The poignant music: John Boswell's Festival of the Heart

It was in 1994 when I first discovered this album by instrumentalist John Boswell (a year after it's release). I had become a fan since his album Count Me In that featured a beautiful song "Do it as a friend" that he co-wrote with actor Robert Downey Jr. So I plopped the disc in not really knowing what to expect save for the knowledge that it was a Christmas-themed album. All I can say is that it has become a staple of the season's music for me ever since. I've recommended this to quite a few people and they've come away feeling the same. That you can almost feel the snow fall on your head, that winter chill and a warm cup of coffee by the fireplace. The giddiness and cheer that the season brings. I remember playing this during one White Christmas and it made the moment all the more poignant. I previously mentioned this in the11-11pages and should have done so at the start of the Christmas season.  This is something that tugs at the heart.

Overheard at the Greenhills tiangge 12/24

I thought that the Christmas season is a time to be jolly. As I went to the Greenhills tiangge to buy stuff, I came across these Holiday scrooges and whiners:

Woman to husband: Wala bang mura dito?

They should have locked up this guy in a bank

Guy to his girlfriend: We should have never come to this place! Now I have no more money!

Take advantage why don't you?

Tourist to tindera: No. No. No. (it seems that the saleslady marked up the price for him). You're selling it to me at PhP800 but your sign says PhP300! You think I can't read?

One saucy biatch Fil-Am:

Girl: All they have are fakes! 


When these gangster-types come up to me and say, "DVD. DVD." I reply, "Gusto mo bumili?" Snicker . Snicker.

Happy Birthday, Boss!

Happy Birthday to my longtime boss Meckoy Quiogue! In our Gatorade group, there are five Ateneans but Abelle Lacuesta was a no-show for the surprise party. But here are the Fantastic Four from left to right: Oz Arcilla, MPQ, Ton Gatmaitan, and me. Lots of hidden talents among my officemates. Sure was fun.

An unexpected reunion and rootbeer floats saving our soul

This is Lola (yes, she jokes everyone all the time that she's a grandma owing to here name). She was our liaison officer when I was with Smart Gilas Pilipinas in our FIBA Asia Challenge Cup stint in Jakarta two years ago. When the Azkals paid a visit to Balay Pinoy, the guest house of the Philippine Consulate in Jakarta, we were surprised to see each other there (she works there and now hopes to take up her masteral studies in either Ateneo or UP). Nice reunion! And to the Embassy people, thanks for the Mongolian food. It was a nice change of food for us all.

After our Balay Pinoy lunch, the whole team went to Mangga Dua for some crappy shopping. So me and old bud Mark Zambrano went to have this noodle type thing they call Mie Ayam (see the menu below). It was real good. There were lots of people eating at the store so we figured out we'd try it too. Then we washed the whole thing down with an A&W Rootbeer Float! Rootbeer floats rule! Mark and I used to work together at Solar Sports where we became good friends (aside from the fact that we both went to the same school) and it sure was nice to catch up and have fun! You know what song was running through my mind as we were having that rootbeer float? The Pixies' "Monkey Go to Heaven." Love that song!

Now take a gander at this vehicle which is their version of a tricycle. No way am I or Mark Zambrano or any of the Azkals' taller players going to fit in this. If we do, it's gonna be murder on our knees! Still it was amusing though.

Traffic was horrible. Took us an hour and a half to get back to our hotel. 

Delinquent passports & no free wifi. Traveling with the Philippine National Men's Football Team in Jakarta, Indonesia

I was supposed to leave with the Philippine National Men's Football Team last Tuesday night for Jakarta but I was not allowed on board due to my passport having validity for under six months (it had five months and a day left). I was planning on getting a new passport but we had to leave for Indonesia. It was so disappointing to not be able to leave and so much uncertainty about getting an extension that I couldn't sleep the night before. I spent several hours at the DFA getting my extension of the validity that I was unable to write anything. To compound matters, someone cancelled my flight. Barely an hour after I managed to re-book my flight with no incurred fees shit happened again. I swear it was one of those days when nothing seemed to go right. Luckily, I was able to seek the help of PFF interim president Nonong Araneta whose travel agency was able to get me a new ticket. Guess the good karma rolled around coz it was a business class seat! That was a real cool ending.

