A Bad Dream

When I was a teenager, I had a bad dream that my father passed away. I was bothered by that dream and the first thing that I did after waking up was call him. I was in college then in Manila and he was in Tarlac so I had to make a long distance call. While on the line, he said that it was just a bad dream, he was okay and that I should pray and everthing will be fine.

Fast forward to April 24, 2008, I received a text from Mama that Papa was in ICU because he had a stroke. After 12 days in the hospital, my almost 2 decade old dream became a very sad reality. I'll still hold on to Papa's bilin - that he's okay, I should pray and everything will be fine.

BoyLac's Stampita : A Perfect Match

While searching through a dozen choices for Papa's stampita, we chanced upon this very apt content. For me it was almost perfect. As if it was created specially for Papa and the situation.

Thank you God for lending to us my father BoyLac. We sorely miss him but we know he is in good hands.

**********

In Loving Memory Of Jose "BoyLac" Pasion Lacsamana, Jr.
November 27, 1946 - May 5, 2008

God saw you were getting tired,
And a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around you
And whispered, "Come to Me."

With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

Your golden heart stopped beating,
Your hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.

DeLand, Florida, USA

Asian Tour Day 7: The Orchard Road, May 24

Our City Tour was still in effect but we opted not to use it anymore and instead decided to explore Orchard Road. I acted as the “advance party” as I decided to leave the hotel early to do some chores such as – mailed postcards to my parents, my in laws and my superior (Funny, it was a Malaysian postcard mailed in Singapore.), buy some groceries, transfer pix from my camera to another memory card, check out Smart Pinoy Center in Lucky Plaza and look for Takashimaya S.C. (Shopping Center). It was raining cats and dogs in the morning and it was just right that I went ahead and checked out where we can pass without getting wet.

Afterwards, I went back to the hotel, checked out then my family and I were off to SG’s most prominent street – Orchard Road. Lunch was at the Takashimaya foodcourt while dinner was at McDo. More shopping today for clothes particularly Bossini since the prices where rock bottom compared to Pinas. Not much pictures taken today as I’ve already taken almost 2000 pictures during our 7 day trip. BTW, 2000 is not an exaggeration as I consumed 2 full 2 GB cards using my SLR digicam. Taking pictures is the cheapest form of tourist memento hence I’m investing on it. My motto: any figure close to zero without loosing the quality is always the best option. I have everything planned in my mind – landscape pix using flickrs.com, portrait pix using friendster.com and combo pix and stories using blogger.com.

Asian Tour Day 6: City Tour by Hippo, May 23

My day actually started early. While my family were still resting, I took the opportunity and took the MRT from Somerset to Redhill station to check out the Honda showroom in Alexandra Road. The plan was to canvas a 2002 Civic EX emblem (which they didn’t have) and 2007 CRV 18in mag wheels (which cost an arm and a leg at P114,000 for 4 pieces and excluding shipping). In the showroom, I saw their version of the Civic, CRV and Accord and models not offered in the Phils like the Stream, Oddessey and ultra sporty Civic Type R. Along the way I saw Euro Cars showrooms of Peugeot, Volkswagen, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Citroen and Jap Cars showrooms of Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Subaru and Nissan.

Around lunchtime, we took the City Tour which cost SG$23 per person but it was well worth it and valid for 2 days. The guided tour took us to more than 20 stops with different points of interest. We rode on a double decker and it had an open top. We had late lunch at Suntec City, which was actually the tour company’s main base and considered the second largest mall in SG. In the afternoon, we took the river boat ride on an authentic bum boat and this tour gave a great view of Boat Quay, Clark Quay, Esplanade and the landmark Merlion fountain. Rain was a kill joy but lo and behold, it was only isolated rain showers as there was not a spec of rain in lower part of Orchard Road. We capped our day by splurging in Bossini’s close out sale where we spent more than P10K.

Asian Tour Day 5: Let there be Lloyd’s Inn, May 22

The internet reviews says the hotel personnel were rude. James was not rude. Nor was Peter. I won’t hesitate a bit to go back to that place. The hotac was at Lloyd’s Inn located in #2 Lloyd road within the vicinity of Orchard road and very near Somerset MRT. And yes, it was not a pretty hotel - the inn was almost 4 decades old, the bed sheets were not white as I wished them to be or the carpet needed cleaning pronto but we only paid P3,600 a night for the almost perfect location. A perfect location cost in the neighborhood of P9,000 a night and that’s something we’re not ready to embrace.

