1904

"The car has become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain, unclad, and incomplete in the urban compound."

~Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980), Canadian philosopher of communication theory

This 1904 Richard-Brasier Roadster was the first car to roll on Philippine roads. It was built by French and Belgian manufacturers Georges Richard and Charles-Henri Brasier, and has a 9-horsepower, 2-cylinder engine. It was first brought to the country in 1904 by the trading firm Estrella del Norte. It then passed through many hands until 2006, when Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation acquired it as part of its commitment to preserve artifacts that are part of our culture and heritage. It is currently on loan to The Mind Museum at Taguig.

~Text edited from The Mind Museum's sign

Hello Kitty scooter

Bragging rights

I'd like to know what the owner of this car is "Top 01" of. It must have been an important and difficult accomplishment for him or her to announce it to the entire world. The phrase is just a bit redundant, if you ask me.

Bumper stickers

If you had hundreds of spare stickers, would you cover your car bumper with them? I thought this was crazy but it also made me smile.

Riggy-back

A tiny outrigger canoe attached to the outrigger of a larger canoe that serves as a ferry between islands. We call all outrigger canoes bangka in Tagalog, whether they're motorized or not, or whether they're big enough to carry 60 passengers or just two.

Again

Airphil Express, which used to be Air Philippines before Philippine Airlines (PAL) bought it, this year got rebranded into PAL Express. Again. The low-cost, regional airline was called PAL Express for a short while before it became Airphil Express. So this plane now probably sports the sunrise logo of PAL on its tail. Again.

Tracks

I've only just noticed the small rocks on the tracks of the Metrostar light rail system—better known as the MRT (Metro Rail Transit)—at the Ayala station. The MRT is elevated for most of its length and I suddenly wondered if there are also rocks on those elevated portions.

Drive-thru

The beach in Boracay where we had our lunch (see yesterday's post).
  I just had to join in the "It's more fun in the Philippines" fun.

Twice lucky

Soon after the short trip that my husband and I took for our anniversary, I went on another trip, this time with my new office. To Boracay and its famed fine, white sand beaches.
  Boracay's sand artists usually date their daily creations. They make a living through the tips that tourists give them when they have their photos taken with the sandcastles, so "writing" the date makes a lot of sense. Many people end up taking photos of at least one sandcastle for every day of their stay.
  This was the beach where we had our lunch during our bangka tour of the island. No resorts here, just several bamboo huts serving simple Filipino fare.

Camo

The little tiger bus that brought us around Zoobic Safari's many attractions. Except the part with the free-roaming lions and tigers, of course.

What to do at the beach

Stroll, play volleyball, build sand castles, take a bangka ride (you can choose what size bangka you want), or just stand still and enjoy the view. Of course, you are highly encouraged to take a dip in the warm, shallow waters.

17

My husband and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary at the start of June by treating ourselves to a short beach trip to Subic in Zambales. This was the view from our room. That white wake near the bottom was from a jet ski that had just passed by.

Wings

It's not everyday we see a ginormous can of Red Bull in our office parking lot. Unless you're looking for a cardiac arrest, drinking that much of the energy drink in one sitting is definitely not recommended.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

One of the iconic images associated with the Philippines is the colorful jeepney. For many years, however, there was a scarcity of these motorized works of art on our streets—most of them were either painted with a single color or left completely unpainted. I'm finally seeing more painted jeepneys again, but mostly in the City of Manila.

At your own risk

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY: PEDESTRIANS CROSSING • A few people use the pedestrian crossing on Buendia Avenue near the corner of Taft Avenue (both major roads in the City of Manila and the site of two light rail stations), but they are more the exception than the rule. Most drivers don't mind the crossing either.

Blue wheels

For only Php700 (US$17.25) a year, Wheelers Club International assures members of 24/7 road assistance, towing, and ambulance service when you need them. In a city where government towing services are more expensive, it's a fantastic deal. And if you don't use any of their services within the year, then say "thank you" to whatever gods are out there. I don't know where the "international" in their name comes in, though—the company only serves Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

Bump

 
During weekends, all the roads which lead to SM Megamall, which has three other malls nearby (Shangri-la Plaza, St. Francis Square and Robinson's Galleria), have bumper to bumper traffic. In Manila, the phrase is almost literal because only a foot or two separate cars from each other.

BKK: Fit for a king

The Rama IX Bridge over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand is named after King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He is known as Rama IX and is Thailand's longest-reigning monarch, having occupied the throne since 1946. The Chao Phraya is one of Thailand's major rivers, and in English, it is called the River of Kings. The bridge was built in 1984–1987, and was renamed during King Bhumibol's 60th birthday in 2006.

It is the first cable-stayed bridge I have ever seen, and we saw it only once, during an evening Chao Phraya River sightseeing cruise. I was completely awed.
 

Bridges around the world: Sunday Bridges

Live to dive

The Oceana Maria Scuba (OMS) is a live-aboard dive boat that can accommodate up to ten people in five cabins, aside from the captain, crew and divemasters. I guess it's the only way to go to dive spots that are not accessible by any other means, especially in the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean. Caught empty of divers and crew while docked beside Harbour Square in Manila Bay.

Renewable energy

Bamboo bicycles have been around since the 19th century, but it was only in the mid 2000s that they began gaining serious attention. They make a lot of sense to me. Unlike metals which need to be mined and processed in highly damaging and polluting methods to be usable, bamboo are some of the fastest growing plants in the world, and are, therefore, ecologically and even economically sustainable. I didn't see which particular company made this bike—the Philippines now has several—but it was on display at the Human Nature store (see yesterday's post).