I came back Monday afternoon and has been sleeping erratically since then. I have also developed a weird craving for meat which I don't understand since I've been eating sausage with poppy seeds every morning at the hotel as part of our buffet breakfast. It's buffet but it's the same food over and over again. Like mushrooms and tomatoes and croissant, etc. I found myself eating a Quarterpounder meal at 2.30am last Tuesday.

From a staff perspective, the WA this year is more organised compared to last year. We were not too stressed out (we had to rapporteur five or more sessions last year), we stayed in a very accessible hotel and we had time to attend plenaries and workshops and even network with guests and participants. There are still glitches but I'd say manageable, it's a lot of work to keep up with hundreds of people from 135 countries. And we had less volunteers this year.

The weather seemed to cooperate too as we didn't experience too much rain, it drizzled a bit but the sun was always up in those 6 days. There were more Filipino delegates and speakers as well and had some time to chat a bit with a lovely and exuberant May-i from GCAP. We had fun being photographed with the former Foreign Affairs minister of Greece, George Papandreou.


It was also great to see my dear friends/colleagues in CSI and see old and new faces in CIV . We had enough time to catch up on what's happening with our lives, the project, and Johannesburg in general. Not all stories are happy though, there are concerns within the team and within the broader organisation just like in any normal organisation but I hope we'll all learn from those experiences and move forward.

It's difficult to sum up in one blog all the things that happened in Glasgow in seven days. It's another unique experience which is definitely worth keeping and reminiscing. What's great for me is that I've learned that my team really appreciates the work that I do and they're very happy with it. I take pride that this is one of the strengths of Filipino professionals and workers abroad: we work hard and we strive for excellence in what we do even under difficult circumstances sometimes.

Oh and lastly, we were given sufficient per diem this year that we spent in too much shopping. Woohoo! Ciao!

I'm off to Glasgow on Sunday and I haven't packed a single thing. Bummer. Lots of things to do but I just can't find the energy to start off with anything. Then I'll cram on Saturday, so predictable no

Have to sleep first..

Just got back today from our 6-day trip to KK. Lots of stories, no energy to blog. Will try tomorrow. Have to sleep. Quick pics..

Ciao.

Day 4

The usually quiet Gaya street in the middle of the city transforms into a colourful avenue with local people selling their wares. You can find everything here from beautifully crafted batik made by the locals to fake Louis Vuitton bags from China. We got several dusters for grandmas, moms, and aunts; t-shirts for dads and some friends; white Borneo coffee; a nice shirt for hny and nothing for me. I was so tempted to buy an exquisite batik which would be great as a bed cover or wall hanging but it's quite expensive. Very much like the Kashmir-made bed cover I so covet at the Rosebank Sunday market in Johannesburg. I hope there'd be a next time.



We had a quick lunch in a dodgy Chinese restaurant. I told hny if we eat there I'd be signing my death warrant. My tummy hasn't fully recovered from my terrible ordeal the other day. I feel like my body took a lot of beating from the rafting we did on top of the grueling train , but every ache and sore was totally worth it.



In markets like these, you should be armed with good haggling skills. I got five "dasters" (long, comfy dresses worn inside the house) for RM55 while I chatted with the sales ladies about our soap operas, apparently these and our actors are widely known in Malaysia. While other Asian countries are exporting computer chips and cars, we are exporting soap operas haha They even asked if I'm an actress back here jeje I said no but hny later told me that I should've said yes maybe I could have gotten a better deal. But I was worried it might cause a stampede :D

We took a cab to Warisan Square to check out what their malls look like. It's nothing compared to the giant malls we have in Manila. It looks like it's quite new and still needs a lot of locators. Coincidentally, there was an ongoing sale that day, which further dented my credit card. We also saw a stall named La Manila and we thought it serves Pinoy food, hny took a closer look and saw that they're serving Vietnamese food instead. After a looong day, we had a 'healthy' merienda at Yogur Berry. It's frozen yogurt with your choice of 6 toppings plus an assortment of rotis. Looks nice and tastes good too. I hope they'll have a franchise here in Manila.



We headed home early as hny was already complaining with the weight of our shopping bags and also we need to prepare for the Kinabalu National Park trip tomorrow. Had dinner at Sinario cafe which is conveniently located behind our lodge and serves really good naan with tomato and kari dip.

Day 3

Just came back from a very exhausting but fulfilling travel adventure from Padas where we did white water rafting. I thought I won't be able to make it as my tummy has failed me again! Must be the drop of sugar cane juice hny shared with me last night at the night market.

