[KOTA KINABALU] You, Beach!

Tanjung Aru’s beach is not the cleanest one you’ll encounter in this lifetime. Locals and foreigners would tell you that if you’re looking for an awesome beach experience, you should ride a jetty and go to one of KK’s many islands. Tanjung Aru? Laughable. Well, not for me. Now let me defend my favorite Sabah beach.

One Day

♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

A foiled one night stand leads to long time amity between college friends Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess). The story of their enduring love and friendship is narrated through various events in their lives unfolding every year on the 15th day of July.

The said date and the corresponding year flashes on screen and is presented in such a way that it blends with the background. This seems cool at first because it gives you some sort of perspective as to the time frame the story follows. However, given that the story spans twenty years, the trick eventually turns redundant after a while, especially in some years where nothing significant happens like that of 1997 (open to correction) where Hathaway is only shown swimming before the following year makes its inevitable appearance onscreen. That was fast.

Colombiana

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

As a young kid, Cataleya (Zoe Saldana) witnesses the murder of her parents in her native Colombia. With prior knowledge and preparation, she survives the massacre and makes it to America to live with her uncle and grandmother. Fifteen years later she is a serial killer with a distinct MO, a clueless painter boyfriend (Michael Vartan), and an unquenchable thirst for payback. However, one minor mistake leads her to cross paths with FBI agent Ross (Jordi Molla), who begins to track her down. Her quest for revenge brings her to various places and gets her to do some kickass chick stuff like swimming with sharks, dodging bullets, and all that jazz.

The initial chase scene is peppered with excellent panoramic shots of Bogota's slums and a lot of Parkour that complements the frenetic change of pace in the plot. In fact, it is that sudden 180 degree turn of events that grips you and automatically keeps you hooked. Later on, our heroine tells her uncle straight to his face that she wants to be a killer. By then you would know that you are in for a thrilling movie experience. Think Salt meets Hanna a la Latina minus Cate Blanchett and her weird accent.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

♣♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) are about to have a divorce. Disoriented and dispirited, he begins to frequent a bar where he meets resident Casanova Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) who decides to take the poor guy under his wing. Given a quick makeover, Cal soon becomes a smooth talker himself and starts picking up women, one of which is English teacher Kate Tafferty (Marisa Tomei). Emily, on the other hand, continues to go out with co-worker David (Kevin Bacon). Meanwhile, Jacob starts to fall for a lawyer named Hannah (Emma Stone), and turns to Cal for advice. Together they try to survive this crazy and stupid phenomenon we call Love.

What is noteworthy about the movie is that all of the characters, except maybe for Bacon and Tomei who have minimal participation (more like extended cameos), have their own stories which are not left unresolved (almost) by the end of the movie. Enough exposure is given to each one of them for their stories to come full circle, unlike some movies where the support cast are just that, support. However, the most interesting thing about the movie is the plot. The climax is plain awesome in that it is a riot, in every sense of the word. It is funny, touching, and well executed, which is how the entire movie is. It is amazing how it could make you laugh, almost bring you to tears, and give you some realizations about life that come in handy in the real world, all at the same time.

Sweet Charity (9 Works Theatrical)

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Charity Hope Valentine (Nikki Gil) is a dance hall hostess who seems to have nothing but bad luck when it comes to love, but still maintains a cheerful demeanor in life much to the chagrin of her dancer friends who see her as some sort of insufferable naive girl. En route to some lecture which she thinks she needs to turn her life around, she gets trapped in an elevator with claustrophobic bachelor Oscar (Kris Lawrence). Is he the answer to her prayers, or just another heartbreak waiting to happen?

The thing about Nikki Gil is that you could see her just enjoying her role. Do you sometimes notice how some theater actors tend to grandstand during a musical number that somehow they cease to be the characters they are portraying and instead become just singers for a while as if in a solo concert? This does not happen to Gil. What you see is the character singing, not the actor. She does not need to hog the spotlight because she nails her character, mannerisms and all. Members of the audience are also convinced, the proof of which are the plenty of cheers and applause they give every time she drops a one-liner or does something wacky. She also looks good in wigs. She should consider starring in a Cathy Garcia Molina movie.

