Day 10 - Saturday, July 10, 2021
Remember What I Said Way Back at the Very Beginning of This Journey?
Whatever you're going to the Philippines for in the middle of a global pandemic better be worth it. Well, now you know what has kept me going these past ten days. Over the last six months since January, we've done everything over Messenger video call - we've eaten meals together, stacked COVID relief supplies together, drawn and written, played catch, and even gone to soccer matches together on video call, meeting the Austin Bold mascot herself. In less than two hours, it will all now be in person. Getting to spend three weeks with my family in person - ten days in quarantine is a cinch...
All photos, videos by Kokoy Severino. Above music co-written with Rommel Eclarinal...
Day 9 - Friday, July 9, 2021
Last Full Day
I received my certificate from the Bureau of Quarantine clearing me for release tomorrow. I'm going home...
Above: Quarantine day 9 lunch, dinner consisted. Last meals...
All photos, videos, and music by Kokoy Severino...
Day 8 - Thursday, July 8, 2021
A Tour of My Quarantine View
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| The view from my quarantine hotel room is very special. There is a lot going on in this view. Right next to home is one main reason why I chose Hotel Jen to quarantine in for ten days... And of course, the sunset (below) - a daily gift from God... |
England pulled it off. It took a questionable penalty call very very late in overtime that will forever be debated. It doesn't matter now. What I found very interesting however was the commentary on the BBC Radio 5 broadcast. It seemed that all the commentators were quite certain the penalty would be overturned after the video assisted referee reviewed the call. And they all sounded quite concerned when it didn't, as the call now casts some doubt on the legitimacy of England's victory. It's all a done deal now, and the debating will from heretofore be left to those of us who have never had any hope of setting a cleat on Wembley as a player. Southgate and the lads have no time nor mental space to think about any past penalty calls, and I sure hope they have stopped celebrating. Yes, they successfully repelled the viking assault, but now they are about to face a much more powerful invader. The Romans are massing at the border, and they have watched closely the English defenses. This is the advantage of playing in the first semi-final - you get to scout your opponents without anyone else standing in your way. Italy are going to come into Wembley and they are going to possess and possess and possess and possess. They will wear the English down with patience and rhythm and then strike at a moment's notice before anyone knows what just happened. The English are going to have to stay focused. They cannot squander so many chances like they did against the Danes; if they have any hope of pulling this one off, they are going to have to finish at least a couple of the few drives they will get. They got a lot of help yesterday - from the ref yes, but also from the Danes, who scored their tying goal for them, and then from Schmeichel who saved Kane's penalty shot, but saved it straight back to Kane, giving him a second go at it. Yeah, it was an historic victory for England, but they sounded very shaky on both ends. Italy on the other hand... well, I've said so much about them already - they are bringing so many weapons. Again, Southgate is going to have to channel some Churchill. There is a much more powerful enemy coming, and they won't have any mercy.
Below: Quarantine day 8 breakfast, lunch. Dinner consisted of leftovers.
All photos, videos, and music by Kokoy Severino...
Day 7 - Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Swab Test Day
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| Dusk over Manila Bay, from my quarantine room window... |
Italy did it, but not the way I predicted they would, not the way everyone and their abuela thought they would. It was brilliant; and that's why Roberto Mancini makes the big bucks. The Italians I'm sure assessed that going toe to toe with the masters of tiki-taka was not practical strategically. Instead, they fell back on their bread and butter - defense and counter-attack, the classic Italian way to do it, what they are the best in the world at, how they have made it to the final of the European championship three times previously, winning it once outright, and the World Cup final six times, victorious for half of those. I'm sure Mancini saw the one vulnerability of Spain that the Italians are perfectly predisposed to exploit. I've posted about this before in my analyses during previous World Cups - the Spaniards are so rhythmic in possession, almost to a transcendental level, they become so tightly committed to their offensive shape, that when they lose the ball, they are forced to scramble and compensate to get back into a defensive mode. Very few teams in the world have the patience, discipline, and focus to wait for the precise moment to strike. Italy is one of those teams. The numbers tell it all - Spain possessed the ball for 70% of the minutes. It's like Italy were just allowing Spain to get more and more deeply entranced in the rhythm of their offense, waiting for the slightest opportunities to launch a breakaway.
