Ohhh... Ohhh... Ohhh....

Despite being a sworn fan of Mickey D, I do get McDonald's fatigue once in a while. So when I find myself craving for something more than Chicken McNuggets and Filet-O-Fish, there's another place where I head on to, and it ain't Jollibee. (Well, i would go to Jollibee, but their menu offering here is so limited. They don't even have choco-mallow pie or Jolly Chicken Strips.)

That place is called Triple-Os by White Spot. If i'm not mistaken, it's a Canadian fastfood chain with 2 stores in Hong Kong. One is in The Forum, Central (In front of IFC), and the other is at grEAT in Pacific Place Mall, Admiralty.

Facade of the Forum branch

The reason I love Triple Os is because they have a veggie burger. It's a patty made of different greens, but it's mish-mashed in a way that it does feel like beef instead of broccoli. It's served with the usual burger dressing and a huge dill pickle on top. Making it feel like a carnivorian treat rather than a standard vegetarian fare.

They also have the best Chicken Sandwich in this country. The Chicken Supreme combo comes with a huge chicken sandwich, a cup of fries which are cut really big, and a soda. Their fries remind me of NY Fries back in Manila, which is good. The thing is, these fries have to be hot and crispy when you eat them, because if it gets to you soggy, it's just a lard stick which makes my arteries feel clogged just by looking at it.

My favorite Triple-Os meal. Chicken Sandwich, Fries and a soda!

Their Chicken Supreme burger is made of a huge slab of chicken breast, lightly marinated in garlic. This ain't no McChicken because there's absolutely no breading nor extenders. You can see the whole, white meat once you open the wrapping, and it's drizzled with Honey Mustard sauce that gives it the right sweetness and balances off the sandwich. I especially like it when the sauce gets soaked in the soft bun. It's enough to give you a big O!

The sandwich before the slaughter.

For hard core carnivores, they also have a lot of burger choices, including a mushroom topped burger, and the bacon cheeseburger cholesterol-o-rama! For those watching their weight, they also have good salads, with equally mouth watering dressings. (I'd go for the Italian dressing.) And those looking for a sugar high, do try their milkshakes. According to them, it's "hand dipped" and made the original way like they did in 1920s.

Meanwhile, let me just sit down here and enjoy my chicken burger and fries.



There, I'm done. I must say, this meal was simply Ohhh... Ohhh... Ohhhh.. good. I guess that's why it's called Triple-Os.

Light up the sky!

On the first day of Chinese New Year, hundreds of thousands of people from the mainland and Hong Kong gather around the bay to witness the New Year fireworks. It's one of the 2 big fireworks displays in the country (the other being on National Day) and people really come out en masse just to witness the spectacle.

As early as 6:30pm, cops close down the stretch of Nathan Road to accommodate all the revelers. Some people - those who have a lot of time to kill - hang around the Cultural Center as early as 5:30 to get the best view of the show. But once 7pm clocks in, droves of people start pouring into the streets, all hoping for an unobstructed view.

The crowds as they arrive.

This country is well known for its efficiency and precision. So when the streamer says "Fireworks show begins at 8pm" it does begin promptly at 8pm. The moment the first burst of light illuminates the sky, people all stand up, point to the sky and giddily jump like kids opening their gifts on Christmas day.

The first fireworks burst!

A classmate who's been a Hong Kong resident for the past 13 years said that the Chinese like to say: WWWWAAAAHHHHH whenever they're amazed. And within a 15 minute time frame, I must have heard WWWWAAAAHHHHH a million times. I was so tempted to tap the guy beside me and say: "Dude, they're just fireworks!" But I also remembered that this expression is also a sign of appreciation. It means you've been so awed by the beauty and precision of the fireworks that you can't help but look up and say WWWWAAAAAAHHHHH!

Some of the WWWAAAAHHHHers that night.

So to get into the spirit of things, I thought of letting out a big WWWWAAAAHHHHH after seeing something that impressed me. But after trying it, I told myself: "Dude, they're just fireworks..."