This is our room at the Sultan Jakarta. I am sharing a room with fellow writers Cedelf Tupas (Inquirer) and Abac Cordero (Star). There's no free wifi anywhere in this hotel. An hour's worth whether you consume it or not will expire in six hours. Twelve hours' worth of wifi is valid for 24 hours from the moment you use the card! What highway robbery this is!

But we have a great view of the surrounding area and we're 10 minutes walking distance to the Bung Karno Stadium. I've been to Indonesia several times before and every time it's been for work. There are times when I've been able to go around but not too much. I hope to look around for a spell on my third day back here.

Some food I ordered at the Bung Karno while covering the match on twitter and for Business Mirror.

Nam Dinh, Vietnam

We left Hanoi past 8am and arrived in this rustic provincial city southeast of Vietnam's capital. This is a rural area out here. Rice paddies and all. What I noticed right away here in this country is how patriotic people are. I see a lot of houses and buildings with the flag of Vietnam hanging from a pole or a window. What pride! While at Saigon, I got to see some of those Russian Hind helicopter gunships and those weapons of destruction look so different when you're in front of one instead of watching them on television or in a movie. In Hanoi and on the way to Nam Dinh, we passed by T-72 battle tanks and a mothballed Mig. I've been wanting to buy those war helmets the Vietnamese Army uses but I wonder what I'd do with them back in Manila.

Sorry. Military buff here.

Nam Dinh is closer to China and from December to February, it's winter weather. Mercifully, I brought my jacket with me coz no way am I going to survive the cold without one. Winter after all, is setting in. And luckily, I've got my Yankees beanie too.

This city was the birthplace of Trang Durng Dao who twice defeated the barbarian hordes of Mongolian conqueror Kublai Khan. He is Vietnam's first national hero (if I remember that correctly). 

Walked around the city streets and if you're looking for restaurants maybe not in this part of town (we're at the Vihoang Hotel along Nguyen Du Street). It's got lots of coffee shops though. Interesting. I stopped counting at 15.

Here's what I ordered -- black coffee with condensed milk. If you want to dilute its strength, add some water or ice (for an iced coffee version).

Free day @ Hanoi's Latin Quarter

Free day today. Except of course for the media officer who still had to file his story. There was a press conference at 10am for the upcoming RP-Myanmar match. Then after lunch we all went shopping in the Latin Quarter. Wish I went to the tomb of Ho Chi Minh. We passed by but did not go down. I've always been a history buff and if there was time, money, and an interpreter, I'd go visit those famous battlegrounds like Dien Bien Phu.

I wanted to try this bit of food but I was afraid I'd get left behind by our tour bus. So I snapped a pic of it instead. Lotsa people trying this out. Tourists even.

Just had to take these pictures. Was using my digital camera. Wish I had a better one.

No bargaining? Hahaha. I was able to haggle VD 75,000 off one bag. Am kinda good at that.

Walking the streets of Hanoi

I know that the streets in Hanoi can be somewhat chaotic. In fact, we witnessed an accident this afternoon (no one got hurt thankfully). But I could live in a place like this. Me just riding about with a Vespa. Hahaha. There are times that it reminds me of Macau and at times Bangkok. But it's still unique. I can't imagine going around without someone who speaks the language. What am I looking for? A Vietnamese football kit. That's what. Or something uniquely Vietnam. Will go around again. Their flag looks pretty cool though.

Does the wine suck?

Man fishing by the riverside at dusk.