I didn't actually get to watch the match. Again, Euro is not being televised in the Philippines, and neither is Copa America (which is highly unfortunate and perplexing for a people aspiring to be a footballing nation, but don't get me started on that). I followed the live updates on the BBC website, very interesting content being contributed by some stellar analysts like Alan Shearer, Jurgen Klinnsmann, Rio Ferdinand, Danny Murphy, and a host of other luminaries including journalists and other former players.
One thing I found a little worrying though, is that when it was all over, a bunch of these guys were talking as if Italy's next game was already decided to be England. They were analyzing how England were going to to do against them in the final. Remember what I said the other day about over-confidence? Southgate and the lads can't be looking that far ahead - otherwise they are going to be in for a real Danish surprise.
No, my prediction has not changed - my heart goes out to England, the perennial underachievers of this game, the country that standardized the rules for the rest of the world, where my grandfather Lolo Dolpho was posted for a number of years as a career diplomat, but I'm giving it to Denmark in overtime (for all the reasons I put down on day 4 of this quarantine). I still have Italy winning it all, and they will redeploy their tikItalia strategy in the final...
The swabber came this morning and administered my swab test. She was all decked out in protective gear. She swabbed my mouth twice and each nostril twice. The nostril swabs were kind of scary. I felt like my sinuses were getting cleared out. Results will be emailed to me on Friday, and I find out whether I can check out on Saturday finally...
Above: Quarantine day 7 breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Day 6 - Tuesday, July 6, 2021
...And More Food...
Below: Quarantine day 6 brunch and dinner
Day 5 - Monday, July 5, 2021
Food, Food, Food...
Today, I called the front desk and cancelled my P1500/day food service plan for the rest of my stay. The Filipino food has been okay, although I would say it's a little overpriced at P500 per meal. When I called Hotel Jen to make the required reservation while I was still in Austin, they didn't bother informing me of the various food options. I only discovered the two menus sitting on the desk in my suite once I got in the room - after I had paid for it, food service plan and all. It was surprisingly easy to cancel; assuming they will honor my refund for the remaining days I had paid for. I'm looking forward to trying the Ambassador's Burger, which is highly recommended by my nephew Alon, and the Hong Kong style fried noodles.
Above: Quarantine day 5 breakfast, lunch and dinner
I just realized that for the past three dates, I had the wrong days on here. It's easy to lose track...
Day 4 - Sunday, July 4, 2021
Happy Philippine-American Friendship Day!
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| I don't watch much television aside from soccer games, but as I was browsing channels in search of some Euro and Copa America and Gold Cup highlights, I came across the Aquarium Channel... |
I haven't shared any predictions in a long time. But today, I feel a little inspired in this quarantine, and maybe even bothered, by these semi-final matchups in the European championship. What bothers me is England's precarious position going into the semis. That's right - my coaching instinct worries about England's 4-0 quarter-final thrashing of Ukraine. As a coach, I never want my kids to have an easy road to the next round. I want my kids to be challenged all the way through; they need the kind of adversity that forces them to step up their game with every half. An easy knockout match makes the necessary rise in intensity for the next round further to reach. I am unsettled by the lopsided result against a Ukraine that was obviously not up to the task, having been helped by Sweden with Danielsson's ejection in the second overtime period of their round of 16 match. Thus, for the crucial final ten minutes, Ukraine outnumbered their opponent on the pitch, and won it literally in the last seconds of the game. England's round of 16 opponents Germany had also been inconsistent at best, shakily squeaking into the next knockout phase with only one win, having drawn with last-place Hungary. This does not bode well in my eyes for the historical underachievers that England have been, who are playing in the comfort of home-field advantage. The danger in this 4-goal scoring spree is the specter of over-confidence, which is a killer in this game (i.e., look at France). I think England would have been better off stepping up to face a much stronger quarter-final opponent.
