Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Christmas in Manila, December 2005

December of 2005 saw the two of us visiting Manila to spend Christmas with the family. It was an incredible feeling to come home and see everyone again after so long. And I could see from Kanittha's expression that she felt very much at home in Manila this time around.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here's a photograph of my nephew, Jose, and my father, whom he calls "Wowo". the Filipino word for grandfather is "Lolo", but I guess he's having a bit of trouble there.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

My two sisters. Via, on the left busy with her phone, and Tessa on the right very much pregnant with their second child, Sofia Isabella Saranglao. More photos of her daughter a little later in this post... when she comes out. We spent all of the first day just hanging out at home and catching up with everyone.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Our second day saw us wandering about the city of Makati doing some last minute Christmas shopping for the whole family. Here's Kanittha hamming it up for the camera right beside an old American Indian chieftain. This is the kind usually set out front of a tobbaco shop, but in this case it's beside a curio and antiques shop. We went with my father to help find a particular antique lamp he wanted to buy as a gift.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Our third day in Manila brought us a visitor, Auntie Celina, my mother's older sister. "Tita Madre" (literally translates as "Auntie Nun") as we lovingly refer to her, has a religious vocation and is a Roman Catholic nun. This was the first time that she met my wife, and they hit it off right away. My aunt later took me aside and mumbled confidentially, "good choice".

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

My father with a pillow stuffed up his back, pretending to be a hunchback. I guess I should explain that Tita Madre is already retired, so she spends most of her time in prayer and watching television with the other nuns. One of her favorite soap operas is a series entitled "Ang Kampanerang Kuba" (or "The Hunchback Bellringer". It's an addiction for her, and my father gave her a boardgame based on the television series to take back to the convent so they can play with the other nuns. It sounds a little strange, doesn't it.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

That Sunday was also an Advent Sunday, so we gathered around to light the candles of the Advent Wreath. With Tita Madre reading some text from the liturgy for that day. This tradition has been with our family for as far back as I can recall.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

This was another new one for Kanittha, but she stayed on watching intently at how things went. A bit left out because she couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. I've tried to explain it as best as I can, but it's hard to compress into a few words what the expectant waiting and preparation of Advent is all about.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here's my younger brother, Nico, with one of the cats in the house. I don't know exactly what it is about pets, but we've always had them around. And while we all really love dogs, somehow the cats all gravitate to our family.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I'm not sure where it is we are going out to, but here is Kanittha all dressed up and ready to go. I think this is one of the many parties that my mother gets invited to go to, and we decided to tag along to enjoy the company and the free food.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

We might have spent the evening at a dinner with my mom, but the next day we spent wandering around this really cool shopping arcade called "Market Market" with my father. Kanittha enjoyed herself immensely at this place specially when she discovered all the pickled fruits.

The two of them had this really hilarious conversation...

  • Dad: What would you like for Christmas?
    Kanittha: (in a cartoon sing-song voice) Lo-ove!
  • Dad: No really, what would you like us to give you?
    Kanittha: (in the same cartoon sing-song voice) Just Lo-ove!
  • Dad: But, you can't put that in a box and wrap it up?
    Kanittha: (still in the same voice) I can put it in my he-art!
I don't think the conversation continued after that.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

On the sixth day of our visit, December 21st, 2005, my niece, Sofia, was born.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here we all are crowding around my younger sister, Tessa, just as she's been brought back out of the delivery and recovery room. Jose is hovering anxiously and curiously around his mother. My father is standing nearby all concerned and excited.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Eight days into our visit and we have finally finished with all the Christmas shopping. Here's Kanittha wandering around Ayala Center in Makati City. You can just barely make out the Dusit Hotel in the background. Quite a coincidence that a bit of Thailand would be there watching over her.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Only three-days old and my niece, Sofia, has already come home. Here she is visiting with her grandmother.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here is her older brother, Jose, playing around with Kanittha in the family room. Jose has developed a special relationship with his Tita Nut. He likes spending as much time as he can with my wife.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Later on in the evening, we all went together to the Christmas Eve Mass at Ayala Alabang. This was Kanittha's very first experience of this kind and she was enthralled by it all. From the standing up, sitting down and kneeling parts, to all the singing, the bright lights and all the people dressed up as if for a big party — she really enjoyed herself here.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

