mumbai day trip (pt 2)

Medyo malayo na rin ako sa VT kaya naisip kong bumalik dun. Tumawag nako ng taxi sa tabi. Malulupit din mga taxi nila rito – ginagawa nilang stand ang street corner. Bente pesos lang ang flag down ng taxi. Isang kilometro ang consumable nito at bibilis na ang patak ng metro matapos yun. Sa dinaanan namin, me nakita akong clock tower sa bandang malayo. Pagdating sa corner ng stasyon, sinubukan kong i-retrace yung route.

Di pa nalalayo sa stasyon e me malawak na cricket field. Ang daming mini-matches na nilalaro. Sa labas ng pitch, naghihintay ang isang ‘fan’. Mainit kasi kaya nasa lilim siya ng puno nanonood.

Lagpas ng cricket pitch napadpad ako sa isang kalyeng maraming tinda ng mga sari-saring damit at gamit pambahay. Eto na pala ang Fashion Street. Sinasabi nila na me mga Bollywood stars ding dumadayo rito. Sa mga mahilig mag-bargain, eto ang lugar para sa inyo.

Ilang tawid pa ng highway at nakarating din ako sa clock tower. Eto ang Rajabai Tower, na nasa loob ng University of Mumbai. Me spiraling staircase siya pero pinagbawal na nila ang mga turista kasi dati me malakas magtrip at tumalon. Tumugtog ang chimes ng clock tower. Pamilyar siya dahil naturo na sa akin nung nag piano lessons ako dati pero di ko maalala yung pangalan ng tune.

Natatakot kasi akong mawala kaya lagi akong bumabalik sa aking starting point na VT. Matapos ang escapade ko sa Rajabai, nag-retrace ulit ako - daan sa cricket pitch, lumagpas sa baka, tumabi sa Fashion Street. Nauuhaw nako at ano pa ba ang makakawala ng uhaw kundi isang tall glass ng fresh sugar cane juice. Mga anim na piso lang siya at matamis siya na me konting kagat ng lemon. Dumiretso pako ng konti at me nagtitinda naman ng fresh pineapple juice. Nagdadalawang isip pa ko kung bibili matapos ang sugar cane juice, pero sayang ang phytochemicals. Bottoms up.

Sunod kong stop ang Prince of Wales Museum na me mahabang Indian na pangalan na nakakatamad isulat. Itinayo ito dahil si Prince of Wales ay bumisita nung early 1900s. Para sa mga katulad ko, 300 rupees ang entrance at 100 rupees extra kung kukuha ng litrato (dapat walang flash). Para sa mga lokal at mukhang lokal, 10 rupees lang.

Me kasamang audio headset ang binayad kong tiket kaya naging educational ang visit ko. Sa piling mga artifacts o locations sa loob ng building, me naka-tag na numero. Pipindutin ko lang yung numero sa audio headset ko at makakarinig nako ng isang virtual guide. Ang galing ni virtual guide kasi pagsinabi niya tumingin ako sa kaliwa, andun yung pinapaliwanag niya. Amazing.

Natapos ko na ang Museum at binalak ng umuwi. Habang naglalakad pa-VT, napansin ko yung isang sign na tinuturo ang “Nariman Point”. Kung tinuturo niya e di siguro malapit lang di ba. So nilakad ko…

…at 30 minutes later, nasa Nariman Point na ako. Ito ang edge ng Marine Drive na me magandang view ng siyudad. Maganda rito sa gabi dahil sa mga street lights na sumusunod sa curve ng road. Kaya nila ito natawag na “Queen’s Necklace”.

Andito ko rin nakita si mama at ang best prend niya na ginawang unan. Natutulog silang mahimbing. Saka me isa pa siyang unan kung kakailanganin.

Hindi ko na hinintay na gumabi at bumalik nako sa VT. Tamang-tama ang pasok ko sa stasyon dahil paalis na yung tren. Naghanap nako ng pinakamalapit na carriage na wala pang laman. Pag-upo ko at last call na. Biglang dumagsa ang mga local. Nasa sardine class pala ako.

Alas sais nako nakabalik sa Vashi Station. Konti lang kaming bumaba, ang karamihan sa malalayong lugar ng Navi Mumbai ang bagsak. Di nako nag-aksaya ng panahon at kumuha na agad ng isang tuktuk papuntang hotel. Kelangan ko pa kasi maglaba.

pictures in http://ianclarito.multiply.com/photos

P.S. Meron daw pedometer na tinitinda. Sana me magregalo sa akin nun o bibili na lang ako. Hehehe.

mumbai daytrip (pt 1)

Ang Mumbai ay tinatawag din na Bombay. Yung mga British kasi, nahihirapan magsabi ng 'Mumbai' kaya pumili na lang sila sa malaking libro ng city names.

