You HAVE to try this. If you’ve always wanted to create music, but have no talent whatsoever (like me), this is the next best thing! Such a simple program, but it can give you hours of entertainment. I ended up toying with this sinewave synthesizer, playing for hours, making “music”. I don’t know if you’ll derive as much mindless pleasure from this as I did, but I think it’s worth a check out. After a couple of hours, I was a pulsating musical dance synth-zombie. You’re supposed to be able to save each magnum opus, but I couldn’t seem to figure out how. I can’t get it to save. Tell me if you figure it out.
So if you want to try it out, click here: TONE MATRIX
I am inconsolably heartbroken. My most beloved Yorkie, Cairo, was listless and had a fever last Tuesday, so by the next day, I rushed him to the vet. After a couple of blood tests, the results came out positive for a tick-borne blood parasite. My heart sank. Although prognosis is good if treated early, the disease takes about a month to treat, and even then, it could become chronic, meaning it could come back every now and then. Worse, diseases like this weaken the blood, very much like Dengue in humans. You know how it’s more dangerous if you get Dengue for a second time? It’s sort of the same for dogs. It’s called Ehrlichiosis. I’ve feared this disease because even from way back when Cairo was a puppy, I was warned that pets bought from a certain area are exposed to this specific disease because supposedly it’s widespread there. I’m not sure if Cairo got it there, since it’s been so long, but where he got it is beside the point. What kills me is that he has it, period. It brings me back to the time when Duke, my Turkish Angora, fell from the 22nd floor when he was just a kitten. Also when Cairo had an eye infection that almost cost him his eyesight. Not having any kids, my pets are the closest I have to a family. People who belittle the love some people have for their animals just don’t understand. Sometimes I feel I’m being punished for playing favorites. The worst illnesses befall the pets who are closest to me. Not that it would be okay for the others to get sick, but the pain is extra searing when it happens to the ones you love the most. I just find it weird that after I posted abut my late Labrador, my beloved Tyro, in a mere two days, I’d be stressing about Cairo, arguably, of all the pets I ever had, the one I’ve been closest to. It tears me up to see him sick and weak and not eating. And sometimes, when he tries to stand, he falls over because he’s very unstable on his feet. He’s doing a little better now, after a day of being confined at the vet’s clinic. He’s glad to be home and has gained some of his strength and energy back. But the vet said it would take at least 5 days to see if he’s responding well to the treatment. I’m on pins and needles, and it’s so hard to keep doing what I do everyday: going on air, doing my routine, when all that’s in my head is my little boy, who’s at God’s mercy. Now I know what it means to treat each day as a gift. Not knowing what the future holds for Cairo, I’ll take whatever is given to us, whether it’s just a couple of months, or 20 more years. Times like these, when you can lose some of the things in your life you love the most, everything else seems so small. The problems, the haters, the financial concerns, the issues, the baggage, everything suddenly takes the backseat. It sucks. When we did the Top Ten quotes that inspire the other day, I tried to take what I can. I guess I just have to take it one day at a time, and see where the road takes me.
Get well soon, Cairo! I pray to God that you do another Duke and beat the odds and beat this. He’s my miracle cat, so now be my miracle dog. You bring so much joy to an old fart’s life. Life’s a little easier with you around, so please stay on for a lot longer. Your Daddy needs you so much more than you need him.
This was when Delle went on a 10-day vacation during Christmas week. So Gino kindly pinch-hit while Delle was gone, and it was quite a mix. So on our first day, we asked for suggestions on what type of topics would be good for us. I don’t even remember if we actually used any of them.
December 23, 2008 → The Top Ten Topics For Chico And Gino
Specialist – Things Chico would say to Gino, if Gino was a girl (and vice versa)
SC – Things you’d do to Chico and Gino if they were your slaves.
Topher – Chuck Norris moments.
Geyp – Things one would say, if the other said, “Yoohoo, wala na kong briiiiiiips!”
Pritijamels - Ways to make Gino look or sound like Delamar so that Chico won’t miss Delamar.
SPY Shadow – Porn star names for Chico and Gino.
Southbutchdiet – Ernie and Bert moments.
Geyp – Pick-up lines Chico and Gino should NOT use.
Geyp – Things to say to a guy who says, “Pare…will you marry me?”