To go to Padas, we had to drive from KK to Beaufort for 1 1/2 hours then from Beaufort, take the local train to Padas. The train ride was quite hellish, it was hot, slow and bumpy. We are the only Pinoys amidst a sea of young Chinese people. Well, maybe 3 if you count the Half-Filipino, half-Malay tour guide, who speaks super broken English hehe

The rafting was great and I'm glad we did it. Our raft almost capsized twice if not for hny's hefty weight, it does help sometimes bun... We were very lucky as most of the rafts capsized in the 7-named sections of the river (Warm up, headhunter, washing machine, cobra's pit, snake house, scooby doo, and lambada) , we even saved two rafters and geez, it was no fun getting underwater in the churning, chocolate brown river. But we were briefed so we basically know what to do that is if you don't panic. Me and hny and some friendly Chinese people again as well as the tour guide with a speech defect were able to triumph over the giant waves of the merciless Padas river. I couldn't believe I was able to hold on for that long geez

Details when we get back, we still need to find a Chinese restaurant here selling maki and drop by 7-11 for gatorade.

Day 2
Friday, May 11 2007

Started a bit late. Prepared our beach gear and met Crystal, the friendly owner/manager of the lodge, on our way out. We decided to walk from the lodge to Wisma (Plaza) Sabah to pay our white water rafting fee for tomorrow. The city is very walkable, it's about 3kms from end to end.


Walk early though as the sun is harsher here than in Manila, Malaysia is closer to the equator that's why. If you have a map, walking is a breeze and you won't get lost. After meeting with Misliana of Borneo Ultimate Sports Adventure Tours (BUSAT) who was very nice from the start (back in MNL when we were still making a lot of inquiries) and she also gave us a huge discount, we headed to Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, a 10 minute walk from the building scorching hot though, slather lots of sunblock.


The WISMA SABAH building


At the terminal, there were several locals milling around, coaxing tourists to try this and this island. We discussed and decided to check out what's inside the building. There were several
shops, a waiting area and several tour operators inside. We opted for the first one nearest the

door. We paid Rm74 for two, including the RM6/pax terminal fee for three islands. We thought it's cheaper that way as they charge RM17/island, excl. tariff. And you have to pay RM10 each for entrance on the first island. Remember to keep your entrance ticket so you don't have to pay for the other islands you'll gonna visit later.






Inside the Jesselton Point Ferry terminal, shops upstairs, a waiting area for passengers and several tour operators.


Manukan Island. We reached the first island after 10 minutes in the boat and confirmed with the boat man the time he's gonna pick us up. It seemed that we were the only ones who are visiting more than one island. He told us he'll be back after two hours.

There was a walkway from the drop off point until the entrance to the island park. Under the walkway are thousands of fish, about three or four different species.

We opted for a table near the life guard as there were few people and swimmers on this side. There was a net which divide the schools of fish and the actual swimming area. It's prohibited to swim in their designated area of habitat. Swam a bit, despite the broken goggles we still enjoyed the serenity of the place. You go there to relax and unwind, you don't want noise definitely and it seems that tourists there know and respect that.
Manukan Island with a lone swimmer.


Approximately, 30 mins before the agreed pick up, we rushed to see if we can grab a bite before heading off to the 2nd island. We found 2 al fresco restaurants, one serving set meals: satay, fruits, veggies, etc and farther down, a buffet charging RM60. We ended up buying from the cooperative a beef and chicken dish and rice for RM5. You can bring your own food though if you don't want to spend money on food.


Sapi Island. After our quick lunch, we were picked up and headed towards Sapi Island. It's smaller than the first but there are more people swimming. We got down to business right away and swam our hearts out. Here, we also decided to rent snorkeling masks which I was so afraid to use for fear of contracting tb and other disease jeje. I just used the mask without the mouth gear. We saw more sergeant fish and a lone cleaner wrasse, a very pesky one which decided to hang out with us the whole time. This time the boat man stayed in the island and waited for us. After 2 more hours, we headed towards Mamutik.



Mamutik Island. The smallest of the three but has the most diverse species of fish. We were able to swam and fed them using leftover bread from other people's feeding. We were the last ones to leave and took good picture of the island and ourselves of course.


Dô and Tin at Mamutik Island, Malaysia.