Denmark, on the other hand, have had quite the opposite path to Wembley. The Danes have had to face all sorts of adversity since Match Day 1 when their superstar player almost died on the right flank grass. (Actually, he did die, but was miraculously revived by the team's stellar medical staff.) Needless to say, Eriksen could not return to the tournament, and may never play competitively again. Without Eriksen, Denmark have had to rally to overcome, playing the most inspired ball of Euro. Like Eriksen, Denmark have risen from near-death after losing that first match to Finland, which arguably should not have continued on the same day, and to #1-ranked Belgium on Match Day 2. Since then, spurred on by the recovering Eriksen himself, the Danes have outscored their opponents 10-2, like a viking horde pillaging and conquering their way from Azerbaijan to the English Channel, intent upon laying waste to London's sacred palace. The English - they better be ready. If I were Gareth Southgate, I would conjure the spirit of Churchill by plastering the locker room with these words from his most famous speech:
"...We shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender."
(The football translation of this: "...We shall fight in every third of the pitch, we shall fight with precise through-balls on the ground and well-timed crosses in the air, we shall defend our box whatever the cost may be - but avoiding penalties. We shall fight on the wings, we shall fight in the back, we shall fight in the midfield and on set pieces, we shall fight on corner kicks, we shall try to never give up the ball.")
That is what it's going to take to stop the Danish invasion.
The southern European side of the semi-final bracket features a colossal collision between the two remaining 21st-century World Cup winners. I haven't been able to watch any of the knockout matches beyond the first two in the round of 16. But I did watch just about all of the group stage games before I left Texas. In my opinion, Italy have been playing the most impressive and most consistent ball. Many pundits have made much of this new Italian offensive identity, possessing the ball forward deep into the opposing box, which marks a significant philosophical evolution. Indeed, the Azzurri have taken this strategic approach to a new unprecedented level of intensity under Roberto Mancini. Now the best at possessing the ball for long periods of time and creating chances from deep in enemy territory, combined with their historical defensive counter-attacking mentality, Italy come with a diverse arsenal that no one anticipated. They finished the group stage with the highest goal differential, shutting out their opponents in all three matches. They have had the prescribed quality opponents throughout the knockout rounds, and have been forced to improve with every half, most recently eliminating Belgium, the current top-ranked team in the world. Pretty good for a team that didn't even qualify for the last World Cup, which I think works to Italy's advantage. No one was expecting Italy to do much damage, but they have sliced up their opponents like a rectangular pizza.
If Spain have not been watching their next opponents, then they will certainly be remiss of how the tiki-taka style they introduced to the world in 2010 has evolved at the feet of the Italians. Once the best practitioners of this strategy, whether knowingly or not, the Spanish armada has released a monster and the Italian fleet is running away with it. There cannot be a more fascinating semi-final matchup than Spain vs Italy - the originators vs the innovators. Former empires they both are, this will be a battle for possession.
My predictions: Denmark in overtime, Italy by one. I have Italy taking it all.
Above: Quarantine day 4 breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3 - Saturday, July 3, 2021
Some Serious Soccer Withdrawal
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| My guitar survived the Philippine Airlines baggage handling, which has been outright atrocious in my past experience. I'm considering leaving the guitar in Manila. |
I'm still on Central US time. Being in quarantine makes it difficult to get over jetlag and adjust to a new time zone because it's too easy to go back to bed and sleep at any time. I feel like I'm not even in the Philippines yet.
