MIKEWEEK BULLETIN #211

Quote of the Week: “Mike…Popa Doc is Dead!”

September 19, 2011

Quezon City, Philippines—September finds me back with Vince and working my freelance gig, via the power and reach of the world-wide-web, with a 12 hour time change (16 hours plus for my Nevada stories). I departed New York City, the land of earthquakes and hurricanes, the week after “Irene” and am now in Manila for some of the best weather of the year.

My best reference for life here is New Orleans, and the first similarity is that life (and even death) revolves around food. Manila is also a city made up of the very rich and very poor—with little room left (which is all that is needed) to accommodate the few who would qualify most places as “middle class.”

September Cheer: For the unknowing, which certainly includes most of those bustling through their daily lives on the isle of Manhattan…the 100 Days til Christmas Countdown began last week. One is made aware by the Christmas decorations that have already started to go up on houses in and around Manila. There are also holiday items springing up in the mall,  and some radio stations are playing an occasional Christmas tune—as we all countdown to the big day.


Did I mention, that Filipinos, like New Orleans Saints fans, tend to be “All-in” or in the local parlance—Lahat.

Vincent’s H1B visa application went to Uncle Sam last week, we should know by early October if he gets the OK, then he has to get the government here to issue a visa. We were both hoping to travel back to the states together in early October, but it may take Vince a little longer to return.

Vince has plenty to do in the meantime. He started an outsourcing company that specializes in "I-P" ...as in intellectual property research and translation. He named the company Research Manila Partners. It took some major cajones to start this venture, because his first contract involved almost exclusively research in Japanese. Did I mention that Vince does not speak Japanese, nor at the time did he have much contact with anyone who spoke it?

            Well, he did a bunch of research and came up with some amazing candidates, and now, just six weeks into the venture, he has twenty employees who are doing research and translations in six languages. Most of his employees graduated Magna or Summa Cum Laude

            Today, we are both working from Vincent’s family home, because the Jeepny drivers are on strike, and that means most of his employees won’t be able to get to the office. Not a major problem, because they can all do their research from home. BTW…a Jeepny is an elongated Jeep that holds around 20…and in rural provinces when you count those hanging off the back, sides and on the roof maybe double that.

I mentioned food being big in both life and death and that brings us to the Quote of the Week. It was uttered as I descended the stairs in Vincent’s family home in search of the days’ first cup of coffee—when Vincent’s mom appeared. She was visibly shaken, when she uttered the QOW…and I was suitably confused.

Vincent was behind me on the stairs and I asked him…"Why is your mom so upset…Poppa Doc was the dictator of Haiti..and I think he has been dead for a while? “Not Doc, Doh…” Vincent, said, “From dinner last night, Pappa Doh”

Like New Orleans, Manila is a land of many nicknames—the Cajun nickname “Boy” is also a favorite here. The Papa Do in question was Alfredo, the longtime partner of Vince’s brother’s, Mother-in-Law—aka “Mama Fel” short for Felly.

The wake for Papa Do will last more than a week, and it is unlike most anything you have seen. There are tables set up for hundreds of friends and family and food is catered and includes a half a dozen entrees that are served to all, pretty much around the clock. Vincent confided, “If you come to this wake every night, you will gain 20 pounds!"

As fate would have it, we were with both Papa Do and Mama Fell the night before he died. 
It was at a huge celebration his 62^nd birthday. Vincent’s brother “Ton-Ton” smiled and said to me at the wake—you have been to most everything now: a Filipino Christening, Wedding, several birthday bashes, a debut, a picnic in a graveyard (Filipino's snack with their departed family on the anniversary of their deaths) and now a wake.

Mama Fel is as hard working as she is generous, and in fact spends so much time at work, that Vince and I could not help noticing how happy she was the night of the birthday celebration. She has been very kind to include me in so many family events; both Vince and I feel great sadness and send our condolences for her loss.

On a happier note: I can report some small progress in learning a smattering of Filipino—a language of many short vowels. There is no word for “to be” or “it”, and repeated vowels, ang’s and ng’s  can change the meaning of everything. I took a reporter’s approach to the language and have started with the main questions every reporter knows by heart—Who (sino), What (ano), When (kailan), Where (saan), Why (bakit), and How (paano). From there, I pick up scraps of other words and on occasion have a vague understanding of what’s being said.

Current Reading: Another Dad pick and this one is terrific. Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story. It depicts life in the not too distant future, where verbal communication is all but dead and America has moved to a one party state. If you mixed Saul Bellow with Kurt Vonegut, and added a dash of “1984” you might capture some of the brilliance of this book. What is most scary about it, it that as wild and far-fetched as the author’s imagination is, you don’t have to look so very far into the future, to see this view of a very diminished American taking hold.

Speaking of the Written Word: Manila has one more striking similarity with my longtime home New Orleans—in the many signs which mangle the English language. During my Tulane days, I used to ride the “Freret Jet” aka bus to my meat slicing job at Maspero’s.  Each time the bus passed, I would  chuckle at a sign that hung from a local pharmacy. It declared, “Food Stamps Excepted.” Likewise, these chuckles await as soon as you exit the plane at Manila International Airport. The sign on the jet-way cautions you to “Watch your Steps” and then once you get on the six lane highway, another orders you to “Stay On Your Lane.”

More Eats: I have not yet gained 20 pounds, but I have certainly added a few (pause here to pray for long life, and no additional wakes during my stay).

 Our best meals out have been at Cherchio and Mesa.  Although truth be told, no restaurant hold a candle to Alma’s cooking—she is Vincent’s nanay (That means mother, but it is used as a term of affection for his lifelong nanny). In addition to being able to climb a coconut tree, and fix almost anything under the sun, Alma can put most Filipino chef’s to shame—this weekend she treated us Chicken Adobo—which could easily make the menu at Galatoires, alongside one of my favorites—the Chicken Clemenseau. 

                                  (Chef Alma and her daughter Althea)