Geyp – Beauty pageant questions you’d ask Chico and Gino if they were beauty queens.
Ang Manunusok – Answers to the question, “Chico/Gino, are you gay?”
Mr. Perk – Ways to complete the statement, “Inano ni Chico ang ano ni Gino (and vice versa)”.
Kresha – Things Chico and Gino would say that would make Delamar go, “Hay naku!” if she were listening.
Astroboy – Bromance stories.
Greg – Answers to the question, “Dude! What the hell are you doing?”
Gargamel – Things Chico and Gino could do if they were stranded on an island.
Destiny’s Ugly Kid – Things Chico and Gino’s underwear would say if they could talk.
Morphine – Things to tell Chico or Gino, if you wanted to seduce them.
LittleGirl17 – Possible movie titles if Chico and Gino were to make a movie.
Texan Bill – Things Delamar would say if she saw either Chico or Gino buck naked.
We got to the resort we eventually stayed in purely by default. Since it was a long weekend, most of the other resorts, at least the resorts we’re familiar with, were either fully booked, or only had non-airconditioned rooms. I’m one for roughing it up during the day, but my one request, is that at night, I need my artificially cooled air. I know, for a nature buff, this isn’t a very admirable trait. But anyway, we ended up getting a cottage at Virgin Beach Resort. Once we got there, we got off on the wrong foot the first minute at the check-in. Apparently, the price they quoted was room only. No problem, right? Well, in my opinion, wrong. Turns out, if you book there, you HAVE to eat there. You can opt to eat elsewhere, but you still have to pay for the three meals. So plus the meals, plus tax and other stuff, the actual bill was double the price they quoted. Just for purposes of clarity, I wish they mentioned the fact that meals are compulsory, so they could have quoted the actual price. We ended up not having enough cash, thank goodness I had my credit card. No big deal, really, I just wish they were more thorough with first-time clients inquiring about their rates. That said, the resort was much nicer than we ever expected. And that reservation glitch aside, the staff is run with knife-edge precision. Everyone has those ear-mouth pieces to communicate with and you have staff ushering your every move. They run a tight ship. I was pretty much impressed.
Laiya is a relatively young beach area as far as resorts are concerned, and in general, the resorts are more on the affordable, accessible side, more than the fancy, luxurious resorts of say, Palawan or Bohol. So I was impressed at how well-kept and how much money they put into this resort.
Our cottage was brand new, tasteful, with nice clean sheets with fluffy pillows, and the bathroom fixtures were on the expensive side. And in front of every cottage, there’s a big jar of water with a coconut ladle to rinse your sandy feet with. So you don’t bring in all those grains with you.
Toiletries were complete, 2 towels each, drinking water available; even a water heater for the instant coffee! No wonder their price is on the steep side (at least it’s expensive for budget travelers like us). At least you can see where your money went.
They have different rooms for different needs. They have ingeniously conceived day trip huts which has a cover in case you want some privacy. You can put your stuff there, dress up, and sleep. Just draw the curtains, and voila. Love it.
They also have non-airconditioned rooms which look really fun (if you’re okay with no aircon). Perfect for bahay-bahayan . The door opens directly into the sand, and you can literally see the beach from your bed. It has a very nice playhouse feel.
They also have areas where you can just lounge around. I’m not sure if anyone can just use them, or if you need to pay. Whatever, it looked really nice.
And the beach? Fantastic.
Laiya is not known for powdery sand, in fact, although it’s white, the grains are pretty big. But Virgin has the biggest beach in the whole stretch, and it’s the only private beach there. If you’re not a client of the resort, you can’t swim in their area. So if you want privacy, it’s the place to go to. The place is also incredibly clean. Hardly will you find cigarette butts or plastic wrappers strewn about. The upkeep seems to be 24 hours. Now we get to what for me at least, is the resort’s biggest flaw: the food. It’s so weird, because the presentation is A+, but taste is blah minus.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not yucky, but for some strange reason, it’s just not good. Each meal has at least 3 courses, and I’m waiting and waiting and waiting for a meal that will satisfy me, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Some were too salty, some were tasteless, some had odd flavors and one soup was overpowered with the pungent flavor of leeks (or spring onions, or basta, something onion-y). The presentation is always top-notch. Each plate looks like a cover for a food magazine. But once you taste it, blah. I hope they really look into it, because when I go to a resort, one of the things I look forward to the most, is the FOOD. And what a waste, because they have an incredible resort, expensive furnishings, clean surroundings, a well-maintained beach, well-trained staff, only to falter big time with the food. Possibly the most disappointing food I’ve tasted in a major resort. Of course I’ve tasted much worse in those small dingy resorts in the not-so-good beaches in the country; but for a major resort, I’d say it was an odd sort of food fail. But then maybe it’s just me. Maybe another foodie will taste their meals and find them swell. It’s all very IMHO, actually. But food aside, everything else passes with flying colors. Will I come back? Definitely! The accommodations and the beach alone will be enough to keep me coming back and even recommend it to family and friends.