As a media officer for the national football team to the 2010 Suzuki Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam

Am currently in Vietnam covering the 2010 Suzuki Cup Final Rounds (Group B -- Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, and the Philippines). We're here in Hanoi for nine days (Dec.1-9) and I'm ecstatic about being here as the media officer for the National Team (my new assignment). It's my first time here and I wish I could really go out and explore. But you need an interpreter to go with you and someone who knows the area or else because of the language barrier, you could get lost. But it seems beautiful and maybe tomorrow morning, I'll do a little exploration. In the pic above, am wearing the photographer's bib that allows me to shoot pics from behind the A-boards and the goals. We can't move around during the game and can only switch during the half. As Media Officer, I have an all-access pass throughout the grounds including the locker rooms. Cool ain't it? But when I'm at the Sheraton Hotel, I constantly prep stories to send back to media friends back home.

After the 1-1 draw with Singapore, I got interviewed by Vietnam News TV about the match, Vietnam, the frenzied atmosphere in the stadium and our upcoming match vs Vietnam. I was quite surprised when I was asked. I was up in the fourth floor media center watching the Vietnam-Myanmar match when I was approached. Why not, eh? Sure is fun.

A millionaire even for just a moment

Only in Vietnam can I be a millionaire even if only for a minute (unless I'm rather frugal when it comes to expenses). I don't advise changing money at the airport because it's always lower. Plus it's always good to ask around. But I needed it because I had to take an airport limo to the hotel. A hundred US bucks netted me Vietnamese Dong 1,948,000! But it cost me VD 600,000! Talk about being taken for a ride! 

At the launch for To Give and Not to Count the Cost

I'd really like to thank a good friend, Dean Rudy Ang of the John Gokongwei School of Management in Ateneo for asking me to be a part of this project. To Give and Not to Count the Cost is a coffeetable book about 150 Ateneans who inspired 150 other Ateneans and more. I wanted to write about four people -- Gregorio del Pilar, Fr. Manoling Francisco S.J. and my grandparents. In the end, my essay on Fr. Manoling and the Bukas Palad Ministry was used.

My third year high school teacher Esperanza Chee Kee was the second one to spur me to write (the first was Baybee Reynoso). In third year, she marked one essay in red ink with a note that said to see the Prefect of Discipline for plagiarism. She told me that no way could a third year high school student write anything quite like what I did. But the thing is -- I wrote my essay some 10 minutes before class and it contained profound bullshit. It was investigated and I got to see the details of this a few weeks ago when my mom found the letter of complaint she lodged against my teacher. When my essay was checked they realized that it was nothing but profound bullshit. She reversed my grade and gave me an "A+". 

In the book, Bam Aquino wrote about Mrs. Chee Kee.

I was in the English Honors Section in first year college where I had Eric Torres as a prof. before we got into college, he was that terror prof that we were told to avoid. But fate had other plans. I was in the class or a mercurial yet brilliant teacher. I still have every essay that I wrote that he savaged. The highest I ever got for something I wrote was a "B+". And that college textbook that we used then -- The Elements of Style by Strunk and White? I still have it too. He changed the way I wrote until I got into advertising years later. This was a nice reunion! He even has that old English M t-shirt.

During the cocktails for the launch of the book. With some good mentors Fr. Ben Nebres, Monching Cruz, Fr. Bill Kreutz, and Eric Torres. We had a grand time catching up with one another.

My Intro to Journ class: A hatch is plotted (haha)

Who knew I’d have a career in Journalism?

One of my students asked me what I wanted to do when I was in college. There were three things – a rock star (I didn’t have the attitude for it), a teacher (surprise, I am one now), and a US Marine (I wanted to put away the bad guys).

I wrote for the Eaglet, Hi-Lites, and the Guidon. Between college and my first job in advertising, I contributed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Since 2006, the life of a journalist has been more or less my career.

And in five years it has been fun and quite eventful and it has led to this. A sort of fulfillment of one of those three dreams.