WAAAAHHHHHH worthy fireworks.

After 30 minutes, and a grand display of pyrotechnics (plus a dark cloud of smoke hovering over Victoria Bay, the event ends. Now comes the hard part, it is said that the turn-out tonight was 800,000 people. So that means I had to walk with and through more than half a million people along the narrow streets of Nathan Road and its neighboring enclaves. Good thing I was alone, this made it easy for me to weave in and out of people.

And the exodus begins.

In retrospect, I was looking for a phrase that could sum up this major event to welcome one of the most important celebrations in HK. And all I could think of was: "Dude, they're just fireworks!"

Livin' La Vida Low Maintenance

I've noticed something this morning. I've been living in my flat for more than 4 months, and i've only used 4 rolls of tissue paper.

Yes, I do wipe myself each time I do the number 2, so there's need to worry about my hygiene issues.

So I guess that means i'm really just a low maintenance kinda guy.

I love Hong Kong when it's deserted...

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Today is Chinese New Year and for the first time, i'm experiencing it in Hong Kong. This is really novel for me since i'm living the holiday through the eyes of a local - albeit transplanted and artificial. While I haven't gone too the deep end and set up cherry blossom trees surrounded by mini-Mandarin trees in my living room, I did follow 2 of Keat's prescriptions for the holidays: Don't wear black and eat a lot of Mandarin Oranges. That wasn't very hard to do.

CNY for HK is like Holy Week of Manila. It's their really long holiday where people take the time off to rest, relax, visit relatives and basically just do nothing. According to newspaper reports, there's large traffic on the borders to the mainland because a lot of the Hongkies are off to rejoin their families in China. Because of that, HK is basically deserted the next 2 or 3 days.

That's the reason why I love it so much.

On regular days, HK is just teeming with people. Thousands of people just scurry about like ants, some going to work, some going to school, some going to shop, some going to eat, some tourists, some expats, some transplants and a lot of locals. On a rormal day, HK is a dizzying cacophony of sounds that people make: footsteps, idle chatter, rustling of plastic bags, and a lot more. Often, I welcome these sounds because they make me feel less homesick and occupy my mind and ears. But at times, it's just too much, that it makes me want to go home or hop on a ferry to Macau and just meditate at Hac Sa beach. (I do both quite often, actually.)

Today, I was greeted to a much quiter, much emptier HK. Nathan Road isn't full to the brim with people, just the occasional KMB bus scuttering around with passengers.

Today, I can walk along the street without dodging too many people, or bumping into some cart toting hawker carrying faux burberry scarfs to sell.

Today, I can go to a restaurant and not have to wait for a seat. It's great to see CPK with just a sprinkling of people for a change.

Mongkok, notoriously one of the most populated parts of Kowloon, is a picture of serenity and calm today. Most of the shops are closed, and the streets are semi-empty, save for the band of caucasian tourists who are probably wondering: "where did everybody go?" Because of this picture of peace, I was inspired to take a leisurely stroll around, and just take a long, hard look at the old edifices and all the Kung Hei Fat Choi posters scattered around the streets.

Of course, I also took a long, hard look at those 2 pairs of jeans that I promised myself I'd buy last night. And yes, I did buy them! New Antik Denims. Woohoo!

But I digress...

Since my first visit to HK when I was still a short, pudgy boy, I've always known this city as the City of Life. Like New York, it's a city that never sleeps. That's why it isn't surprising to see revelers at 3am along Causeway Bay, or people with shopping bags still traversing Austin Road at the break of dawn. For the longest time, this is the HK that I've known and loved.

Today, seeing Hong Kong as an emptier, more peaceful place, I have to admit that I think I love this even more.

What to do when you're not doing anything...