The plan today was to explore Sentosa Island. Getting there was a cinch- hello MRT! We took the MRT from Somerset to Harbourfront station. The MRT station was linked to VivoCity, the largest mall in SG. Then we took the cable car in Harbourfront. I was not actually enthusiastic about the cable car ride being acrophobic but I know the kids will enjoy it (just like in Hong Kong) that’s why we didn’t miss it. In Sentosa, first up was a skyride by JML and B5, then more pix taken in Images of SG, B5 checked out SG through a telescope, then B5 and I entered the Merlion and watched a short film, had merienda at Delifrance (Trixie a Filipina as one of the staff), walked all the way to the beach front, rode the eastbound and westbound trams and capped the day by watching the Songs of the Sea fireworks and lights display. Going back to the mainland, we rode the Sentosa Express then took the convenient MRT back to Somerset. Lunch and Dinner was in the same carinderia along Killeney Road near Lloyd’s inn.

Asian Tour Day 4: Meeting of Two Rivers, May 21

Our best decision in MY was probably the half day city tour. Everybody in the family enjoyed it. Our ten year old boy had a grand time during the tour. Our personal tour guide Did Din provided the entertainment. Riding a BUS PERISAN which actually means tourist bus we toured around the city from 9AM to 12NN and taking us to the following points of interest: another view of the Petronas Twin Towers, showed the location of the Phil and US Embassy, the new tunnel whose construction was featured in Discovery Channel, passed by Merdeka Square and the actual location of the two rivers, the King’s Palace, the parliament, the old train station, the Freedom Park, a tour of a batik factory, a souvenir shop and a locally made chocolate shop.

INFO DUMP
This is just pure information dumping. Things that we learned during the trip:
Kuala Lumpur actually means meeting of two rivers.
Malaysia’s killer natural disastrous elements are water and earth (soil). They have frequent floods and landslides but through the years, the government has implemented measures to minimize this such as an efficient flood protection system and land management system.
Recently, they bore four big tunnels within the city limits, 2 used for vehicles and 2 for flood waters. Traffic is bad in KL especially during rush hours. It’s like a virtual parking lot similar to EDSA between 7 to 9AM during weekdays.
Putra Jaya is a newly created city less than an hour from the CBD (Central Biz District) whose zoning is idea. It’s a new age wonder hence a must see in the next visit.

NEXT TIME
We’ve realized that 1 full day in Malaysia is simply not enough. In KL alone, we missed going to Bintang Walk, KL Tower and other points of interest. Putra Jaya will be part of our itinerary in future visits. I was told we need half a day to explore it. Then there’s Sepang where you’ll find the only international formula one racing circuit in Asia. Genting highland is also a must see as it’s a Tagaytay with Enchanted Kingdom type park and up the ante a few notches higher.

AEROLINE BUS
Here’s a great way to fly…ride the bus! Our 28 hour trip to MY was capped by a 5 hour bus ride from MY to SG via Aeroline Bus. It’s a no brainer that taking the bus is a lot cheaper compared to an airplane. To be more precise, it’s 50% cheaper. An airplane trip would cost us P12,000 while the bus trip only amounted to P6,000. And I’d say the experience was even better. Imagine riding a double deck bus and getting seats 1A and 1B – the best view in the house. You are right on top of the driver!

The quote for the day comes from my lovely wife JML “ Nalungkot ako para sa Pilipinas.” In our 4 day old trip which brought us to Jakarta & Kuala Lumpur, we’ve realized that Makati City was behind in a lot of things. This comment comes from a family whose been living in Makati Central Business District officially for nearly 4 years now.