Noli Me Tangere: The Musical (Tanghalang Pilipino)

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

We would assume that you have already encountered Rizal's social satire in a variety of media: some movies, TV specials, and the novel itself. Now, Tanghalang Pilipino adds some music and voila! You have a historical musical. With nothing onstage aside from a flight of steps and windows on the walls, the actors are able to move freely and are well equipped with the necessary props to further establish what is needed for the scene. The steps are maximized for effective blocking, while the traditional windows complement the lighting well enough for some dramatic effect. A furniture is added in each scene when necessary. This, however, becomes a disadvantage when a scene calls for bigger space, like when Ibarra ran up and down the same set of steps twice just to depict distance. This is unintentionally funny and drew some giggles from the audience.

[BEIJING] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: August 15, 2011

G140 (Shanghai - Beijing) - 555.00

Train Lunch (Rice Meal) - 35.00

Line 4/2 (Dongzhimen) - 2.00

Sanlitun Hostel (1 night/1 bunk) - 65.00

Hostel Bar (Pizza + Shake + Coke + Cookies) - 83.00

CNY740.00

[XUANWU] Even Pandas Plank Nowadays

I was supposed to go to the Miutanyu section of the Great Wall today. Wikitravel says that this is less crowded than the more popular portion at Badaling, which they dubbed as the "Great Wall of Tourists". Another interesting thing to note about Miutanyu is that they have a cable car going both ways, but that's not the real deal yet. Hold your breath. Okay. They have a toboggan! This means you can slide all the way down! This sealed the deal for me. So, what happened? Laziness. I arrived at Dongzhimen at exactly 9 AM, the last trip of the 936/867 bus going straight to Miutianyu. I couldn't locate the bus. I took a chance on the 916 bus going to Huairou, and then I took bus 867 which ended its run at Hongluo Temple. No wall for me. The taxi was asking for a hundred yuan. No, thanks. I boarded the same bus going back to Dongzhimen. I'll just add the Great Wall to the long list of victims of my laziness. I know this won't be my last time in Beijing. My Mandarin studies will bring me back to this city one day. Then, I would have my stroll on that wall. Hopefully the toboggan would still be in operation by then.

[DONGCHENG] The Forbidden City of Tourists

The first thing you’ll see before you enter the gate is a portrait of Mao. Similar to gates found in palaces in South Korea, this one is rather big and you can climb it if you want, for an extra fee. Entrance to the area is gratis but be ready to get pushed and shoved. What would be a great day to visit Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City? I wouldn’t know. I went on a weekday hoping that the crowd would at least be thin. Well, it was probably thinner than it would have been if it was a weekend, but there was still a big crowd in there. Whatever the board of tourism is doing, it’s obviously working. People are mostly obsessed with structures that have witnessed the intriguing events of the past, and the Forbidden City has a lot of interesting figures in history to back it up, from the 24 emperors who lived in it all the way to the infamous Empress Dowager Ci Xi.

[CHAOYANG] Not Too Late for Beijing 2008

I arrived in Beijing at past 10 in the evening after spending 10 hours in that car, a ride offered to me for 300 yuan with a Mongolian family of three also in it. Think of it as a group taxi. The bus usually costs around 200 yuan and the normal 11 hour trip usually becomes 14, as per tourists who have done the Erlian - Beijing route by land. With that in mind I thought this was the better option, and the best thing was that it wasn’t a scam. As I would like to say, I’ve already reached my quota this year when it comes to getting ripped off. After late dinner at the guest house’s bar, I immediately fell asleep.