7:30 am - Wake up
7:35 am - Go back to sleep
8:40 am - Wake up
8:42 am - Go to the bathroom
8:45 am - Go back to sleep
10:50 am - Wake up
11:20 am - Leave the house and go to Festival Walk
11:30 am - Arrive at Festival Walk and find out that Wedding Crashers is no longer showing (MAJOR BUMMER! AND I THOUGHT I'D BE ABLE TO STILL CATCH IT IN HK!)
11:35 am - Check books at Page One
1:20 pm - Leave Page One after browsing through graphic design and cookbooks
1:34 pm - Walk around the street of Kowloon Tong aimlessly. Looked at the houses and the nice view
2:02 pm - Went back to the MTR Station and bought bread at Maxim's
2:20 pm - Got home and had late lunch of bread and junk food
2:34 pm - Read magazines and went on a sound trip
4:00 pm - Went to IFC to buy tickets for tomorrow's showing of Fun with Dick and Jane
4:20 pm - Rode a tram going to Ikea
4:57 pm - Arrived in Ikea. Bought a curtain rod, scissors and an ergonomic pillow. (My current pillows are so hard on the neck)Bought popcorn while I was at it.
6:11 pm - Got home. Started doing the "Handyman thang" and put up my new curtains.
6:48 pm - Project finished. Stood there and looked proudly at my creation.
6:50 pm - Ate more bread and junk food for dinner
7:00 pm - Popped in the "American Pie presents Band Camp" DVD and watched. Got a few laughs.
9:01 pm - Left home and went to Fa Yuen street to check out new jeans.
9:36 pm - Saw 2 must have jeans: Antik Denim and Energie
9:37 pm - Promised myself that i'd buy them tomorrow
9:55 pm - Bought oranges and apples for breakfast
10:10 pm - Went to the Net Cafe and checked emails
10:23 pm - Started writing this entry
10:43 pm - I'm done!

Ready for the big day...

Looks like Hong Kong is all ready for the coming of the Lunar New Year tomorrow. The malls are all decked out. Cherry blossom trees are in view wherever you turn.




Dragons are dancing all over the place.



And everyone is excitedly waiting for the big day.

The reasons for being excited are actually quite varied. Some are excited because they'll get to go on a long holiday out of Hong Kong. Some are excited because of all the Lai Sees they're hoping to receive. Some are excited because it's time to see their long lost relatives again. And some are excited just because the Lunar New Year here is big and something to be excited about.

As for me, I'm just excited because It's going to be my first Chinese New Year in Hong Kong.

Eating like a boy

Had lunch at McDonald's again today. Found out they were giving out the "Chronicles of Narnia" toys with their Happy Meal and I just had to get one. Whilst I tried collecting them during my 4-week stay in Manila, my Mom gave them to my niece and nephew in Georgia. So, from having 4 action figures, I now have none.

There I was, standing in line, waiting to order. Beside me was this little boy, around 8 years old, wearing a colorful fleece jacket, nerdy eyeglasses and carrying a backpack. Needless to say, he was a student who must've just completed school and is about to grab lunch before going home. He spoke very clearly for someone so small, and while I don't understand Cantonese, it appeared to me that he speaks with authority. I didn't eavesdrop regarding his order, but something told me that he's going for the Happy Meal as well.

As luck would have it, 8-year old boy and I were seated beside each other. When I saw his tray, I found out that he did order the happy meal. To be exact, he ordered:

- Filet-o-fish
- Regular fries
- Regular soda
- 2 piece McWings
- Jadis the White Witch toy

Then, I looked at my own tray. Guess what i saw:

- Filet-o-fish
- Regular fries
- Regular soda
- 2 piece McWings
- Jadis the White Witch toy

We looked at each other and smiled. Despite the 20+ year gap, this kid and I share the same taste in food and toys. That moment, he was like my little brother. There we were, gnoshing on fries and wings and a filet, then washing it down with soda. And of course, we were both waiting to go back home to open our new toy!

While assessing the scenario, I kept on thinking: Does the boy eat like an adult? Or do I eat like a boy?

McDonalds + a toy? I think the answer is pretty obvious.

"Mommy, Mommy, guess what I learned..."