Asian Tour Day 3: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 20

Our flight from ID to MY via Air Asia was at 8AM. Time was not on our side during this trip so that ends our 32 hour visit in this city that is officially a few scales better than Makati. We rode an LCC or Low Cost Carrier in the guise of Air Asia but it actually didn’t mean a thing. Included in the Malaysia package was an airport to hotel transfer and that’s when we met our eventual tour guide Din Din. He was of Malaysia and Chinese decent and was the perfect tour guide, knows the country like the palm of his hand, mixes touristy stuff with business and economics. The hotac was provided by Corus Hotel whose location was simply the best – a stone’s throw away from Petronas Twin Towers. As mentioned earlier, the hotel was a bit pricey but the package included breakfast, land transfer, a city tour so that justifies the cost. The target itinerary for the day was to explore and take precious pictures of the 4th tallest building in the world. Lunch was at Nando’s resto whose specialty was chicken. Pork is not actually a star in this side of the globe. They had a 5 point spice meter but I was only good for entry level. My wife JML could have passed level 3 if she wanted to but I’m no spice boy. Dinner was chicken rice at Suria Mall’s foodcourt. Aside from taking tons of pictures of the twin towers, we explored the depths of the mall and was not actually successful at keeping expenses in check. Our learning point during these international escapades- avoid going to the malls.

Asian Tour Day 2: Jakarta, Indonesia, May 19

PLAZA SENAYAN
Our day started a bit late as we had to recover from the late night travel. Our official tour guides for the day were SLS’ pretty wife Eve and their li’l boy Joshua. First up was at a foreign exchange center called Dua Sisi in Plaza Senayan. The exchange rate was about US$ 100 for IDR 900,000+. There’s not much coins in this side of the globe, mostly paper money. Lunch was at an Indonesian resto called Waroeng Kita (which means our small store). Their specialty was ox’s tail cooked fried and with soup and nasi goreng or lemak which was actually their variant of fried rice.

PACIFIC PLACE
Next we went to Pacific Place where Kidzania was located. I will not be able to give justice to the Kidzania experience just by telling you a story but every parent should have their children experience this totally different concept. It’s one of a kind, at least from my punto de vista. It’s like a small community, to name a few establishment- a gas station, an automobile dealers, a race track, a hospital, an electric company all in a small scale just right for kids. They have practically everything covered. The kids get paid salary for the experience and whatever they earn, they can use for some rides and buy stuff. If only I had the resources and time, I’d copy the concept and bring to Pinas. Dinner was in Y&Y resto with SLS and family. Imagine having dinner on a sailboat placed inside the mall. It was a totally different experience for the touristas.

SENAYAN CITY, ET. AL
All visitors from Jakarta have great things to say about J.CO Donuts so it was my time to try it and they were so right. The donut literally melts in your mouth. The donut show was led by J.Co in ID with Mister Donut, Dunkin’ Donut relegated as supporting casts. After some donuts and coffee at 11PM, we had a couple of drinks at Pure Resto and Bar. The bar’s name sounds pretty mundane but it offers a commanding view of the Jakarta skyline at night and revolves in certain times during the day hence giving you a 360 degree view of the city.

Asian Tour Day 1: S-I-M “Asian” Tour, May 18

Finally after a year of preparation, the whole family went on an Asian tour which covered Indonesia (ID), Malaysia (MY) and Singapore (SG). My friend went to SG recently and spent exactly the same amount (about P120,000) for the same number of people. Our tour covered 3 key cities in Asia for the same cost but we had to sacrifice on some expenses. I may have used the term sacrifice but a more apt term is adventure. In ID, accommodation was through a very, very good friend SLS. In MY, the accommodation killed our budget BUT the package included land transfers, breakfast and a city tour so that sort of off set it. In SG, our hotac was a measly P3600 a night at Lloyd’s Inn, ate meals at carinderia’s, rode the MRT a lot and walked a lot.

Our airline of choice was PAL (Phil Airlines). It was not exactly a maiden flight but the Manila to Jakarta route was just 20 days old. The lone flight was scheduled at 9PM and we arrived in Jakarta a few minutes past midnight. We were picked up at the airport by my friend SLS. The airport wasn’t as impressive as the relatively new NAIA but the “not so nice” perception about ID practically ended there. Day 2 is a totally different picture of Jakarta.

