using four different kinds.

These are some of the books I’ve acquired since I entered UP.

Number of books: 191
Number of people whose books I’ve stolen/borrowed and have not yet returned: 7 (Mom, Dad, Kuya, Tito Gilbert, Rizzy, Jam, and Migs)
Number of countries I bought books from (excluding the Philippines): 7 (South Africa, America, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, China)
Number of Philippine Literature books: 28
Most number of books by a single author: 10 (Jodi Picoult)
Magazines I read regularly: Vanity Fair, O, People, GQ, and old editions of The New Yorker
Latest book bought: Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco (yesterday)
Currently reading: The Language of Tourism: A Sociolinguistic Perspective by Graham Dann

Favorite finds:
Love Letters from Great Men, which was inspired by Sex and the City the movie. Spotted in Penang, Malaysia. I write, highlight and put Post-Its on my books. When I lent it to Donns, she wrote and highlighted stuff too. This book is currently with my husband.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature I and The Norton Anthology of American Literature I, which I spotted outside the CAL library. These usually cost thousands of pesos. I got both for PhP 600 and PhP 550 respectively. My mom got me the updated edition of the Engligh Lit II for my birthday.
The Best of American Non-Required Reading (2007 edition I found in A.S. WALK!!!!! I LOVE UP TALAGA. 2008 in Bangkok.)
The Best of American Travel Writing (2004 edition was a gift from Tita Yate. I specifically asked for this because Pico Iyer was the editor. 2008 was from Bangkok. Edited by another one of my favorite travel writers, Anthony Bourdain.)

Other random things on my shelves:
The AMAFI Achievement Award, the wooden person given by my mom’s kabarkada because she thought I went to New York to study Fine Arts HAHA, the toy mic from Jim which squeaks when squeezed, ship model of Nippon Maru, the plate Endo painted on which originally said Cinta on it which means “love” in Bahasa, the Taboo Championship Trophy that Juanch made, and a kaleidoscope from Midori.

HelpDOT

Get yourself involved in Philippine Tourism by  “Like-ing” the HelpDOT page on Facebook.

Tita Jojie sent me this video on Facebook. “Some say when the gods created the Philippine Island, they liked it so much that they created 7, 000 more.” Likes this very much.

Download the posters you see below here, made by Team Manila.

Dear Valentine,

A quote from Hitch describes exactly how I feel about you: “So how does it happen, great love? Nobody knows. But what I can tell you is that it happens in the blink of an eye. One moment you’re enjoying your life, and the next you’re wondering how you ever lived without them.”

In our case, it happened when we said yes to life one year ago. When I put my feet on your back, it was a portent of things to come. For the year to follow, you’d always have my back–literally and figuratively.

I never really got to tell you, but when I was a mess for quite some time, you, among all my friends, were the one who really put me back together. To borrow words from John Lloyd, you “had me at my best” and “loved me at my worst.” You answered all my phone calls when I was having swells of sadness, cuddled in bed and watched movies with me during cold lonely nights, and ALWAYS knew the right thing to say, from “He’s just a guy, Anns, and you’re one hell of a girl,” to “SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS SHOTTTTS EVERYBOODDYYYY!!!!” Ah, the perfect words of healing. During Valentine’s Day, you stayed awake with me when everyone else fell asleep asleep, made me laugh, and blew my nose I no longer could. Thus our name for each other: my funny valentine. The lyrics are perfect: “My funny valentine/sweet comic valentine/you make me smile with my heart.”

You always tell me that you’re proud of me. Just so you know, kung pwede lang kitang dalhin sa Vietnam at sa Japan, I would. With the way you have supported me the past year, you deserve my “achievements” just as much. Have I ever told you just how proud I am of you? This week you made peace with two people you didn’t have to: Mr. Douchebag and a Half and Ms. She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Maybe we could blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol but it’s still a big leap of maturity on your part. From the girl who would twirl her hair when the rest of us would get hyped up about current events, you’ve transformed into a nation building woman of strength who went on a Wow Philippines tour and made not one but FIVE trips to Comelec just to register for the 2010 elections. You scream “PUTANG INA!” at the top of your lungs when you realize you’ve forgotten to bring chopsticks at Omakase, causing the whole restaurant to stop and stare. And how I wish I could be as well read as you. Your bookshelves are filled with fashion magazines, Jane Austen’s novels, and The Art of Seduction. Although I don’t know why you’re reading that last one because frankly, you could’ve written that damn book yourself. Like the song goes, “Is your figure less than greek?” Ikaw na ang type ng mga may girlfriend. Pero alam mo naman, ang mga nakatali, mas madaling hulihin. Pak. Sa haba ng hair mo, you are and will always be the belle of the ball that we call LIFE. Kahit pulutin ka pa sa kangkungan.