Today I learned how to say "Excuse me, but I need to fart" in Cantonese!

Don't ask my why, but i've inadvertently picked up this phrase and repeated it again and again and again. According to my colleagues, I've got the accent just right. So yes, people will understand me when I say it.

Now all I need is an elevator packed with people, then I can practice to see if it really works!

OMG! I'm wearing the same outfit as...

Today was one of those: "I-just-can't-figure-out-what-to-wear-today-days". And as anyone with a fascination with fashion would say, on days like this, you can never go wrong with black. So that's what I did: black t-shirt, black pull over, Zara Jeans and black, leather Chuck Taylors. On my way out, I grabbed my olive green blazer to add a punch of color to the look.

Later on in the day, one of my colleagues stops in front of me, looks at me intently and says: "You're wearing the same thing you wore yesterday."

Looking back - 24 hours back to be exact - I realized that I WAS wearing the same olive green blazer yesterday. But the look was: Esprit Jeans, green American Eagle Cable knit sweater, and Zara boots. So technically, it was a totally different look from yesterday.

So I said: "I'm just wearing the same blazer. Everything else is different." To which he replied: "But the blazer is what people see first, so they'll think you're wearing the same outfit as yesterday." Perplexed by all this attention on a blazer worn two days straight, I asked what was wrong with seeming to have worn the same thing twice. His answer was one that made me smile and scratch my head at the same time:

"You're a style meister, you can't go out looking like you wore the same outfit twice. It's just not right. People might think you're slacking off!"

Me? A "style meister"? Cool beans! It reminds me of the time when my other Hong Kong officemate said that she thinks that i'm so fashionably dressed. Coming from someone in HK - where people are notoriously fashion forward - that's quite a complement. But then again, as that line from the movie goes: "With great power comes great responsiblity." What I learned today is that - if I were indeed a stylemeister - I shouldn't wear the same blazer twice. Along with a couple more "shouldn'ts."

Makes me wonder if I do want to be a style meister. It's bad enough that I have to watch what I say. Now, I need to watch what I wear, too.

Handy!

This Christmas, Joe gave me a nifty pair of Abercrombie & Fitch mittens. She said that since I was such a big fan of the brand, she knew they'd be a great gift for me. (Yup, she didn't buy it because it would be useful, but because of the brand.)

I thought that i'd only get to use those mittens on my next Spring trip to Europe. But the weather today is so cold, my fingernails are turning blue. So today, i'm wearing Joe's gift - a few months earlier than I expected. What a handy dandy gift!

Thanks Joe!

Suits me

Unlike my Dad and 2 brothers, I was never big on suits. When we were young, we'd troop to Prince Albert to have our school pants made, and Dad would have his coat and pants set made the same time. My brothers had their first suits made during their High School proms, and have been enamoured by it ever since.

My first encounter with a suit as a lucid adult was during Emin's 18th birthday party, which means I was also 18 that time. For the cotillion de honore, we were required to wear suits. Actually, they were tuxedos, complete with the lilac colored cummerbund and bow tie (faux, of course. We were just 18.) While I thought it looked dapper on me, the "suit bug" never bit me. So after that party, I didn't don that tux again.

It took me over a decade to wear a suit again. When I went to Mexico as part of our exchange program, we were asked to bring 2 different suits since we were going to meet dignitaries, governors and other heavyweights. Because of my apathy to suits, I suggested that we wear Barong Tagalogs since that was our national costume. So in the end, we brought 2 different barongs AND 2 different suits! (More luggage!) I had 2 new suits made, one in classic black and the other in gray pinstripes.

When I fit my suit in front of my sister, she said: "I know that you're my brother so I shouldn't say nice things about you, but you really look handsome in a suit." That got me a-runnin' to a mirror and check. Chucking modesty for a bit, I thought she was right. I did look nice in that suit. So for a few months, the suit became part of my sartorial repertoire. Before, i'd only go to weddings wearing a barong. That year, 2003, I started appearing in some wearing my nice, gray pinstripe suit.

