July 27, 2003

• Funky Little Island People

  
  

  My friend... just landed in the Philippines.  Have you been following the news?  Here's an email he sent to me:

  
  

  
  

  DEAR FRIENDS,

  
  

  DID U READ THE LATEST NEWS?  THERE WAS A POSSIBLE COUP AGAINST THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT A FEW HOURS AFTER I LANDED IN MANILA LAST NIGHT.  I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF A BIG POLITICAL CRISIS HERE IN THE PHILIPPIENS RIGHT NOW.  100 ROGUE FILIPINO SOLDIERS STORMED THE BIG GLORIETTA MALL COMPLEX AND PLANTED C-4 EXPLOSIVES ALL OVER THE PLACE, INCLUDING THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, DEPT STORES AND CONDO APARTMENT COMPLEXES.  THIS IS THE MAIN FINANCIAL DISTRICT IN THE PHILIPPINES.  I AM STAYING IN ONE OF THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. I WAS IN THAT MALL EARLIER THAT NIGHT, AND I HAPPENED TO WITNESS THOSE TERRORISTS SHUTTING THE PLACE DOWN. SECURITY GUARDS WERE LEAVING THEIR POSTS.  THEY WERE DRESSED IN MILITARY FATIGUES AND WERE IN JEEPS AND TRUCKS.  I THOUGHT IT COULD'VE BEEN THE REAL ARMY SETTING UP EXTRA SECURITY DURING THE CURRENT SITUATION INVOLVING MILITARY COUP RUMORS.  IT WAS ABOUT 3AM AND THE PLACE IS FILLED WITH THE MOST POPULAR CLUBS AND BARS. I WAS WALKING AROUND THE MALL SINCE IT'S ATTACHED TO MY APARTMENT BUILDING.  I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE PLANTING BOMBS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

  
  

   

  
  

  I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AND WENT HOME (I LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO RUSTAN'S AND INTERCON HOTEL - ALL PART OF SAME GLORIETTA COMPLEX. AFTER I GOT HOME, I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND REALIZED A POSSIBLE COUP WAS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE.  I WENT TO MY BALCONY BECAUSE IT HAS A DIRECT VIEW OF THE WHOLE PLACE (ONLY 25 FEET DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME).  HOWEVER, I SUDDENLY NOTICED SOME STRANGE MAN HANGING OUT IN MY APARTMENT BALCONY. I LIVE ON THE 2ND FLOOR AND MY WINDOW FACES THE GLORIETTA PARKING LOT.  I LOCKED MYSELF IN MY BEDROOM AND PACKED MY VALUABLES ASAP. AFTER CALLING SOME PEOPLE AT 4AM AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO, I DECIDED TO JUMP OUT OF MY BEDROOM WINDOW.  IT WAS ABOUT 15 FEET TO THE GROUND BELOW.  MY KNEE GOT BANGED UP A BIT WHEN I LANDED. THEN I HAD TO CLIMB A 15 FEET FENCE TO GET TO THE NEXT APARTMENT COMPLEX. I SAW GUYS IN MILITARY UNIFORM AND GUNS IN THE WOODS NEAR ME (I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THEY WERE REAL GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS OR TERRORIST SOLDIERS). SO I WAS FORCED TO AVOID THEM AND GO IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LEAP OVER A 20 FEET LEDGE DROP (ONTO A GARAGE ROOF) IN ORDER TO GET TO SAFE GROUND. AS SOON AS MY FEET HIT SOLID GROUND, I RAN AWAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IT WAS ABOUT 5AM BY THEN, AND THE SUN WAS JUST COMING UP. I WALKED BY THE BIG MALL COMPLEX AND SAW WIRED EXPLOSIVES ALL OVER THE PLACE. THERE WERE CABLES LINING UP AND DOWN THE WALLS.  THE NEWS CREWS AND PHILIPPINE ARMY WERE ALL MOVING IN BY NOW. I WAS OBSERVING UNTIL THE ARMY TANKS CAME.. AND THEN, I HAD MY FRIEND PICK ME UP TO BRING ME TO HIS PLACE.  A BIG CROWD WAS DEVELOPING AS I LEFT THE AREA.. I FIGURED IT'S BEST TO JUST GET AWAY FROM THE EPICENTER OF THIS HUGE CRISIS. THE ROADS ARE ALL BARRICADED AROUND THE ENTIRE AREA. HELICOPTERS ARE HOVERING ABOVE, AND GOVERNMENT SNIPERS HAVE TAKEN POSITIONS UP TOP IN THE NEIGHBORING BUILDINGS.

