The Kindness of Strangers

 

Today was a big day.  I was going to teach tonight's class without a follower assisting, and it's gonna be a big class, and the new cafe annex the class will be in is halfway under construction.  So I just needed to finish my delivery run, get home, get showered, pack the gear and get to the venue.

I returned to the van in downtown Leura to find my rear tyre was flat.  This is my fifth flat tyre on the job so I knew the drill.  First task is to loosen the nuts.  I slipped the cross-wrench on to the first nut and twisted.  It wouldn't budge, not surprising actually, so I tried stepping on the wrench to give my full weight getting maximum torque.  Usually this works. 

I was stumped and pulled out my phone to call for help. At this time a bystander, a courier from another company, offered to help.  

So I said, thanks sure go for it, and this young fella in matching hi-vis grabbed the cross-wrench and twisted. We heard the nut creak and then turn.  I said wow, that's great,  could you maybe just loosen them all for me and I can manage the rest.  Pretty please.  The strapping lad obliged, and when he got all 5 nuts loosened, I shook his hand, thanked him.  

The universe sent me an angel to get me past an obstacle.  Thank you.

Later tonight, we set a new record for the largest class I've ever had in Katoomba at 22 students. There was a reason I got assigned an angel today, all these people were relying on me making it to class !

Surfing the cosmic waves

 No wonder my life has been so crazy lately, my astrologer friend reminded me that we have a full moon occurring simultaneously with the Aussie  winter solstice, and the kicker is that the moon is in Capricorn (my sign) and also year of the Dragon (also me), so okay then.

I hadn't had time to mourn for Divina Black as I had places to be and people to see.  I needed a new ride ASAP. Up until now I was counting on getting a courtesy car while the garage repaired my car. 

However, now I had to change tack  and go car shopping instead.   I had access to $5k for emergencies and this qualifies.  Within 2 hours I followed leads and contacted 2 candidates.   Now I just had to wait for them to get back to me, meanwhile I dashed to the bank for the cash. The wait  was agonizing as the last rays of  the afternoon started to fade. Just before I could call it a day, I got a call that the car was ready if I still wanted it.  

The short story is that I was satisfied with what I was getting for the money,  so I don't think about maybe the other car was a better offer.  Dude,when we asked for auditions, this one showed up and got cast. 

 I handed the cash over and I became the new owner of a 15  year old Honda CR-V with 300,000km of road experience and flaking paintwork  typical of mountain cars parked outside over many frosty mornings and scorching summers.  On the plus side she has rego till next year, new tyres, and runs like new.  

Everyone please meet Lana. Long may she serve.

From Tuesday, I've been feeling this uneasiness in my gut. It seemed like I couldn't see more than a few steps in front of me.  As things unfolded and developed, I had to react and change my objectives. Luckily, my delivery shifts were uncharacteristically brief and freed me up to chase up mechanics, towies, sellers, and wreckers.   Yes, Divina's inert shell has been consigned to the auto recyclers. 

Until emerging on Thursday with Lana,  I all I could do was solve the immediate problem confronting me.  I felt like I was a Jedi using the force to ride the cosmic vortex of Lunar and Solar cycles.

For landing arse-first into a successor vehicle, I am most grateful.

Adios Divina Black

Back in 2012 we named our Subaru Outback family car, she was Divina Black. A fun, versatile and mostly reliable wagon; batteries die, engines overheat, tyres blow out but the NRMA or even myself can always get us back on the road to resume our journey.

Forty-eight hours ago, Divina overheated on the climb to Glenbrook.  She had enough momentum to coast to stop under a street lamp safely off the highway.  My efforts to revive her were futile.  I had to call the NRMA to send a tow truck.  It was 1 AM when we got home, and it's only 5 hours before I had to get up and start my work shift.  It took ages for me to finally fall asleep.