In 2004, after my European trip that led me to eschew meat, my body shape started to whittle down. The 2 suits suddenly became too big for me. Initially, I was thinking of having the suits tailored again to fit me, then I found out that it'll cost the same as making a new one. Ergo, my decision was to have a new one made. A year after making that decision, I still haven't had a suit made.

Today, Gigi and I went to Causeway Bay to shop for jeans. She was a big fan of Antik Denim, so we decided to check out my favorite haunt where there were a lot of uber cool designs. Before we could even go there, she saw a G2000 store and insisted that we stop by. Gigi is a big suit fan, and with the words 70% OFF festooned all over the display window, she couldn't help but go in. While Gigi was going gaga over the nice suits in spring colors, I was sitting in one corner, sulking.

After 20 minutes, she looked like she was still on a roll. This made me decide to get off my flat butt and look around the store. A rack of coats were in front of me, and I started browsing. One coat caught my attention. It was a charcoal gray coat with fine burgundy stripes. It was so fine, you have to be a few inches in front of the fabric to see it. Off the cuff, it looked like a very "English" suit. Since I was wearing my gray green pullover, I decided to see how it fit me. And once the coat was worn: VOILA! It was a perfect fit, and it was begging me to buy it.

Then I thought, why don't I really go the deep end and try on the matching pants. The one on display was size 29, and so I asked if they had one in 31. (I like my slacks big and low slung). Unfortunately, they only had a size 30, which looked small. But what the hey, let me fit it anyway.

There I was, trying on a suit after 2 years of not wearing one. I felt the pants were a bit too tight (although Peter says that suit pants are supposed to fit snugly. Even if it's too snug that you can see the... uhm... package you're carrying.) So I took it as a sign that I shouldn't buy this suit. Then Gigi arrived and shouted: "My Gosh! That suit looks perfect on you! The spring colors, the cut, the fit! It was made for you!" Skeptically, I asked: "Is it really?" To which she replied: "yes, knowing suits very well, that suit is just perfect for you."

So today, January 21, is a red letter day in my Sartorial life. I've hated suits, then liked suits, then outgrew suits. All this time, I've had suits tailor made for me. But today, all that has changed.

Today, I buy my first off-the rack suit. And yes, I think it suits me quite well.

Threesome!

550.00
459.00
379.00
319.00
189.00

This is how the price tag of Zara Jeans looked like. And when something goes from 550 to 189, first instinct kicks in and every part of your system yells: BUY IT!

And I did. Not only did I buy it, I bought 3 of it! Like the jean addict people know me to be, I walked out with 3 new pairs of jeans:

Jean 1: Dark washed denim, low rise, straight cut with a bit of flare at the hem. Three metal studs at the back pocket.
Jean 2: Medium washed denim, low rise, boot cut, with a gaping hole below the left knee which is covered by a dark denim patch.
Jean 3: Dark washed denim with copper wash accents. Low rise, loose fit. Stenciled design at the back. Way cool!

With these babies, my jean pool in Hong Kong has just hit the 40+ mark!

Back to the Other Reality

After almost 4 weeks of work/vacation in Manila, I find myself back in HK, writing this blog from the Internet Cafe near my flat. After getting used to waking up to my own bed and seeing my family in the morning, taking the MRT to Makati or Ortigas to check out the malls, meeting friends both old and new, meeting photographers and arranging shoots, today, I'm back here in my "other reality."

Traveling to a nearby country is a funny thing. Just this morning, I was in Francis' studio with Maricar, and her 2 very able talents - Joel and Ynez. We were shooting this print ad, and for first timers, both Joel and Ynez performed really well. At 15 before 2, I quickly hailed a cab and headed to the airport. Check in was quite fast, the flight was relatively on-time (this was PAL, so it's a big thing), and by 6:15 pm, here I was. Chek Lap Kok, taking an Airport Express train to Kowloon, then riding a cab going to Pak On building, my "other home."