Going to soccer games is a therapeutic need. I'm missing out on watching the knockout stages of Euro and Copa America on TV, as well as the preliminary rounds of Concacaf Gold Cup... Since my mind is still in central/southeast Texas, I can't help but imagine all of the soccer matches I would be going to if I were actually still there, instead of holed up in a hotel room on the other side of the world. This would have been my schedule of activities between June 29 when I departed to my last day of quarantine on July 10:
Friday July 2 - Houston Dash vs OL Reign at BBVA Stadium, Houston 7:30 pm
Saturday July 3 - Houston Dynamo vs FC Cincinnati at BBVA Stadium, Houston 7:30 pm
Sunday July 4 - Rio Grande Valley Toros FC vs CF Monterrey at H-E-B Park, Edinburg 7:00 pm
Tuesday July 6 - San Antonio FC vs Queretaro FC at Toyota Field, San Antonio 7:30 pm
Wednesday July 7 - Austin FC vs LAFC at Q2 Stadium, Austin 8:00 pm
Friday July 9 - San Antonio FC vs Pumas UNAM at Toyota Field, San Antonio 7:30 pm
Saturday July 10 - El Salvador vs Curaçao at Toyota Stadium, Frisco 4:00 pm
Saturday July 10 - Mexico vs Trinidad & Tobago or Cuba or French Guiana at AT&T Stadium, Arlington 9:00 pm
I'm finding out as I write this that merely thinking about it is actually therapeutic, and checking all the various schedules has killed a couple of hours.
Above: Quarantine day 3 breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 2 - Friday, July 2, 2021
Bad News Day
I received a call from the front desk of the hotel this morning. They were informed by the authorities that the reduced seven-day quarantine period is applicable to travelers coming from the countries that are classified as "low-risk". People coming from the "high-risk" countries still have to do the ten-day period in a quarantine facility, and finish the next five days at home under the supervision of the LGU, assuming your Covid test on the 7th day produces a negative result. The United States is classified as a "high-risk" country, even though a majority of the people are already vaccinated and the US is giving away hundreds of millions of vaccines to other countries. Thus, the front desk just informed me that my stay here will have to be nine nights rather than what we thought yesterday when they checked me in for 7 nights.
It feels kind of absurd and baliktad. The Philippines is actually one of the worst still in terms of the pandemic, one of the highest-risk countries in the world, which is restrictions are so tight, yet when I return to the United States, there is no mandatory quarantine for me. But coming from the US, where a majority of the people are already vaccinated with the most effective vaccines, we have the longest quarantine period upon arrival here. It's absurd.
I had to let off with some power chords and distortion. Now you know why I need my guitar...
One comforting thought I had that would help get me through these days was the prospect of watching the rest of Euro 2020 and Copa America - quarter-finals, semis, and then the final. But it appears that the second most important tournaments of the world's most popular sport are not being televised in the Philippines. ESPN is not on the menu of Hotel Jen's cable TV offerings (but we can watch plenty of Korean soap operas and Beijing's propaganda channel). Don't get me started...
In the same call that they informed me that I would have to stay (and pay for) two additional nights of quarantine, they asked me how the food was. I told them I wanted Filipino food, rather than the mediocre western meals they were sending up (I didn't say that part), which through breakfast this morning included not a single grain of rice. Starting at lunch today, there was a dramatic shift in the cuisine being delivered. I am now getting Filipino food. I'm dreaming of bansilog for breakfast. One of these mornings I hope...
Above: Quarantine day 2 breakfast; I had to order rice to go with it. Of course, I have to pay extra for it at P45 per cup. Below: Finally, some traditional Filipino cuisine for lunch and dinner. Rice was automatic...
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Day 1 - Thursday, July 1, 2021
Breathing In and Checking In
The first thing that hits you when you step
through the sliding glass door and out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport is
the distinctive smell of Manila - a pungent cocktail of diesel exhaust, burning
trash, and your own sweat in the muggy tropical urban heat. Many characterize
it as an unpleasant odor. But to me, it is the sweet unmistakable scent of
home. So as I emerge finally into the early morning bustle of the pick-up zone
outside Terminal 2, I draw a deep welcome breath of the some of the most polluted
air in the world that I constantly crave when I'm not in Manila, and let out a
long sigh of relief after a long arduous flight, the most complicated one yet
in my 40 or so trips home over the last 14 years.
This trip begins with a three-hour drive from
Austin to Houston, what feels like days ago. Most of the time, I choose to fly
out of Houston Intercontinental Airport because it is significantly cheaper
than flying to Manila out of Austin Bergstrom International, even after fuel
and parking costs. I have found the best long-term parking price at the Hyatt
Regency near IAH - $2.75 per day. They have 24-hour security and free airport
shuttles scheduled every hour on the hour. It's outdoor parking, but many of
their spaces are shaded by trees. You can search for the best airport parking
deals near you on Way.com.
