Another Random London Story- I Wish I Could Have Stayed

I remember the morning I left the UK.

It was all so bittersweet. 

My friend Erika met me at the doorstep of the Turnpike Lane house I had called home for a bit to get her room keys. For perspective, Erika was nice enough to have subleased her room to me for 5-6 months while she want back home to Manila for a vacation. It was comforting to have known that I could get a room in a house in London where at least one person I knew had stayed. 

That was at around 11:45am on Sunday, January 28, 2018. In mere moments, my Blackberry Cab was set to pick me up and bring to Heathrow Airport for my long journey home.

My final month and change in the UK had been quite interesting.

I had welcomed the new year in the Lake District, particularly in Windermere. My trip there involved quite a bit of running, hiking, going up mountains, through wooded areas, and taking boat cruises. Amazing experience I'd do again in a heartbeat.

And hey, I got to do the whole have a beer and steak by the lake thing on January 1st.Now that was neat, that and hiking through the ruins of an old Roman fort, of course.

Then there was my long-awaited trip to Scotland. I stayed in a wee Air B & B owned by an artist/shopkeeper. The nice thing about the place was that is was super near Holyrood Park. I am so glad to have been able to run there. My trip to Scotland included lots of snow, and fun trips to the Highlands with some new friends- Roos from Holland, and Erin and Lauren from the USA. I love meeting great people while travelling. Bennetton-ish indeed: "A world with no strangers". 

My final month in Britain also gave me the chance to meet with the IABC UK board a few more times, along with meeting the new MA PR cohort. Got to hang out quite a bit with Mathilde and Alexa. Great gals. Happy they are both killing it in their respective careers now.

Then there was me meeting singer Charlotte Campbell. I had first seen her at the Southbank during the Christmas time, and had seen some videos of her on Youtube. It was amazing to have met someone so talented and yet so humble. Her songs will always remind me of my happy days in the UK. This one's forever. A keeper. A true gem-in-the-desert kind of thing. And oh, did I mention that she sent me a video of her singing "Over Again" which I played at my 2019 nuptials? Yep, that's why Charlotte will always be awesome in my eyes.

Whenever I harken back to my final weekend in London, I can't help but chuckle a bit. I visited Santander twice to handle some administrative stuff re: my bank account, ended up in Southgate (of all places) for exploration, groceries, and fish and chips, met up with friends Gita and Monch for dinner at Honest Burgers in South Kent and a visit to the Natural History Museum, handled some last minute Amazon shopping stuff for my mum, ran in Alexandra Palace and marvelled at scenic views of London one final time, and ran through the Southbank all the way Paddington, before taking the train home to Turnpike Lane during my last Saturday evening. 

Before writing this post, I told my very drowsy wife that I considered it so important to chronicle my time in London because my memory hasn't been the best lately, and that it would be an absolute shame for me to forget things- big and small, that made my time in the UK so unforgettable.

In so many ways, I wish I could have stayed longer. That does not speak negatively about my folks back home. Rather, it talks about just how much I enjoyed being half a world away from where I was born and raised, and yet close to my heart of hearts as I had ever been.

-M-

Another Random London Story- So There Was This Girl

I was one of the older members of my Masters cohort in London a few years ago. Im fact, I think I was the oldest member of that class. Better late than never, I guess!

For some weird reason, I'd enjoy hanging around school even after class hours. I thought to myself that it isn't every day that I would be able to call myself a Londoner, or a student in a prestigious London university at that, so I might as well take as much of the experience in as possible.

I remember my school building being an old, chilly, concrete box- one with slow elevators and a nice view of the city once yoy peer out of the windows from its 11th or 12th floors. There was a stretch when the heaters in our lecture room would not work midway through afternoon lectures in the winter. Not a good thing.

Another odd thing I'd often think about and observe. Lots of young people in my midst. Lots of young couples. Lots of dreams only beginning to take shape. You know how you would sometimes think about accidentally meeting a perfect stranger, a girl you'd chat with and get along with, and totally jive with. So you would encounter this individual and share so much in common-and remain entirely platonic. Not a problem, because you would just feel so enamored by the fact that you would you, thousands of miles away from you homeland, would have someone so wonderfully chatty and fun to share your day's experiences with. 

You'd go for walks and coffee and see London's touristy spots without a care in the world. You'd talk about home and how much you miss it but at the same time say how thankful you are to be in the UK for all too short a date. Irony can be sweet.

For me, there wasn't a single person whom I met and who stood by me for all this. My experiences were spread out across having met a number of extraordinary people. One, a lawyer. Another, a musician. Then one happened to be a corporate type like me. There were many others after that.

A girl. A guy. A common thread. A shared language and vision.

All that sounds like the beginnings of a solid screenplay, or book.

It's solid alright. It's made me type out this blog entry. 

It's a start.

-M-

The Rainy Season

I detest the rainy season in the Philippines. You have to deal with leaks, with traffic, terrible commutes (made even worse by the inclement weather), and the constant threat of flooding. I have little to complain about in the great scheme of things, I know, as I have a roof over my head, and food on my table. 

So allow me to rephrase my statement/s.

Rainy season in the Philippines is bad for everyone. There are no exceptions.

When it rains, it pours, when the bad things happen, they tend to go big and not want to go home.

-M-

Perspectives

The reality of the situation is, that our lives will never be the same.

I've been trying to not listening to the long and winding speeches of politicians and certain other policy makers on Covid 19 over the past month. I think I've had to do that for my own sanity.

People have been chatting about reopening economies, and returning to work. In certain parts of the US, some have taken to the streets in protest of prolonged lock downs.

In the Philippines, the government has hinted at imposing a total lock down should people refuse to adhere to pleas to stay home, and practice good hygiene and social distancing.