[ULAANBAATAR] Budget and Itinerary

TUESDAY: August 16, 2011

Line 2 (Dongzhimen) - 2.00

Airport Express (Terminal 2) - 25.00

Hainan Capital Airlines (Beijing - Erlian) - 535.60

Jeep (Chinese Border) - 80.00

Highway Quota Something (Chinese Border) - 5.00

CNY647.60

[KHAN-UUL] A Palace, a Park, and a Hill in Three Hours

I had plenty of time yesterday but as I said, “There’s always tomorrow!” It’s funny how until now I don’t seem to have an idea on how I behave in such situations. It was pretty obvious I'd be waking up late again. I was planning to wake up at 6 AM but I only did so at 11 AM, just giving me enough time to take one last shower for the day before my long train ride back to Zamyn Uud. What’s left for me to explore were: a) the big park a few blocks away from the guest house; b) Winter palace; c) Buddha Park; and d) Zaisan Hill. Although they're not that far away from one another (maps are often exaggerated), some of them (the park and the Winter Palace) require some time for you to enjoy them. Since I stepped out of the guest house at 12, I only had three hours to make it back so that the train would not leave without me. And so I skipped the big park (It has a Ferris Wheel! It has a Ferris Wheel!) and walked.

[CHINGELTREI] If Only I Bought A Cashmere Coat

I guess I’ve already warned you about the spitting. Again, this seems normal on this side of Asia. On our side, however, we usually raise our eyebrows when someone does this, especially without warning. When in UB, it’s time to practice your Patintero skills, not just with spitting locals, but with motorists as well. A blog I’ve read somewhere has stated that crossing a street in UB is like an exercise for suicide. I kind of agree with that statement. He does, however, also say that tourists must be ready for the Mongolian car driver. As a Filipino, I don’t agree with this one. For someone who has been taking the daily commute around Metro Manila all his life, I’d say that it should be the Mongolian driving his vehicle who should get ready for me, the Pinoy pedestrian. Haha. Hahahaha.

[SUKHBAATAR] I’m Usually the One Who Does the Staring

The train arrived at around 9:30 AM as was stated on the schedule. I immediately got my backpack and walked around. The weather is weird in Ulan Bator. The sunlight is so intense but there's that cool wind that keeps everything balanced. Still, I was sweating profusely and I could feel the back of my shirt already drenched with sweat. Thanks, backpack. My feet took me to a convenience store. I asked the young lady sweeping the sidewalk where Sukhbataar Square, the landmark indicated in the instructions to the guesthouse, was. Luckily, she answered in English and the answer was 10 kilometers. Shut up?

[ULAANBAATAR] How To Go To Mongolia

What do Mongolia, Brazil, and Israel have in common? Philippine passport holders can visit any of these three countries visa free. Hooray! Or not. Brazilians usually transit in Europe or New Zealand to go the Philippines. Israel is usually reached with a stopover in Europe. Mongolia can be reached via Beijing, although now via Hong Kong is also a possibility through Mongolia's flag carrier MIAT. Since Pinoys can transit and even stay in HK without a visa, Mongolia becomes the easiest option among the three, but expect to shell out some serious amount of cash. A one way ticket from Beijing to Ulan Bator already costs (around PhP 20,000. Considering the distance between HK and Beijing, I could only imagine how much that HK - UB flight would cost you. Another popular option is the Trans Siberian Railway. Get on at Beijing and hop off at UB en route to Moscow. USD 200 one way. The catch? Travel time is over 30 hours. This is a good deal if you have lots of time. Otherwise, you might just have to do what I did.

[SHANGHAI] The Chinese Bullet Train Experience

My father specifically asked me not to ride the bullet train. When my mother forbids me to do something, I usually dismiss it as unfounded paranoia intensified by maternal instincts. On the contrary, when my father forbids me to do something, I normally heed the advice because it would likely be based on facts, this time referring to that recent accident in Hangzhou where one car of a high speed train got hit by lightning resulting in an accident with a death toll of 30+. Sorry Pa, the woman at the counter didn't really give me a choice. She just asked for the hour of departure and said "555 yuan" with a conclusive tone, and neither the slower overnight trains nor any of the cheap Shanghai - Beijing flights would get me to Beijing early enough for my Erlian flight the next day. This just had to happen.