Isang linggo nako sa Mumbai ng maisipan kong maglibot. Eto ang storya ng aking maiksing adventure.

Galing sa hotel, pumunta nako sa railway station ng Vashi. Base sa aking research, eto ay ISO9002-certified. Sabi nga nila, pag-panget ka, panget ka. Or something like that.

Sumakay ako sa isang state-of-the-art train, circa 1960s. Siguro naman certified din siya na hindi hihinto sa gitna ng dagat. Me dalawang klase ng tiket – Century Tuna ™ flakes (first) at Ligo ™ sardines (second) class. Dahil maka-tuna ako, dun na ako sumakay sa halagang 216 rupees (~250 pesos) roundtrip.

Ang barangay Vashi ay nasa Navi Mumbai, twin city ng “old” Mumbai. Mga 50 train minutes ang layo sa gusto kong puntahan – ang Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus na itago na lang natin sa pangalang Victoria Station o VT.

Maganda, maganda ang labas ng Victoria Station. Isa ito sa mga pinamana ng British na ginawa nung 1888. Sa kasamaang palad walang platform 9 ¾, pero me nakita naman akong gwardiyang kamukha ni Col. Sanders so okey lang.

Sa area nato, hindi uso ang mga tuktok o three-wheelers. Buti na lang, maraming taxi at bus sa paligid. Mga bus pala nila rito kadalasan kulay pula at me double-decker pa. Di ko na sinubukan sumakay ng bus kasi wala na kong pera. Who needs wheels when you got legs?

Sa totoo lang, malapit lang yung una kong pupuntahan kaya nilakad ko na lang. Me mga bookshops, food stalls sa paligid. At me taping pa sa isang watch shop. Bilang isang responsableng Pinoy, kailangan kong ipakita ang aking pagiging usisero. Masilaw ang mga klieg lights at puros matatanda naman ang nasa cast. Tumuloy nako sa paglalakad.

Pagkatapos ang kinse minutos na paglalakad, naabot ko rin ang unang destination – Flora Fountain. Tinawag itong Flora fountain dahil me statwa ng diyosang si Flora. Gaya ng VT, meron din siyang ibang pangalan - Hutatma Chowk o Martyr's Square.

Diniretso ko pa ang daan hanggang maabot ang Gateway of India. Para siyang Statue of Liberty ng New York, kung saan siya ang pinakaunang makikita ng mga barkong parating ng Mumbai. Me construction sa paligid ng monument kaya mahirap gumala sa lugar na yun. Dito rin sa lugar nato makakabili ng tiket para sa 30-minute boat ride patungong Elephanta island na me mga kwebang puno ng scupltures. Sa bandang kanan ng Gateway ang Taj Mahal Palace.

Me trivia dito sa Taj Mahal Palace, na kinwento ng kasamahan ko sa opis at na-validate rin ng wikipedia (na ayon kay Michael Scott ay “the best thing ever”). Pinagawa ito ng industrialist na si Jamsetji Tata dahil hindi raw siya pinapasok sa isang whites-only hotel. Nung binukas yung Taj, me isang araw din na hindi siya nagpapasok ng mga puti.

Nagpitstop muna ako sa Café Coffee Day para magpahinga at kumain. Nagmamadali kasi ako kaya hindi nako nakapag-almusal. Isang oras din ang naubos ko sa kakalinis ng sd card at pagpalit ng baterya. Sa mga gustong malaman, cheese croissant at chocolate frappe ang order ko (100 rupees o ~120 pesos).

.....
part 2 hopefully tomorrow

more pictures in http://ianclarito.multiply.com/photos

the brave one

This being my third time in the Delhi, I wanted to watch a movie. Actually, it was not the movie-watching but the rather the movie-house experience I was excited about. In the same city block as my office, there is a PVR cinema house which claims to an unforgettable theatre experience. In a city where words like "emporium" or "palace" can be anything but, it was surprisingly good.

After lunch, I went there and got my ticket (with reserved seating) for an 11:10 PM viewing. As the ticketing window was outside the theatre, I only got a brief glimpse of what was inside. Around 10PM, I made my way from the apartment to PVR in 15 minutes time - a good 45 minutes to kill before previews start.

Security is really strict. I passed through a full-body metal detector, then a guard holding a portable metal detector, and then another guard for a brief body inspection not unlike the ones they give in airports. Even the women were not spared - a little girl was given a slight nudge to go to the women's private area for the body inspection.

