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Korea (South)1897 Posts
Back to the Grind
So I've been in Manila (Makati City) for a week and am finally going back to Korea tomorrow night (Monday) and I'll arrive back in Seoul by 4:45 am on May 1st, just in time for my second son's (tiny atom) 1st year birthday.
The 1st Birthday Table
In Korea, it is a huge deal the 1st year birthday. The ceremony starts at noon and unlike my first son's (mini atom) 1st year birthday, we're having it far more low key and at our home. Both me and my wife will be dressed up in our hanbok(s) (traditional Korean ceremonial clothes) and there will be huge table of fruits and food laid out for Tiny Atom. In Korea, I'd say this birthday and your 60th are the most important ones, kinda like the start and finish of life, one celebrating where you are going, ie. destiny, the other celebrating your life achievements.
The main point of the day is that Tiny Atom will be presented with a number of items, like pencil, money, gavel, even mircophone and of course a rugby ball. These items will be placed on a small table and he will reach out and grab one. The item he grabs will dictate what he is destined for: a pencil = Scholar, money= rich, gavel=judge, mircophone=talent and for some kids they get to choose a gamer mouse and that of course = pro gamer (only in Korea eh? keke), but of course the only special addition that I will put on is a rugby ball. For the record Mini Atom grabbed a gavel. So this is a big day for the entire family.
Man On Fire
But for the last week I've been in Manila working like a man on fire as I've been called into a company to do some major consulting work. It's really great work, I mean, it is what I love to do and it's pretty high level stuff and all strategic, which is refreshing as I've been basically just running a start-up for a year and half now and I really missed getting into some big company business strategy. It is generally good timing as I've had more time on my hands (although I am going to get right into some TL work by mid-week).
My daily routine is that I wake up at 7:30am go meet the CEO at the Shangri-La Makati 'Horizon Club' by 8:30 for a breakfast meeting, eat something there, get driven to their office at Enterprise building, work until 6:30pm, go back to the Shangri-La 'Horizon Club', work until 11:00pm and then go back to my own hotel, St. Giles, and finish up some work until about 2ish, then sleep, then repeat for 6 days.
Since tonight is the last night, I've nearly finished the project they had me working on, but I'm going to take a nap asap and wake up at 5am and power through the last of the project until my closing meet at 10am where I'll probably do about 2 hours more revisions then be done.
I've been called in to reformulate/restructure a company's strategic business direction, meaning what core businesses/products will they be focusing on moving forward based on what they are good at and what the market potential is. It's my industry, so it's not tough for me, but its just a lot of work to get through.
The Lovely Shangri-La Hotel
If you don't know the Shangri-la is basically a luxury hotel chain in Asia and they have the most awesome buffet spread in the world (not kidding), but it's really one of the best places you could stay in, they even have people pressing the elevator button for you and holding the elevator for you. The CEO of the company basically lives there, so we do a lot of work at the 'Horizon Club'. What that is a business lounge, and it isn't anything special, but you can eat, drink whatever you want and of course they have all the evil things like open bar, wine, cashews and sushi etc (think unlimited uber great snack bar). But it is open to anyone who is staying on the executive floor, and the CEO obviously is a beloved guest there.
Can't Stop Snacking...Must Stop...
Today, cause it is a weekend, I spend yesterday and today all day there, trying not to stuff my face with little bit sized bits of evilness. I failed until I decided to just drink 3 pots of green tea, so I managed to stop killing myself with food. But here I am trying not to eat, but every single time I go back to my own hotel which is about 5 mins away by taxi, I am confronted by lots of young mothers holding babies who must be less than 3 months old begging for money.
Slumming it 4Star in the Getto
When I first came to Manila last month, the company put me up in a 5 star, but this time, a 4 star, I guess, but it is located in the bar/sex district of Makati, so this week I sometimes walk back to my hotel and on the way I get asked if I want a massage, or money or just out right sex, and I get approached probably about 12 times on my walk back (at least). I don't give them any money because the company's driver told me (everyone has a driver in Manila) that it is a big scam, that criminals run it and they actually employ these people to beg and if I really want to give them something, buy them some food and make them eat it in front of you.
I've been so crazy busy and tired (I'm not a young consultant anymore-fuck it is tough getting back into the groove) that I just go to my hotel room, and pass out. But 4 days ago, I actually pulled an all nighter at their office and worked till about 7am, then when back to the hotel and went into the office late that night, about 11:00 am. I decided to walk, just cause I must have gained 3 kg (6.75pounds) or so.
