Sep

30

Car Celebration

Filed Under Family & Friends, Motoring & Transportation | 11 Comments


Old Lada cars spotted in Le Landeron, Switzerland
(left) and in Kyiv, Ukraine (right). (JAYRED/2005)

This entry is a tribute to my Dad who’s celebrating his 65th birthday today at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. You see, my Dad loves both cars and photography, and so, I thought of combining both elements in one blog post.

Once an automotive engineering student in Germany, my Dad would have loved to hear my first-hand accounts of how I saw lots of old Lada cars in Ukraine, especially in the countryside. Too bad I was not able to snap a lot of photos in Kremenchuk for his visual reference since I got tied up with my teaching assignments.

He would have been surprised to hear that it’s quite common in Ukraine to park or drive cars almost anywhere, including sidewalks where pedestrians should be extra careful lest they get sideswept or, worse, be run over.

Last month, while still in Ukraine, I was in the middle of taking a picture of a very nice Orthodox Church in Kiev from a pavement when, out of the blue, a car came out of nowhere. I nearly got hit (advice to pedestrains in Ukraine: steer clear from mad drivers!). Sigh. It seems that road safety or, in this case, sidewalk safety is not of prime importance to the Ukrainians. For sure, this could have well been a cause for concern for my Dad who taught us to always drive safely.

Today, my Dad is no longer physically capable to drive or attend to the family’s automobile woes like he used to since he now suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, the progressive disease that started to break his once agile body — he used to be an active tennis player and bowler — in 1992. He cannot even walk on his own now and requires the assistance of others. These days, he can appreciate cars only through vicarious experience. Sad, but true.

But car-related talks do perk him up, even though he feels physical pain on a 24-hour basis.

My Dad, I’m sure, will be delighted to see these two unique cars (see photos below) seen in our neighborhood: the Smart car and the hydro-powered car which, I think, was invented here in Biel, Switzerland.

To Dad: I’ll see you when I see you. Mom said I would be her official driver once I visit you guys — sometime soon, I hope. Zum Geburtstag und Gute Besserung!

Sep

28

Public Library

Filed Under Books, Films | 6 Comments


Thanks to my town’s public library, I can borrow some English books for my reading pleasure in a literary world where German and French reign supreme as the modes of expression. There’s nothing like poring over a good book in bed, and not having to worry if it’s your turn to do the dreaded monthly laundry.

Books give me some good company which my Swiss pensioner-neighbors cannot really provide for two reasons: 1) they don’t speak English; 2) they don’t have the luxury of time for expat-oriented chit-chats. Well, I’m not worried at all if my social skills are slowly regressing in this part of Switzerland.

Just last week, I trooped to the library and looked for the novels penned by my favorite author Amy Tan in the rather small English section of the Bibliothek. I wanted to re-read “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Hundred Secret Senses.” I also borrowed two books by Sue Townsend, the best-selling author of the well-loved “Adrian Mole” books.

I’m supposed to return all four books in a month’s time. But at the rate things are going in my messy household (and head), I might return all four without reading a single page. We’ll see.

Being a full-fledged member of the Bibliothek, I can also take home a maximum of six video tapes or DVDs per ‘transaction.’ This is especially good for my foreign language study since most videos are in German and French, with English sub-titles or none at all.

Here are some choice home videos I was able to view courtesy of our public library (note: this is not my complete list):

1.) The White Balloon
2.) An Angel at My Table
3.) Cinema Paradiso
4.) Like Water for Chocolate
5.) El Norte
6.) Central Station
7.) Il Postino
8.) The Tango Lesson
9.) Amelie
10.) Earth

So I’m basically a bookworm and a film buff. I’m more than willing to fork out huge amounts of money just to buy great reads and must-see DVDs/VCDs. But alas, I don’t have enough storage space in my tiny three-room apartment right now to accommodate new books and DVDs. (Half of my book property remains stacked on shelves in my dusty workroom in the Philippines, while my video collection is here with me.) Besides, there’s the public library to run to every time I need a literature or art film boost.

So why buy when you can rent? (We’re not talking real estate property here, mind you.) One respected Filipino librarian I know once said, “You own a book not really by buying it, but knowing its contents by heart. That’s true ownership.” What an erudite insight.

I’m now on my second year of membership (priced at CHF80.00 or USD62.00 a year) in my town’s public library, and I intend to renew it early next year. I don’t see any reason why I should do otherwise. I can “own” a book or even a video tape without even purchasing it.

Sep

26

Toilet Talk

Filed Under Health, Humor, Society & Culture, Travel/People & Places | 10 Comments

I did a lot of squatting while in Ukraine because: 1) most of the country’s public toilets are of the squat variety; 2) I suffer from on-and-off UTI (urinary tract infection).

From the semi-clean types to the purely neglected ones (read: wherein the flush mechanism does not work), I tried them all — well, almost. Only once did I gag: that is, while using the public restroom by the train station located in a sleepy town east of Ukraine. And that was because the three ‘holes’ in the floor were reeking of the combined smell of urine, feces, and ammonia. Ugh.

The lesson I learned here was, don’t take a full breath while you take a pee in a ’shithouse’ like that (excuse the term). And never mind if there are no stall doors to protect you from Peeping Toms; you lose time thinking of covering your private parts at the expense of your respiratory system. Forget modesty. Do your thing quick, and get out of the chamber of horrors ASAP.

But Ukraine does have public toilets where there are anti-voyeur cubicle doors and clean latrines with elevated porcelain footsteps. In the capital city of Kyiv, you can find them in metro stops, bus and train stations, public parks and department stores. Just be prepared to pay sober-looking attendants 50 kopecks (10 cents) per visit. And yes, it’s ideal to bring your own tissue paper since, most likely, there will be no toilet paper. Well, even if there will be, they usually come as a roll of rough, brown paper, a result of Ukrainian recycling. Not good for those with skin allergies.

During long bus trips, the driver usually stops at a bus station — or at any strategic location where people can find ‘rest’ — once every two hours for a break. This gives passengers a chance to use the public toilet or smoke some cigarettes. (Funny, but many choose the latter.)

However, during my 4-hour bus ride from Kremenchuk to Kyiv, our driver pulled over at what could have been the official bus stop: a cornfield. Many Ukrainian passengers, in a matter-of-fact way, started looking for the right corner or, for that matter, the right tree. I took their cue and tried to do the same thing. Upon reaching what I thought was a safe spot, I started to chant “I can do it…I can do it” while pulling down my pants. Then all of a sudden, I had a severe modesty attack. So amid the rows of tall maize plants that covered me from other humans, just when my urinary bladder was on the brink of bursting, I chickened out.

Back in the bus, I later confided to my American travel companion, “I miss that hole in the ground in sleepy town.” I then spent the rest of our land trip concentrating on not to wet my seat.

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