I have found that a reliable source of updated
requirements for those planning a trip to the Philippines during pandemic times can be found on this
link Philippine
Airlines page on arrivals and quarantine procedures. After having just gone through the entire
procedure myself, I am able to outline the current steps in a nutshell (as of July 1,
2021). Be advised that these steps are subject to change without notice:
1) Before you even book your
flight, be sure to review the requirements of any country you will be transiting
through. Every country has different requirements.
2) Get tested negative for
COVID within 72 hours of your departure date, whether you are fully vaccinated or
not. Be prepared to provide the document showing a negative test result when
you check into your flight. If you have one, bring your Covid vaccination record also. It can only help.
3) Complete this Electronic Case Investigation Form (e-CIF). Upon completion, it will generate an email to you with a QR
code essential to schedule your Covid test in Manila. Save the email because
you will have to show it to the officials at the airport upon arrival.
4) Download and print this Passenger's Affidavit of Undertaking and fill out the hard copy. Bring the hard copy with you.
This is your agreement that you will abide by all quarantine mandates and you
acknowledge that you have been informed of the consequences if you choose
to break quarantine. Prepare yourself mentally for a seven-day period of being in a
hotel room, and take this into consideration for step 5 below. You do not want
to spend the rest of your trip in a Philippine jail cell.
5) Confirm a 7-day
reservation at a government-approved quarantine hotel (this has been reduced
from ten days just a couple of days ago). Click this link for a list of government-approved
quarantine hotels. The hotel will email you a confirmation of the
reservation, which is required or you will not be issued a boarding pass
for your flight. Quarantine accommodations are all at the traveler's own
expense. Be advised that some hotels may not allow deliveries of outside
food, forcing you to order from their kitchen. Also, pre-arranging your
transportation to your quarantine hotel from the airport is not necessary.
Official airport taxicabs are readily available in the pick-up area and will
generally charge a lower fare.
6) Before arrival in Manila,
the flight crew will provide a set of documents to complete, in addition to the
standard Arrival Card and Customs form. Have a pen handy so you don't need to
bother looking for someone to borrow from, risking the spread of any infectious viruses. The yellow Health Declaration Card
will be collected and checked after the plane has finished taxiing to the
gate, as a government official reviews all of the requirements over the plane's
public address system with a very serious tone. No one is allowed to stand up
from their seats until the government official is finished with their spiel.
7) Upon disembarking, all
passengers are ushered into a special area at the gate to wait in line for an
official to take down your information from the e-CIF and the hotel
confirmation letter. Then, you will pay P3500 for your Covid test, which will
be administered at the quarantine hotel on the 5th day of your stay. Keep all receipts!!
8) Whatever you're going to
the Philippines for better be worth it...
Now that I have checked into Hotel Jen, one
thing that I would have done differently is not to choose the hotel's food plan. The
room by itself for would have cost P3000 per night. It was an additional P1500
per night to add the hotel food plan for three meals a day. Given what they
have sent up so far, none of the meals in my opinion have amounted to what
would be worth P500. Only when I get into the room do I find out that there are other options less expensive and appearing to be better.
Now I am here for seven days total - a nice
comfortable suite with a beautiful view of a city I love. I have a bunch of
stuff planned to spend this time. But can I maintain my sanity? Please pray for
me...
Spectacular views of my city will help me get
through this pandemic quarantine...
Quarantine day 1 lunch (above) and dinner (below), delivered outside the door of my quarantine hotel room.
I love the incessant ubiquitous sound of Manila traffic, especially at Roxas Boulevard and Vito Cruz, one of the busiest intersections in the city. Sixteen floors up, even unable to open the windows, I can still hear it. I really miss this sound at my house in east Austin, where the neighborhood is just way too quiet. The sound of Manila traffic helps lull me to sleep at night...
"Life is not a journey, but a pilgrimage..."
- Kokoy Severino has been in a constant state of travel since he was four years old.
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| Photo by Dad. |