Teaching Introduction to Journalism can be tedious. We’ll go through the rudiments of it. But…. for me the best way I can communicate my knowledge and experience to my students is to immerse them in it. Plus, everything that we do is inter-connected. And we’re going to have fun wile doing it. During class last Tuesday, we played a game of Family Feud.

You see during the first day of class, I asked them to fill up an index card with their basic info (including grades) and to answer briefly four questions that I gave them. The questions were related to expression and communication, their interests and ambitions, and what they hope to learn from me.

We go through the traditional journalism to new media (I am a practicioner of both). They will be doing interviews, videos, reports, and podcasts which they will post in a blog site. I also instructed them to take advantage of today's social networking. For example, the other week, I tweeted about how some streets kid robbed a taxi passenger of her belongings while in the middle of a traffic jam and under the pouring rain. That tweet was one of the most resonated of that day and even made the news. So in effect, it became part of the news. So what we're trying to do here is utilize that as a vehicle for reporting news.

You see, I divided my class into four groups where they will do individual and group work. We won’t have much written tests but the work they put in here will be the basis for their grades. Each group will come out with their own name (for their site) and put in different work. We will have guest speakers who will talk on a variety of topics as well (so they can learn first hand).

Intro to Journ is also a crash course into getting into business. Perhaps more importantly, it will also serve as a resume to the world.

I'm teaching at the Ateneo de Manila

Here's my work area in the Communications Department of the Ateneo de Manila University where I am in my first semester of teaching. I am teaching an elective course on Introduction to Journalism where I have Comm majors and Interdisciplinary Studies students. Right now I have 22 students (they only allowed 20 slots for the class originally) and quite honestly, I'm just happy doing it whether I have five or ten students. Sometime last year, I asked Sev Sarmenta, the Dean of the College if I could teach and nothing materialized out of that. This year, about two weeks before the start of the semester, he told me there was a vacancy and it was mine if I wanted it. Now what kind of fool am I to refuse that? I've not done a syllabus in ages (since my Tulong Dunong days in high school) and I was really elated when Sev liked it and made minor changes in what I did. His advice was most helpful in getting me ready for my first day. 

In the last several years, I done several seminars not just in Ateneo but in UST, San Beda College, Immaculate Concepcion Academy, and the Mindanao State University! There were also a memorable seminar with my alma mater the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and most recently, the In the Huddle Sportswriting Congress. But those are one-off talks. This one is different and honestly, it added some fire to my daily grind. 

Journalism is all about life and that's what the course will be all about. I hope to really make it a memorable class for my students and although I said that I'm only doing this for this semester, who knows where I will go with this?

The picture above is my workstation while the one below is my pigeonhole outside the department. I'm kind of disappointed that there won't be classes this coming Tuesday although I'm sure that students everywhere are kind of happy that there aren't (I would if I were a student, right?). So on to the next!

NU107: There is a light that will never go out

NU107: There is a light that will never go out

by rick olivares

"My my hey hey

Rock 'n' roll is here to stay.

It's better to burn out than to fade away.

My my hey hey."

Listening to those lyrics, I felt as if my world had been rocked by a most powerful hurricane. I went to watch Neil Young and Crazy Horse and their live and electric performance of "My my hey hey" just blew me away.

I knew then that I was never going to be a doctor, a lawyer, or some business professional that my parents envisioned me to be. 

Most people know me as a sportswriter but those who really know me well will tell you that the one thing I am more passionate about is music. And when asked if that's true, I'd always offer the same answer: "sports can go away forever and I won't feel bad, but music... now well that's something else." Say something uncool about music and them's fighting words.

Honestly, I feel fortunate enough to have experienced first hand many of those early vehicles for musical expression. Even better, I was able to participate or contribute something. I was in Grade 7 when I put up my first band with a few of my classmates in Ateneo (hey, XL Tajonera remember those days). We sure were awful but who cared? It's one of the best things a kid of 12 years of age can ever experience. All my friends were into music and putting up bands. It was truly a magical time.