  
  

   

  
  

  I WAS A BIT FRANTIC A FEW HOURS AGO, BUT I'M FINE NOW.  JUST EARLIER, I WAS HOLED UP IN MY APARTMENT WITH SOME STRANGER IN MY APARTMENT AND MASSIVE BOMBS PLANTED ALL AROUND ME.  (MAYBE HE WAS A PETTY THIEF, BUT I WASN'T TAKEN ANY CHANCES). I ONLY HAVE SOME SMALL CUTS AND BRUISES FROM MY DAREDEVIL ANTICS, BUT NOTHING THAT SERIOUS.  WHEN I LEFT, I HAPPENED TO GLANCE UP THE APARTMENT AND HOTEL WINDOWS... AND SAW OTHER PEOPLE STILL TRAPPED UP IN THE COMPLEX. I AM LUCKY THAT I LIVED ON THE 2ND FLOOR AND WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE BY JUMPING OUT.  THEY MAY BE RELEASED AND EVACUATED BY NOW, BUT LAST I HEARD, THE AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR AND FEW AMERICANS WERE STILL STUCK IN THERE.  I HOPE THEY GET OUT ALRIGHT.

  
  

   

  
  

  MY FAMILY HAVE YET TO BE INFORMED OF MY WHEREABOUTS- IT WAS A LAST MINUTE BUSINESS TRIP TO THE PHILIPPINES (JUST CONFIRMED ON THURSDAY).  I'M SUPPOSED TO STILL BE IN SHANGHAI.  NO DOUBT THEY WOULD WORRY ABOUT THE CURRENT POLITICAL CRISIS HERE.  HOWEVER, I'M GLAD TO REPORT THAT I'M FINE NOW.  THE PRESIDENT IS ON TV NOW THREATENING MILITARY FORCE IF THESE ROGUE MILITARY SOLDIERS DON'T SURRENDER BY 5PM TODAY.  I JUST HOPE THAT THE TENSE STANDOFF BETWEEN THESE BAND OF EX-SOLDIERS (WHO APPARENTLY DEFECTED) AND THE GOVT GETS RESOLVED SOON.

  
  

   

  
  

  I RECOGNIZE THE SAFETY RISKS INHERENT IN THE PHILIPPINES, BUT I DIDN'T THINK THESE OUTRAGEOUS INCIDENTS WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IN THIS MANNER.. (AS U KNOW, I'VE HAD SOME VERY CLOSE CALLS IN THE PAST).  I AM SCHEDULED TO BE HERE A WEEK AND HOPE TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!  I HAD THOUGHT THE MOST EXCITING PART OF MY TRIP WOULD'VE BEEN MY PLANE RIDE OVER. I SAT WITH THE CHINESE NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM, WHICH FLEW ON MY SAME FLIGHT FROM SHANGHAI TO MANILA.  FUNNY WATCHING 6"10 GUYS TRYING TO FIT INTO SMALL ECONOMY SEATS.  THEY MUST PRACTICE YOGA IN ORDER TO GET CONTORTED INTO SUCH AWKWARD POSITIONS.

  
  

   

  
  

  LET'S PRAY THAT THERE IS A SPEEDY AND PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THIS CRISIS.  THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE BEFORE A MAJOR ESCALATION OF EVENTS.  I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE LATEST NEWS FROM HERE IN MANILA.  HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL!  TAKE CARE.

  
  

   

  
  

  BLESSINGS,

  
  

  JAMIAN

  
  

  Crazy eh?

  
  

  So you wanna know what shady is about?  Warning, not for the faint at heart.

  
  

  Here's shady.  This is what Shady KTV is about.  Well, many of us show more respect at these places, but for some it gets outta hand.

  • 2:23 pm
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