The last field trip - Manila (10th Oct.'06)

Who knew that my first ever visit to Philippines was destined to be possibly my last travel, at least in the foreseeable future. I am leaving my current organisation and the associated nomadic life, and entering a more stable phase of my career - expecting a more 9 to 5 kind of job with much less travel (& almost no travel outside home country). But I'm doing it with full confidence that it's the right career move, providing me opportunity to come back to industry, gain managerial experience and join at a higher level than the current one - all leading up to wide avenues of future progress.

Anyways, so I arrived in Manila on a cloudy afternoon, after spending 5 hrs. at the new Bangkok 'Suvarnabhumi' airport. The new Bangkok airport is huge (gives a feeling like Charles de Gaul at Paris), but seems to have got a bit impersonal, what with big shops & the absence of any of the small water/juice/convenience kiosks which were there at Don Muang. I walked about 2 kms. inside the airport trying to locate the Louise Tavern Dayrooms, but when I got there I found they were still building the short-stay rooms! Couldn't they at least publicise the fact, instead of marking it in all the maps & even putting direction boards? Or do they just want to show that the airport is fully functional in 10 days when it actually is not?

Anyways, Manila has quite a moderate weather, and now (Tuesday) it's even raining cats & dogs so it's quite pleasant - quite a relief from Delhi which is swelteriing during the day. And the office aircon is set to so cold that my local colleague got a cold & is wearing a shawl today! I am staying at the Somerset Millennium residences, Makati. It has a good reputation, but unfortunately I found on the very first day that the bathroom had a leak (which was mercifully repaired by Monday) and that the curtain would not close fully leaviing a crack (which has not been remedied till now). But at least the food is OK (even if the breakfast room is tiny & the lobby quite congested, which could be because the residents use it more as a home than as a hotel) - I had a Malaysian 'roti' (just like India) with mashed potatos for dinner last night!

We went to the nearby Greenbelt mall for lunch both days. It seems quite big, and has a good variety of food available.

In Bangkok (14 Jan.'04)

Hi


Writing this from Bangkok, sitting at Novotel Lotus On Sukhumvit 33. Street looks seedy, don't know why they booked us here even as I'm told the serviced apartments hired the last time were better and in the marketplace, almost opposite Pantip Plaza, where we went shopping this evening for a 128 kb flash drive, to buy more if sample approved. The Plaza was impressive, with mostly computer shops. I didn't know that assembled laptops were available for around THB 15K (about INR 18K) - damn good even if they work for a year. Even a Toshiba P-IV 1.8 is available for around THB 35K. Later on, we went to the obligatory departmental dinner at the interestingly named Carrots & Condoms at Sukhumvit 12, with condoms adorned below the glass tabletops. Seemed like a classy do, though the food ordered was unappetising.

Concerned to learn that MG has bronchitis and has to be away from AG as it can be contagious. Has taken AG to the dermatologist today for the rashes. Seems uncanny how all such medical problems erupt when I'm away - happened last time while I was in Uganda.

The two consultants have been at us the past three days, & now our minds are almost empty. Have to go thru at least another 1.5 days of departmental meet. 


Have got a cold also since this morning. Haven't done much looking around at this place famous for 'certain things' - got out last evening but just went to an English pub nearby & then to a pool bar where the 3 guys from IH continued, while we two came back. The proliferation of 'girls' on the street may shock a newcomer if not forewarned. Tomorrow we may either go to the 'promised place' or, as suggested by Terence, or take a boat ride up & down the river.