I remember my worst Christmas was December 25, 2006, our first Christmas after my Dad died. My Mom, who usually prepares the Christmas lunch for everyone, didn’t prepare anything, locked herself up in her room, and we had no food, and nothing to celebrate for that day. We found out too late, on the day itself, and no restaurants were open. Fortunately, my brother drove around the city, and found a sole restaurant, Chowking I think, and he took out some food for us to eat. Now THAT Christmas REALLY sucked!
December 22, 2008 → The Top Ten Signs That This Year’s Christmas Will Suck
Crammer – My officemate just found out that he will be laid off right after the holidays. How can you celebrate knowing that you’ll be jobless after the festivities?
Rachael – My request for a Christmas leave was just denied. Major suck!
Realearlonline – When you’ve spent all your bonus buying gifts for relatives and inaanaks, but none seemed to have appreciated your gifts.
Yñaki – When your Mother-in-law announces that she’s spending the entire holiday in your house.
Astroboy – My sister just got her 14th month pay, while I’m still a bum.
SPY Shadow – If her “red flag” is up during the holiday season.
Google – If our teacup chihuahua dies. She’s very ill now.
Frederique – If you’ve been spending Misa De Gallo alone, with no one to kiss during the “peace be with you” part of the Mass.
Acer – If I get a dozen picture frames!
Acer – This year, we retire our 25-year-old Christmas tree. It’s a sentimental favorite.
Yin – This Christmas will suck because my mom just found out that I’ve been dating my cousin!
Supah Goddess – Christmas sucks because there’s nothing to suck (like candy canes).
Astroboy – If you spent so much to give really nice presents, but the same people gave you really sucky gifts in return.
Chichi – My boyfriend’s mom really hates me right now, and we were doing so well pa naman.
Rice – I just found out that the guy I’ve been loving for the past 4 years has been seeing another guy for the past 2 years.
Mark – My boyfriend just told me that his New Year’s resolution is to “turn straight”.
Georgia – My cousin in the U.S. recently found out that the Santa they hired for her kid’s Christmas party was a convicted pedophile!
Kendra – My husband’s “candy cane” has been having a problem this year. He’s been having a hard time (or not-so-hard as the case may be).
Ed1990 – My mom just discovered my “art film” DVD’s and my “educational reading materials” and now she cut my allowance in half.
Kala – My 7-year-old daughter just discovered the “secret” about the “man-in-red” because her yaya told her.
Even as a kid, I’ve known of the story about an Akita who loyally waited for his master at the same train station, long after his master died, everyday for 10 years, until his death. In Japan, Hachiko was long considered a hero, a symbol of what loyalty is all about. They even erected a small monument for him, at the same train station where he waited in vain for his master who never came again to meet him. His body was eventually stuffed and is now on display at the National Science Museum in Japan. So I was really thrilled when @derekcarlos (thanks Derek!) sent me the link via Twitter about a new movie about Hachiko (there was a Japanese film about him in 1987) directed by a director I really trust, Lasse Hallström, and starring Richard Gere.
I loved dogs even as a kid, but the tragedy then was, I had a sister with asthma, so I couldn’t own a dog as a little boy. I had to wait until I was much older and my sister already moved out of the house. So Hachiko’s story always struck a raw nerve in me, because he was that dog I never had, but wanted so badly. I always felt like I was meant to have a dog best friend. After failing miserably with my first few attempts at dog-keeping, I finally met the closest I ever got to my very own Hachiko, my yellow Labrador Retriever, Tyro.