Accosted by 8 Year Olds, Little G's
As I was walking down the street in my shirt and tie and smoking, a kid, maybe as tall as my chest asked me for some money, so I tried to shoo him away. But he kept walking beside me and kept on bumping into me, so I looked down and his hand was in my pant pocket trying to reach my wallet. Normally I'd be wearing a jacket, but its 30 degrees here, so it just isn't practical, so I just had my wallet in my front pant pocket, so I pushed his hand out out my pocket and yelled, 'Hey, Hey!' and made a motion to burn him with my cigarette. Of course I wasn't going to, but I was a bit surprised, but the kid just starting laughing and then I was a bit perplexed, I'm not a guy you'd find funny when I'm upset, but he started pointed behind me, and his friend was putting his hands in my side bag as I was distracted. At this point I felt, -wtf- I'm not going to hit them, but obviously they don't really care, but then one of the security guards at the store started to shout at the kids and they smiled and skipped away.
I've nearly been pickpocketed before, but it was in France at the Lourve Museam and they were professional thieves (my wife caught them- never mess with Korean wives and their husband's cash!), but more than anything, it was like these kids were just doing whatever, they really had nothing to lose. Yesterday as I was in the taxi, I saw another boy walking along and then suddenly he got kicked in the back by...the kid that was trying to pickpocket me the couple of days before and him and his buddy then smiled at the boy and it was obvious that they were all friends and just joking around. But when I saw them walking away, as I was in the taxi, I saw them walk with a swagger, with a 'we're bad ass' type of walk. They weren't walking like 8 year olds, but like harden teenagers who probably were the 3 month babies at one point, being carted around by some woman who may or may not have been their mother begging for money to give to the gangs afterwards.
I Really like working with Filipinos
To be honest, it's hard to come to the Philippines cause the people are extremely good and friendly, but it seems as though their entire society is in a kinda hopeless situation. People really accept that people should be rich or poor, I feel as though I'm in the middle ages here at times. Of course when I go to the office it is like every other first world country except that even in office I only get 5mb down, when in my home in Korea I get 100mb down (^^), but jokes aside, I enjoy working with Filipinos (some of the staff even kept me company when I pulled the all nighter staying with me until 9ish and joking around with me, we even had a dance competition in the office -lol- don't ask me how that got started).
Milk & Me
So here I am, trying not to stuff my face all day, forcing myself to drink green tea instead of wine or cola, or freshly blended mango juice, and I get into the taxi and go to my sex-district hotel (it actually isn't bad at all, like 35 floors, modern etc) and see malnutritioned kids on the way back. Of course, I am parent of 2 kids aged 4 and 1, I can tell obviously. So today, I got to come back early and as I got off, I saw such a thin thin young woman and her baby must have been a month old, like just tiny baby. She asked me for money, I waved her away, just thinking to go into the hotel, but I remembered what the company driver said, so I went to the 7-11 in the street with all the bars are got 7 cartons of 250ml 100% milk from New Zealand (they sell some reconstituted milk as well from power but if I wont drink it why I would I buy it for others) and bought some good granola bars and got the cashier to put it into 4 small bags. The cashier was laughing a bit when I had all the milk in my hands and he was looking at me like I was an idiot cause I could have just bought the big 1liter cartons, but he figured it out afterwards. But he kinda looked at me like I was still an idiot...
Just Another Bullshit Foreigner
Obviously, I don't bring this up because I'm a saint, and obviously this cashier has also seen some other well intentioned foreigner probably buy food for others, and so he just thought, 'look another dick head tourist that thinks he is doing something good like Jesus', but obviously, I don't give a fuck what he thinks, if we really want to talk about it. So as soon as I get out, I walk to the main street and give out the 4 bags to 2 mothers who obviously were in on the scam cause they were happy and working together (which is cool), 1 to a little girl who must have been about 5 or 6 who was crying and begging by knocking on car windows, and to the mother who I originally saw who was now sitting on the sidewalk on the other side, crying, with her baby boy just laying on a blanket on the street. She saw me, I gave her 2 cartons with the granola bar in it and she was too tired or sad to thank me other than just receiving it, but of course I could tell she was thankful for it.
Who Cares if it is a Scam...
When I crossed the road again, the little girl still didn't drink it, I think she was debating because probably she had to give it the boss of the area or maybe she was thinking to share it with her mother or family afterwards. Even if it is all a scam, the misery is real enough and while I thought that I should open it for her, I decided to just go back to the hotel and rest.