I finished work early afternoon and canvassed a couple of repair shops.  At this point I still thought Divina can be revived by professionals,  but they can't do anything unless I can take the car to their shop.  So I tried calling some local towies, their voicemail greeting recommends sending a text message.  I guess this makes me rather old-fashioned, but  I suppose it also filters out the time-wasters.  So one of them replies texting their tow truck is out of order (so who tows a towie?) Then another texts he can do it for cash.  I ask how soon?  40 minutes.  Ahh the shop closes in 30 minutes, how about tomorrow?  Done.  

Today I completed my delivery shift and went straight to the repair shop hoping for good news.  I saw Divina on their driveway.  When I finally spoke to the mechanic I was told the engine was cooked and cannot be saved.  Divina was gone.

Delivery Skills

 For Noche Buena* this year I decided to make felafels.  I learned to make them 13 years ago doing cooking gigs in Chatswood.  Soaked dry chickpeas are put through the food processor with fresh parsley, coriander, onions, garlic, and spice seasoning.  The resulting mush is then hand formed into felafel balls and get chucked into the freezer.  I had the ingredients, dusted off the food processor, but the pressure point was finding space in the freezer.  

So I decided maybe I can repack the freezer and if I have to, I'll just defrost and consume what won't fit back in once the felafels are in place.  To my pleasant surprise, I was able to fit everything in even with the felafels!   It was then I realised  that I had been honing my packing skills for over 2 years and it has just manifested.  Another Tetris win!  

Tomorrow I make the yoghurt mint dip.

*Traditional Filipino midnight feast on Christmas Eve  (we Filipinos don't see the point of wasting the first 3 hours of the holiday)

Life in the Pelepens

Day 10 

My dad and my mom were avid bowlers (tenpin).  Trophies crowd the top display shelf in the living room.  I thought it would be a great idea for us to go bowling, my mom, and my niece took me to Southmall for that.  My mom forgot to take her ball but brought her own shoes (of course she had her own custom ball and shoes),  so she had to make do with the house balls.  Meanwhile my niece and I has the house shoes and ball.  I merely took that as my mom playing against us with a handicap.  I came out guns blazing, with a score of 124 on the first game, but I only managed a 99 and 102 on the next two.  It was heartwarming for me to watch my 86 year old mom still beat me on the third game, she took two games to warm up after years of not having hit the lanes.  

Day 11

We went to visit my dad's grave in Parañaque.  I haven't been since his funeral seven years ago.  I like browsing through the other graves and tried to imagine the lives that were lived by its occupants and the implied stories behind some of them like a husband and wife who died only 7 days apart -the wife only lasted a week without her partner.  Some plots had family members dying on the same date suggesting some sort of accident or calamity had claimed their lives on that fateful day.  Most notable however, were the number of fresh gravestones for those who had perished between 2020 and 2022, a poignant testament of the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rich or poor, young or old, few families were exempt from this global calamity. 

. . .

By evening, the temperatures have cooled down a bit, also partially due to rains brought about by a typhoon passing through the north of the country. I went for a bicycle ride around the old neighbourhood as I once did when I was a child.  This unleashed a flood of childhood memories. I rode past homes of old friends and crushes that have long changed hands and / or  been renovated or knocked down and rebuilt with bigger and more modern designs.  Trees that were mere saplings back then have matured and their roots cracked walls and paved sidewalks.  Once when I was eleven, a dog chasing me caused me to fall over and graze my knees.  However, I wasn't too concerned tonight when two dogs started chasing my bike, if it comes to it, I'd use the bicycle as both a shield and a weapon. Besides, they weren't too serious and gave up as soon as I was outside their territory.  My ride lasted all of 25 minutes, and I had gone down every street of phase one  of our subdivision -Amelita to Imelda, Lovely to Friendly and everything in between.  I got home with a smile on my face, who knows when I might be able to do this again.

