THE SLACK

Life is a Kapampangan buffet lunch: savory, rich, delectable.

But it was actually a nondescript bowl of soupy balao-balao --- food of both Gods and mortals -- that elevated the flavors of Saturday's sumptuous spread in what could have been bland nilagang gulay, a typical fried catfish, and even an overfried lechong kawali.  

Pretty much like a particular week in Bakal 2: tedious, monotonous, routine.

Until a contentious non-compliance was resolved and a challenging extraordinary procurement in Kuala Lumpur waived. 

Somehow, these dulled the sharp mundaneness of cancelled Monday meetings and the daily grind of sorting through electronic mails and messages, the chagrin of being reimbursed in pesos rather than dollars, and the struggle of composing a compelling farewell note. 

A surprise top-up of $140,000 for Phnom Penh and Manila hailed the fiscal year's first conversation with partners; what can possibly be the appropriate business models for sustainable housing; a cheap ryokan in Japan maybe or climate-resilient settelements around the Santuario de San Vicente de Paul Parish and Shrine of the Poor --- ideas that were bookended by the Thursday Group with the crispiness of fried tilapia and the delicate texture of estofadong pata.   

Bangkok's impact measurement training will be virtual after all. 

Reports must be submitted before the dealdine.

Thus, the Phantom Biker finally broke out of its cocoon for a take-out goto, a dine-in Jollibee breakfast, a prayer to St. Jerome, and a futile search for foreign exchange. 

The slack spawned possibilities: a trade-in for a Toyota Zenix maybe, an opportunity in the Senate perhaps, a probable 3-step reclassification? 

What's certain are the replacement stoves and and spectacles, an updated bank account, clean air coolers, and a replenished larder before Tropical Storm Ramil made landfall. 

SOLAR PANELS OF OUR MINDS (Breaking Out of Phnom Penh)

Pursat is the Middle Kingdom of 10 solar panels that was redacted in the minutes of the Monday meetings.

From the silhouette of its Kravanh Mountains, boiled leaves were harvested by Khmer Rouge stragglers that were marinated in Pursat's version of the prahok ktis and served as a unique wild cardamom soup with a fish roe garnish that hinted of Monday's pangat na hito and per diem resolution. 

Kampong Chhnang is the New Kingdom with only 6 solar panels, the manifestations of a digital rights review and a sustainable housing discussion.

A day before, huge pots of Khor Bourguignon adorned its pavements where fair finance was debated as either an attrition against credit card debts or topping up three bank accounts while in a nearby canopy, a committee of nubiles carried stacks of potted eel stew and 9 cans of beer on their nimble heads.   

Battambang is the Old Kingdom with 18 solar panels granted from Mao Tse Tung Boulevard where the Ironman of Bakal 2 chaired a caucus.

There, cows graze in flooded ricefields before being herded by a lost stick into plates of delicate Khmer steak and crispy fresh corn, antecedants to a famous bowl of savory yellow pork noodles that transformed into a Khmer-style spicy papaya salad and omelette at a tropical garden near the pumping station. 

Muddy and rugged were the the roads to the solar panels of Cambodia, somber as the monologue of a commune chief and the daily ritual for morning alms, poignant as the children bathing and catching fish in the irrigation ditches, and seductive like a pasenger of PR 2621 flashing the outline of her underwear beneath flimsy white pants to steal the thunder from the shine of the new Techo International Airport and a classy hotel transfer.

The long rip back to Phnom Penh was punctuated by roadside snack of grilled fish paste and boiled rice noodles in lieu of a doubtful farewell dinner.

Instead, the Russian Market laid out a curbside feast of crabs, shrimp, squid, salmon fins, and sea snails while the Grab driver waits somewhere.  

PR 2262 was on time but did not serve wine.

Back in Manila, the blessings of Our Ladies of Remedies in Malate and of the Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila were implored for the day's nasoendoscopy after an early morning reunion at the Salcedo Saturday Market... 

THE BANGKOK CLIMATE ACTION WEEK

Hot gasses must be banished to save the world from hell.

So I came, I spoke, I moderated after 3.5 months of self-imposed seclusion at home that was long enough to render a pre-boarding sleepless night in Bakal 2 and a diarrheic episode at Panay Avenue.

"We must elevate justice principles and community voices in transboundary energy transition financing," I told the Monday meetings at the airport, adding that "We need to strengthen the alignment of financial institutions with climate commitments".

What I did not tell them is beer will be the liquid rice accompaniment to Aree Seafood's grilled salted tilapia and Soi Polo's Michelin-listed fried chichen, and to perk up a boring networking cocktail reception at the Conrad Hotel.  

In Bangkok, the inbox opens every morning and in each episode, complicated procurements were slowly untangled, a report was polished for review and sign-off, and another flight booked, among others, before engaging the running track of of the Benchakitti Forest Park for the benefit of climate justice, for the last bowl of Tomyum Noodle Soup before the Ploenchit Market closes down at 2 pm, and for the first serving of crispy prok belly as the stalls opened at the Rangnam Market at 5 pm.

A digital arrival card was unexpected but the makeshift kitchens in the streets of Bangkok look and smell the same where hawkers scurry in preparing an 8-course Thai welcome dinner for the horde at Baan Glom Gig who were being prepped for the execution of a 2026 Flagship Activities Masterplan. 

Rangnam turned out to be a fluke, some place at the Victory Monument BTS Station where I used to buy crispy pork, sticky rice, and sweet Thai coffee for breakfast.

The Isan food stall in front of the gas station that is being demolished is gone, so are the pork rib noodles and dancing shrimp vendors. 

Free airconditioned air and wifi wafted from a King Power Duty Free Shop but I did not pass through 6 BTS stations for that. 

I should have taken the train to Yaowarat or walked to Silom.

But the Grab driver already dropped me at a self check-in kiosk that opened the E-gates of Suvarnabhumi Airport. 

A ligtning alert took the duration of a Conclave but there was enough time to catch a first class bus to Bakal 2 where the remaining credit card and phone bill payments wre finally transacted...