The Voyage Home

I've been back home in Manila for four days already. A lot of people I've talked to in Singapore before I left kept saying how lucky I am to be on vacation for a week, back home even. I must tell you, the feeling is weird for me, but not really hard to explain.

Going back here is like going home from a vacation. Fun's over. Get back to work. Earn your wages. Look forward to the next vacation. Whenever I take a trip away from Manila, the trip back has always been a journey back to the "real world", whether school or work.

There's a scene in the (really pilit) movie Star Trek: Generations that could maybe parallel the feeling I have. It was the maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701B (the second generation starship) and they receive a distress call. There was this ship that was being ripped apart by some galactic ribbon of sorts that we'll know of as The Nexus. When the Enterprise was able to beam most of the survivors, the general feeling of the rescued lot wasn't of relief, but rather of longing, and a desire to go back. Then it turns out this Nexus brings you to some sort of paradise where everything works out for you, and you can do most anything you want. So the general plot of that movie was this bad guy, Dr. Soran (played by the excellent actor Malcolm McDowell) wanting to go back to the Nexus even if it means the destruction of an entire star system.

While I have no desire to destroy star systems myself, Singapore is my Nexus, and I want to go back.

"No, you don't understand! I have to go back! I have to go bac...." - Dr. Soran, right before he was sedated.

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Nonetheless, I've been able to accomplish a lot so far. Preparing for Noel's wedding on Saturday. Watched Superman Returns. Played basketball in Ateneo. Ate at KFC. Ate at Wendy's. Had a (stupid) haircut. Bought undershirts and underwear. Bought office pants and had them altered. I just need to buy some more stuff like a tabo, more shirts, more shorts, Goldilock's Polvoron, Pan de Pugon Wheat Pandesal. Obviously, the last two are bilins. Such is the lot of a Pinoy balikbayan.

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Oh yeah, and I AM a certified balikbayan. Before I left for Manila, I had to go to the Philippine Embassy at Nassim Rd. to apply for membership in Overseas Worker Welfare Association (OWWA, bi-annual fee of $43, around P1440.00) so that I can get an exit pass. What this exit pass does is that they waive the departure tax (which I have never really encountered even when I was travelling as tourist) and the terminal fee of P550.00 in NAIA. It costs $6 (around P200.00) for an exit pass so it really saves me some money for a couple of extra airport steps.

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Speaking of Superman Returns, I've quite a few things to say about it. Brandon Routh can pull off the Superman/Clark Kent bit, which is excellent and makes for a good (re-)start to a franchise. The effects were a bit over-the-top and sometimes unnecessary. The story was god-awful. I mean with the budget they have for this, they could have thrown in a few creative minds in there. Did anyone really feel suspense on the first rescue that he did? Was there any doubt that he will save them? After all, he's Superman! Now, in Superman II, he was up against three(!) superbeings who were also from Krypton. In that movie, you'd wonder if he'd ever come out alive. At least, you'd wonder how he'll ever beat them. See, now that's suspense.

That's in terms of the movie. In terms of the character himself, Superman is capable of being much, much more interesting. Unfortunately, before this movie came along, my idea of Superman was the guy in Kingdom Come (one of the best graphic novels for me), a being beyond mere mortals, and gods themselves.

But I guess that story is way too advanced for Hollywood. Anyway, they just scored with Batman Begins, and now this one. At least they know how to make box-office hits. That's a start.