Ubi panis ibi patria

Living abroad for almost two consecutive years sometimes you need reminders where you’re from.

Today I’m remembering, Today I’m planning to get back for an extended period of time. Manila -- The Philippines is developing, and so am I. We’ll meet again soon. The goal is to do Six Months and Six Months. Six Months split between the Providence -- New Bedford -- Fall River MSA, the Boston -- Quincy -- Cambridge MSA, and the Orlando -- Daytona Beach -- Kissimmee MSA. For those of you who don’t know what MSA is -- it’s Metropolitan Statisical Area. It’s usually the area the radio stations reach and they itemize for Nielsen Ratings and such.

Great song for this, by the Standells, I love that Dirty Water.

Oh, Boston you’re my home.

In my near two years in manila I never met as many tech -oriented Entrepreneurs as I have met back at my home area. Providence, Boston, Nashua, Fall River, Brockton, Cambridge. Manila -- you are awesome. I love you. For many different reasons. I feel Manila will someday be the techno-hub of Asia. For now it’s still Tokyo.

ok this aint no picture of him, my camera is on infinite charge mode….

yesterday, i’m waiting all day in the only pair of shorts i have… all my dirty laundry being held by ‘labander hub’ who doesn’t pick up the phone all day yesterday. after many txt messages, i quit on leaving the house with these filthy shorts.

today, saturday, i send an SMS over to ‘labander hub’ at about 0900hrs.. they apologize for not bringing the laundry due to the rain storm. OK – no problem. They also say delivery man is coming within the hour – OK great, I can finally leave the house and take care of things! waiting all afternoon, many SMS messages sent, no reply..

this is damn hard work. this must be pakistan or something - i did not take this picture - but it makes the philippines look more developed than the USSA

1500hrs rolls around. I really want to get to Recto. I really really want to leave my house. I really really want to get away from the Internet! Finally, I call and say, “mare saan laundry ko? gusto ko sa laundry na?, she says” mamayana sir, later sir, is this american eric?”, I say, “OPO! yes! kelan nmn po? (when is it coming), can i come get it now?”, she replied, “YES sir come get it now.”

So then, I get ready to take a shower, and shazam! here’s Alain the laundry guy!

Good thing I didn’t go down there.

Oy WordPress, thank you for letting me rant! The walls do not talk back and neither do you!

At the end, I can not complain at all. 14kilos of Laundry Wash, Dry, Press and Delivered for PHP308… ~USD$6.45  .. PROPS to Labander Hub Laundry Services - Beside this one incident, they provided grea service to me for more than 6 months! beat that Uncle Sam!