The song “My Funny Valentine” says “[Y]ou’re my favorite work of art.” I’d like to think that you’re my favorite work of heart. True story. You’re super masipag in looking for a job right now, which you have likened to finding a relationship, but don’t give up your passion for fashion okay? I always tell my people about “my best friend who wants to be a stylist.” Dressing people up is a valid passion, because when you make people look good, you also possess the power to make them feel good. Whoever said inner beauty matters most must’ve been hella ugly. And like you always tell me, “When you follow your passion, it’s not you reaching for the stars. It’s the stars reaching for you.” You’ve been lighting up the whole sky without even trying, V. The stars have their arms stretched. Judging from our pseudo photo shoot, you also have potential to be a photographer. Your humor and wit also make you a good writer. Don’t let go of those potentials.

Having said that, I’ve come up with a design for our future apartment, where we will grow old and poor together. To accommodate both of our passions, I kept our favorite fictional character in mind: Carrie Bradshaw.

Your side and my side. Do you like it? Don’t worry, a king-sized bed will be in the middle for our late-night early-morning cuddle sessions with red wine and spinach artichoke dip that your mom will have to deliver because we don’t cook and we can’t afford to buy food. You + red wine + your mom’s cooking + my books are all I need anyway. I’ll take care of the tissue (for when we have allergy attacks) and coffee (because we’re caffeine addicts). When asked how I saw myself in six years, I said, “Moving out of my tiny apartment with Ria and into a mansion… With Ria.”

This is kinda a lame response to that beautiful feature article that you wrote. As trite as this sounds, I couldn’t put into words just how much you mean to me. I don’t know how I survived twenty-one years without you. The good thing is I no longer have to wonder because, well, I’ll never have to. There are still 77 positions to try, 100 dreams to chase, and a lifetime of memories to make.

“Stay, little valentine, stay/Each day is Valentine’s Day.”

Love,
Valentine

10 Things I Love About Hanoi

My trip to Vietnam meant a lot of seconds: second trip to Vietnam (first was Ho Chi Minh in 2008 for SSEAYP), second time to be part of the DENSO Youth for Earth Action (but as a tutor and not as a participant this time around), and second time to lose my luggage (first was in Bangkok in 2006). Hay, ako na ang swerte! Good thing this was also my second international trip with Denz, my sister from another mister, so I was able to borrow clothes from her until my luggage arrived. Since she’s a bit shorter than me, this meant wearing a short and tight yellow dress on the first day of training. I felt like Cory Aquino.

With my Singaporean partner, Pedro. He was one of my best friends in last year’s program. We applied to be tutors in this year’s program together. Couldn’t have asked for a better buddy!

Days were spent learning about environmental issues around Southeast Asia and Japan, while the late afternoons and late nights were for exploring Hanoi nightlife with Pedro. I must admit, I liked Hanoi more than Ho Chi Minh. Here are the ten reasons why you should also say hello to Hanoi someday:

1) Vietnamese food. Pho and fresh tropical fruits three times a day! I wore a jacket during the welcome dinner because I needed to unzip my (well, Denz’s) dress. I couldn’t breathe because I ate SO MUCH.

with Likko

They also serve lots of fresh vegetables. After eating so many spring rolls and salads I started feeling like a rabbit.

2) Vietnamese coffee. I always take my coffee black. None of that sissy sugar and cream stuff. Vietnamese coffee is probably one of the best I’ve ever had (wow parang yung kanta lang) so I bought six bags to bring home. Pedro and I went to the same coffee place at the Old Quarters every night. We got a free glass of iced Weasel coffee every night, which is extremely expensive and made of uh, weasel shit feces. True story.