After the mass, we went to greet the officiating priest who is an old friend of our family, Monsignor Ernesto Joaquin. From left to right, in the front row, is Monsignor Ernie, my mom, my wife, that's me in the reddish shirt, then my dad. Right behind the priest is Jocelyn, my brother's girlfriend, and beside her is my brother, Nico.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

From the church, we went straight home to fix up the nativity scenes by adding in the figure of the infant Jesus. We have about a dozen little vignettes like this throughout my father's house in Manila. It is usually the youngest member of the family who has the job of placing the baby in the scene. It used to fall on my younger brother to do, but now we have Jose to do this for us.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Before we all jump in to open the gifts around the Christmas Tree, we all gather around the dining table to share a little feast. Here we've got my sister, Via and her boyfriend, David, already taking up their places at the dinner table.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here we have Jocelyn and Nico making themselves ready for the feast. Unlike in other cultures where the gifts are opened first thing on Christmas morning, we open them right after the Christmas feast which is about midnight... and this lasts for a few hours. Pretty much Christmas morning.

Unfortunately I don't have any photographs of the happy mayhem and chaos that ensues when gifts are opened, but this was again a unique experience for Kanittha. She was moved to tears when she received so many gifts from everyone in the family. Likewise she glowed with pride and satisfaction when she saw how the gifts we gave to others made them so happy.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The next morning we took our nephew, Jose, out to Makati City where we spent the entire time playing video games with him at this arcade. Lots of screaming and squealing as they went from fighting games, to shooting games to driving simulations. Exhausting, but great fun!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

All tired out from the day, Jose and Kanittha just taking some time out to chill in the family room back home.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here's my father, with his granddaughter Sofia.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Again, here is my niece, Sofia, fast asleep in her special bed with her pink baby outfit and pink floral print pillows.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

On the eleventh day of our visit, we spent most of the morning just at home exploring the different parts of the house and reconnecting memories to those spaces and sharing them with Kanittha. Here she is right outside the window of my sister, Via's old room. We used to have a big cage full of "love birds" right outside this window and it would drive Via insane. Now there are only some knick-knacks and a capiz parol — this is a Christmas Star made out of mother of pearl.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Our house literally has a feline infestation and there are always unique photo opportunities that present themselves at random moments.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Later that day, we went out together as if on a date, to see how Kanittha would react to life in Manila. And, how Manila would react to her. Judging from the photograph, you could say that the two are taking kindly to each other. Although that might be because this was taken at a Thai restaurant. That's one thing I have noticed about Thai people... they don't survive very long away from their own spicy foods.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here she is filling in the shoes of Forrest Gump right outside a theme restaurant called "Bubba Gump" where we went to meet my old friends from high school.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

And here is the gang all gathered around. Kanittha is the one taking the photo, so she's not in this one. Around the table, starting on the left is Maita, Ben-G, Pinky, Pia, Bobby, Albert, Mau, Marton and myself. Pretty much the same crowd from the year before.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

When I think of home in Manila, I remember most what it looks like all dressed up for the Christmas season. Here is the spiral staircase I designed for my father when we added on a second floor to the house.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

An antique cabinet with family photographs and religious icons and images on the wall above it.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

A view from the kitchen going towards the dining room.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

At the dining room, with Kanittha enjoying a late brunch by herself. While she does like the company of the family she does tend to wake up a bit later than everyone else and she is a bit uncomfortable when everyone starts shoving food at her.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Via & David in Bangkok, September 2005

September brought us visitors again, with Via and David coming to visit us in Bangkok. David flew in from Dakkha in Bangladesh, where he is currently based working in the telecommunications industry, and Via flew in from Manila. Their planes arrived within minutes of each other and they met at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here they are all dressed up in their red shirts. Red is a very lucky color in some cultures. And for Via and David it's been great. I think they look terrific in red.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

One of the very favorite dishes David enjoys when coming to Bangkok is "Tom Yung Goong". I'm not taking about the martial arts film staring Tony Jaa, but the very spicy and sour prawn soup dish. Here we are sampling the version over at a small restaurant called "Yenta Four".

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Later that evening we went to try a different version of the soup over at Kalapapruek Restaurant. This particular branch is located on the second level (first floor) of the Emporium Shopping Complex here in Bangkok. After a long day of shopping, it was really nice to sit down for a good dinner together. Notice how David is wearing one of the "Sticky Rice" t-shirts I designed.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

On the last evening of their visit, we decided on a change of taste — from Thai to Italian cuisine. Here we are enjoying the food at Basilico Pizzeria located along Sukhumvit Soi 33, right across form the Novotel Lotus Hotel where Via and David were staying. From left-to-right — David, Via, then Kanittha and myself.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Why "Möe"?