He was a great dog, he’d stay by my side, even without a leash, he won’t leave my side even if there were other dogs playing, and once someone tempted him with a spare rib, yet he stayed solidly by my side. And if I were to go inside a door, he’d wait outside that door until I came out. And one time we were in a friend’s house in Tagaytay, they said he stayed by me and guarded me the whole time I was asleep. Whatta dog.
I cried buckets of tears when he died. He died on a Good Friday. He waited for me to leave the house to go out of town, and within minutes of arriving at our destination, I found out that he breathed his last. I loved that dog to pieces. I’d have many great dogs after that, especially the 2 little ones we have now, but Tyro was the 1st dog who taught me how to be a responsible dog owner. I learned my biggest lessons in being a dog’s human from him the most. The gentlest dog I ever knew. Yet, he’d take on the biggest dogs if he thought I was in danger.
So watching this trailer and getting reminded of Tyro got me really nostalgic. I can’t wait to see the movie. I heard it comes out October 2009 in the U.S.
Here are some of the very few pictures I have of Tyro. Okay, forgive the outfit and the Hallmark Channel running shot. This was, after all, deep in the 90′s.
And here’s a video of some scenes from the original 1987 Japanese movie about Hachiko, Hachiko Monogatari (ハチ公物語).
Hehehe…new logo. Anyway, topics like these bring out the bitchy in everyone. To be fair, even pretty girls who say, “ang ganda ko!” are kinda annoying. But AT LEAST they’re accurate. Arrogant, yes. Liars, no. And don’t worry, we’re not being sexist. It’s just that the term “Ang ganda ko” is more often used by females than males.
December 19, 2008 → The Top Ten Things To Say If An Ugly Girl Tells you, “Ang Ganda Ko!”
Mokong – “Really? Hindi obvious.”
Awsom – “Sabi ko naman sayo, tigilan mo na yang drugs eh!”
SC – “Huy, iba ang ganda sa self-confidence!”
Rastaman – “…compared sa unggoy.”
Angel-In-Disguise – “Kailan pa?”
Fil John – “I’m sorry your honor, I OBJECT!”
Jecay – “Mas gaganda ka pa kung may bangs ka. Yung hanggang baba.”
Greg – “Natanggap ba ng face mo yung memo? Para kasing hindi siya nag-comply…”
When we got the invitation from U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney inviting us to a dinner party on board the USS George Washington, we were thrilled to accept. Then, a couple of days before the dinner, we got word that they were also inviting us to a tour (which I posted about already) the day before the dinner. So Wednesday, we did the tour, and then Thursday, the dinner. Unfortunately, Delle got sick after the tiring tour and was already sick the next day, too ill to join the dinner. So I just went with our station manager, Divine Dolina, for the perfect way to cap off the whole aircraft carrier experience.
This time around, instead of in the morning, we were in Mall of Asia by 5pm. On our way to the carrier, we passed by the two Destroyers that accompanied the USS George Washington, the USS Cowpense and the USS Fitzgerald. They’re the first line of defense, so carriers are always accompanied by destroyers, usually two.
Also, this time, I was able to take a photo of the carrier from the side, something I failed to do the day before because of the angle with which the ferry approached the carrier. This time, the angle was perfect!
Even if I was just there the day before, the sight of it really still gave me goosebumps. It had a very King Kong feel, this behemoth that comes into view slowly from the misty horizon. I can’t help romanticizing it because even as a child I was fascinated by aircraft carriers. I even had all the carriers at the time memorized! As we got closer, eventually we took the same angle to dock at the carrier’s rear.
Same thing as yesterday, only this time, all the officers were wearing their dress whites and everything is a little bit formal, although the invite stated the attire as “smart casual”. Yet, despite the advisory on wearing comfy clothes and shoes, many still came in gowns and suits and barongs.
Plus, our path that night was paved with red carpets wherever we went. I felt like a delegate to the United Nations or something!
It was a bit disconcerting having all those soldiers saluting and greeting you wherever you went. Surreal!
We were greeted at the entrance by the U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney. As always, she was so warm in welcoming us and she told us she heard great things about the live feeds we did the day before. She was so appreciative, that we had to remind her that it was we, who felt quite lucky to have had the opportunity.