The lobby is bit small - in just a few steps you can be in the concession stands and the different theatres. I bought my popcorn and drinks and sat in a corner, looking at the place slowly come to life. First up was a family coming from the outside. Mom and dad, with lola and the little kids, everyone but the token pet dog came in. Then came "Jerry Seinfeld" with wife. He brought a camera and was stopped at the gate. That and some other stuff like laptops and outside food are not allowed inside the premises. I guess he is not master of this domain. I continued munching away when at some point I looked down at the box and saw there's nothing there. Then the attendants opened the doors for my screen.

Previews started with only 15 or so people in the audience - me being the only foreigner. One trailer which stood out is for Van Wilder 2 starring Kumar straight out of Newcastle. I had to glance left and right before laughing. Because you never know.

There were only 126 seats in the theatre I was in. But those seats were definitely the best I have been on, functionally. It was a bit dark when I entered the theatre and in my row there were already some people who looked too relaxed - their knees where touching the seats in front of them. To think the row spacing was big. Only upon taking my seat did I realize the trick - these seats are reclinable like a la-z-boy.

There was one more surprise I did not expect. We were more than halfway into the film, tension rising, and then the screen suddenly blanked with the lights blinding on. Of all times in the movie, they had to have an intermission at that point. Thankfully it lasted only 10 minutes.

The movie over, we all went towards the big EXIT sign at the side of the theatre which directly led to the outside. Walking home in biting cold at one thirty in the morning, with only a few stray dogs and the occasional nightpost lighting my way, I guess I'm a bit brave myself.

Ah yes. I almost forgot about the movie. Jodie Foster kicked ass. You definitely won't see me look at her funny.

Summary
Movie: 3.5 out of 5
Theatre: 4 out of 5
Damage: Rs150 tickets + Rs140 (food)

i gave in

Music has been a big part of my life. It probably all started when my mom began playing classical tunes to me when I was still in her womb. I remember being in grade school, seeing the other kids go to the music room for piano lessons. I wanted to learn to play an instrument too.

When I was grade 4 or 5, I joined the music club and started playing the xylophone. That was the second word that I knew which starts with an x, the other being 'xerox'. I practiced every night, striking my little hammer to the beat of Lupang Hinirang and Joy to the World. You see, there was a Christmas presentation at school and the music club was working overtime for it. The only problem was, I was so forgetful. Memorizing the multiplication table was a piece cake compared to hitting those little aluminum bars in the correct order.

I told my teacher about my difficulties, but with so many other things to attend to, she didn't have the time to teach me my piece. The older xylophone players in the club tried to help but my mind just doesn't seem to want to remember the music sheet.

The dreaded day came. I was all smiles but terrified inside. When we were lining up and about to perform, my teacher looked back and said to me, "Do what you can." And so I did. Well, I did what Ashlee Simpson did in SNL. Unlike the other players, I pretended to play my xylophone. Our performance was a success. My performance was a dud.

In high school, I resolved to take music more seriously. We had a music class where we were taught the recorder, which was like a flute. In second year, I practiced playing the guitar. All the while, I was listening to a lot of different records.

I collected a lot of albums in cassette tapes, in a time when compact discs where too expensive. File-sharing clients like napster and audiogalaxy exposed me to the digital format known as mp3. Since then, I have continued getting my albums in CDs and converting them to it.

Now, you might be thinking what those first paragraphs above are all about. Well, I have long thought that having a music player was a luxury I don't want to invest in. I kept myself occupied, simply replaying songs inside my head. But I guess, after holding out for more than five years, enough is enough.

I got myself an iPod, a 4gb silver nano to be exact.



Before I thought of getting the 30gb or 80gb to hold my songs. But reflecting on it, I realized that I don't need something that big. The number of songs that I collect will grow exponentially in time. What I am really looking for is not convenience (knowing all my songs are with me) but comfort. I like to walk around, and holding a 40 gram music player in my pocket is much more appealing.

In the future, when a tera-byte music player can be had in something the size of a dice, I'll be one of the first in line. For now, 4gb worth of music in the size of a thick credit card is sufficient. I'll keep my latest songs in the nano, the rest in the computer, and the those that I truly hold dear and long memorized, stored in my heart.

ramblings from delhi

* ang lamig pala sa delhi. nasa 10 degrees celsius ang temperature kaya di na kailangan mag-aircon. nakaka-dry ng balat ang ginaw. buti at me heater kami sa apartment. simula march sobrang init naman.

