Remembering PRESTAGS

On the road again

After an awesome drive from Brisbane to Toowoomba, and back, I find myself pining for the open road again. This time my animal magnetism was overstretched, and I had neither man nor dog as companion. I did have a beast though!

Although it looks much the same as the Thrifty (best car hire firm ever!) beast, this one was noisy. I had forgotten how much noisy it makes. And Thirsty. For this journey, I used my entire quarter's fuel allowance for the Prius. Old tech, I suppose.

Spring was showing on the road with the wattles just starting to burst.

I stopped at a rest area and found some Rosellas and Grass Parrots enjoying a midday feed.

I had all these lenses in the car, but the trouble with those is by the time you have them all set up, the target has gone!

Just before jumping into the car again, I checked out the name of the reserve.

I can just image the Germans saying "There is a mad Aussie down there chucking grenades. Let's decamp." Thomas Derrick did inspire me though: next time I'm with my mates, I'll spend some time chucking grenades around.

Road Trip Stage One is a success, and Blust is in the Black.

Now I wonder if I will get a turn. The again, if John Michael Young wanted a turn, he had to invent a whole game. I just have to be patient, I suppose.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

But as they say, better out than in.

Driving in the outback

Can a General go in a straight line for two turns, only changing direction for coast lines and see no sign of civilisation?

Apparently yes.

Week Two finished in Manila

 

Huzzah!

To celebrate I went out for a beer and saw Nachos on the menu and thought "I little appetizer before dinner". As you can see, it became dinner (that's a 1l beer glass) and there was left overs.

Not as nice as Aussie Beer and Nachos. Instead of melted cheese, that is some American cheese sauce, and there was passion fruit syrup in the beer. It will be nice to be home.

Carrier Battlegroup Solitaire

So I have played my first scenario of Carrier Battlegroup Solitaire. My summary is that it is a good way to spend a typhoon impacted Sunday, but I would like there to be more chance to finesse the game. In fact, the main decision you make during the game is what planes and crew you put on your carrier. Once underway, you just use what you have without much variation. Also. most of the map does not get used - there is not much maneuver.

I chose the simplest scenario to start with - clearing the Danish straits. There was a contact in the North Sea I had to address too.

Given the short range of the scenario, I opted for a land based aircraft to support my battlegroup. I was given three cruisers and two destroyers as escort. I put a few fighters (never used them) and few bombers and an anti sub helicopter (he was the main hero). I also put on board an Electronic War crew (to help with contact and keeping the soviet alert level down) and a (match winning) camera crew to report on my victories.

I was given an insultingly low leadership skill level - I'd need to play the campaign to increase it.

So my first move was obvious. Sail up to the Soviet contact and hit it with all my air assets. (I can't fly everything because of the limit of my flight deck, but I can put six planes aloft for each battle, and that sufficed.) It turned out to be a guided missile frigate escorting three subs. I had very little in the way of sub handling air power (just my helicopter and ground based P-3, so although I quickly dispatched the frigate, two subs were left at the end of the combat round.

Combat is arranged in inner and outer zones. In the first round, the two outer zones fight. In the second round, everyone left alive going into the inner zone for a final melee. So you can see my CV and helicopter in the inner zone being protected by the planes from the frigates anti-air.

Anyway, my battlegroup stayed in place next turn and launched again and cleared the subs from the map. Objective one complete.

Over the next two turns, I sailed quietly to Germany with only inclement weather to deal with. On arrival, though, I made sudden contact with an unexpected soviet battlegroup with two subs and a cruiser.

This time I put my destroyers in the outer zone to try to get the subs before they made it to the CV. The Soviet cruiser shot down an F-14, and the soviet subs damaged both my destroyers before they could get into action. My planes got rid of the cruiser, crippled one sub and damaged another. This meant another round with a damaged nuclear sub in the same zone as by CV!

Fortunately the sub went after damaged destroyer and sunk it. The cruisers accounted for the sub and my victory was complete. Well, only just. I was penalised heavily for my losses. It was the fact of the camera crew that my victory was assured. I got good footage and propaganda on all but the latest battle. (Perhaps the camera man was on the destroyer!)

Anyway a victory is a victory, so it called for wine and cheese.

Sunday morning in Manila

This morning I see empty, wet, rain swept streets like this:

So I cook myself some French Toast for breakfast like this:

And keep my eye on this.