We also got to meet a lot of people, mostly officers of the U.S Navy, they were very much willing to engage you in conversations, soliciting any questions that the guests might have. But I was thrilled to have met one of the most popular people in the Philippines right now, or maybe even the world, the “Pambansang Kamao”, Manny Pacquiao!
Talk about starstruck!!! Wow, that guy is larger than life. He was mobbed by fans, especially the American officers! And he was so gracious, patiently shaking hands and posing and smiling for the cameras, even if he had little time to do anything else. We also got to meet Charice Pempengco, who sang a song for the crowd.
There was also a ceremony where some soldiers presented the flags in a dramatic ritual that silenced the crowd. Then after, the national anthems of both countries were played.
After the program, the guests got to go to the flight deck via the aircraft elevator. But more on that later. When we got up, only a smaller portion of the flight deck was cordoned off, unlike the day before when we got to go everywhere.
I got to talk to another pilot, Chris Moran, who flew on the Hawkeye, and I cracked the lamest joke I could deliver to a pilot. I said, “So Chris, your last name is Moran? So…do you fly a bomber?” Get it? Bomber Moran? Obviously, I realized he wouldn’t know who Bomber Moran was, the moment the punchline left my mouth. I know, pathetic. Crashed and burned. Sank like a rock.
Then, I had to go to the toilet. The entire 6 hours we were on board the day before, we never got to go to the bathroom. So I was really curious about how toilets on aircraft carriers looked like. I asked around, and they pointed me to a dark corner in one nook on the ship:
The sentry then guided me into the metal door, and down a couple of stairs and down some corridors before we finally got to the industrial-looking toilet. It was no luxurious hotel bathroom, but it serves its purpose. Just for your curiosity:
Now we come to what for me was the highlight of the evening. Like I described earlier, guests were ferried from the hangar to the flight deck and back via the elevator they use in transporting planes up and down the ship. It’s large enough to fit two F-18′s at a time. Chris Moran said that we were REALLY lucky because even he, a longtime pilot on aircraft carriers, has never ridden on those elevators. No wonder even the military men seemed excited. I tried to take pictures of the elevator, but it was so big that no angle sufficed to capture the moment. So instead, I took a video. Here’s one that showed, from my vantage point, how it was going from the flight deck down to the hangar. Incredible.
Wow, so there you go, an experience I won’t soon forget. Two days on board an aircraft carrier. Words and pictures just aren’t enough to even approximate actually being there. Grateful is the word that comes to mind when looking back. I could never thank enough the U.S. Embassy and Ambassador Kenney for the opportunity. Hopefully, against all odds, this won’t be the last time I’ll be on board an aircraft carrier. I get melancholic just talking about it.
To err is human. Therefore, bloopers are inevitable and they’re loads of fun. We all thrive with topics like these. And with schadenfreude, other people’s mistakes become such delectable fare for people on the lookout. Enjoy! A little caveat though, we take all entries with a grain of salt, especially regarding celebs, because these were just sent in, therefore, we’re not really sure if they said it, or if they said it that way.
December 18, 2008 → The Top Ten Bloopers – Astroboy
No name/Richard – During a game show. Host: “Pagkain na mabaho.” Tessa Prieto: “Tae!”
No name/Elec – Weakest Link. Edu: “Ano mas malaki, itlog ng ibon o sanggol na tao?” Contestant: “Itlog ng tao!”
Knightwing/Jorik – Me, at a drive-thru: “Miss puwede takeout?”
Jo – Starlet promoting her new movie: “Showing na po and pelikula namin on the twenty-twoth of May!” (May 22)
Zeni – Lady offering to switch chicken parts with a priest who got the neck part: “Father, you want my breast?”
Racer – At a call center. HR: “Walk-in?” Applicant: “No, commute.”
Taurean Tiger/Specialist – Secretary on the phone: “Mr. Manalo is out of town eh, would you like to wait?”
Paul – Pinay with foreigner in a resto: “(burps) Wow, I’m fed up already!”
Astroboy – Host: “Ano ang kasunod ng kidlat?” Contestant: “Sunog!”
Astroboy – Host: “Ano ang inaayos sa hangar?” Contestant: “Yung sira!”