* parang probinsya yung lugar namin. Naraina ay isang industrial area - medyo maalikabok, medyo magulo. pero para sa kanyang ilang libong residente, ito ay ang nakasanayan na nila.

* me nagtitinda ng refrigerated ice water sa sidewalks. para siyang dirty ice cream, pero imbes na ice cream e...ayun.

* kapag naglalakad sa sidewalk, maraming klaseng amoy ang iyong pwedeng malanghap. buti na lang matapang ang insenso sa mga tindahan. para ka lang naman nag-perfume ng tiger katol.

* siga talaga ang mga baka sa india. kung trip nila, pwede sila humiga sa gitna ng highway o lumakad ng soooooobrang bagal sa sidewalks at wala kang maririnig na busina o reklamo. in an unrelated story, masarap ang cup noodles na bulalo flavor. tikman niyo.

* sa mga bookstores nila, ang raming libro at ang mumura pa. oracle technical books na tig-ilang libo piso, mabibili ang indian (in-english, pero di kasing ganda ang papel na gamit) edition ng mga 500+ php. eragon (motion picture edition), mabibili sa halagang 300 php.

* meron kaming napuntahan na shopping district, ang connaugh place. mga 20+ minutes ang layo sa naraina. dito makakakita ng mga western-themed shops. mcdonald's, fridays', adidas, rbk, van heusen. ilan sa mga dinadayo ng mga tao - foreigner at lokal.

* pag nasa 5th floor ka ng mall, ano ang pinipindot mong button sa elevator kung gusto mo bumaba sa basement 1? siret? Press -1. 0 ang ground floor nila.

* mukhang kaka-introduce pa lang ng mga escalators dito kasi ang hilig nilang tumambay sa harap ng escalator kaya mahirap makaakyat. saka me ibang tao na takot na takot dun - me nakasabay ako ng kumapit ng mahigpit sa asawa sa first step pa lang. meron naman iba parang tumatapak sa hot spring - isang paa muna.

pictures: http://ianclarito.multiply.com/photos

celebrity sightings

i was doing my weekly grocery shopping at rustans. while browsing, i almost bumped into one of the maintenance people who was standing idly in a corner aisle. i was about to apologize when i saw him and three others smiling dumbly at someone. i looked at their line of sight. there was a pretty lady wearing jeans and no makeup with a shopping cart, standing just a few feet away. one of the other maintenance personnel went up to her for an autograph, which she gamely signed. i thought maybe she was some starlet and just went my way.

going to some other aisles, i overheard some salespeople whispering, "nandiyan pala si ????? alonzo". i wasn't able to get the first name. maybe it was bea alonzo, cute din ata yun. while getting items from my shopping list, i became more conscious of my surroundings hoping to get another glimpse kasi sayang naman. unfortunately, she seemed to know which aisles i'm going as i didn't see her at all.

i finished my shopping and proceeded to the counter. after paying for the groceries, i heard a few more salesladies whispering excitedly, "nandun si say sa counter na yun". so it was say alonzo. i looked - she was wearing a skirt and was all dolled-up. as i glanced back, i finally saw the "other" celebrity. it turns out she was in the same counter as me, only 3 shoppers behind. she had a bemused look, looking at say alonzo and how people were showering her with attention.

i left rustans and started walking for home. i was still thinking who that other celebrity was. then it hit me. crap, it was katrina halili - only FHM Philippines' sexiest girl of 2006. kung bumili kaya ako ng Gineb...este Tanduay, payag kaya siya magpa-picture? just thinking out loud.

and so ends a not so typical sunday night for me.

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note:
i am pretty sure the girl was say alonzo (kasi nakapanood ako ng ilang eps ng pinoy big brother. hehe). as for the other girl, i still think its katrina halili, though i cannot vouch for it as i'm not really familiar with her. pero malay mo, bilog ang mundo.

bus

i was riding the bus on the way to bicutan to process some papers. in one of the bus' many stops, an old guy gets in, scans the seats and finally chooses to seat beside me. the bus begins to move.

he motions to the conductor and when he comes asked, "magkano ba para dalawa papuntang alabang?". the conductor was surprised. but he complied, giving a figure and the guy paying in coins the exact amount.

i wondered, this guy came in alone and will definitely go down alone. why in the world would he want to pay for two?

then i thought of something - maybe the guy lost his wife. maybe they are from alabang or were supposed to go there. maybe because he loved her so much, he feels her presence wherever he goes.

maybe i'm pushing it too far with that theory. but if that was really true then everything makes sense.

at least to me.