Once lock downs are eased, and once mass testing becomes commonplace, and once businesses reopen, how will we all end up living our lives? Remember how you used to kill time at your local mall? Or have dimsum at your favorite hawker center? Or share cups of coffee and cronuts with your friends at your nearest Tim Hortons branch? How those things happen may very well be changed- forever.

Staying home all the time. That's a bona fide challenge. It doesn't matter how "social" you were pre-lock down. Staying home all the time can leave some in a constantly hypnagogic state. Sleepy, thoughts and consciousness fluttering. The ideal situation for some would be to try their best to be "productive"- with their schedules being awash with business calls, online certification courses, and reading several books per week.

Truth is, people need not try too hard. So much of modern life shutting down all at once doesn't happen very often. We might as well be responsible and make the best of the situation- whatever "best" means. We need not pressure ourselves to be "perfect" during this quarantine period. You don't need to be a CEO once this is all said and done. You just need to be a better version of yourself.

I am assuming that what I feel now is a new feeling for many people- especially for individuals from my generation and those from younger ones. We live in a world wherein it has become dangerous to go out without a mask and hand sanitizer. Think about that for a while. It's one thing for that to happen in the 1st world. They have better healthcare systems there. In those countries, they probably have wider roads, and are gifted with populations that are not all that dense. In the developing world, its a different story. In the 3rd world, there is a very real possibility that a trip to the grocery could be fatal- simply because a virus that's been set loose thrives in places where systems don't exist or don't matter, and in places where your government is a mess. That's the way the bread bakes, people.

There are so many perspectives one can analyze in the midst of a pandemic. It is worrisome that even after over a month on enhanced community quarantine, there remain certain aspects of life that feel like they haven't moved an inch. Regression. That's the soup of the day.

It's become day-to-day now.

MC

Pandemic- What is Happening?

I haven't posted anything on this blog since the Coronavirus pandemic started. This is one of those "where were you when" moments in history. This isn't the same as countries going into war against one another, nor is it tantamount to the end of civilization as we know it, but it is a cause for worry. The every day Joe worries about what he and his family have to eat, and whether he will still have a job when he wakes up the next day. Most people don't have tons of cash on reserve, so, best to be prepared. It doesn't help that the rendering of services c/o of the government is inconsistent at best.

I never thought that I'd ever experience something like this in my lifetime. In truth, no one thinks he/she will ever witness countries and economies being brought to a standstill anyway. That isn't something on anyone's usual to do list.

To date, there are just a little over 3,000 confirmed Coronavirus cases in the Philippines. My suspicion is that this number will continue to rise as testing becomes more readily available and as things (hopefully) become more organized.

Who knows where this will go. I could go into the nitty gritty of how this government and that government has failed or succeeded in implementing different Covid 19 mitigation programs, but I don't think I want to ruin my Sunday morning. I'll leave the policy making to the policy makers. I won't be aloof, though.

Let's all stick together and win this battle as one.

MC

Another Random London Story- The Oyster Card

What's one thing that nearly every Londoner has in their bags, pockets, purses, and wallets?

Why, the Oyster card, of course!

This revolutionary invention was launched in 2003. The card allows you to save a ton of time. No need to queue for paper tickets. No need to struggle with grabbing coins and bills to pay for your train trip. Just tap, and go.

I think that Londoners would be hard pressed to imagine life without the Tube, and without Oyster cards.

My first Oyster card came from my youngest sister, who had been to London before me. This may sound stupid, but, I always found it exciting to track my trips online. Oyster card trip records are fascinating chronicles of one's story in London. Is the owner of the Oyster card in question a student? A Marketing Manager? A mother of 3? A banker? Trip histories may very well be able to provide insights into these sorts of things.

2 years and change after leaving London, I've found myself reviewing my trip histories. It's interesting how I am able to associate specific emotions and agendas and people with every line in my Oyster Card's "life" chronicle. London life is full of stories that are teeming with stories that serve to answers life's many "hows" and "whys".

Funny how I don't even bother riding trains buses and trains in the Philippines, after relying on such so much in the UK. It's too much of a hassle in my homeland. Will that ever change?

I sure hope so.

MC

Another Random London Story- Space.

I learned pretty quickly that space in London comes at a premium.

It isn't like I hadn't lived in a big city before. Manila, in many ways, is even worse in terms of finding a place to lay your head. It's just that Manila isn't as connected, and isn't as expensive.

House sharing in London is pretty common. In fact, I think it's become the norm. With so many people wanting to head into town to "find fame and fortune", it isn't unusual to see flats packed to the brim- with interesting stories to boot.

I lived in a house with genuinely friendly people. A couple of girls and two guys. Different nationalities. All in all, a good experience. I stayed in a neighborhood where flats were lined up one after the other. In spite of the many living spaces placed close to one another, the place never really felt too cramped. That's what a bit of urban planning can do.

I was lucky enough to have lived somewhere near a Tube station, and the high street. Easy access to everything. It really does make a difference when everything is within walking distance of where you live. That is a luxury that you have to pay through your teeth for in the Philippines.

Speaking of space, London has LOTS of parks. I made it a point to walk and run through quite a number of them. Hyde Park. Alexandra Palace. Victoria Park. Battersea Park. Clapham Common. It was so refreshing to have lived in a city where setting up open public spaces would be prioritized.

During a recent rest day, I couldn't help but look back at old photos from my time in London. I recalled how I'd run through places like the Southbank and Lambeth North, and race through  picturesque roads in Brighton and Hove.

To be honest, I have yet to experience a sense of freedom since having returned from the UK in January 2018.

Lately, space for me has been as elusive as in a bottle of bubbly in the desert.

Space is a catalyst for so many good things- creativity, love, passion.

It isn't a shock, then, that I've been reminiscing.

MC