I first listened to DZRJ that was the only station then that was playing rock music. When I was home, the radio was on all the time. Can you imagine what it was like when Punk and New Wave became all the rage? DZRJ played the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Ramones, and X while other stations played MOR crap. My dad nearly purchased DZRJ (pre-EDSA I) but the deal fell through. 

Then I began to buy Jingle Magazine and hung out at their editorial offices in Cubao at times. The writers and editorial staff were liked music gods to me. That is until one of them tricked me to part ways with my vinyl album of Rockpile's Seconds of Pleasure. I used to send letters to the magazine and one of those that I was printed ignited a war between metalheads and new wavers. In case you were a part of that, that was where I rebutted writer Tony Maghirang who trashed Rush's Moving Pictures album while comparing them to the Jerks. Apples and oranges, man. Yeah yeah I know. I love the Jerks too, okay? Then Jingle Magazine ceased publication.

Howzabout Club Dredd? I lived near the rock club when they relocated from Timog to EDSA. I watched many a band there and was a habitue. My brother's band (which won a Battle of the Bands contest in UP) performed there as well. It was there where I "discovered" Datu's Tribe and Parokya ni Edgar and helped sign them to their first recording contracts. There were other bands that I wanted to get but office politics got in the way. One time I hung outside Dredd with Parokya's Buwi Meneses (who is a good friend to this day) when I first heard the strains of a hauntingly beautiful voice that was singing the Sundays' "Here's Where the Story Ends". I rushed back inside and that was my introduction to Sugar Hiccup and Melody del Mundo. When I moved to the United States, I brought only a few OPM CDs with me and they were the first two Sugar Hiccup albums. There were other great Dredd memories such as watching Betrayed, the Eraserheads, Tropical Depression, Color It Red, Teeth, FrancisM and Hardware Syndrome, Tame the Tikbalang, and Put3ska to name but a few. Then Dredd went away.

As RJ went stale, the best source for radio music was Capital Radio -- a two-hour radio show on DZXB by the people behind Jingle Magazine. They played stuff that you'd never hear on RJ or anywhere else. They played the Circle Jerks, the Dead Kennedys, X, and lots of other music you wouldn't hear anywhere else in this deprived country. The good folks of Capital Radio also ran A-Z Records in Anonas where I would go with a blank cassette tape so they'd record stuff I couldn't own back then.  I'd save my allowance just to pay for a tape of all this great stuff coming from the western world. Then they closed shop.

And that leads to NU107. Sorry but I never listened much to LA105. When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I'd do before my morning rituals was to switch on the radio. I listened to the station when I was home, as soon as I arrived from school, and at night where sleeping with the radio on was something I kept from my parents. 

I watched the first NU Rock Awards and was able to get a few of those early live recordings of the artists who performed during the awards night.

I remember when Rivermaya performed and they tossed free copies of their CD that was titled -- "Free". Rico Blanco even wore the Ateneo Blue Eagles jersey of his classmate Olsen Racela to the Rock Awards. 

I wanted to be an NU107 jock. Who didn't right? So co-hosting Halikinu Radio in the past two years is something I will always cherish. It was the closest thing to be a regular NU jock. While waiting for our show, it was certainly fun catching up with an old friend, schoolmate, and neighbor like Papadom as it was talking music and life with new friends like Cris Hermosisima and Pontri who was always impressed with my being up to date with so many new bands. 

I first heard of the impending demise of NU107 sometime in the middle of the college basketball season when we'd do Halikinu Radio. I didn't pay too much attention to it thinking that it was either a hoax or maybe it wouldn't go down. So imagine how I felt when I confirmed the bad news the other week. 

How do I feel? It's like taking something for granted and just when it's about to go away, I'm in denial and all emotional about it. Like many others, NU107 was a soundtrack to my life. I may have not listened as regularly as I did before but that was because work and life got in the way. The mini-components at home was tuned only to one frequency. If someone changed it, I would angrily put it back to where it rightfully belonged. With the days slipping away fast, I really tuned in. 