[SHANGHAI] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: August 12, 2011

Taxi (Makati - NAIA 3) - 145.00

Travel Tax (NAIA 3) - 1,620.00

Terminal Fee (NAIA 3) - 750.00

Cebu Pacific (Manila - Shanghai) - 2,697.80

Hot Chocolate (Cebu Pacific) - 80.00

PhP5,292.80

[HUANGPU] Shopping in Temples

They aren’t really temples, but that’s the general motif. To think that I was actually planning to skip Yuyuan Garden! I thought it was just that, a garden. It turns out to be one big mecca full of tourists haggling for souvenirs. If you want to buy the perfect souvenir, you’ll probably find them here, and there are a lot to choose from! They are a bit expensive, though. Maybe there is another place in Shanghai where cheaper goods can be found. But then again I am no guru when it comes to shopping. I hate shopping unless it’s done in a bookstore. I only braved the streets of Yuyuan for the souvenir plate my mother wants. Anyway, I never really saw the garden, which I think is weird. Hahaha.

[XUHUI] You Already, Sun Yat Sen, You Already!

The district of Xuhui now also occupies the once separate district of Luwan, making it one of Puxi’s largest areas. Its claim to fame, though, is the French Concession. Sorry, the what? Let me explain. There was a time in Shanghai’s past when “concessions” were given to eight foreign powers. Of those eight, the area given to the French remains to be the most preserved to date, which makes it an interesting tourist spot replete with history that comes with its old buildings. There also are two former residences here that draw many tourists in: Sun Yat Sen’s and Soong Ching Ling’s.

[JINGAN] People’s Park/People's Square

Immigration was a breeze, just a stamp and I was off the hook. The Customs official, however, asked for my passport. The first thing he saw was the Japanese visa. He asked what I did in Japan. I haven't been there yet but I said "Tourist" anyway. The next thing he noticed was the Taiwan immigration stamp. He asked again. I answered the same thing. He asked for my backpack to be scanned along with my laptop. I complied. Do I look like a drug courier to you? He said I had books in there. I showed him the three Chinese grammar books I brought along with me on the trip. Done. I ate at Burger King.

VISA: China (Double Entry)

Of the three visas I applied for, this has got to be the one with the most requirements. They even ask for a copy of your SSS contributions. I already booked a Manila - Shanghai and Beijing - Manila flight, the interval for which is set at two weeks, because I was planning to do a side trip to Mongolia where Philippine passport holders can enter visa free. This means I would have to apply for a double entry visa, which I thought was a crazy thing to do. Because of the many requirements necessary, I went for the Japanese visa first. I have a used single entry visa to South Korea as well. I will try my best to recall the requirements I submitted, some of which were not necessary but I still included for a better chance of being granted a visa.

The Chinese embassy is located in that building across Mapua in Makati. Both are along Buendia. It’s not that hard to locate the said building after all these clues. If still in doubt, look for the Malaysian and Chinese flags. People would suggest going there as early as six in the morning. Even then you’d already see a lot of people lining up outside the building. The security guards won’t let you in unless it’s raining. The embassy has its own entrance, by the way. The line could be long but once you get inside the waiting area, you get divided into three groups. One is for visa applications, one is for claiming, and I forgot what the other is for. It’s also good to know that once inside, the line actually moves, which means less frustration for all of us.

My number led me to notorious counter two. Why is she notorious? Visit the Chinese Visa thread at PEX and you’ll know why. In my opinion though, the woman is really just serious and reasonably strict so that no time and effort are wasted on little mistakes or missing documents. What I submitted were:

(1) Application Form

(2) Passport Photo

(3) Certificate of Employment

(4) Form 2316 (or ITR for self-employed)

(5) Plane tickets (Manila - Shanghai, Beijing - Manila)

(6) Hostel Reservations (Hostelworld: Shanghai, Ulan Bator, Beijing)

(7) Copy of SSS Contributions (Sign up at the SSS website, then print)

(8) Copy of SSS Pink Form (They ask for an SSS ID which I don’t have)

(9) Bank Certificate

(10) Three Months Bank Statement (Not really needed)

(11) Sheet of Paper with my detailed Itinerary

(12) Passport

If I forgot anything I’m so sorry, it’s been a few months and I should have made this article back then but as you already know, I’m just so lazy. All I know was that I had no issues with counter number two, and when I came back for my passport after five days I saw a double entry visa sticker valid for three months in it, 14 days each entry. I paid 2,100 pesos for it. You pay when you claim, not when you apply. And so there. I am going to Mongolia after all!

