I miss the Canadian healthcare system

Starting last Sunday Jan 18, an odd sensation started to happen to me. I slowly started to to get a rash on my arms from some sort of allergic reaction. I won't get into the gory details, but it grew into a full blown inflammation of my face and neck and the rash spread throughout my body. The odd thing was that I felt completely fine, minus all the itching. I could breathe properly, I still had my appetite, I felt a little weak but I had this thing all over my body.

I tried to brush it off for a while to avoid seeing a doctor but it got to a point where I could barely open my eyes in the morning from all the swelling that it was probably a good time to see someone about it. The strange thing was that my brother-in-law Jeremy had it too but he and I had a different range of severity, me being on the high side. But my sister, niece and nephew had no signs of it whatsoever.

My dad works for an insurance company here so we were able to see the first doctor immediately but she just sent us off with a prescription and no real explanation to why this was happening to us. When it got significantly worse the next day, we were sent to the Emergency Room at Manila Doctors Hospital with the intention of being hospitalized. We spent 8 hours being proded by numerous doctors and nurses, blood tests, and to see our reaction to a cocktail of medicine through intravenous. I was in and out of sleep from all the drugs but at least I was reacting positively. We were on a waitlist for a hospital room (so was everyone else and hardly any spaces had been available for 3 weeks) but Jeremy and I were pretty adamant that we didn't want to stay in a hospital. We were sent home with some more medication and another appointment with an allergologist the next day.

Unfortunately by the following morning I did not show any improvement. The allergologist saw us and since I was more severe suggested that I have a total IGE to find out exactly what I'm allergic to. He still didn't have a direct explanation for why this was happening, maybe the climate, the food, or an allergic reaction to a drug. So once again I get my blood drawn and I'm told to wait for my test results in 4 days. This is the most blood I have ever had drawn in my entire life and my arms still have the bruises to show for it.

My sister and her family were leaving for Ilocos the next day and I was supposed to leave for Palawan but because I had those test results to wait for I was trapped in Manila for another 5 days. So my dad found me a condo to stay at by myself to undergo somewhat of a self-imposed quarantine. Fortunately for me the place had stolen wi-fi and cable tv so I wouldn't go completely insane.

I've gotten so much better now thanks to alot of sleeping. I'm not quite sure if all the drugs were really helping and I think it's a little strange that a possible drug induced allergic reaction is trying to be cured with more drugs. I honestly believe it's all the sleep I've been getting that's helping me.

I return to the hospital today for my test results and they are not ready. I came even a day after the proposed due date and still nothing. The woman at the hospital was completely useless and gave me some lame explanation as to why the results weren't ready. She just gave me some number to call back in a couple of days.

Well screw that. I was feeling and looking better and I wasn't about to waste anymore time in Manila. I went to another doctor for a second opinion and after she gave me the okay I booked my flight to Palawan leaving for tomorrow morning. It was only $35 so I couldn't pass it up either.

The last 10 days has been a mess of doctor's visits, blood tests, and no answers. I think I just really needed to be out of this dirty Manila air and in some island sun. Despite the genuine efforts of some medical staff, I would never want to be in a hospital setting in a third world country again. Organization is laxed, privacy is almost non-existant, and even for a foreigner the bills are becoming a little expensive. I have travel insurance so I'll be reimbursed but I can't imagine all the locals here who need to pay just to get a 3 minute consultation after an hour wait. Throughout all of this at least my brother-in-law was with me. I would have completely hated this if I had experienced it all by myself.

I'm sure that Palawan will cure me. I leave bright and early tomorrow so I can finally get all my diving started.

My Live Slash Work space during the quarantine

View from 30 floors up in Mandaluyong City

Vibe Dance

After the workshops at Makati High School, we had some time before Emerson and Jay-R were to teach at Vibe Dance Studio in Quezon city. We arrive there and to our surprise, no air conditioning once again in the studio. I take Emerson's class, which I thought was really hard, but all the kids in the class were picking it up like it was nothing. I guess sexy street jazz to Britney Spears' Circus was their thing. Those dudes really knew how to whip their heads. But seriously, those kids were really talented and picked up choreo fast! It never ceases to amaze me the talent of Filipinos across the world.

By this point I was getting really hot and the exhaustion of the day was really hitting me. I tried to take Jay-R's house class right after but I was beat. But I did stay to watch it and sweat it out and groove with them while I sat in my little corner.

The brave kids who danced 3 hours in the heat at Vibe Dance Studios

Journey 2 Origin

Last week I was able to partake in a wonderful experience. And when I say partake, I mean I totally snuck into the van of some people I had just met and went along for the ride acting as if I had been there the entire time. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do when you're travelling solo.