  

Day 12

The week since I got here, I've been following two local news stories.  They are both about off-duty law enforcers pulling out their firearms during a road rage incident.  In  both cases, the offenders were trying to assert their authority against the object of their rage. And in both cases a passing motorist had pulled out their smart phones and recorded video of the altercations.  Both videos have gone viral and there was understandably public outcry against the blatant abuse of power.  In the past, all this would have just been quietly swept under the rug, and their law enforcement brothers would have helped with the cover up. That's no longer possible in today's world of social media because the evidence is now in the public sphere and the public expect consequences.  The newspaper today reports that in both incidents, the offenders have lost their jobs and their right to carry firearms. They were clearly not the guys you want roaming the streets armed. Even more satisfying is that the investigating cops who were allegedly willing to let them get away with it are also facing consequences.  Well done Filipinos, I am heartened by the progress of this society who are now excercising their power to hold these abusers and enablers of abuse accountable.  They are finding out that the dildo of consequences arrives unlubricated.

Downtown Manila

Day 7

After picking up my recovered phone from Alabang Town Center, I hopped on a bus and made my way to Quiapo. Taking a car to downtown Manila feels like too much hassle considering traffic, tolls, fuel and especially parking (might be worth it with a full passenger load but not solo).  Turns out my bus fare from Las Piñas to Quiapo cost less than a litre of petrol.

It was a long slow grind along Alabang-Zapote Road. I'm actually surprised it hasn't been renamed yet, considering that streets I used to know in my lifetime have been renamed  (for historical and some I suspect politcal reasons): 

• Avenida into Rizal Avenue
• Highway 54 into EDSA*
• Buendia into Gil Puyat
• Pasong Tamo into Arnaiz
• Pasay Road into Chino Roces 

I could go on but I'm just showing off my age here.

Traffic eased up once we hit Coastal Road (CAVITEX).  I do enjoy seeing the Manila Skyline from across the bay.  Instead of continuing along Roxas Boulevard, we peeled off into the newly reclaimed land (hah! it was started in the 1970s)  west of the Boulevard to hit PITX and MOA before rejoining it after Baclaran.  Even though the land reclamation had been completed decades ago, I still have trouble accepting this change is permanent as evidenced by the various developments, resort hotels, residential towers, and malls that have since sprouted. There are fewer and fewer people from my generation that still carry living memories of this being part of the sea. 

I was shocked when I saw Luneta had been bulldozed.  My online research indicated that this was part of the plan to ressurrect the original plans for its development dating back to 1905.  I'm sad and infuriated at the same time.

When we were very young (1968-1970), we would sometimes stay over with my aunties in Tondo.  If it was a particularly nice evening, they would take us on a jeepney ride with my cousins to Luneta for an evening stroll.  We used the park as it was meant to be used. Couples and families out to enjoy the gentle sea breeze amid the grass, trees, playgrounds, and sculptures.  There was even an aquarium that exhibited various marine life, my favourite being the piranha tank.  

The bus deposited all of its passengers near Colegio Santa Isabel (don't get me started on the Jai Alai building, I'm done grieving that) leaving me as the only passenger to take across the Pasig River to Quiapo.  Over the Quezon Bridge and down the ramp to Quezon Boulevard (yeah Quezon was a big deal), we shot past Quiapo Church, the passenger unloading zone was further down near Raon than Quiapo.  That suited me just fine as I did want to explore Raon anyway. 

This district of Manila is packed with street vendors, stalls, wholesalers and retailers spruiking everything from fashion (fakes or factory overruns, or more likely both), to tools, hardware, electronics.  I even spotted a vendor with dildoes, hmm that's new, I thought. The ground floor of buildings are entrances to a warren of more stalls, and eateries.  This is the furthest you can get from the airconditioned malls, this is where the masses can maximise their purchasing power.  

It is very densely crowded and one has to maintain the highest level of alertness lest one fall victim to scams, pick pockets, snatchers.   Very far removed from the Blue Mountains where the biggest crowds I have to deal with on a regular basis is the check out queue at Katoomba ALDI.   There were some occasions when I decided it wouldn't be prudent to pull out my phone to take pictures, even though every one around me had one and were busy scrolling through their Tik Tok feed. This is where you meet "the average Filipino" going about their lives.  