As anyone would probably suggest, just make sure that you have complete requirements. The Chinese embassy is known for being strict, and there have been a lot of horror stories about them, especially for counter number two. However, I got one on my first try, and double entry to boot. So can you. Good luck!

The Smurfs

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Strangely blue and just about three apples tall, the Smurfs just love to sing and dance while at work. They also have this weird habit of turning the word Smurf into an all-around sentence filler. Their preparation for the Blue Moon Festival is going pretty well until Clumsy Smurf (Anton Yelchin) accidentally leads evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) to their neighborhood, which consequently causes everyone to flee. In all the commotion, six of them, Smurfette (Katy Perry) included, get sucked into a water vortex bringing them to New York. There they cross paths with Grace (Jayma Mays) and her husband Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), who just got promoted as VP and is under pressure from his boss Odile (Sofia Vergara) to come up with a marketing campaign due in two days. Together they help each other solve their respective problems while constantly trying to evade the evil wizard who is determined to extract their essence to make him more powerful.

[TAIPEI] Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: August 4, 2011

Taxi (Makati - NAIA 3) - 145.00

Travel Tax (NAIA 3) - 1,620.00

Terminal Fee (NAIA 3) - 750.00

Cebu Pacific (Manila - Taipei - Manila) - 4,409.80

Hot Chocolate (Cebu Pacific) - 80.00

PhP7,004.80

[NEIHU] Miramar’s Giant Wheel

Miramar’s giant wheel was the only attraction I managed to visit in Neihu which is a shame because there are actually a lot of tourist spots to visit in this district! The National Palace Museum, for one, is just nearby. Go there and you also get to enjoy the other famous neighboring attractions like the park for aborigines and another museum named Shung Ye. But it was raining that day. I know. Excuses. I hate umbrellas and raincoats and I’ve grown tired of museums. I love history in its written form through books. Artifacts and clothes from another century don’t amuse me that much. Well, they actually did when I visited that museum at Lotte World but that was my first out of the country excursion, and so everything was fascinating. As you get to visit more places they start to become the same.

[SHILIN] Hawker Food and Plenty of Clothes

After meeting Chiang Kai Shek, I thought it would be fun to get lost in the Taipei MRT. Okay, that was a lame attempt to cover up my stupidity. Anyway, Xiaonanmen is the only stop on that MRT line. From there you either go back to CKS Memorial Hall or to Ximen, both of which connect to the main MRT lines. I went with CKS Memorial and upon arrival there I had to transfer trains to go to Shilin up north, except that I boarded the train going south. Yahoo! I was surprised to see Guting station when the train should be arriving at NTU Hospital station. But the doors already closed, so I calmed down. How far could it be right? It turned out to be quite far. If you have a map of the Taipei subway, see how longer the line connecting Guting and Dingxi is relative to the other stops. That’s how far it was. So even when I immediately transferred trains at Dingxi, the trip that would have only taken around 15 minutes to Shilin became 45 minutes. Yehey me!

[ZHONGSHENG] Chiang Kai Shek Memorial

“Lazy” would be the adjective I’d use if asked how my trip to Taipei was. Of all my trips, this is where I really tried to reflect on whether I should continue traveling or not. Although the impending loss of my wanderlust was already evident in Kuala Lumpur, at least there I was still able to go places. Here, I just stayed in Taipei, and I didn’t even visit most of the common tourist spots, considering that there aren’t too many and the metro is efficient. Hooray me. All my travels here began past noon, which meant late lunch, and ended before 10 PM. It’s as if I flew all the way to Taipei just to laze around. Again, hooray me.

[XINYI] Taipei 101

As if sensing that this trip to Taipei would be full of sleep and rain, I decided to go where any tourist in Taipei would probably go for a been-there-done-that photo. Taipei 101. From 2004 to 2010 it was the world’s tallest tower until Dubai’s Burj Khalifa snatched that title away. You know these skyscrapers, they like outgrowing each other. In the observatory on the 89th floor there is a wall listing the top 10 tallest towers in the world. Only two are outside Asia, both of which are in Chicago in the United States. Four are in mainland China. One is in Hong Kong, and then you have Taipei 101, the Burj Khalifa, and KL’s Petronas Twin Towers. Too bad you can’t jump off Taipei 101, neither for leisure nor for suicide.

