Category Archives: living in Metro Manila

Biting the bullet

Posted on by
Mini sinks. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I went to Wilcon Home Depot after work to buy tiles, tile adhesive, and grout. I am finally biting the bullet and I’m going to have the bathroom floor re-tiled.

Why did it take me this long (almost 3 years)? Because having the bathroom re-tiled means four days of unusable bathroom (for showering) and that would piss off J so much and I would not hear the end of his complaints. Now that he’s no longer here, I can finally do this. I can devote more time to supervising the work since I have more free time now. When we were still together, 70% of my time was devoted to J, attending to his needs, especially when he was still in AirBnBs: driving back and forth, eating out, running errands for him/with him, doing chores, and keeping him company until dawn. When I’m not yet in his condo, he would be asking, “When/what time are you coming over?”

When he was here in the apartment, I had to make sure the disturbance to him was minimal. Any home repairs or improvement must be worked around his schedule.

That’s why when he suggested to have a sink and have another exhaust fan installed in the bathroom, I couldn’t commit because that also entails tile change. I needed to figure out the logistics and was determining whether my EQ can take the complaints that will surely come my way because he would not be able to shower in the bathroom for four days or do number 1 and 2 uncomfortably. The noise–the hammering to chip away the tiles–would also drive him mad. I was running the numbers in my head if I can afford to make him stay in a hotel while the bathroom is being fixed.

But then there were more immediate things that needed my attention like fixing the car. Then I had to drive him to where he wanted to go whenever he was having cabin fever. Before Covid, I also needed to be in the field for work while I ferry him to his meetings. Then every weekend we always had to do something or go somewhere.

I never came around to tackling the bathroom.

So now as part of my loving myself program, I’m going to indulge in a better bathroom, even if this apartment is not mine/I don’t have equity in it. If I can only fit a Japanese soaking tub in there, I would. I don’t like the tub in my mom’s house, the western style tub that wastes too much water. The hotels or ryokan I pick for my travels in Japan had to be 1) within walking distance of a train station or 2) have an in-house onsen or a deep soaking tub.

Bette Midler’s soaking tub. Photo by Architectural Digest.

So once I start building my cottage, I’m definitely going to install a very good water heater and a Japanese soaking tub.

This blog entry looks like it’s just a story about a bathroom. But it’s more of an example of how I accommodated J in my life. That he was a huge chunk of my life for 2.5 years.

Vaccine day

Posted on by
While in the waiting room, observing for any adverse allergic reaction. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Quezon City finally got its act together and was able to procure enough vaccines to include A3 (residents with comorbidities). For that I’m thankful. My family back in my hometown is still waiting for notices.

I took Grab, thinking that there will be no parking area within or near the public elementary school that they converted into a vaccination center. I was right.

Grab ride ro vaccine center. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

My instinct was also right in assuming that there would be less people queueing late afternoon on a Sunday. I had my vaccine within an hour of my arrival there. Going through the screenings was a breeze because I prepared all my medical records.

The school was half-empty. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

My 2nd dose will be next month and I don’t know if it would be as easy as this one because my schedule will coincide with those people who will just get their 1st dose. I hope it’s not as chaotic as the first few days of the vax program.

The attending physicians there said Sinovac will be effective seven days after the 2nd shot. Those with allergies and asthma are required to wait for 30 mins to observe for any adverse response, which I did. I’m also expected to feel flu-like symptoms so we were told that we can self-medicate at home.

The most important document these days. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

UPDATE:

We’re screwed.

BEIJING (AP) — In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country’s top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to get a boost.

“It’s now under formal consideration whether we should use different vaccines from different technical lines for the immunization process,” Gao said.

Good thing I prepared a mini celebration today for my girls’ birthday tomorrow. If I’m going to be sick tomorrow, at least I’m already half-done with the girls’ birthday cakes and food. One daughter specifically asked for steak while the other asked for pizza. So today is steak day, tomorrow is pizza day.

Prime rib. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Packaging says it’s made of coconut and is supposed to be smokeless. The anahaw fan is an indispensable tool when grilling. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

This charcoal briquette claims to be smokeless. To some extent, it produced less smoke but that darn thing doesn’t easily burn. So I had to add ordinary charcoal to produce embers quicker.

Red velvet from Old Baguio Cafe. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We have too many cakes since my neighbor gifted the girls with a box of sans rival while I bought carrot cake from Old Baguio Cafe on the way home from the vaccination center. Then I bought slices of red velvet and strawberry shortcake to try.