I passed by yesterday afternoon at the station. Pontri was there as was former morning jock Roxy and it was the one bright thing in an otherwise horrible day for me. Going to the station, I felt like I did when we left our old home for our current place in Marikina. It held so many memories both good and bad. Yet in spite of the bad, it's something I will not trade for anything else in the world.

Inside the booth for the last time, I shared my memories on the air. I snapped pics. I signed the greeting cards. I tried to stay cool but it was difficult keeping all these emotions bottled up.

The first song that came to my mind that summed up NU107's demise was The Smith's "There is a light that never goes out" (from their The Queen is Dead" album). The second was Neil Young and Crazy Horse's classic. I am not sure if they played the Neil Young song from that great album "Rust Never Sleeps" but am so glad they played "There is a light..."

When NU signed off for good at exactly 12:09 in the morning and the rock music was replaced by static, I didn't know whether to switch off the radio or not. 

After a few awful seconds, I turned the radio off. But the light it lit for local music and the music that I love will never go out.

The last time I'm in the booth at NU107 and below with NU jock Pontri.

Saying goodbye to the Walkman

Saying goodbye to the Walkman

by rick olivares

Remember that classic new wave song, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles? Yes, the synth duo of Trevor Horn and Geoffrey Horn eventually joined British prog-rockers Yes so they sort of qualify as a one-hit wonder that was common in the 1980s.

Perhaps the most interesting bit of trivia about that song was it was the first ever music video played in MTV.

But did video really kill the radio star? Maybe it weakened radio but it’s still around.

What really did go the way of the dinosaur is the Walkman? The iPod Generation might raise an eyebrow at the term but the Sony Walkman was the biggest thing back then.

Last October 25, Sony announced that they had finally ceased production of the Walkman of which over 220 million have been sold since July 1979. Some might argue that the correct date that should appear on the Walkman’s tombstone is October 23, 2001 when Apple released the first iPod.

And digital technology sure is Yes, I did own a Walkman and eventually a Discman. As soon as digital technology became all the rage, you can be sure that the Discman, Laserdisc player, mini-components, compact disc, video compact disc, and digital video disc were on its extinction agenda.

I held on to my Discman until I bought my first iPod in 2003 and it has been a staple of my music listening habits since. But the one concession I have and will not make is the compact disc. Music purists will talk about how different the sound quality is on vinyl records and honestly, that is so debatable. However, the one thing I missed was those huge sleeves with all the liner notes and lyrics. The sleeves did make their way to the compact disc although in a smaller and compatible form and size. I for one, truly appreciate their compactness because it does make for more room inside my closet. Or at least it did until my CD collection multiplied into the thousands (I currently own over 3,000 CDs all of which are original since I do not buy pirated ones) and now I need another closet to store and display them.

Funny. My dad often kids me that what I need is a small-sized record store to display my collection.

When I travel and shop, you can be sure that there are a couple of stores where I will make a visit – a book store and a music store.

Books. There’s another one that is said that will disappear.

That’s another traditional item where I will never make concessions. A friend of mine recently lent me a disc of some documents that I need to use for posting somewhere but I really dislike reading long documents on digital file. I still prefer the hard copy. And that goes all the way to my books. I will never own a Kindle or anything of that sort.

I’m not sure my kids can say the same about hard copy books because I believe that the traditional way of reading has become a lost art.

The computer alone has destroyed my once flawless penmanship. I got so used to tapping the keyboard that when I sign my name on check encashments, I have oft to re-sign them a couple of times since I am no longer used to writing with a pen.

When I cover sporting events and jot down notes, I take a few extra seconds to jot down my thoughts because more often than not I do not understand what I scribble onto my notepad.

About two years ago, a writer from the New York Times got in touch with me to commend me about an article that I wrote about the Super Bowl. I took the opportunity to ask him if there was a way to write for the world’s greatest newspaper. He said that the printed page was going to soon go out of business and that online was the wave of the future.