VISA: Taiwan (Visa Free)

Philippine passport holders can go to Taiwan visa free by using another visa. This does not make a lot of sense because it is not really “visa free”. You need to have a valid visa or permanent residence permit from any of the following countries: US, Canada, Japan, UK, EU Schengen, Australia, and New Zealand. What do we mean by “valid”? UNUSED.

Question: I have a Japanese Visa issued three years ago. It is unused. Can I use it to enter Taiwan? NO. It would no longer be valid since most tourist visas to Japan expire after three months of issue. Now if that is a multiple entry visa valid for five years or more then that would be fine. I guess your best bet would be a US visa because what the US embassy usually issues are valid for ten years. If you have single entry visas to any of the mentioned territories in the first paragraph and you HAVE NOT USED THEM YET and they are NOT YET EXPIRED, congratulations. You can use that to enter Taiwan.

If you satisfy the visa requirement but you have worked as a blue collar worker in Taiwan, then you are not qualified for this special arrangement. What’s next then? You go to this website: https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/nase and fill out the necessary fields. This does not take more than ten minutes. The approval is immediate. They would issue a permit shown above. You can print it right away. Actually, I suggest printing it right away. The page expires. I am just lucky I was able to save it on my desktop. I had no access to a printer when I did that. Bring that paper and show it to the immigration officer together with your passport containing the valid visa you registered on the website.

As for me I used my single entry visa for Japan, which I won’t use until September this year. Applying for a single entry visa at the Taiwan embassy will cost you 2,400 pesos. My Japanese visa only cost 1,200 pesos, and I get to use it for these two countries. I didn’t even have to go to the Japanese embassy. This is what I suggest you also do, if you are also going to Japan after all.

Hanna

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

­­Just 16, Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) decides it is about time for payback as she sets out to meet and kill corrupt CIA official Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), who is known to be responsible for the tragedy of her family’s past. Trained to be the ultimate assassin by ex-CIA agent Erik Heller (Eric Bana) all her life, Hanna is in for an action-packed journey as she tries to accomplish her mission while getting to experience some simplicities of life first hand, making up for her lost childhood and causing some ruckus along the way.

There is an abundance of jump shots used early in the movie, which somehow reflects the fragmented back story of the protagonist. As more bits of information about her identity are gradually revealed, the close up shots also multiply. The action scenes are aided by the use of appropriate score and brilliant choreography, both of which help intensify the fight scenes that would look ridiculous had they been done any other way. Remember that we are talking about a 16 year old girl here. The level of suspension of disbelief necessary is quite high. There is that DNA angle anyway, but still, the movie is mainly believable thanks to the acting and the direction.

[PAHANG] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: August 1, 2011

McDonalds (6 pcs Nuggets w/Fries and Coke) - 9.95

Genting (Bus + Cable Car One-Way) - 9.30

Genting (Outdoor Theme Park Only) - 46.00

Genting (Flying Coaster) - 10.00

Diadora (T-shirt) - 39.95

KFC (2 pcs Chicken + Cheesy Wedges + Pepsi) - 17.50

Bas Ekspres (Gombak) - 3.40

KTM (KL Sentral) - 2.40

MYR138.50

Estimate of MYR1.00 = PhP14.50

TOTAL - PhP2,008.25

[GENTING HIGHLANDS] Screw the Corkscrew

Why did they have to close the Corkscrew for maintenance? Didn’t they know I was coming? I have to ride those roller coasters! I had to settle for Cyclone and the ever dependable Flying Coaster. When we first visited Genting it was Cyclone that was closed and Corkscrew was the one I rode. Corkscrew is the more interesting one since it has two screws. I think there might be more, but what makes it totally cool and thrilling is the fact that it is located on the edge of the cliff. Yes, you get a good glimpse of the ravines before your first drop. Too bad it was closed. Cylone is old school and its claim to fame is that it is Malaysia’s first roller coaster. Not bad at all, I really enjoyed the mini drops.