My Babies
You know I write because it does relax me and gives me space to reflect, and I only write when something is on my mind. I don't feel good about what I did, I just feel as though, on my last night here, I should just do something, not to ease my mind or to feel like I am doing something, like the story where there a hundreds of starfish dying on the beach and an adult says to a kid who is throwing them back in, 'kid what is the point, you can' t make a difference' and the kid picks up a single starfish and throws it back into the ocean and says, 'I made a difference to that one'. Well, I know I didn't make a difference even to that one, I'm not naive, I know maybe the little girl isn't allowed to drink the milk I bought for her, most of all, I bought it because I felt empathetic. I have babies, and while I would never let them grow up like this, regardless of the circumstance, I wouldn't, but I can't help but feel as though, what if they were my babies, my kids.
So , I bought it because I want the moms to drink the milk and feel their babies, cause I didn't want to feel as though, what if they were my babies and they were hungry. I just didn't want to feel that, I know it is purely a selfish reason to have gone out a bought the milk etc and I don't feel any better, I just hope for small mercies that just for an hour they don't feel as hunger, so I can stop thinking about it as well.
Watch Them Eat
In about 36 hours, I'll see my babies and my wife again, I'll be surrounded by food, little gold rings which they give on this 1st birthday, I'll see my chubby tiny atom and my active mini atom and when I have a chance, I'm just going to sit down and watch them eat. I'm just going to do that and just appreciate that moment.
 
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Thanks for the blog! I really enjoyed reading it. Make sure to take photos of the birthday for us and do tell us what TinyAtom chooses 
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
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When they pick the item on the first birthday how much do you read into it? Do you actively put them on a path to achieve that or is it just a lets see where it goes thing.
Should put mousetraps in your pockets next time you walk down the street
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I've been a target of those creeps too on more than one occasion in my travels.
What did your wife do other than just shout at them?
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Nice blog once more, being dropped into a 3rd world country has an estranging effect indeed. GLHF with all the isotopes.
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:16 Denzil wrote:
When they pick the item on the first birthday how much do you read into it? Do you actively put them on a path to achieve that or is it just a lets see where it goes thing.
Should put mousetraps in your pockets next time you walk down the street
Traditionally, you read into a lot, but of course everything on the table is only good things, like you don't put dice on there lol. But I would say even now, it is something that will always come up when we talk about our children, that Mini Atom picked the gavel (I picked money when I was kid, but that is because my grandmom pilled it high on the table I really had no choice lol), but Koreans do tend to think in terms of one's destiny more than other culture.
I think more than anything, it helps the parents dream a bit and does guide them at least into giving them options towards that, so my wife does talk about, 'what if Mini Atom becomes a Korean prosecutor, should he a be a judge too, should we send him to an american law school,' whereas if he had picked a stethoscope, we'd probably be debating on what kind of doctor would best suit his personality etc.
But it is a huge day and we do take it seriously what the baby picks, maybe not as much as a hundred years ago, but the entire event is just big.
And as far as the pickpockets, I can't really get angry with them, but I do walk with hands in my pocket now when I walk down that street lol.
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your blog is always interesting to read.
Also, I would have no problem kicking little children trying to pickpocket me.
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The taxi driver is right. Living in Manila, I guess I'm kind of used to beggars and follow the protocol of giving only food and not money when I can, but I still feel a certain uneasiness whenever I turn them down/say no. My sister who has been living in the States for 7 years is now very unnerved by street children when she comes to visit and we always have to remind her about the syndicates and gangs, etc. Still its her money and sometimes she still gives it to them despite our warnings. Another thing that usually unsettles visitors here is the huge, visible gap between rich and poor (it might be the same for other third-world cities, I think). Especially in Makati, where you get the glittering skyscrapers of Ayala Ave. and well-dressed professionals and foreigners walking around, and then drive five minutes and reach depressed/slum areas.
Stay safe in Manila, and I hope you are doing well with the heat since it has been a ridiculously hot summer so far (well I guess you're usually in air conditioned places, but isn't it horrible when you go out?). Friday I think set the record for the hottest day of the year so far. Also an advanced Happy Birthday to your son!
Edit: And yeah, the internet here is horrible. There isn't any reliable service provider or company, they're all awful.
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:17 StarStruck wrote:
I've been a target of those creeps too on more than one occasion in my travels.
What did your wife do other than just shout at them?
She actually didn't shout, she noticed that the guy behind me was standing so close to us as we were going down the escalator and she had been paranoid the entire visit (her sixth sense was working overtime I guess because really there must be a lot of gangs working the museum) so I was getting upset with her cause she kept on saying, put your bag in front, etc. Thing is, I'm a pretty typical Korean macho guy, so I'm like, 'no guy is going to steal from me, I'm going to knock em out' kind of attitude, which is probably exactly the kind of guy they target lol.