An EDEE turn might cheer me up...

What to do on a quiet Saturday morning in Manila?

Well, I was hoping to play a few turns, but it takes three to tango.

My plan B is to attempt to sail a 1980's Nimitz class carrier force though hostile Soviet fleets. I received this almost a year ago from S&T, and thought this trip would be a great chance to try it out.

So here is my counter of the week.

A tale of two breakfasts

It was the best of breakfast,

it was the worst of breakfast

This time in Manila I opted for a kitchenette so that I can have a break from eating out all the time. There is a good supermarket under San Pedro Chapel, so after mass I did a $200 shop and caught a taxi with 12 bags of groceries. ("How long is sir staying in Manila?", the doorman asked when I returned to the hotel.)

However, a foreign city is still a foreign city, and sometimes things do not go to plan. I bought these yummy looking Belgian Waffles, so I had them one day. The first was quite good, but as the pack said they were nice toasted, and as I did not have a toaster, I put the second into the microwave for 2 minutes. 90 second later smoke was pouring out of the microwave and I hit cancel. I do not know whether I should blame the microwave, the waffles or the plate, but 2 minutes! Seriously!

With a frying pan, less can go wrong. I slightly overcooked the bacon as it was cut like shaved ham, but it was all very nice. To night I have Chilli Con Carne, although I am dubious about the beans I have bought. But like all good disasporees, you need to quickly make the most of the land you land in!

St Pedro Calungsod Chapel

Python's trekking over the last 5 months have thrown up a range of different churches, and this Sunday's experience is no exception: St Pedro Calungsod Chapel in SM Aura.

San Pedro Calungsod in the centre - and I'm not standing on a chair!

The first astonishing point: SM does not stand for Santa Maria. It stands for (I think) shopping mall. The chapel is in a shopping mall. So you walk through a glass entrance past security - I got frisked this time because Westerners are too rich to wear a Middle Earth tee shirt and shorts. (I wore it because I tried to walk to church and it is very hot by 10am -and I got lost - and I was standing in the sun - and the sermon was about a rich young man who had many shortcomings explained in Tagalog, but I looked neither rich, not young, nor a man - seriously, a pony tail - so I was OK.) Then you go up five escalators listening to Christmas music (seriously?). They you step up onto the garden level and queue at a lift (like for a popular yum cha) before riding up to level 7 - the roof. There you are confronted with a crowd - well, from the chest down I was.

At the top of the lift I was confronted by an enormous crowd, and two security agents trying to usher parishioners into spaces. I opted to walk outside and stand at the back, where I could not see the altar, but they had a TV (on the left above) that I could watch. Interestingly, this mass was mostly in English with the prayers of the faithful and the sermon in Tagalog. I am good at picking my few words, and was curious about the number of references to "left" (kaliwa), unless it has a homonym. The president of China got a mention. I'm glad the President of Russia did not, or I would have had to shout "He is just a Puti!"

After mass I peered over the edge and was surpirsed to see slums around the centre. If you expand the picture above, on the right you can see a green hill covered with white crosses. It is the American WW2 memorial. When the crowds dispersed (only partially - it began filling right away for the second service), I squeezed inside to see the altar for real - lots of gold plate!

Anyway, I think this is now my parish church! I note that the first Friday of every month is a Latin mass - I am not sure if I will be here for any first Fridays, but if I do, I will try to attend.

Memories of Home

I did a P8000 shop today, to stock my kitchen with the food and utensils for 17 days. Despite the proliferation of shopping malls and 7 elevens here (or perhaps because of them) groceries are hard to find. After several visits to grocery icons in Google Maps (that turned out to be cafes or chocolate shops, or not present), I stumbled on one outside the church (and 8 levels down).

I found myself impulse buying Australian, even though I was there only 2 days ago.

Of course, there us more to life than beer and beef!

I liked the way they did their fish display.

Devotee to Padre Pio

Another area in which I am completely unlike Paul is that I talk to taxi drivers. (Actually, my mother is the same, so it is perhaps a genetic trait. A Darwinist would prove that I have more offspring by talking to taxi drivers. No wonder evangelists want to execute them.)

Yesterday the traffic just stopped at 6:00pm with me still 3 km from home (= 30 minutes, or a hike in a sauna), so the taxi driver decided to teach me Tagalog. I wanted to learn so I mastered given directions to taxi drivers. I mentioned how I went with the Sunday Sermon (Nagsimba ako). The taxi driver asked if I wanted to hear his prayer to Pio answered, and I assented.