The noise is deafening, especially in the area where you can buy professional audio components for night clubs, karaoke bars, auditoriums.  Each stall competing with each other by turning their amps up to eleven just to show everyone they have the best and the loudest (they are not always the same thing).  The smells vary from. diesel exhaust, sharp plastic wrap, textiles, leather, to ozone tinged electrical, rust and grease, all of them taking turns with food aromas from frying, barbecuing, and steaming.  Brief periods of rain would send everyone scurrying for cover and deploying umbrellas, Puddles would pullulate into floods if the rain ever went longer than an hour.  Luckily today they remained as puddles, large, 2 inch deep puddles, but still shy of being called a flood.  You can call it a flood (baha in the Tagalog) once the enterprising boys put up walkways made of planks supported by hollow blocks or tyres, charge pedestrians a few coins for the privilege of using them to avoid having to wade through baha.

I made my way past Avenida and wound up in Ongpin, Manila's original Chinatown.  Lamp posts with red and gold dragons marked the boundaries of this district.  Famous eateries are interspersed with traders importing everything from heavy machinery to restaurant equipment, all imported from China and Taiwan. Some of the buildings date back to the American occupation and the post-war rebuild, some more recent like the 70s and 80s.  The streets are like core drill samples where you can identify the many layers representing various time periods.

When I emerged at Plaza Santa Cruz, I saw the church, the fountain, and the old buildings that wouldn't have been out of place in Madrid or Montevideo.  If I hadn't been to any of those places, its significance to our rich history would have been lost on me.  Inside Santa Cruz church, I sat on the pews and teased out memories of being a toddler with my parents attending mass.  I would be the little boy crawling under the rows of seats and over the kneelers disturbing worshippers. 

On Avenida was tired Isetan. I remember when it was new, where I bought my girlfriend a stuffed toy (monkey),  it was cute and she loved it. There is a place that still called itself Good Earth, but I still carry memories of Good Earth Emporium at that site, back when the only other department stores were Rustans, COD, and Arcegas.

When it was time to head home, I made my way to Lawton aka Liwasang Bonifacio via Quinta Market and back south over the Pasig.  The Post Office building where I attended many student rallies in 1983-1984 burned down just this year.  

The only thing that picked up my sad lamentation of lost iconic landmarks is the restoration and re-opening of the Metropolitan Theatre.  This is a desperate plea to all Manileños,  please preserve our heritage.  A place like this magnificent example of Art Deco does not exist anywhere in Asia, not even Australia has anything as exquisite as the Metropolitan. One would have to go to New York or Paris to see, let alone attend a performance in similar a place.   

It has survived WWII and decades of neglect.  I pray it survives developers, the way that the Jai Alai building did not.

*Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue if anyone was asking

Authentication!

Day 6

Movies are cheaper in the Philippines than Australia.  I was hoping to catch Oppenheimer or Barbie so my sister dropped me off at Alabang Town Centre (ATC) after lunch.  On my previous visits a trip to the mall is also a chance to go shopping.  The most prolific mall in the country is the SM brand, not sure how many people actually still remember what SM stood for (Shoe Mart).  It used to be a chain of shoe stores, and later grew into department stores.  However, in the 80s the Viktor Gruen concept  of malls with car parks was changing the world and they built the first "mega mall" in Mandaluyong.   It was a brutalist windowless air-conditioned rectangular block housing three storeys of retail and food outlets anchored by the department store, supermarket and multiplex cinemas.  At latest count there are 83 SM malls in the country (and apparently 7 in China). 

ATC though took a different approach by not adopting the big box. The mall consists of several smaller buildings, each with its own character, and inter-linked by aesthetically landscaped walkways and all tied together with a coherent Spanish/Mexican villa style. It's kind of clever because one could just pleasantly meander around and get lost, thereby increasing your chances of spending more money due to the extended linger time.  Reminds me of casinos that have no right-angle corridors and no clocks to discourage punters from ever leaving  Notwithstanding, hands down it's my favourite mall in the country. 

