Today is Monday, June 7th, 2010 and it is now 5AM here in San Franz, Mindanao, Philippines.
Recap: After spending a week with Jackie at a high priced beach resort on Cebu Island, trying to make sense of all her lies, we departed for Manila aboard another ferry...
On May 30th, at 10 AM we left Cebu on a Trans Asia ferry, my favourite ferry line, though in reality there isn't that much difference from line to line. Booked a private cabin once again, as I still wasn't up to all the staring.
The 1st day at sea, stopping in Bacolod on Negros Island, a medium sized island in the Visayan Chain (Central Philippines), for 3 hours and then out to sea again. This time of year is Monsoon. Some in the US, and parts of Australia live in semi-tropical locales. They are familiar with a regular daily rainfall for 2 hours or less, the same time each day. It even rains quite hard in some of those places. Actual Monsoon however is anothing altogether, imagine a solid sheet of water for an hour and then tropical storm conditions for 3 or 4 hours or more each day. It is amazing that these ships sail at all at this time of year.
As it is, about every 3 years the Philippines has a terrible ferry accident where multitudes die. Indeed, as I post this the Philippine Navy has handed over body recovery duties to the Philippine Coast Guard (despite my involvement with the country's military I honestly didn't even know they had a fucken Coast Guard) for a ferry called the "Princess." The boat belonged to a very troubled ferry line called Sulpicio Lines, one I USED TO take all the time despite its shitty safety record.
About 1.5 years ago it left Manilla during a Code 1 Typhoon. They allow sailing up until Code 3. After the boar cleared Corregidor Island in Manila Bay and turned south towards Cavite the typhoon strengthened and rang up to a 3.5. Almost at Cavite the ferry turned over and of the roughly 1300 people aboard, 14 survived, including 7 who were doggy paddling for 3 days. Niiiiice.
The Coast Guard is trying to speed up the recovery of the hundreds of skeletons shown to still be inside the hull (I am glad we Jews don't fuck with crabs and lobster).
Those that have been reading me for a while will remember even before that incident I had been nagging Rizza, who can't swim (like most Bisaya for some stupid reason, despite being tropical islanders), to buy a decent life preserver and a can of pepper spray so noone grabbed her life vest in case of emergency.
At least Rizza didn't get scared, but Jackie? If the ship bucks she is nervous as hell. Anyway...
So it's Monsoon, the ship, if you go out on deck, jumps a good meter if its into the wind and that's quite a jump, 3 feet? I am suprised, as I started to say, that they don't lock the doors and keep people inside but that's the way it is here. We kept the cabin door ajar all the time in case of a real problem.
We didn't talk much, I was no longer in the mood. It occurred to me that no matter what happened after this, I was going to have to make a run down to Mindanao, to San Franz. I am opiate/opioid addicted and when leaving the US brought 25 bottles of liquid methadone, 200 mgs each. I had 9 left by the time we left Cebu. In Rizza and my home I had roughly 3.5 kg of morphine (in 10, 20 and 30 mg water soluble Instant Release tablets. 3.1 boxes of the 30 mg tablets equals 1 kg). I also had a great assortment of fentanyl Durogesic (50 and 25 microgram patches). Durogesic is the Jannsen export version with impregnated mylar, no gel like you see in Duragesic, the patches they have in the US. I also have a large quantity of oxycodone (i.e."Oxycontin") Instant Release capsules from Mundipharma.
My prescribing physician, in San Franz died while I was in the US, but at least I was wise enough to stockpile each time I made a trip to a city where morphine was available (5 on all of Mindanao).
I am sure I can find a few in Manila no problem but have enough on my mind and having gone through Cold Turkey Withdrawal 2 times in this country already (1 with methadone, 1 with morphine and the latter was so much worse), I didn't want to worry about a 3rd time.
So, as we sailed around Mindoro, a medium island near Luzon, through the storms and wind, I decided that I would head south to Mindanao after I made sure Jackie was OK... hey, it's not like I can just throw her in the street even if she is a fucken liar.