He described how his second son had just graduated from Electrical Engineering and needed P8000 ($230) for the ceremony. He only had P1000 so he went to Pio's shrine at church to pray. He lit a candle and reached into his pocket for a few pesos, but only had the 1000, so he popped it in and prayed for the money.

Over the next day every ride he picked up wanted to go to the airport, and after 24 hours he had P5000. He ascribed that to the saint/blessed.

This caused me to reflect on my approach to petition pray. I see it as more make your plans and then rejoice in the outcome, whatever it be. (Hence many descried me as delusional and optimistic!) I wonder if I could ever put 12% of what I needed in the plate.

You can have too much of a good thing

And I am not talking about spicy shrimp with tecino (cured pork) spring rolls

nor of elephant clams baked in garlic and butter

but instead in EDEE when your two huge continents fuse into Pangaea, and your transports become temporarily useless. I will imitate Paul and build some canals through here, but in the meantime my transports have to sail a long way around.

Holy Family Church, Makati City

Tomorrow I go to mass. I hope it will be in Tagalog so I can say Nagsimba ako. Yesterday I thought I would have a go a walking there so I know the way.

I walked the dotted blue line and the whole way was through a upper class slum - the ground floors were amateur brickwork, the top floor wood and tin. Lots of people were just hanging around looking bored. One little boy was guarding a rooster in a wire cage while his big brother(?) was sending an SMS. Most looked at me - perhaps my height or appearance, or perhaps they were thinking "Nice ponytail".

When I got to the church, the first thing to strike me was that there was a security guard. He looked at me curiously, but waved me through when I pointed up the steps. I think he peered in one me a couple of times to make sure I was behaving myself - he was studying the wall of the church when I walked out.

The surrounds of the church are all tiled, a bit reminiscent of Gaudi's Park Guelle in Barcelona, but the job was more utilitarian than artistic. Even the chairs and interior walls of the courtyard were tiled, although they did boast a Medjegoria-style garden with grotto - the second time I had seen lawn in Manila. The courtyard in front of the church had a little mosaic of the journey of the Holy Family after the slaughter of the innocents (but I suggest the pyramids are a bit too fat north)

Inside the first thing to strike you is the ornately decorated altar. I think it is painted wood covered with gold leaf.

Around the entry there are many statues and reliquies. I was quite taken by the Black Jesus - very delicately worked.

Behind this statue was a glassed in structure which turned out to be the confessional. That is something I have never seen before - even with the screen to hide from the priest, but no-one else.

You can see the photographer in the reflection. I was otherwise alone in the church although something might have been taking place in the balcony above my head as I heard what sounded like sanding or cleaning.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll update this post with a description of the services, although no more photos.

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Nagsimba ako!

This means "I've been to mass". That is the most complex Filipino I know! Apart from that I can count to three and say yes and no.

Most of the mass was a mystery to me. I could work out Dio, Hesu Christos and Espiritu Santo when they popup up, and I caught that the Gospel was San Marco. The sermon was mostly in Tagalog, punctuated with some English, perhaps for the only westerner in the congregation. The first third of the sermon was about "Days of Fasting and Abstinence". (Perhaps like the orthodox, they are in lent now.) The second third was for the children and involved raising left or right hands in answer to questions and a bit of clapping. The last third had lots of English phrases and was about learning from the wisdom and experience of the elders (and that the greatest blessing God bestowed in the Old Testament was old age - something I'll have the ponder).

I was pleased to finally see some grey haired people, and even one Filipino man who was a bit taller than me - a first for this trip! The children stole the show. There were seven leaders, all perhaps 10-12, who wore a uniform of a white blouse and a long green skirt (or trousers for the boys). My guess is that these were owned by the church and probably would match the liturgical season. They also had multi-coloured ribbons tied to rings on their fingers (that became high prestige items after church amongst their siblings). For each of the hymns and sung parts they children leaders stood on the altar and lead us through the verses with mime/liturgical dance and very proud smiles. In between time their pews were packed with younger children being told what to do by the leaders.

I loved the energy of the parish, and was very happy to move apparently unnoticed amongst them. I think my only error was during the kiss of peace where I began shaking hands only to find everyone else doing a namaste. If that was my only mistake, well and good.