For those of you that do know me, you're all probably wondering why I chose the online name of "Moe". It's a long story... but just to make it short and boring, it all comes from my passion for art — 3D computer generated art and science fiction to be specific.

In the early 90's I started out with two partners hoping to get into the CGI business. We purchased an Amiga, got ourselves a Video Toaster and a licensed copy of LightWave 3D. It didn't work out at all, and I had to go back to try and get real life on track again. Nearly ten years later, after having moved to Thailand, I was able to save enough money to purchase my own license for LightWave and start indulging once again in one of my great passions.

I suppose the reason that I went and got serious about 3D computer generated art was that I didn't have enough money to afford scale models. My friends in high school were consummate modelers and artists, each of them had their own special genre in the hobbyist scale model craft. 3D applications allowed me to catch up somehow. Even if it was a couple of decades too late.

Getting back to the story... one of the major creative influences for me was French illustrator Jean Giraud, also known as Moebius. Along with visual futurist, Syd Mead and the heavy influence of George Lucas's Star Wars, I was all wired to start up my hobby in earnest.

When I signed up to join an online community of graphic artists, called Renderosity, and they asked for a username I decided that "Moebius" wasn't a bad choice. I added in my batch year from my fraternity, the Upsilon Sigma Phi, and I became Moebius87. From there, it simply became "Möe", with the umlaut thrown in for good measure making it obscure and nearly impossible to pronounce.

And that's all there is to it.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Sakhon Nakhon, July 2005

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

In July of 2005, I had my first opportunity to go visit the family home of Kanittha up in the province of Sakhon Nakorn, up in the northeast of Thailand, in the Issarn region. Rather than traveling twelve hours by bus, we decided to fly there.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

My wife's family are all very humble farmers, who by sheer hardwork have been able to raise themselves up from complete poverty to a respectable status in their village. Money is still very hard for them, but they earn enough to keep a cozy little home.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here's a shot of the view right in front of their home — rice fields. When we went up to visit, I went with the intention to ask Kanittha's parents formally for her hand in marriage, and to offer up a partial dowry to her family.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

What might have been a simple quiet exchange, became a big event with half the village coming to the house and with the village headman present to witness our engagement.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

This was taken the morning after the impromptu engagement ceremony. It's a tradition here to tie a strand of homespun cotton around the wrists as a way to ward off harm. The belief is that it ties your spirit to your body, so that should something happen it won't decided to depart at an inopportune moment. From that moment on, I stopped referring to Kanittha as "my girlfriend", and she became "my fiancée.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Shopping at the local wet market with Kanittha's older sister, Aey. Everything up there is so fresh and inexpensive. I spent most of the time up there just lounging around and taking naps all the time.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here's Kanittha on the bridge that spans a stream fed by a reservoir near their home. The house with the blue roof is the home of Kanittha's family. That time of the year, there's nothing but lush greenery all over the place.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Green rice fields, skies heavy with rain and breezes that calmed the soul. That's what it was like spending time up country in Sakhon Nakorn. Now because I was sleeping too much, Kanittha's family thought I was bored and they decided to take me to go visit the local tourist spots.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Kanittha and I got around on one of the family's motorcycles, while her three nephews and only niece followed close by on the other motorcycle. The 10-year old nephew driving the other motorcycle is Toy.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here they all are at the reservoir, from left to right — Chet, Toy, Kanittha, Ay and her niece, Toon. No idea who the dog is.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

A view of the reservoir.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here's a sunset shot taken with one of the Buddha statues surrounding the temple near their village, Wat Danmahlen, which literally translates as "temple on dancing horse rock.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

This modest temple was built on a huge solid rock, which bears the imprints of what appears to be random patterns of hoof prints. Local folklore says that horses used to dance upon this rock. No one can explain why, but that doesn't seem to be important at all.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Here we are at the airport of Udon Thani, about an hour and a half drive from Kanittha's village in the neighboring province of Sakhon Nakorn. This was taken just before taking the flight back to Bangkok. We're a bit tired from all the driving around, but I was totally rejuvinated from that peaceful break up country.