Nearing Luzon I figured out my game plan, and as we docked on the afternoon of May 31st, I quickly grabbed our stuff, got a cab and without worrying about price had him drive us to Rada Street in Makati, where I sublet the condo.
I felt nothing as I saw Jackie's suprise at seeing the luxury building...oh by the way...As I have noted the Philippines had its elections on May 10th, the new president is Benigno "Nonoy" Aquino III, son of the late Corazon Conjuangco Aquino who saw the country's transition from dictatorship under Marcos to full on democracy, or at least that's the story...and the 50 year old bachelor has decided NOT to live in the Presidential Palace and instead RENT A CONDO. Word is, according to my fellow Hebes in Makati, that it will be my building, the Rada, but we will see.
As it is the building houses so many diplomats that it can't be much worse security wise but I do wonder If I would pass the security check that would preceed his moving in. I am a non-citizen with temporary status, a Middle Easterner (though a Jew) and a convicted drug felon...hmmm...and involved in Mindanowan paramilitaries....
So, I took her upstairs. Unfortunately it is a studio, nothing glamarous and small for 2 people on less than intimate terms. That first night I took her out to a Korean BBQ joint, of course her first time though the malls in Mindanao all have these little kiosks with Korean platters that they cook in front of you, like a pseudo Korean BBQ sans the Kimchee. One thing I always liked about Jackie is that she loves vegetables, I know Im a bit weird haha.
When we both went back she began trying to talk me out of my funk, but to no avail. It was only 730 PM and I decided to go to the mall.
Makati has 4 malls. One of the great things about the town is that all 4 are in tiny area, and better yet, my building has a private pedestrian bridge to the complex where all 4 sit.
Jackie of course wanted to come, and now I couldn't help but laugh as she was overcome with shock, having private concierges opening doors, calling her "ma'am," and then walking through a private pedestrian bridge to luxury malls.
There is a food supermarket called "Swiss Market" which specialises in food expats have to have. For example, in the Philippines there is only white vinegar. The leading domestic brand, "Datu Puti," is only 35% pure, the rest being water. If you want pure cider or even balsamic vinegars you have to go to a place like Swiss Market. Ditto on Catsup (Ketchup). For some semi-retarded reason Filipinos only eat BANANA Catsup. They make fucken catsup from bananas and red food colouring. They don't have that many tomatoes, but still, why the fuck use bananas? It tastes worse than it sounds, I assure you.
Sorry "Crystal," I call it as I see it.
Anyway, got enough food, had Jackie get what she wants which was just about nothing as she is trying to impress me...
And when we got back upstairs I explained that I had to take care of some shit on Mindanao. She knows I take methadone, and before that tablets but never understood the underlying reason.
She knows I take TB meds (Isoniazid and Vitamin B12), as her own father took them as well. I write off any sedation as a side effect of the TB meds, and she says her dad used to get the same "effect" so go figure.
I told her I had to pick up more meds. She of course begged to go with me. I lied (see? even I can be an asshole) and said I was going to Davao City, and only to Davao, to try and alleviate her insecurities and fears over me meeting up with Rizza...or even Rizza's family which also makes her insanely jealous). I promised her I would pick up the meds and head back up immediately but that I couldn't take her because of the cost. She couldn't really argue it then, as she is trying to show me she won't over-burden me, etc.
I left at 4 AM and bought a ticket on Cebu-Pacific at the domestic airport, also in Makati, for the flight to Butuan at 930 AM. Finally took off after 11 AM (good old Philippine's Time!) and landed just after 1 PM.
I hadn't called ahead and took a taxi for the almost 200 KM ride south to San Franz.
As we neared the "rotunda" (traffic circle) on which our road spurs off of, I began to get nervous, after all, I was dropping in alone and unannounced. Surely it would be stressfull for the family...but I will get to that in my next entry.