I didn't talk to anyone after mass - I am a bit shy and I won't be back - I am unlikely to end up living in this part of town.

Food in Manila

Food happens in Manila with lovely frequency. As meal time approach, the cooking smells from the slums perfume the air. (I have seen a lot of slums - I keep getting lost in them. My hotel is next to one as I realised when I walked off the find the local Catholic Church.) I have not been brave enough to try the street food yet, and do not intend to until I have a good Filipino guide (preferably an employee that I can fire!). However, by judicious picking of cafes (air conditioning seems to be a good guide), I can get a sample without too much risk.

Breakfast

The hotel provides free breakfast with the room rates, so I have been experimenting with everything that sounds foreign. My first breakfast was Beef Tapa, and has many of the Filipino staples - garlic rice and fried egg.

The beef tapa is marinated in rice vinegar, paprika and several other spices I cannot pick. Interestingly, there is no sauce - and rarely is here. This means you get a bit of every flavour as you move around the plate.

The next morning, I tried the chicken and pork (tecino). It had been marinated in soy sauce and spices. No picture as I was half way through before I realised, but it looked much like the beef.

This morning I had the marinated milk fish. I think this is my pick of the breakfasts, although I have several more to try. The fish had been deep fried after marinating, and went particularly well with the garlic rice.

Lunch

I have been having lunch on the road, so it is a bit more risky as I do not really know where to look. I got lucky the first time by stepping into a Spanish cafe in Bonifacio Global Village (about 10 km or 50 minute taxi ride from the hotel). This was called a rice dish, but the stand out was the cumin and paprika marinaded capsicum and Spanish onion on the top left next to the almost as yummy beef.

I think this set me back $6.50 including a pot of Earl Grey tea. The second day I failed to find a place I wanted to eat at so had a biscuit at Starbucks and an early dinner.

Dinner

My first (timid) dinner here was the miso soup, when I was in no mood for experimenting. The second day I stayed in the hotel (the weather here leaves you quite tired, particularly if a rooster gets you up a 5am) and enjoyed a two course meal with a beer for $15. The entree was marinated mushrooms.

I followed this up with fried pork belly. However, a bit like when Thygs and I tried to experiment in Sydney Chinatown, the pork belly was so rich, I was not up to desert.

Last night I took the plunge and walked off to the local mall. I really think that westerners are not expected to walk here - the trip is hair-raising. I found a place that was reasonably popular but inauspiciously called "Savory Fastfood". I realised inside that it was a part of a chain with the same name. The menu was a mystery, with almost nothing recognisable and the English translation not much help (e.g "a chicken dish" for something that looked like either a stew or a soup). I took a punt on something that looked like something someone else was eating.

The noodles and vegies were very good. There was a combination of meats and prawns that was a mixture of nice and surprising - half the meat was offal. I recognised a chicken heart and liver and perhaps a bit of kidney. Overall, very nice after I got over the shock. Note the cup of tea - you don't drink the water!

And now...

I am jumping in a taxi to visit Ortigas, where there are some promising real estate options. I'll check out the SM Megamall for lunch and see some of the sites, unless there is a turn in the next few minutes....

First meal in Manila

I just went room service on my first meal. I can hear the city bustling outside my window but am just not ready for my first Jeepney ride. Perhaps tonight.

The local cafe seems to specialise in Japanese food. This Miso Ramen was very satisfying, and Paul would have approved of all the noodles.

New role, new toy

As I have told you earlier, I have been asked to head to the Philippines to head up an office in Manila. I do love my old job, and will miss it, but alas when you get too much grey in your hair, people expect you to swan around and make all the decisions for them!

Anyway, after a tiring day of reading resumes, talking to corporate lawyers (who want you to believe it is really simple to set up a company in the Philippines, while at the same time really tricky, so that you will use their services), writing summary reports to the directors (whom to the best of my knowledge have no intention of giving me any direction at all), and dealing with consuls (how is it the day I decide my nails are a bit long, I visit the US Consulate and set off the metal detector with forgotten nail clippers in my pocket - no really, I don't want to take hostages with these nail clippers, Mr Marine) , I finally get home for a bit of take.

A road warrior need a road warrior toy and the best road warrior toy has EDEE installed!

Coming at you Peter!