Animal Kingdom

If we consider the natural environment as a basis for quality of life, my vote would go to the US. There's nothing like living in unison with nature. During my 2 week trip to the US, I had the chance to see the following animals which we would only see at the zoo in Pinas:

1. TURTLE - The turtle was crossing a county road so I had to stop lest I be fined for crushing the poor thing. He was moving from one lake to another and it so happen that the street separated the two lakes.
2. SQUIRRELS - These cute little creatures were everywhere - mall parking lots, in my aunt's front yard at the hospital waiting area. It was actually my first time to see a squirrel. Don't think there are squirrels in Pinas, only squeallers.
3. WILD DUCKS - This is odd. I saw brown and black colored wild ducks in a public park. They were basking in the sun. Lucky ducks! In Pinas, they would have been served for lunch or dinner. Roast duck rice topping. Yum! Yum!
4. SNAKE - Ok, so I am not fond of snakes and this goes for 80% of the human race. When I saw a black 2 feet snake in my parent's front yard, I wanted to call 911. But the broomstick did the trick so I got it out of my sight.
5. PELICAN - Imagine a bird the size of a goose but glides like an eagle. The first time I saw a pelican was in Sea World and had to pay US$20 for the entrance fee. Had I known I could see one in my aunt's front yard, then I would have skipped Sea World.
6. DEER - It was 5am and we were cruising about 60 MPH and had to slow down because Santa's deer where gazing. It was a bit too late for a midnight snack and too early for breakfast. No wonder there was a "Deer Crossing, Slow Down" sign.

Seven Airports in Three Weeks

Seven Airports in 3 weeks is definitely a rare personal feat. I doubt if I can repeat that in my lifetime. It was not done by design and it’s not something that an average Joe (or Juan de la Cruz) can do. I’m not saying I’m an extraordinary person but more like the events in the life the past 2 month qualifies for beyond the usual daily event in our life and not something that you pray for. Here’s the list of airports that I’ve experienced from April 18 to May 10, 2008:

1. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila, Philippines) - MNL
2. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Jakarta, Indonesia) - CGK
3. Low Cost Carrier Terminal (Selangor, Malaysia) - LCCT
4. Changi International Airport (Singapore) - SIN
5. Central Japan International Airport - Nagoya, Japan - NGO
6. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport - (Detriot, Michigan, USA) - DTW
7. Orlando International Airport - (Orlando, Florida, USA) - MCO

I can’t really judge what’s the best or what’s the worst airport as I really did not have time to assess. The short assessment of the airports that I’ll write in this entry is purely based on perception and no scientific basis.

1. MNL – “Pwede na rin” compared to our Asia counterparts. It is better than CGK and LCCT but not even close to SIN. Let’s not even attempt to compare it to USA or Japan airports.
2. CGK – Of the seven airports, I’d say this is one of the “not so okay” because of its cleanliness. But on the other hand, it is organized and has a cultural theme to its airport design.
3. LCCT – This is Malaysia’s budget airport. Their REAL airport is located 20 kilometers away. Though it’s a budget airport with clearly budget facilities, the place is clean. I’d say even cleaner than MNL.
4. SIN – This is voted as the best airport in the world. I didn’t get the chance to explore it though because of unforeseen circumstance but it is spanking clean, very organized and security is comparable to US airports.
5. NGO – Here’s another clean airport, probably the cleanest among the bunch. It has a wide selection of duty free products but like most duty free shops, they are a bit pricey.
6. DTW – My vote goes to this airport as the best of the seven airports. It’s like a shopping mall masquerading as an airport. The message in that airport is “Shop till you drop and by the way, please don’t forget your flight.”
7. MCO – My father used to tell me that MCO airport is this and that. They’re actually true, saw them with my own eyes however the place needs sprucing up.

What’s a Hospice?

Definition: A hospice is a health-care facility for the terminally ill that emphasizes pain control and emotional support for the patient and family, typically refraining from taking extraordinary measures to prolong life.

At first, the thought of hospice care bothered me. I disagreed on the plan to transfer my father from the Intensive Care Unit to the Hospice Care Center. The word hospice was alien to me and I thought he won’t be given dignity if he was transferred to that facility. When he was eventually transferred, the experience totally changed my view. My father stayed there for only 6 hours but the experience was enough to tell good stories.

The role of a hospital is to make sure a patient lives even if you signed a waiver form. A hospice care on the other hand will ensure that the terminally ill patient expires comfortably.

http://www.halifaxhealth.org/hovf/index.html

BoyLac Wins : A Happy Competition

Since I’ve started making my own money more than a decade ago, I’ve viewed life as a competition with my father. I changed cars more often than him, my own house almost earlier than him, a better phone, dress better and higher monthly income.

CARS
My father had 5 car changes in 37 years and had the chance to own only 1 brand new car while I’ve had only 4 changes in 13 years with 2 of them brand new.