This government is so obsessed trying to convince the public that the president is alive and well. The people at the top do not give a fuck that we’re sinking deeper and deeper. That today is supposed to be the last day of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) a.k.a. hard lockdown and yet they haven’t issued guidelines yet for tomorrow’s modified ECQ. Everything will be a mess tomorrow, as expected.

The photo that Bong Go and his ilk have been sending to media.

That guy isn’t even Duterte. The big tummy is missing. And who in his right mind would be golfing at night?! And why is the golf bag in the way?

Proof of life? Nay. If the president is incapacitated, under the law the VP takes over. The VP who is working tirelessly finding solutions to workable problems like mass testing and giving aid to those who tested positive despite her limited budget. To keep them at home and equipping them for Covid home care.

We need a leader.

Especially when we’re spiraling into lawlessness

Vaccine “diplomacy”

Posted on by

So much for vaccine diplomacy. We should have had the 10 million Pfizer vaccines by now if DOH Sec Duque did not “forget” to sign the papers for their procurement. Some people in my industry say that the “dropping of the ball” happened to favor the China vaccines because no one in the country wanted to be vaccinated with it, based on polls. Now China dangles the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines as part of their vaccine diplomacy in exchange for this:

Over 200 Chinese ships spread out in West Philippine Sea reefs

Chinese vessels, believed to be crewed by Chinese maritime militia personnel, are seen at Whitsun Reef within the Philippine exclusive economic zone on Saturday [Philippine Coast Guard via Reuters]

The Philippine FDA hasn’t even approved the use of the Chinese vaccines for healthcare workers nor senior citizens nor those with co-morbidities and yet we have subjected our healthcare workers to these vaccines when there should have been better alternatives.

Given the blatant disregard for Philippine sovereignty and the evil Philippine president has already sold the country to China, Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana is breaking away from the stance of the Duterte administration and has given hostile statements against China for the second time. Usually whenever Lorenzana issues statements like these in the past, he comes back to recant his statement or divert the issue after probably being scolded from above. This time he can’t take it anymore and continues to be on the offensive.

Philippines’ defence chief says China intends to occupy more South China Sea areas

He is probably emboldened now that the US is visibly giving support now.

US, Philippines discuss Chinese ‘swarming’ in South China Sea

Meanwhile, I’ve learned from a veteran journo in my FB network, Quezon City has started the vaccination for senior citizens and residents with co-morbidities. I signed up via the Zuellig platform, which handles the database for QC. I learned that asthma is counted as one of the comorbidity, making me and my daughters high-risk residents. I just tried but I’m not counting on it since there are more vulnerable citizens in my area.

I hope my hometown is able to procure as well so that my mom, a senior citizen, and my brother (who has hypertension) can be vaccinated soon.

At the home front, I finished the curtains for the girls’ room and are now hanging there:

I’m quite proud of my handiwork. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I’m now finishing mine so that I can hang it in my room about three days from now. Sushi always accompanies me while I sew. She always sleeps at my feet or at my chair’s headrest.

My cats could not leave me alone. My girls are now protesting, “Mommy, why is that they always stay with you but not with us?!”

MY babies. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Hmmm, I should restain the floorboards with varnish. They get so much wear because of my rolling chair.

Everything is so f*cked up right now

Posted on by
Something to help me through this crazy time. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After a year, we’re back to square one. Octa Research says we’re having a serious surge of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and the variants we’re having (damn, we already have our own ‘Philippine variant’) are not to be messed with.

The Octa team said that if the effects of localized lockdowns and stricter quarantine measures continue, the NCR would have a reduced number of cases by the end of March.

“The result is that the more optimistic scenario could reduce the number of new COVID-19 cases by the end of March to less than 4,000, compared with 7,500 if there are no changes,” they said.

We’re basically still stuck with a virus that is getting more clever. I’m just praying none of my friends and loved ones would get sick because this unseen monster could hit from anywhere. Hospitals are already at capacity again. We never managed to really to flatten the curve or had a downtrend. All thanks to the mishandling of the pandemic by this brainless authoritarian government. It makes me sadder that some countries are getting out of this pandemic and are already “near-normal” while it seems like we’re never going to see the end of this.

My hand-sewn masks for female friends. I do sew masks in male-friendly prints for guy friends. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

All the more I am busy sewing masks for friends to help me to manage my anxiety while encouraging friends to save the environment by using reusable masks while keeping safe from the infection. If they’re only going to run to the store and not be in crowded spaces or in healthcare facilities like clinics or hospitals, my masks that are made of tightly woven cotton (either Japanese, Indian, or Turkish cotton) would suffice. As a freediver, the news reports of face masks or PPEs littering the sea makes me angry.