Day 1 (10 May)

We're in KK!! And I'm writing this in a very nice lodge we found in the net. It's called Velvet Lodge and it's in the city center, lots of restaurants a few steps from the place. It also has a lounge, but we haven't been there as we're still trying to settle and count our ringgits. Speaking of which, thank God there's now a bureau de change at the KK International airport. We were quite worried..chit chatting with the staff now, he's half Malaysian half-filipino and he's been talking a lot! Super friendly :)

Got to go now...more tomorrow!

I received this article from my ivolunteer.ph subscription and I was really enraged (I'm ante-dating it so as not to get mixed up with my KK posts). Apparently, the multi-awarded former mayor of Naga City, Jesse Robredo was disqualified by COMELEC to run for the election on Monday because he is not a Filipino citizen. I just can't believe this.
I'm re-posting the article here, written by Geronimo L. Sy, published in the Manila Times, 10 May 2007.
__________________________

HERE I STAND
By Geronimo L. Sy

In defense of Jesse Robredo

There is no need to talk about the credentials and accomplishments of Jesse Robredo, mayor of Naga City. He is the city administrator par excellence and man of integrity. And he has been disqualified as candidate for mayor for the May 14, 2007, midterm elections because, according to the Comelec division hearing the case, he is not a Filipino. The case has been appealed to the Comelec en banc.

I refuse to read any political color to it. True, Mayor Jesse is in the opposition camp. He is, however, not of the type to descend into lawless violence, to shortcut and deny due process or to mindlessly grab political control by leveraging his electoral clout. He is the model of transparency and accountability in administering the once third class but now first-class
city. His city happens to be in Bicol, one of the poorest regions in the country.

Mayor Jesse has been elected five times by the people of Naga and overwhelmingly at that. If his action is not proof of his election as a citizen of this country, who else can be? Witness the millions who have chosen to be elsewhere and some (including politicians) who gladly take to a different passport. At a certain point in time, we ought to come to our senses and stick to the adage that we are what we do and that actions speak loudest. Mayor Jesse has faced down several similar charges on his citizenship way back in the nines.

Granted that the Comelec division’s finding is flawless, the timing is altogether a different matter. For cases of this dimension, the august body should always act with dispatch lest accusations of partiality and bias gain anchor. Surely, the administration needs the likes of Mayor Jesse on its side to show that we are a working democracy—to allow an independent local government official to govern and govern well; to prove that the ruling party tolerates
principled dissent and ethical responses. After all, the great project that is democracy is about the exchange of ideas in a critical and continuous debate between opposing stands of the majority and the minority. The administration exists to articulate the aspirations of the many. It never is about unfair and underhanded methods. The opposition is there to check on the excesses and not to forever plot to seize power. The acid test of any leader, local or national,
remains his commitment to good governance.

Maybe we should talk about his local governance. He is a leader by example and empowers people to help themselves. He redefined the meaning of participatory governance by opening opportunities for people to makes decisions and implement programs. Under his watch, his city has received more than 30 international, national and regional awards in local governance. These are no ordinary ones and include the 2004 UN Public Service Award for Local e-governance; 2004 UN Development Fund For Women (Unifem) and UN-Habitat Women-Friendly City Award; 2004 and 2003 PCCI Most Business Friendly City Award, 2003 World Bank citation as Model City for Government Procurement, 2002 UNDP CyberCity Award for I-Governance initiatives, Galing Pook (AIM) and Gawad Pamana ng Lahi (DILG). Jesse himself was the 2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, a recipient of The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM), the 1998 Konrad Adenauer Medal of
Excellence as Most Outstanding City Mayor and the first ever “Dangal ng Bayan” Award of the Civil Service Commission.

Contrast this to the petty tyrants and corrupt mayors elsewhere and your heart bleeds. There is no love lost for a mayor who hostages the country by exhorting citizens to join political rallies in our financial district. Or for a mayor whose city colors are gray and black in an environment of filth and darkness. Or for any local chief executive who puts self-interest above the welfare of his constituents. Mayor Jesse is not, by any measure, such a guy. He is a dedicated public servant, he is Filipino and he is running for mayor.

I won't be able to exercise my privilege and right to vote as we'll still be here in Malaysia until the 15th. As an unfortunate consequence of such, I'll be waiving my right to (verbally) criticize how we are governed for the next three years by the politicians who will get elected on Monday. I fail to do my responsibility and that's the consequence I have to face. Saying that there'll still be other ways to serve the country sounds too hollow and yes, just losing the right to criticize is just too easy a punishment. I guess I have to start with my penance now. (And we did! We hiked the Kinabalu National Park and did the canopy walk in Poring, my legs are still aching up to now)