That one I embrace wholeheartedly and have taken advantage of with my blogs and other social networking tools but I still purchase newspapers once in a while.

The world and the tools we use to go about our daily lives is changing at a dizzying pace that it almost seems ridiculous cost-wise or practicality-wise. I appreciate the benefits but unlike Andy in Toy Story 3, I am not letting go of some of my toys (for the big boys).

I may be older but some things – my books, my compact discs, my DVDs, magazines, and whatnot – will always be a part of my life and me.

Except for that sainted and late lamented Walkman.

Heavy on my iPod rotation. New CDs.

 These are two of my favorite albums right now. On the top is the Boxer Rebellion's Union. As the music press gushes about this British band -- "This is a band that can change your life." Think Dashboard Confessional meets the Airborne Toxic Event.

Quirky. Funky. Refreshingly original. The debut from this British band. When I hear them, it's like Hard-Fi meets the Talking Heads.

Pictures from Hong Kong October 2010

 My son Anthony taking a look outside the window as we near Hong Kong. Taken in lowlight and rendered in sepia. 

 At the KFC outside Toys 'R Us in Ocean Centre. As I passed by I saw this girl looking outside while eating by her lonesome and I thought it would make a great photo op.

 My absolute favorite place in Hong Kong. 

 At the steps outside the Museum of History.

The first statue that you see when you enter the Avenue of the Stars is this of a woman holding up a torch.

My kids headed for the Star Ferry.

Catherine wears Prada

Catherine wears Prada

by rick olivares

114pm 

Harbour City, Kowloon, Hong Kong

“I say Prada looks good on you. Not those unfashionable things on you.”

That was roughly the English translation of what this young Chinese girl told me outside the Prada store in Harbour City this afternoon.  At least that’s what I learned she supposedly said when I told her that I don’t speak Chinese.

“Oh, I thought you are! Taiwanese. Vietnamese.” She said with a giggle.

“Very funny. I’m Filipino. Fi-li-pi-no.” I enunciated for her in a friendly manner.

“Oh, okay.  Salamat, pare.” she countered as her smile lit up to another level. No doubt she’s met or probably interacted with one too many Pinoys in her lifetime.

This lady was growing on me. Either she’s a smooth operator or she’s Jennifer Aniston or maybe she’s both.

“What do you say? Wear Prada. I think it looks good on you.”

I was wearing my Derek Jeter New York Yankees shirt that’s like four years old. I mean, I know they got beat by the Texas Rangers but that doesn’t mean that pinstripes is going out of style! I wore grey khakis and Nike kicks. I can’t say no one even called me a frumpy dresser. I eschew branded stuff, ah, wait. I do wear a few ones but I can never be associated with the fashion conscious.

“Oh, me my. I forget to introduce myself to you. My name is Catherine,” she said as she extended her hand. I took it and quite honestly, I am not sure what I said. Who knows? Maybe I said I was Sasha Vujacic.

“Are you in Hong Kong to do shopping?”

“Nope. Am here to look for a rich Puerto Rican girl I can spend the rest of my life with.”

Now it was her turn to laugh.

“Where will you discover her?”

“Probably in the casinos of Macau.” I answered in a coolly efficient manner.

“So now you have to buy a Prada suit if you want to impress this rich Puerto Rican girl of yours.”

What a sales pitch! Only… no cigar. “Ah, Catherine. That is why I am looking for this rich Puerto Rican girl so she can buy me Prada. I can’t afford it. I’m just a (pointing to my get up) simple beer drinking baseballhead.”

“Yes, I am a baseball fan too. Chien Ming Wang is my favorite New York player.”

Wang hasn’t pitched for the Yankees in over a year but this girl gets an “A” for “A-fort.”

“Look when I find her…”

“Your rich Puerto Rican girl?”

“Yes, my rich Puerto Rican girl… I’ll be back.”

I bid her goodbye and headed for Page One with a smile on my face.