Seriously though, I had been fortunate enough to cross paths with some really cool cats from the Bay area out here in Manila. Super cool in fact. Members from DS Players, Funkanometry SF, and Beatz N Pieces and another fellow lone traveller, a chef from SF checking out street food across Asia! It all started with All The Way Live and I just kept tagging along since then. I think maybe they felt sorry for the little Canadian girl always travelling alone in a taxi. Hahaha.

We spent a couple of nights going out to Temple and Fiama clubs in Makati and I danced and watched everyone around me get drunk as all the "it" local celebrities rolled in at the wee hours of the morning.

But besides partying, they actually had a purpose out here in the Philippines. They were all part of an outreach program called Journey 2 Origin that went around to different elementary and high schools to teach dance. For free. So when I was asked to come along, I was on it!

They had already gone to a few schools by the time I met them but I had a chance to attend their workshops at Makati High School (kids between 12-16 years old). We met the principal and some other teachers and then it was on to the kids. They greeted us warmly, in fact we entered their main auditorium to screams and giggles. RJ was leading the pack so most people recognized him from TV but they were treating the rest of us like we were rock stars. All the dancers performed their routines to resounding applause. I was surprised most of all since I really didn't do anything yet somehow all these kids kept coming up to me asking to take pictures with them. I literally stood on the side and took behind-the-scenes photos yet that seemed significant to them. They were funny. Hey, it got some free advertising for SVS.

So all the kids (a couple hundred of them at least) are put into groups and all the dancers start to teach them. Everyone splits up and tries to find any space that they can. There's like a hundred kids in the auditorium and another hundred more spread out in the hallways. AND IT IS HOT!!! There is no air conditioning and almost all the kids are in their complete uniforms (button shirt with skirt or pants). I was boling just standing around all of these hot bodies that I could only imagine dancing in it!

But the kids loooooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeed it! They were screaming, laughing, and cheering each other on. They were all so eager and grateful just having someone take the time to teach them something new. At the end of the hour sessions, everyone came back into the auditorium and performed what they had just learned in front of eveyrone. They were all so supportive of each other and having such a great time. There was one group in particular that I videotaped that I've been trying to post but the internet has been too slow. Jay-R was teaching a house routine to a group that included 4 proudly gay boys that were shaking their hips better than some women I've seen!

I would really love to organize something like this again soon, with Canadian dancers coming in to teach. Or maybe we'll all just blend in with the Americas like I did!

For more information check out Journey 2 Origin .

All the kids waiting anxiously in the auditorium


Danny from Beatz N Pieces


Jay-R from DS Players


Gina, Charlene, and Aisha from Funkanometry SF


Emerson from Funkanometry SF


RJ from Supreme Soul


Dennis from DS Players


The Fan Club

Let's go fly a kite...

On one breezy late afternoon, we decide to head over to the beloved Rizal Park to stroll around and take in the sunset. We used to go here alot (when it was still called Luneta Park) when we were kids to rent bikes, eat ice cream, and walk around with our yayas.

How lovely to have spent it with my niece and nephew as the sky was filled with $2 bat kites. Guess they were on sale that day.

We made the 20 minute walk back to the hotel without any casualties. The stroller may have taken a little beating on the nearly non-existent sidewalks.

All The Way Live

While I was still in Vancouver and researching things to do in Manila, I came across a page advertising this event so I thought I would check it out while I was here. I had no idea what to expect.

This bboy competition was organized by Bboy PowerSerge (Beatz N Pieces Crew) from California and hosted by Raoul from Supreme Soul. There were 2 prizes to be won; $1000USD for best Crew and $1000USD best Bgirl.

Now, I’ve attended and produced my fair share of bboy competitions but this was by far the most entertaining one that I had been to. It was smaller yes, but the energy in that room was unbelievable. There were crews from all over the world but the Filipinos really came to represent. They were hungry for that prize. Some of them looked really young but already had so much skill when they attacked the floor. Funk Roots from the Philippines ended up taking top prize.

I have to say though, there were some really bad hairstyles there. Alot of the single small braid with short hair going on that should have stayed and died in the 80s.

There were also some dance crews that came to perform: Cre-8 from Norway, Funkanometry SF from San Francisco, and of course the Philippine All Stars. It was so dope to have witnessed this emerging scene in the Philippines.

Inside Embassy Club at the Fort.




Yes, that is an umbrella.


Winner - Bgirl Narumi from Japan. She was psycho good.


Bboy Power Serge


The ultimate battle: The Philippines vs The World. Filipino crews to the right, everyone else to the left.




RJ aka KoolRaoul from Supreme Soul. We became fast friends after I introduced myself at the competition. SVS had been the opening act for the America’s Best Dance Crew tour in Vancouver and he recognized me, more importantly he remembered and loved the music to our 90s routine.


