Ubi panis ibi patria » Philippines

Manila Now

eric — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:36:55 +0000

For me, + this is just an opinion.

Manila has so much potential. The city and it’s country are only beginning to realize some of its potential.

Most of us were not around during the 1900s.

Though from what we could remember about then, they were times when Industrialism & Entrepreneurial were in full swing. Think Carnegie, the Ford, Firestone, Morgan.

It is 2010, yet in so many ways Manila still physically represents scenes like this:

New York City Early 1900s

It’s really Amazing! Time Travel doesn’t seem possible. But not only are we in a time zone 12 hours ahead of New York City, but it feels like New York City in 1900 — at times.

Worldwide, one could think that ‘Developed’ Western Economies better re-think what they have done and where they are going, and whether they think they will attempt to drag the entire world down with them.

The higher you are, the higher you fall.

These Developing Nations, such as the Philippines have nowhere to go but up! Brazil, Russia, India, China simply lead the pack. Many others are more nimble, smaller, and resourceful.

\eof

I Love That Dirty Water: Boston you’re my home

eric — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:51:43 +0000

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8h2gVcDQ9E

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.

RANT: bicycle laundry delivery man

eric — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:22:34 +0000

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!

Coca-Cola’s Pearl of the Orient (1955) – The Philippines

eric — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:13:58 +0000

at one time, the philippines was the wealthiest country in asia…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmK_PU2FXe8

christmas caroles on bus [old-post]

eric — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:07:50 +0000

i’m migrating my blogs to this new site… for the meantime you will see me digging back and smacking up content to fill the site…. in the near future i will start blogging regularly…

from Sat 11/29/2008

it started like this… i’m on a bus from maganelles station in makati, outbound to the skyway south to alabang… stuck in rush hour traffic, the skyway is literally a parking lot… i’m jotting down notes of things to get done and ideas to execute, and all of a sudden a man stands up in the front of the bus with a guitar strapped along his chest… hahaha.. not a bomb!

anyway, he starts a familiar sounding christmas tune and sings along to it, the only competing sounds are the loud beep beeps of the buses anxiously trying to cut one another off… he sings in english and switches back to tagalog as if they are the same language… people near him in the front are even singing along.. i don’ t know this track….

it was quite relieving with walmart stampes in the U.S., mumbai pools of bodies and blood, and bangkok’s airport getting taken care this week, that this week in the Philippines Christmas is coming and everyone is happy!!!!

i’m also happy to report that mr. guitar made a couple hundred pesos as everyone had their hands out to donate to him all 60+ of us!

god bless the philippines!