So that's what I did, I walked around and took note of which shops were as I remember from previous visits, some relocated, some new, and some gone, the empty shells boarded up waiting for the next entrepreneur willing to take a stab at retail success.   Eventually I did make it to the cinema and bought a ticket for "Blue Beetle" (Barbie had only one session but for later in the day).  It was  then that I noticed I couldn't find my phone.  I was horrified when I emptied my bag and my pockets, reaching the unavoidable conclusion that I had lost my phone.  After the movie, I retraced my steps searching. When that yielded nothing, I asked the concierge (yes the mall had a concierge) if by chance someone might have handed it in.  They said no, but if I leave my details, they'll contact me if someone does.  I thought this is the Philippines, if no one has handed it in yet I probably would never see it again. Fuck.

As soon as I got home I went online, and tried Google's find my phone feature.  It said unable to contact phone, the last time it was in contact was 4 hours ago before I left for the mall.  Of course.  I had it in airplane mode because I didn't want to pay $10/day for roaming, but I did use it when wi-fi was available, like at home.  

As a last ditch effort, my sister lodged a post on the Southies facebook group hoping it would be found by a member.  People made helpful comments like try Google find my phone feature. Uh-huh.

I accepted my android phone was gone for good. So I needed to secure it on Google.  When I followed the steps to do so, Google wanted to verify my identity and sent a 6 digit one time code to,  see where this is going?  Yes my phone before it will let me access the secure function.  To secure my lost phone I had to put in  the 6 digit code that was sent to my lost phone. Grrrr.

I tried to turn off 2 factor authentication, but before I can do that I had to authenticate first.  With. A. Code. Sent. To. My. Phone. Grrrr.

I also needed to let Telstra know that my phone is lost so that whomever found/stole my phone can't use it to rack up roaming / call charges.  I get on to the Telstra website.  They want me to use the Telstra app (on my lost phone) to access the feature.  How about using the browser?  The webpage says to use the browser on my lost phone.  Grrrrrr.

Eventually I found a link to contact Telstra via facebook messenger.  The support person needed to verify my identity (not again).    She sent me an authentication form, but the link wouldn't load.  She asked me to clear my browser cache and try the link again.  When I cleared the browser cache, I got logged out (duh).  But oh no, that means my Google session was also logged out!  Luckily Google didn't ask for 2 factor authentication and I was able to log back in (maybe because Google recognised I was on the same IP address). I tried the link again and it still wouldn't.

  

Telstra support asked if I have another device.  I told her THIS PC IS THE OTHER DEVICE.  Oh. 

 

So as an alternative, she suggested that I have to go to a Telstra shop and do this in person.    I reminded her I was overseas.  Oh. 

So she asked again if can I use another device.  I was ready to strangle someone, but my sister loaned me a smart phone.  I had to reinstall facebook messenger and try the authentication link again.  To my suprise that worked! She said great!  She processed the form and sent me an email with another link, and when I clicked that, she was finally able to verify me.  Now she can suspend my services so that no one can use my phone / sim.  I will have to go in person to a Telstra shop when I get back to Australia to lift the suspension when I can get a new phone / sim.  

Aaaarghhhh!

My sister and her daughter were convinced my phone was lifted from me by a skilled pick-pocket. I insisted that would not be possible, I was aware of everyone around me at ATC and no one got close enough to me the whole time I was there.  I did concede that if I had accidentally dropped it or if it fell out of my bag, I had little faith the finder would turn it in. It's a poor country and a free phone is a free phone.

The next day, my sister got a call from the ATC concierge. My phone was found by a security guard at the bottom of an escalator.  However, since I didn't leave my contact details, how did they know to call my sister's number?  They found her post on the  Southies facebook group.  

Thank you to all who helped reunite me with my phone.  May the universe repay you with good karma.