(Edited for spelling)
Recap: After spending a week with Jackie at a high priced beach resort on Cebu Island, trying to make sense of all her lies, we departed for Manila aboard another ferry...
On May 30th, at 10 AM we left Cebu on a Trans Asia ferry, my favourite ferry line, though in reality there isn't that much difference from line to line. Booked a private cabin once again, as I still wasn't up to all the staring.
The 1st day at sea, stopping in Bacolod on Negros Island, a medium sized island in the Visayan Chain (Central Philippines), for 3 hours and then out to sea again. This time of year is Monsoon. Some in the US, and parts of Australia live in semi-tropical locales. They are familiar with a regular daily rainfall for 2 hours or less, the same time each day. It even rains quite hard in some of those places. Actual Monsoon however is anothing altogether, imagine a solid sheet of water for an hour and then tropical storm conditions for 3 or 4 hours or more each day. It is amazing that these ships sail at all at this time of year.
As it is, about every 3 years the Philippines has a terrible ferry accident where multitudes die. Indeed, as I post this the Philippine Navy has handed over body recovery duties to the Philippine Coast Guard (despite my involvement with the country's military I honestly didn't even know they had a fucken Coast Guard) for a ferry called the "Princess." The boat belonged to a very troubled ferry line called Sulpicio Lines, one I USED TO take all the time despite its shitty safety record.
About 1.5 years ago it left Manilla during a Code 1 Typhoon. They allow sailing up until Code 3. After the boar cleared Corregidor Island in Manila Bay and turned south towards Cavite the typhoon strengthened and rang up to a 3.5. Almost at Cavite the ferry turned over and of the roughly 1300 people aboard, 14 survived, including 7 who were doggy paddling for 3 days. Niiiiice.
The Coast Guard is trying to speed up the recovery of the hundreds of skeletons shown to still be inside the hull (I am glad we Jews don't fuck with crabs and lobster).
Those that have been reading me for a while will remember even before that incident I had been nagging Rizza, who can't swim (like most Bisaya for some stupid reason, despite being tropical islanders), to buy a decent life preserver and a can of pepper spray so noone grabbed her life vest in case of emergency.
At least Rizza didn't get scared, but Jackie? If the ship bucks she is nervous as hell. Anyway...
So it's Monsoon, the ship, if you go out on deck, jumps a good meter if its into the wind and that's quite a jump, 3 feet? I am suprised, as I started to say, that they don't lock the doors and keep people inside but that's the way it is here. We kept the cabin door ajar all the time in case of a real problem.
We didn't talk much, I was no longer in the mood. It occurred to me that no matter what happened after this, I was going to have to make a run down to Mindanao, to San Franz. I am opiate/opioid addicted and when leaving the US brought 25 bottles of liquid methadone, 200 mgs each. I had 9 left by the time we left Cebu. In Rizza and my home I had roughly 3.5 kg of morphine (in 10, 20 and 30 mg water soluble Instant Release tablets. 3.1 boxes of the 30 mg tablets equals 1 kg). I also had a great assortment of fentanyl Durogesic (50 and 25 microgram patches). Durogesic is the Jannsen export version with impregnated mylar, no gel like you see in Duragesic, the patches they have in the US. I also have a large quantity of oxycodone (i.e."Oxycontin") Instant Release capsules from Mundipharma.
My prescribing physician, in San Franz died while I was in the US, but at least I was wise enough to stockpile each time I made a trip to a city where morphine was available (5 on all of Mindanao).
I am sure I can find a few in Manila no problem but have enough on my mind and having gone through Cold Turkey Withdrawal 2 times in this country already (1 with methadone, 1 with morphine and the latter was so much worse), I didn't want to worry about a 3rd time.
So, as we sailed around Mindoro, a medium island near Luzon, through the storms and wind, I decided that I would head south to Mindanao after I made sure Jackie was OK... hey, it's not like I can just throw her in the street even if she is a fucken liar.