When I arrived, a couple of pleasant surprises greeted me. First, was a couple of Christmas cards from the US, and it's always nice to open and read Christmas cards. Second, the building guard said: "Where have you been?" Which means my absence was noticed. Third, I found out that I left a pack of bread in the flat - and it transformed into a hideous, mouldy monstrosity. I had to make a beeline to the trash can to dispose of it. Thank goodness the pack was sealed, so there was no smell.

After checking out the apartment, I proceeded downstairs to see if there's anything new in the neighborhood. Taking a walk along my usual route, it was pretty much the usual stuff. Stores on sale, people shopping, and salary men on their way home.

Next stop was Harbour City. When I got there, my two favorite four-letter words greeted me:

ZARA
SALE

Like a dog who hasn't been fed for 3 weeks, I quickly ran in and sniffed around for good buys. There weren't that many, although there were a couple of promising choices. This got me a-thinkin', since the IFC branch is better stocked, maybe they have more stuff there. So quickly, I took a ferry to Central and headed off to the original Zara store in HK.

Zara Men wasn't too exciting, though the women's store yielded a couple of great finds. The Gujrat wedding skirt I was lusting over was there, from $1299, it was now $399. But as I was about to snatch and pay for it, I noticed that some of the beadwork at the hem were gone. That's the reason why the price is that low - it was damaged. I decided to forego buying it, maybe they have better ones in Pacific Place or Times Square.

But I did walk away with 4 items of clothing: 2 beaded jersey blouses (one each for my two sisters.) It had one of my favorite color combinations - aqua blue jersey and brown embroidery and beadwork. The workmanship alone is worth the price tag, and since it's 50% off, who can resist. I was also able to buy an green empire cut blouse for my pregnant sister, and a brown bolero made of corduroy. For this stash, I only paid $479. Since this is Zara I bought, that's really a great buy.

Let me see, I've been in Hong Kong for less than 3 hours, and already I've shopped at Zara for my sisters.

Yup, I'm back indeed.

Fabulous at 40!

As our invitation stated:

40 years ago, in a beautiful church in Malinao, Albay, a General's son married the Mayor's daughter, and their story of life and love began unfolding. Today, 40 years later, witness as the story unfolds once more.



The General's son is my Dad, and the Mayor's daughter is my Mom. Today is their 40th anniversary, and my brothers and sisters worked together to give them an anniversary party that they'll remember and cherish.



I'll write about the party a bit later. Today, i'll just look these photos that serve as testament to the truth that years may pass, appearances may change, people may grow older, and wrinkles may appear. But despite that, true love will always remain.





Here's to 40 years for my Mom and Dad, and looking forward to 40 years more!

Public Service

Given all the bad rap that Government agencies are given, people - including myself - see the prospect of going to a government office to avail of some service as a trip to purgatory, or maybe even hell. Visions of long lines, outdated systems and fixers easily come to mind whenever people need to apply for NBI Clearances, passports and IDs.

Despite being an eternal optimist, I visited the SSS office today with a gray cloud looming over my head. More than a year after having my papers verified, I found the time to have my ID card produced. Initially, the plan was to go there really early to beat the crowd and get out in a jiffy. But since I slept really late last night (again), I woke up past 8, with a throbbing head and a disoriented mind.

Because of that, I arrived at the SSS Makati office past 10 am. And, as expected, there was a crowd inside and most of the seats were taken. I saw a guy checking a bunch of papers, and everyone was either bored or napping. The moment my paper was received by the reception guy, I was prepared for the worst. Having come in at 10, I was expecting to be served at around 2 or 3pm.

This suddenly transported me back to when i was getting my resident ID in HK. In their immigration office, the waiting time for each procedure is emblazoned all over the office. For example: 1st time ID applicants - 25-30 minutes; ID replacement - 15-20 minutes. They are so confident and proud of their turn around time that they had it there for everyone to see.