Speaking of diving, I would have to have our reservation at Blue Ribbon in Anilao moved to…God knows when. I don’t think this surge will ease after two weeks. Besides, the weather now is f*cking crazy. Imagine, middle of March and we are dealing with low pressure areas (that could be a beginning of a typhoon). It’s supposed to be the hot and dry season right now. On a personal level, I am not complaining because at least it’s not as hot compared to last year but from an agricultural perspective, this is not good. The planting cycle is going haywire. Crops could be destroyed.

Meanwhile, my plan to buy a small lot could be within reach sooner than I realized. I have to decide where that lot could be. My job requires me to be here in Metro Manila but I cannot imagine myself staying here for the rest of my life. I could buy in my hometown and there’s a nice lot there on a hill just within or inside the university campus that is surrounded by trees that I knew was for sale. Two Cubo units that I could join together would be sufficient for me and my girls and I could upgrade it as time goes by since I will be saving a lot of rent money. However, I cannot drive to Makati everyday if face-to-face events and meetings go back. Either I give up being a super journalist and just be content being an editor so I don’t have to be mobile all the time–but I’m not sure if I am ready to hang up my shoes and newsboy cap. I love being in the field too much.

Think, think, think.

But that little dream of having a homestead by a hill/mountain or the sea is nagging me. It’s calling me. Now that I’ve decided to remain a single mom for the rest of my days made that voice louder.

Think, think, think.

Another impending lockdown

Posted on by
They’ve started hoarding San Miguel beer at my neighborhood grocery store.

On the first anniversary of the Philippines COVID-19 lockdown, we are facing a threat of another lockdown as cases continue to rise to 5,000 daily. My city has started to ban alcohol (I don’t understand the logic behind this when people can stock up and have drinking parties at home), gyms, and spas.

People started hoarding beer because the ban starts today. I managed to stock up on beer in cans, vodka, and I still have red wine to tide me over the coming weeks.

The market did not take the news very well.

So basically, I need to do off-hours shopping for food again to avoid long lines at the supermarket and curfews. Trying to keep everyone sane because we’re going to be stuck again at home since Quezon City will start implementing the quarantine pass requirement again.

Which is utterly ridiculous. People need to go to work, keep their jobs, and feed their families. Quarantine passes are just instruments to bully people. There are households with more than one adult who needs to go to work. Limiting it to only one adult who can go outside is against the basic human right to earn a living. If this government only implemented a good contact tracing program, testing, and quick and wide vaccination program, this wouldn’t be happening. All they know how to do is to praise themselves because of this delusion they are doing a good job for the benefit of the DDS. Like how delusional Trump was.

I am completely drained right now. I don’t have anything to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Smaller world

Posted on by
Taking shelter from the rain. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

5000 new cases yesterday, the highest since August. This is why they try to curtail movement again. That’s the only thing this brainless government knows how to do. No comprehensive vaccine program, no useful contact-tracing program where our records are not stolen by scammers, no nothing. It’s like being in Myanmar right now.

It’s kinda like being on a semi-lockdown again on the anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown. I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now because I am trying to suppress any strong emotion these days. The closest thing I can say is I’ve given up hope that we will be ok.

UP Diliman started banning joggers and bikers again until further notice. My daughters and I tried cycling along University Ave but it rained. We had to go back and just bought Korean ice cream from Seoul Meat on the way home to make them feel better.

Finishing their “dirty” ice cream near Mang Larry’s during our exercise last week, before UP campus had shut down. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I couldn’t bring them elsewhere to have our exercise. Police had set up checkpoints at the border of QC and Rizal so we can’t go to Angono or Binangonan for biking. I guess that would be the same case everywhere. No more going home to Laguna this Holy Week. I can’t have my Laguna biking trip. I wonder if we can still go to Anilao a week after that. I booked Blue Ribbon resort for four days before cases started spiking.

Circumstances are really forcing me to live inside my head again. I want to scream. I want to cry but I’m tired of crying. Been crying for exactly three months now. I’m stuck. In my room. The worst place to be stuck because I shared this room with him for two years. I couldn’t move houses because at the moment it’s better to be in this location since it’s near UP. My brain needs the openness of my university, figuratively and literally. It’s also convenient to have supermarkets within walking distance when you are trying to avoid people.

I want to be in Japan right now. To be in Gifu and Ishikawa. Once this madness is all over, that’s where I will be.