After an invitation from RJ, I went to the after party later on that night at Temple Bar in Greenbelt. The music was great and all the dancers came out to play. A lot of people from the States were here too but the whole club was mixture of locals and foreigners. I met a few more dancers and will be taking some of their classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Finally!

Cockhouse

For all your cockfighting needs.

Grilled Chicken Ass Not Available

I couldn’t make this up even if I tried. It was so hard to even keep a straight face as I asked the cashier if I could take a picture of this.

Mr. Laygo

Meet the newest endorsers for all things Balikbayan.


After a cramped yet cool 45 minute MRT ride, I meet Mike at Trinoma mall in Quezon City. Apparently Mike has his own personal driver and can’t drift too far from home in Caloocan City so I had to go and meet him in his hood. I on the otherhand, braved the public transit system to meet him! Bu that’s ok, I’ve taken the train many times before but I don’t remember it being that crowded. I wish I could have taken a picture of my head popping out the sea of Filipinos in that tight train car. We’ll save that for another time.

So Mike and I spend the next couple of hours being each other’s cheap date at Jollibee, telling our stories of the Philippines thus far and having a hilarious time. A kid even came up to our table only to say the word “English” and then run back to his family. It was great to hear Mike’s adventures as his trip was ending just as mine was beginning. He got me really excited for the rest of my time here, which is still another whole month. It was just too bad that he was already flying back to L.A. that night and we weren’t able to spend more time together.

I was so glad that our paths crossed, him from L.A. and me from Vancouver. Maybe one of these days we’ll finally see each other in our own hometowns!

Quiapo

Now back in Manila, my mom and I decide to go to Quiapo as she still needs to find a few more things before she flies back to Edmonton on Friday. Quiapo is a large street market in old Manila and is an area I frequented when I was a kid. I used to live closeby and I’m still familiar with this area despite some changes and renovations.

The 20 cent jeepney ride to Quiapo. It’s THE way to travel.


Outside Quiapo church. A big celebration was here just last week for the followers of the Black Nazarene faith.


My mom haggling for the best price for the precious dried squid. MY FAVOURITE!!!

Guilty Pleasure

Travelling is an exhausting process. Especially with babies, even if they're not your own. The day after we arrive in Manila, my mom and I check out a spa for some much needed rest and relaxation.

4 hours later...

I wake up to the sound of my mom calling me from the the next room after our massages. At $11 for a one hour massage, you just cant go wrong.

This is the beginning of a beautiful and horrible friendship.

Last Day in Lawaan

Before heading off to the airport for Manila, we spent our last day eating breakfast and opening cacao fruit from a cacao tree! It had long way to go before becoming chocolate but it was still kinda cool to see one!


I can’t believe they still have these floating around the house. It was nearly 8 years ago! I guess there are just some things they won’t let go.


Visiting the Abia and Cabigon gravesites.

Calbiga

After all the festivities were finished, we had some down time to visit the ancestral home of my grandmother in Calbiga. The small is town is very quaint, clean, and has a traditional suburban feel, but Filipino style. It would have been a nice area to grow up in.

The house is currently undergoing some renovations by my Uncle Toy Toy but we were still able to go inside to see some old pictures and furniture still in use.

My grandmother and her family circa 1919.


Who knows how many of my lolas have rocked in this chair.


I know you’re not supposed to touch strange pets in foreign countries, but I soon as I saw these puppies I had to just squeeze them!


Just look at that face!


We also take a visit to the Eco Park that was so generously designed and donated by the Perez family.

Back to School

To my generous friends, your contributions (monetary and otherwise) helped provide supplies, food, learning workshops, and an unforgettable experience for over 1500 students and 300 volunteers and teachers in Basey, Samar.

The school supplies and books were divided amongst 2 elementary schools within the town proper, Basey I and Basey II Central Schools. A package of supplies was given to each classroom to be used by students who could not afford their own and the books were given to the libraries for communal use. Each child was also given chocolate as treat (all Halloween candy from Canada!).

Although I arrived on Friday, the week consisted of many activities including a daily Novena, Public Speaking Training, Physics Lecture, Sports Days, Literacy Days, and Celebration of the Arts Day all sponsored by the Basiga, Cabigon, Agustin, and Abia families in Canada and the Philippines. I will have to get pictures from the earlier events later.

Distributing the packages to the teachers.

The students. I looked just like these kids when I went to school in Manila. Except my uniform was with a purple plaid skirt, way more fashionable.





This is the same elementary school that my parents went to.




The Grade 2 classroom named after my great grandfather.


A thank you from the teachers and students of Basey I & II Central Schools.

Box Life

From its humble beginnings in my living room in Vancouver in September 2008 to it’s grand opening in Basey in January 2009, my balikbayan box has had quite the journey.

The start of the Abia family assembly line at my aunt’s beach house.