Philippines June 2-15

I arrived at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport late Saturday night, June 2. I was immediately stunned by the overwhelming heat of the Philippines, as always.

My folks picked me up at the airport with my Uncle Norman, whose nickname is Ibe (you’ll discover that Filipinos all have nicknames, most of them not even close to their real names. My given name is Zaldie but I inherited Jess from my paternal grandfather Jesus.)

I crashed at my uncle’s place in the provincial town of Santa Rosa, Laguna, and then went even more provincial when I went to Luciana, Laguna to stay at my step-grandmother’s house. On the way, while riding in a Jeepney on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, my beloved straw cowboy hat flew right of my head and out the window.

After four days of doing absolutely nothing and haging out with my folks and grandfather, a whole bunch of my mother’s clan went to my uncle Ibe’s island on Lake Caliraya in Laguna for a day of vegging out on the lake and drinking the San Miguel beer. My mom and I got sun burnt after spending too much time on the inner-tubes with my cousins’ kids.

Man-made island on Lake Caliraya, Laguna

I then ventured the excruciating 4-hour commute to Manila with my father on the Thursday. We stopped by to the Santa Mesa area in the heart of Manila to catch up with my cousin Jong (whose given name is, ironically enough, Jess Zalameda.) I haven’t seen Jong since he was a teenager in 1994. Now he’s got a wife and two kids.

I finally got to my destination in the city of Marikina, where my usual digs were waiting for me at my cousin Judy’s place. I set up a meeting with my friend Raymund Marasigan at a club called Saguijo in trendy Makati. It turns out 80’s Pinoy rock legends The Dawn were playing and I got to catch up with bassist Buddy Zabala and guitarist Francis Reyes. I had brought Jong along and he was freaking out because he grew up listening to The Dawn and got to meet the band.

The following two days were also spent at Saguijo. Friday was a private party for a musician/producer named Dan, and almost everyone I knew in the music scene was out for the party. I met up with members of the Itchyworms, Sandwich, Imago and film director Quark Henares. It was great, although, the night’s blistering heat limited me to 1 drink and a case of bottled water.

To make the night even stranger, one of the party’s caterers was my cousin Danny Zalameda. He was in charge of the lechon, which is a whole roasted pig, or as Tom Waits so eloquently puts it, a Filipino Box-Spring Hog. When I arrived at the party, Danny saw me and told his co-workers that I was his cousin. As they scoffed him, he tapped me on the shoulder and called me Andrew (my twin brother’s name.) Even in Manila, where my brother hasn’t been in 8 years, people are still calling me Andrew.

My cousin Danny, the lechon guy

The next night, my good friend Ene Lagunzad asked me to take photos of her cover band The Ronnies, also at Saguijo. This time I took my second-cousin Veca Saldana with me.
The Ronnies covered Soft Cell, The Romantics, John Cougar, Patty Smyth & Scandal, Blondie and Kim Carnes, getting every Saguijo patron out of their seat and shaking their ass.

Ene Lagunzad singing for cover band The Ronnies

I also got to see one of Raymund’s other bands (he’s in three full-time bands) called Pedicab. They are a dance, post-punk outfit with Mike Dizon on drums, Rayms on bass synth, Monsterbot vocalist Diego Mapa, and Jason Caballa on guitar. Luckily, Sandwich guitarist Diego Castillo was drunk and bored enough to join them for an intense set that kicked my ass and wrecked a few things along the way.

Pedicab's Deigo Mapa, vocals and Mike Dizon, drums

Raymund Marasigan playing bass synth for Pedicab

I think three days in a row of Makati partying and the extremely hot weather was beginning to take its toll, so I spent a couple of days babysitting for Judy’s daughter (and my goddaughter) Anjali. I spent two days watching Finding Nemo five times and Lion King six times. Veca also took me shopping for T-shirts.

The results of a rainy day spent T-shirt shopping with Veca

After a day catching up with little drummer girl and video director Marie Jamora for a day, I went to Mayric’s, the enduring hole-in-the-wall Manila rock club, to see Duster, my latest favourite Pinoy band. They are an all-girl band that play dance-y and catchy songs featuring the bass synth played by Sandwich bassist Myrene and hooky guitars by Kris from Fatal Posporos.

The lovely ladies of Duster

My last day in Manila was spent shopping with Judy, finally getting three pairs of shoes at rock bottom prices. The evening was spent watching Pedicab play at Mayrics, then herbal refreshments and movie trivia with Marie.

I had to be at the airport at 5:30 am, so I didn’t sleep after Raymund dropped me off at home at 3:30.