Nearing Luzon I figured out my game plan, and as we docked on the afternoon of May 31st, I quickly grabbed our stuff, got a cab and without worrying about price had him drive us to Rada Street in Makati, where I sublet the condo.
I felt nothing as I saw Jackie's suprise at seeing the luxury building...oh by the way...As I have noted the Philippines had its elections on May 10th, the new president is Benigno "Nonoy" Aquino III, son of the late Corazon Conjuangco Aquino who saw the country's transition from dictatorship under Marcos to full on democracy, or at least that's the story...and the 50 year old bachelor has decided NOT to live in the Presidential Palace and instead RENT A CONDO. Word is, according to my fellow Hebes in Makati, that it will be my building, the Rada, but we will see.
As it is the building houses so many diplomats that it can't be much worse security wise but I do wonder If I would pass the security check that would preceed his moving in. I am a non-citizen with temporary status, a Middle Easterner (though a Jew) and a convicted drug felon...hmmm...and involved in Mindanowan paramilitaries....
So, I took her upstairs. Unfortunately it is a studio, nothing glamarous and small for 2 people on less than intimate terms. That first night I took her out to a Korean BBQ joint, of course her first time though the malls in Mindanao all have these little kiosks with Korean platters that they cook in front of you, like a pseudo Korean BBQ sans the Kimchee. One thing I always liked about Jackie is that she loves vegetables, I know Im a bit weird haha.
When we both went back she began trying to talk me out of my funk, but to no avail. It was only 730 PM and I decided to go to the mall.
Makati has 4 malls. One of the great things about the town is that all 4 are in tiny area, and better yet, my building has a private pedestrian bridge to the complex where all 4 sit.
Jackie of course wanted to come, and now I couldn't help but laugh as she was overcome with shock, having private concierges opening doors, calling her "ma'am," and then walking through a private pedestrian bridge to luxury malls.
There is a food supermarket called "Swiss Market" which specialises in food expats have to have. For example, in the Philippines there is only white vinegar. The leading domestic brand, "Datu Puti," is only 35% pure, the rest being water. If you want pure cider or even balsamic vinegars you have to go to a place like Swiss Market. Ditto on Catsup (Ketchup). For some semi-retarded reason Filipinos only eat BANANA Catsup. They make fucken catsup from bananas and red food colouring. They don't have that many tomatoes, but still, why the fuck use bananas? It tastes worse than it sounds, I assure you.
Sorry "Crystal," I call it as I see it.
Anyway, got enough food, had Jackie get what she wants which was just about nothing as she is trying to impress me...
And when we got back upstairs I explained that I had to take care of some shit on Mindanao. She knows I take methadone, and before that tablets but never understood the underlying reason.
She knows I take TB meds (Isoniazid and Vitamin B12), as her own father took them as well. I write off any sedation as a side effect of the TB meds, and she says her dad used to get the same "effect" so go figure.
I told her I had to pick up more meds. She of course begged to go with me. I lied (see? even I can be an asshole) and said I was going to Davao City, and only to Davao, to try and alleviate her insecurities and fears over me meeting up with Rizza...or even Rizza's family which also makes her insanely jealous). I promised her I would pick up the meds and head back up immediately but that I couldn't take her because of the cost. She couldn't really argue it then, as she is trying to show me she won't over-burden me, etc.
I left at 4 AM and bought a ticket on Cebu-Pacific at the domestic airport, also in Makati, for the flight to Butuan at 930 AM. Finally took off after 11 AM (good old Philippine's Time!) and landed just after 1 PM.
I hadn't called ahead and took a taxi for the almost 200 KM ride south to San Franz.
As we neared the "rotunda" (traffic circle) on which our road spurs off of, I began to get nervous, after all, I was dropping in alone and unannounced. Surely it would be stressfull for the family...but I will get to that in my next entry.
(Edited for spelling)