Then again, they won't boast of something that they can't deliver. From the time I walked in, to the time I got my temporary ID, it was less than 30 minutes. So, it was a promise that was kept by the organization.

Of course, when I snapped back to reality, I wasn't in HK but in Makati. And the 30 minute rule definitely won't apply.

Suddenly, something surprising happened. Names were called one after the other, with an interval of about 3 minutes. There were 4 counters serving everyone, so one by one, people started to stand up, do their business, then disappear.

Less than 30 minutes since I stepped in, my name was called. Once inside the cubicle, I did the requisite "write on the log book" and my ID process began.

1. Photo
2. Thumbprint
3. PIN
4. Signature

In less than 10 minutes, I was done. My collection slip was given to me and I was asked to expect the ID within 30 days - the same timeframe given to me in HK.

As I stepped out of the SSS office, there was a silly smile plastered on my face. The government really impressed me this morning. The process was fast, efficient and hassle free. It was so good, in fact, that I can compare my SSS ID experience with my HK ID experience. And when some 3rd world guy in a 3rd world country thinks their processes are as good as a 1st world place, hey, that's news to me.

Now if only our government offices were as snazzy as the ones in HK, or Amsterdam, then we're really getting somewhere.

Having fun...

Yes, the adage "Time flies when you're having fun" is simply SO true. I've been in Manila for almost 3 weeks, and in a few days time, i'd be back in my alternate reality.

For some people, 3 weeks is a considerable amount of time, and that "some people" includes me. But as we were having pancakes at Heaven and Eggs (at 10 in the evening), I realized that my 3 weeks felt more like 3 days. After all that partying, outreach programs, reunions, movies, wedding planning and accidental get-togethers along the streets of Makati, you realize that time really is short. As much as we think there's a lot of time left, when you start seeing the people you love and start spending time with them, you realize that time really isn't enough.

Suddenly, I found myself mumbling those words that I once found so cliche: "Grabe, ang bilis talaga ng panahon..."

The Kindness of Strangers

Like some people I know, lately i've found myself losing faith in the kindness of strangers. After all, media and forwarded emails have been telling us that people are out to get you and your money, and will not even think twice before scamming you for any valuables you might have.

This phenomenon isn't unique in the country, though. Even in my travels abroad, i've had a lot of run ins with these people. There was a time when I dropped my mobile phone on the plane, and the person who picked it up (probably the person seated behind me), didn't even bother to return it. In fact, she even kept it for herself! In Jakarta, an immigration person openly asked me to put money in my passport so i wouldn't have problems getting in.

One time in Singapore, I left a bag of bossini stuff in a fast food outlet. When I came back for it a few minutes after I realized my absent-mindedness, it was gone! And the staff there didn't know where it went. (Of course, I was hoping that the kind stranger who found my bag would leave it with the cashier... but no...)

Yesterday, I was in a computer shop having stuff printed, and while waiting, I decided to surf the net. When the print job was done, I excitedly stood up, collected the maps, looked at them and skiddimarinked away. The maps came out quite nicely, so I was in a rush to cut them and pack them in envelopes.

About an hour and a half later, I was going to call someone when I realized that I left my phone in the computer shop. My heart fell immediately, knowing that my phone was gone. This wasn't the first time, so the sting wasn't that painful. Still, I decided to go back to the internet shop and check whether someone actually returned the phone. Long shot as it might have been, it was a shot worth taking.

The moment I entered the shop, the cashier says: "Sir, naiwan niyo yung phone niyo. Binalik nung mamang next sa inyo," then she hands me my phone. I was overjoyed! Whilst he could have kept the phone for himself, chucked the sim and voila! He has a new phone. But still, he had the kindness of heart to bring the phone to the counter and ask the girl to return it to its owner in case he drops by.

Walking away, I felt a rush of joy all around me. It was that light, tingly feeling that you get when something really nice happens. While reveling in this emotion, I realized one thing. I was happy not because I found my phone, but there are still kind strangers out there that makes you have faith in people again.