Welcome home dinner

The journey is over. We have begun to catch up with friends. Our first attempt was super lazy. We went to Costco and bought one of every curry and shoved them in the microwave. There was even Roti de Costco!

Back at the wargaming table!

Seeing Australia up close is quite an experience, but I am delighted to find myself back at my wargaming table!

Last time I was here I was previewing a WW2 strategic simulation called World in Flames. Paul asked why there was no Pacific theatre. Well, I have just set it up with just such a theatre.

Japan (red) has a big navy, a strong airforce and a high quality army. They are trying to force China (yellow) into a negotiated settlement on resources. However, the USA (dark green) is about to start giving aid to China in the form of aircraft, which will precipitate a collision in the future. at the present, however, Japan does not want this to appear like a war, so must keep its attacks down to 1-2 per turn.

However, with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, I know that Japan will do bring anyone else to the negotiating table with violence, so I will prepare them for a World War. Their strategy will be to stall the USA in the Pacific once hostilities start, try to take out China, and when Germany declares war on the USSR (brown), support it in the East. Only with the USSR out, can Japan survive the USA economy.

Meanwhile, on the connected map, WW2 begins.

My new EDEE workstation

I saw this chair in Cobar - and have ordered one to improve my EDEE game. We all know what the red button on the right hand of the chair is for, and the joysticks are to move my armies, but can you guess what the other buttons are for. Oh, and the green button on the front is pressed to move my generals into safety.

Dog and Dish

Too obvious for a PRESTAGS quiz, but a fun photo nonetheless. Home tomorrow.

Python is driving home

Pip checks out a bird that does not peck back

He avoided this fellow.

A bit of World War 1 history I did not know of

Which two passions do Paul and Pro Hart share?

Where is Python now?

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 Answer: The Living Sculpture Garden, Broken Hill

Thygo Canberra is on the money!

Boys weekend watch list

Found in the 228 Main Street Cafe at Petersburg (Peterborough)

What is this flag?

I've noticed this flag in several parks in South Australia. I have a guess as to what it is, but am interested if this blog's readers can tell.

Something other than the shadows are long in this photo

What is very long in this photo?

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Answer: Well done Thygo Canberra

Pip thinks about getting into Emu Oil

Where is Python now?

Nice tee shirt, but where is Python? And what are all those white mounds in the background?

Another one for Thygo

Full moon rises over moon plain, South Australia

Whither is the moon?

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Answer:

Moon over Kata Tjuta

Where am i?

...and my feet are really aching after walking 10 km after this photo was taken!

Correct picture for "where am i"

Nice tee shirt too, but the camera did not capture enough pixels. The tee shirt has many colours and one of each unit counter in a famous game.

Nice teeshirt, but where am i?

Nice teeshirt

A very politically incorrect "road sign" - it warns of a blind bend through a gorge on an otherwise straight road. I remember it from last time I was here (15 years ago), but this is a newly painted one. Perhaps it has heritage status by now.

What has been corrected is the follow up sign at the other side of the blind corner. It used to say "Put um back down". It now says "Take a break".

Another nice tee shirt photo

But where am I now?

Outback Queensland and loving it

Nice teeshirt too

More reptile problems for poor Python

Nice tee shirt though!

I found out later this one is called Banjo. Anyone want to have a guess about its species?

Sacred Heart, Yeppoon - With a view of Great Keppel Island

Last Sunday I found myself in Yeppoon, so I headed of to Sacred Heart in Lammermoor. Although much of the area north of Rockhampton is flat and close to sea level, there are a few steep hills along the shore - like a ancient volcanic caldera after the surrounding land has been eroded away.

The inside of the church was simple and elegant, but a but much like a tourist resort for my liking. For all that we had a good sermon on reconciliation with indigenous Australians; the priest had so experience working in Aboriginal communities.

Like the other churches I have visited, there is much emphasis on wood work. I liked the Holy Spirit motif in a side chapel (below) but did not take the other works in there as I did not want to discourage parishioners from using it.

One of the parishoners did see me taking the photo and called me over to see their pride an joy. "It came from Israel", he told me proudly, "and is assembled from over three hundred pieces".

It was quite beautifully made, and a bit bigger than a chess board, but for me, a bit lacking in allegory. I wonder, perhaps, if some of the figures are in the wrong place and some face in odd directions.

Anyway, it is farewell to the coast now as I head inland.