IN SEARCH FOR THE SWEDISH EROTICA

But before that was a pleasant surprise.

Air China does not sell comfort seats!

These are available on a first-come first-serve basis.

And I completely understood why while boarding the connecting flight from Beijing to Stockholm when I was kindly asked by a travelling Chinese family of three if I can exchange seats so they can be together which I did not mind since I was moved within the same comfort seat area, and then again by the flight steward in behalf of a Chinese couple which got me an upgrade to a semi-business class seat.

I did not mind that at all, except that I have to do with a paper plate of rice and chicken drowning in mushroom sauce washed down with an anemic blend of cold milk tea in Beijing International's Terminal 32 for lunch because I can't find any noodle restaurant around.

But I guess the two churches during the taxi ride from Stockholm's Arlanda Airport to Ranas erased that and raised my expectations on more churches to come although since this is Sweden, I have low hopes of having a noodle experience but was eagerly anticipating an encounter with pickled herring.

What I was not prepared was the hormone shot I got from Ranas Slott [not slut]. 

Everything inside me just boiled, balls and all, but not in a sexual way.

I have found my Swedish Erotica and it is an 18th-century castle where I will be lodging for the next 3 days.  

I am in Sweden and I am king!

CLARK IN BETWEEN DINOSAURS

I don't get it why the former Clark Air Base was, and is still is, named after an American aviator [Maj. Harold M. Clark below] who have nothing to do with the Philippines when it in fact started as a military garrison of our revolutionary forces during the Filipino-American War which the Americans took during a fierce battle that lasted for three days in 1899.

It should be named to any of the Filipino generals [Hizon, Aquino, Del Pilar, Concepcion, Mascardo, Makabulos] who defended Angeles from the onslaught of the American colonial war machine during that time.

As we know it now, we lost Angeles to the Americans who took it. 

And they stayed.

Which gave birth to the famous Angeles sisig [made from pig parts, like the head, discarded from the air base], PX goods [items retailed at the Base Exchange that were eventually sold to Filipinos], and generated a lot of anti-US bases protest [as reflected in Patatag's "Batang Clark" and Nora Aunor's "Minsa'y Isang Gamugamu"].

In 1991, Mt. Pinatubo erupted and drove the Americans out.

The former airbase became known as the Clark Freeport Zone under the sovereign rule of the Philippines.

But it is still named after that American pilot who have nothing to do with the Philippines.

PHOTO CREDIT: All photos, except that of Maj. Harold M. Clark, were taken by Juan Gabriel L. Ciencia at the Clark Dinasour Island.

DEATH IN BALICASAG

THE BOSS: "Matagal pa flight natin. Tara munang mag-island hopping." 

[So we went. I can't exactly remember what I was telling The Boss during our boat ride. We did see some dolphins after Brod Moi snapped the photo below.]

THE BOSS: "Dito na lang muna tayo tumambay."

THE ADMINISTRATOR: "Nakahanap ng kakainan 'yung mga kasama ko sa bangka. Umiinom na din yata kasama 'yung bangkero namin."

THE SECRETARY: "Nagpunta sa parola at simbahan 'yung nasa isa pang bangka."

[I can't remember our succeeding conversation after that brief exchange as Brod Moi aimed his tablet at us. But I'm sure it's mostly about nonsense to while the time. That's when our boatman's son came.]

OUR BOATMAN'S SON: "Boss, puede ko bang ihatid ang ilang pasahero pabalik sa Panglao? Wala po silang masakyan e."

US: "Sige, basta bumalik ka agad bago mananghali." 

OUR BOATMAN'S SON: "Okey boss. Salamat po."

[The photo below shows our boatman's son with our boat moments after we disembarked and before he asked permission to bring some passengers to Panglao.]

THE BOSS, on seeing a lightly built young man in Coast Guard uniform: "Coast Guard ka pala. Mukha ka pa kasing bagets na teenager."

COAST GUARD: [Smiles and continued conversing in Bisaya with a local lady.]

THE BOSS, on seeing our boatman's son rushing to the shore: "O, kabilis mo naman?"

OUR BOATMAN'S SON: [Acknowledged us with a nod but continued running to somewhere.]

THE BOSS, after some time: "Tara na, andiyan na ang bangkero. Asan ba idinaong 'yung bangka natin?"

LOCAL LADY: "Naku sir, lumubog po 'yung bangka ninyo kanina. Ayun po o! Kasalukuyang hinihila para madala dito."

[We called the hotel who told us another boat is on the way to take us back. And as I watched the locals try to to salvage our sunken boat, the reports came. Brod Moi snapped another photo.]

"Overloaded 'yung bangka!"

[There were no life vests as these were unloaded when the passengers boarded the boat.]

"Hindi dapat kumuha ng pasahero 'yun maliban sa mga dinala niya dito."

[Apparently, our our boatman's son took the passengers to earn extra money and without informing his father.]

"Dalawa ang kumpirmadong nalunod."

[The passengers were mostly itinerant vendors who came to the island to sell their wares during yesterday's fiesta celebration.]

"Ngayon lang nangyari ang ganito. Malilintikan kami lahat nito."