So anyway, she just felt strange that he was so close, so then she actually took a half step back, and pulled my bag closer to me (as it was on the side of me) and as soon as got off the escalator, she said, 'did you open you bag?' And I was like, no (cause we had 10k in euros on us in the bag-cause we were going to La fayatte gallaria to buy things that day), and then we realized that the guy definitely was trying to pickpocket us, but by the time we realized this, obviously he took off.
So I apologized to my wife for calling her a paranoid nutzode and to this day, always tell my friends the story how she saved our cash, but a couple of things,
as I recall.
1. He was good looking white guy
2. he obviously was very skillful and patient, and it was the longest escalator in the museum before exiting, so they probably do that a lot cause they have time to do it while on the escalator and since you're leaving, you're probably distracted.
3. When I think back, I remember him more than once and with an attractive girl, so I assume that they scope you out and actively look for idiots like me and then make their move once we are about to leave, so they basically stalked us in retrospect. This is what probably got my wife paranoid originally, so they may have made multiple attempts but it wasn't until the last escalator that they nearly got away with it.
4. I wanted to go back and look for them and take their photo, but to be honest I just was relieved that my wife had stopped it because besides the 10k, our passports were there too so it would have really fucked us. We literally were going to go shopping right after the museum so up to that point the money was in the hotel safe.
And we were on our honeymoon!
Thanks honey! *kiss* You're the best, I still remember always how you saved our honeymoon from my macho idiocy!
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Glad to see someone enjoying fatherhood tremendously and life as an adult.
It is true that only real life can teach you about real life.
Good luck with your journeys and adventures, friend. I've seen you only know (and what an awesome icon) but I appreciate you sharing your world to us.
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:26 nepeta wrote:
Nice blog once more, being dropped into a 3rd world country has an estranging effect indeed. GLHF with all the isotopes.
keke, thanks, I've been here lots before, but I guess this time why it affects me so much is because I have babies now. Otherwise, I'm normally a heartless mofo ^^
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:29 Seth_ wrote:
your blog is always interesting to read.
Also, I would have no problem kicking little children trying to pickpocket me.
hehe, thanks, I think the problem is, that they are use to it, and while you're kicking one, the other one is taking your wallet! They are gosu!
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On April 30 2012 00:43 [V] wrote:
Glad to see someone enjoying fatherhood tremendously and life as an adult.
It is true that only real life can teach you about real life.
Good luck with your journeys and adventures, friend. I've seen you only know (and what an awesome icon) but I appreciate you sharing your world to us.
It makes me smile to think about the future. Will he stop blogging when parenting becomes too much of a hassle? What will happen to TL and MightyAtom when his kids are in their teens? Will he continue to make blogs when he's an old man?
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:30 ellerina wrote:The taxi driver is right. Living in Manila, I guess I'm kind of used to beggars and follow the protocol of giving only food and not money when I can, but I still feel a certain uneasiness whenever I turn them down/say no. My sister who has been living in the States for 7 years is now very unnerved by street children when she comes to visit and we always have to remind her about the syndicates and gangs, etc. Still its her money and sometimes she still gives it to them despite our warnings. Another thing that usually unsettles visitors here is the huge, visible gap between rich and poor (it might be the same for other third-world cities, I think). Especially in Makati, where you get the glittering skyscrapers of Ayala Ave. and well-dressed professionals and foreigners walking around, and then drive five minutes and reach depressed/slum areas. Stay safe in Manila, and I hope you are doing well with the heat since it has been a ridiculously hot summer so far (well I guess you're usually in air conditioned places, but isn't it horrible when you go out?). Friday I think set the record for the hottest day of the year so far. Also an advanced Happy Birthday to your son!
Thanks ^^, yeah once the driver pointed it out, it did become apparent because you don't see them in any other tourist location as much as this particular area. But my latin american friends tell him that it is the same or worse in some parts of Brazil/Mexico etc, so I guess it is common.
I would have loved to been out in sun on Friday, no time for sun whatsoever =( and I have to say, wow, the corporate Filippinas in the business district dress really nice keke ^^.
But no worries, I'm safe as the driver normally takes care of me and he showed me the gun he has and said that he is a very good shot and I trust him because he drives very well and thanks for the birthday wishes as well ^^ I'll be back again in a month!
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On April 30 2012 00:43 MightyAtom wrote:Show nested quote +On April 30 2012 00:17 StarStruck wrote:
I've been a target of those creeps too on more than one occasion in my travels.