HOUSE
My father transferred to his “own home” at age 32 while I could have owned our own place earlier at age 27 but due to circumstances, had to forgo plans for our “dream house.”

PHONE
I practically replace phone once every 2 years. My primary phone is a high end Nokia and secondary phone is a Black Berry. The entry level phone that I use in the US is actually the same phone as my father’s primary phone.

CLOTHES
I’m into buying branded clothes but mostly on sale. My father is not particular about brands as long as he’s comfortable. He would rather buy clothes for his children and grandchildren than his own.

MONTHLY INCOME
I am an employee who has a stable income. The income is just right. My father on the other hand is a businessman with an erratic income. I’d kid him before that he’s a one day millionaire. And if he wins the lotto, we’d be poor after a day because he’s give everybody he meets a balato (tip).

It was a competition I was conscious about. I didn’t tell anybody about it though until his last days when I told my mother about my crazy practice. I’d like to believe that I’m leading in the material aspect of the game but at the end of it all, it was still my father who won the competition. His last few days as a mortal showed that he won in all fronts as there was a throng of family and friends who prayed, sympathized and supported the family. He was a better father, husband, brother, uncle, son, cousin, nephew, friend, neighbor and workmate than me. And the final score card showed that BoyLac leads by at least two decades.

EULOGY for my Father

EULOGY for my Papa, Jose P. L., Jr.
May 9, 2008
DeLand, Florida

May 22, 2008
Tarlac City, Tarlac

LIFE SUMMARY
My father, Jose L., Jr. was born on November 27, 1946 in Tarlac City, Philippines. His proud parents were Jose L. Sr and Gloria P. He was the 3rd in the family and his siblings were Aida, Pong, Suet, Dan and Reggie.

He married his high school sweetheart Charity in 1971 and they had two children, Dylan and Karen. He had 3 grandchildren who he adored so much - Kobe, Chloe and Karryna.

Most of his 61 year life was spent in Tarlac City. In 2005, they made one of the biggest decisions in their life and migrated to the US with the future of their children in mind.

While in the US, he told us tons of stories about work (Winn Dixie), travels, escapades, family, friends, neighbors, practically good stories about anybody and everybody because my father loved telling stories.

LAST DAYS
My father had a stroke last April 24, 2008. He had massive bleeding in head and the family was praying for a miracle so he'd recover and go back to normal life. After 9 days in the hospital, the doctor spoke to the family and delivered the sad news - that there was no hope for recovery and that we had to make the tough decision to remove the life support system. The next 3 days after the life support was removed was in fact more difficult for the family as we've already accepted the fact that he will be joining our creator soon but at the same time you see your loved one still suffering. Finally on May 5 at around 615PM, my father breathed his last breath with his wife and children by his side and holding his hands.

SORRY & THANK YOU
To Papa Boy, let me say my list of 'Sorry' and 'Thank You' for the last time.

1- I'm sorry that I sported a long hair when I was a teenager. I know you hated it.
2- I'm sorry for disrespecting you on occasions. I know I broke your heart and that you didn't deserve it.
3- I'm sorry for always being too busy.
4- I'm sorry that I did not give you enough time to talk to my kids, your grandchildren Kobe and Chloe. I know you adored them so much.
5- I'm sorry for not saying "I Love You" more than you want me to.

1- Thank you for holding my hands a lot when I was young.
2- Thank you for teaching me how to play basketball and watching me play games.
3- Thank you for teaching me how to drive, for telling me that doing 120 per hour alone in the car is ok but a no no if done with family members.
4- Thank you for taking me to car shows because you know how I love cars.
5- Thank you for always checking my whereabouts, to know if I arrived home safely.
6- Thank you for teaching me to respect every individual regardless of their social class.
7- Thank you for always being there when we need you, to listen to our problems and give advices.
8- Thank you for taking time out to bond with my children, for practically spoiling them.
9- Thank you for loving my mother and being faithful until the end.
10 - Thank you for being a very good son, brother, brother in law, husband, father, grandfather, cousin, uncle, friend, classmate. For generally being a very good person.

You exceeded our expectation. We will miss you. And we all love you.

To conclude this message, my father taught us that in life, it's not the amount of money that a person amasses in his lifetime that matters but the quality of life - the time that you spent with your family and the number of people whose lives you touched.

Thank you.