Perennial Corruption

     Corruption is an age-old issue  which has often been associated with politicians. Ferdinand Marcos Sr., then President of the Philippines, was ousted in 1986 due to massive corruption in his ruthless rule as a dictator especially in the Martial Law years. He was in the Guinness Book of Records for the greatest robbery of a government seen until Match 10, 2025, which now has disappeared.

     I thought the ouster would have taught a lesson to all politicians to be honest and true to their work. Unfortunately, it didn't. Massive corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH) has been uncovered and exposed, revealing millions and millions lost to ghost projects in many parts of the country.

A funny take of a new DPWH office to replace current part of which was razed by a fire 

     Ghost projects of dams have been uncovered for some time now but no one has been held responsible. I think something is wrong with the political system until the perpetrators are unpunished. The delay is due to the mere excuse that there are democratic rules to follow. I was expecting an immediate resolution of this issue but it seems they publicly focused on the investigation with no action to punish. Now the investigation by the Independent Commission of Infrastructure(ICI), created by the President, is under close-door policy. How reliable and trustworthy can it be? 

     I don't believe something will happen out of this. After all the hype, the guilty ones will remain unpunished, and everyone has wasted so much resources, putting the country in a perilous situation. I feel hopeless of anything good coming out of this. All I can do is pray for miracles!

I Learned AI

     Today I learned how to create AI images of myself in places all over the world. I realized how easy it is to create, and now I am wondering how to tell if images in social media are real or AI-generated.

In Singapore, my home for ten years before my stroke

Skiing in Switzerland, a dream destination 

As a superhero

I started with this

Now a farmer in rural Philippines 

Oliva Restaurant, Rotterdam, Netherlands

     Twelve years ago, we had a global marketing meeting in Rotterdam. In one dinner, we went to a unique experience in an Italian restaurant, Oliva, where you cook your own dishes from the starter, main dish and dessert, following the chef's instructions. For me , coming from Asia, it indeed was a unique and unforgettable experience. I can't remember what we cooked and ate but the experience will be etched in my memory.

At the restaurant as we listen to the instructions 

     I was lucky to experience that probably once in a lifetime thing. To think, I was lucky to be in this company as regional marketing manager for Asia that allowed me to travel around the world. In this trip, we had our global sales meeting in an anchored old ship, which used to be a luxury cruise ship MV Rotterdam, which has been converted into a unique hotel called Rotterdam.

RRotterdam floating hotel

My cabin in ship hotel

     To reach this restaurant, we had to walk for an hour or so led by our Dutch global marketing manager.

My Business Trip to Europe

     My last business trip to Europe was in October 2018, actually few months before my stroke in February 2019 which rendered me incapable of working. It definitely was unforgettable because I had the chance to visit Paris alone, my first solo trip, prior to our business meeting in Belgium.

     After arriving at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, I bravely took the train conveniently all the way to Paris. I was apprehensive travelling alone but I braved the challenge.

At Schipol Airport, took inter-country train to Paris

     I became a tourist in Paris, although I stayed in a small and relatively cheap lodging instead of the pricey hotels. Paris is not cheap, I found out, really a place for the wealthy to visit.

With the iconic Eiffel Tower

     It was really an experience to travel on my own, and when I arrived at the train platform in Paris, there was snatching incident right in front of me, a teenager pit-pocketing on an unsuspecting Korean young tourist. Police were fast, they were able to apprehend the young black girl. To my mind, I thought snatching occurs only in third world countries, only then I realized even in modern and advanced countries, there are petty cases like this.

At the Arc de Triomphe

     I roamed Paris, went to places which I read in many novels. I went to the Louvre which was so crowded, it was impossible to get a decent selfie.

At the Louvre 

     In my walk around the city, I passed by Rue La Fayette. I paused, I remembered I've read this street in many novels I've read in the past. I was ecstatic to be in such a place.

Rue La Fayette 

     I was in Paris for a day or two, I can't remember exactly. I went there prior to my business meeting in Belgium, the technical headquarter of the last company I worked with. We had a global sales meeting in Antwerp for two days, then we had technical training in Louvain-la-Neuve, where our R&D center was located.

Walk around the lake after our meeting for a break