What did your wife do other than just shout at them? She actually didn't shout, she noticed that the guy behind me was standing so close to us as we were going down the escalator and she had been paranoid the entire visit (her sixth sense was working overtime I guess because really there must be a lot of gangs working the museum) so I was getting upset with her cause she kept on saying, put your bag in front, etc. Thing is, I'm a pretty typical Korean macho guy, so I'm like, 'no guy is going to steal from me, I'm going to knock em out' kind of attitude, which is probably exactly the kind of guy they target lol. So anyway, she just felt strange that he was so close, so then she actually took a half step back, and pulled my bag closer to me (as it was on the side of me) and as soon as got off the escalator, she said, 'did you open you bag?' And I was like, no (cause we had 10k in euros on us in the bag-cause we were going to La fayatte gallaria to buy things that day), and then we realized that the guy definitely was trying to pickpocket us, but by the time we realized this, obviously he took off. So I apologized to my wife for calling her a paranoid nutzode and to this day, always tell my friends the story how she saved our cash, but a couple of things, as I recall. 1. He was good looking white guy 2. he obviously was very skillful and patient, and it was the longest escalator in the museum before exiting, so they probably do that a lot cause they have time to do it while on the escalator and since you're leaving, you're probably distracted. 3. When I think back, I remember him more than once and with an attractive girl, so I assume that they scope you out and actively look for idiots like me and then make their move once we are about to leave, so they basically stalked us in retrospect. This is what probably got my wife paranoid originally, so they may have made multiple attempts but it wasn't until the last escalator that they nearly got away with it. 4. I wanted to go back and look for them and take their photo, but to be honest I just was relieved that my wife had stopped it because besides the 10k, our passports were there too so it would have really fucked us. We literally were going to go shopping right after the museum so up to that point the money was in the hotel safe. And we were on our honeymoon! Thanks honey! *kiss* You're the best, I still remember always how you saved our honeymoon from my macho idiocy!
That's exactly what they do. In many cases they try to detract your attention. That's why I keep things tightly packed and well hidden, or zippers galore.
There are many and I mean many of them.
The Louvre is a perfect spot for them. I remember a guy tried to get between me and my luggage at the train station. I told him, "No, that's not going to happen."
They're very fast and efficient.
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:43 [V] wrote:
Glad to see someone enjoying fatherhood tremendously and life as an adult.
It is true that only real life can teach you about real life.
Good luck with your journeys and adventures, friend. I've seen you only know (and what an awesome icon) but I appreciate you sharing your world to us.
Cheers, ^^, yup experience, what a bitch, if only we could learn everything from girl blogs and reading lol ^^. Appreciate the post as well and having an opportunity to share. Makes me feel human sometimes when all I seem to be doing is working non-stop, but come May 15th, I don't know if I can resist DIII. kekeke
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Korea (South)1897 Posts
On April 30 2012 00:46 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On April 30 2012 00:43 [V] wrote:
Glad to see someone enjoying fatherhood tremendously and life as an adult.
It is true that only real life can teach you about real life.
Good luck with your journeys and adventures, friend. I've seen you only know (and what an awesome icon) but I appreciate you sharing your world to us. It makes me smile to think about the future. Will he stop blogging when parenting becomes too much of a hassle? What will happen to TL and MightyAtom when his kids are in their teens? Will he continue to make blogs when he's an old man?
I think my kids will be playing Diablo 5 with me as well as yelling at me to stop feeding when we are playing dota3 together ^^ TL 4 Life!
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On April 30 2012 00:55 MightyAtom wrote:Show nested quote +On April 30 2012 00:46 Azera wrote:On April 30 2012 00:43 [V] wrote:
Glad to see someone enjoying fatherhood tremendously and life as an adult.
It is true that only real life can teach you about real life.
Good luck with your journeys and adventures, friend. I've seen you only know (and what an awesome icon) but I appreciate you sharing your world to us. It makes me smile to think about the future. Will he stop blogging when parenting becomes too much of a hassle? What will happen to TL and MightyAtom when his kids are in their teens? Will he continue to make blogs when he's an old man? I think my kids will be playing Diablo 5 with me as well as yelling at me to stop feeding when we are playing dota3 together ^^ TL 4 Life!
That's a pretty happy thought isn't it? Imagine the new generation of families, gaming, watching ESPORTS, attending MLGs as family trips. Man, isn't it just awesome? Best part is, it's people like you who are spearheading this new generation =)
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You inspire me 형!~
I hope in a few years we can meet in Korea and you can tell me more stories like this over some drinks. ^^
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EPT