3) The Old Quarter: The 36 streets, where we did most of our shopping.

It was three to five kilometers away from our hotel, so it was walkable. Getting there was as much fun as going around the Old Quarters. We’d pass by the Hoan Kiem Lake, the largest in Hanoi, where we’d find couples smothering each other with love and middle-aged women doing aerobics.

Pedro and I spent EVERY NIGHT at the Dragonfly bar for shisha, cocktails, and Hanoi and Saigon beer. It seems like they only had one playlist with 6 Lady Gaga songs and 5 Justin Timberlake songs.

Top pulutan picks: French Fried, Smoke Salmon, Chicken Carry, and Fammer Felling (Say WHUT?!)

4) Motorbikes, their main mode of transportation. Okay, I don’t love this so much because it’s actually kinda scary, but at least crossing the streets of Hanoi was ALWAYS an adventure. To quote my newfound friend Walter, “I’ve been in Hanoi for a week and I’ve already seen five accidents.”

pretty street art in mosaic form

5) Pedro and I were lucky to get last-minute tickets for the famous water puppet show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Even if the whole show was in Vietnamese, a language neither of us speaks, we LOVED it. Good art transcends language.

The cast (literally and figuratively) behind the magic during curtain call

6) Being a millionaire. Since US$1.00 = VND 19, 200, I could afford to buy bags worth 150, 000. Bengga. In one store I spent over 1, 000, 000!!!!!! 1 million VND, that is. This would never happen in pesos.

7) The Presidential Palace.

“Ang ganda. Parang tayong nasa ibang bansa!”
“Nasa ibang bansa nga tayo, TANGA!”

8) The Temple of Literature, the oldest university in the country, pays homage to Confucius. It no longer functions as a university, but it’s still a tradition for students to go there before big exams (like licensure exams) and rub the head of the turtle statues for good luck. It was perfect for four grade-conscious UP students. Three are working on their respective theses while one is prepping for the biochem board exams!

9) The Hanoi citadel reminded me of Manila’s Intramuros and Cebu’s Fort San Pedro. Just this year, the citadel made it to the UNSECO World Heritage List!

10) Its people. If you think we Filipinos are hospitable, try staying in Vietnam. Seriously. Their strong, almost palpable sense of nationalism is incredible. They make a conscious effort to preserve their heritage and language, which I think we Filipinos need to work on. Nakakaiyak kung gaano nila kamahal ang bansa nila. “And for that reason, they’re going to progress faster than us,” my dad said.

More pictures here. There were three places I didn’t get to cross off my list: 1, the Ho Chi Minh Mousoleum, which was closed by the time we got there. We took pictures instead.

Sisterhood of the traveling red shoes: Mitzie, Denz, Diem, and me. We didn’t plan this!

2, the War Museum. When I went to the War Musem in Ho Chi Minh I cried ’cause it was just so depressing. Sir Butch told me that the Hanoi one had a more nationalistic take, so I really wanted to check it out. I also didn’t get to go to 3, Ha Long Bay, another geological wonder on the UNSECO World Heritage List. This just means that I must go back with my family. My parents love Vietnam. I’m sure my brothers will too.

Next international trip: Japan in October. Looking forward to climbing the cold Mt. Fuji again!

Dear DOH Secretary

For the first seventeen years of my life, I wanted to become a doctor. My mom and lola thought it was the “smart” thing to do, and I was inspired by my lolo, who is one of the best surgeons this country as ever seen. He would bring me to his medical missions and let me “diagnose” his patients. My heart was set on BS Psychology in UP, go to med school in UP, and specialize in vocal pathology. Somewhere along the way, the words became my world and I have never, ever looked back. I live vicariously through House and Grey’s Anatomy instead. Now the only kind of doctor I want to be is a doctor of philosophy. Ten years from now: Anna Oposa, PhD. Bongga.

Third installment of my Dear [Cabinet Secretary] series is “Dear DOH Secretary.” This article would not be possible without the time, patience, and generosity of Renzo Guinto and Danni Diestro for proofreading, fact-checking, and massacring commenting on the first two drafts. I am sending you love and positivity from Hanoi, Vietnam!