No name – My sister in a fancy resto: “Ang lamb chops ba gawa sa GOAT?”
His Cuteness – Mom on the phone with her daughter. Mom: “O anak, nasaan ka na?” Daughetr: “Sa ospital po.” Mom: “(panics) ANO?!? Diyos ko anak, ano nangyari?” Daughter: “Nay, nurse po ako.”
Specialist – Friend ordering at a burger joint: “Miss, isang burger with cheese, at isang meron.”
Frederique – Ordering at a dimsum resto: “Miss, isa ngang siomao, este, siopai! Sige, mami na lang…”
No name – Officemate buying snacks: “Bayad, etong neneng ko.”
Calypso – Friend talking on his cellphone: “Hello? HELLO?!? Ano ba to, call o text?”
No name – Game Ka Na Ba. Kris: “Ano ang tawag sa daliri sa paa?” Angelica Jones: “Fingerlings!”
AJ – Friend: “Ang favorite kong band, yung Spongebob Cola!”
Strike – I work at a hospital. One day, a man barged into the ER with a huge wound slashed across his neck, with blood spurting all over! One nurse approached him and calmly asked: “Ano po ang problema?”
Shy Guy 79 – Friend ordering: “Miss isang breast, puwede yung kaliwa?”
Ayti-Eyti/Specialist/Rodel – At a beauty pageant. Host: “What part of the Philippines would you promote to foreigner?” Girl: “Bocaue.” Host: “Why?” Girl: “Because of the Bocaue Rice Terraces.”
Abby – At a fastfood. Me: “Miss, isa ngang fork.” Countergirl: “Ano fong klaseng fork. emfanada?”
As always, through the gracious invitation of the U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney, we were given the opportunity to tour and do live feeds from the U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington (CVN-73). It was a once in a lifetime experience since the last time an aircraft carrier was in the Philippines was 13 years ago, in 1996. Plus, the visits are always by invitation, because they don’t do open houses, not even in the U.S. So by the time we got to the Mall Of Asia, we were stoked. We got on board a ferry that will bring us 5 miles off shore to where the carrier is. It’s far enough that you can’t even see it’s outline from the MOA. We were entrusted to the media officer, Tanner Lang, who served as our guide until we got to the USS GW.
He was very gracious, even debuting his acting skills on a TV morning show, bantering with a puppet. He said he was more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. He was very willing to answer whatever question we had, trying to entertain us and crews from both ABS-CBN and GMA. Then after a 30-minute ride, we were told to take a peek outside because we were approaching the star of the show.
I had goosebumps, really, seeing it even from afar. It was like seeing a Hollywood celebrity. I only get to see this on TV or in the movies. It’s not my first encounter with aircraft carriers. My uncle was in the U.S. navy, and one time when we were in Subic (when it was still a base), the USS Kitty Hawk was also open to the families of the U.S. military. But I was so young then. This was different. Plus, we were given access to areas few civilians have had the privilege to visit.
The ferry docked by a floating barge near the butt end of the carrier. It was much bigger than any of us had imagined! We weren’t prepared for the sheer size of that thing! It was like a floating building. When on board, it felt so stable that you wouldn’t even know you were afloat; no rocking whatsoever. Our first stop was the hangar.
This is where they usually house the planes. But for that day, most of them were on the flight deck. The three teams broke up into smaller units, with the TV stations going their own ways filming in separate areas, while we were assigned to a Public Affairs Officer, KC Marshall, who kindly volunteered to take us under his wing and tour us around. We wanted to interview him, but he said he wanted us to talk to someone who really had hands-on experience with the ship. So he said we’d try to find a pilot up on the flight deck.
No fancy staircases on the carrier, this is how most of the stairs looked like on the ship. No wonder they advised us in the invites to wear comfortable shoes. We climbed quite a few of these stairs to get to the flight deck. And when we got there, it took our breaths away.
The word for it was VAST. It was just so big! I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that we were basically just on a really big boat. It felt more like a city. And to walk from the bow to the other end is quite a workout! KC managed to find us an actual pilot to interview. He was a pilot for one of the many F-18 Hornets on board the ship. His name was James Houghton or “Mud”. Here’s Mud with KC.
The interview turned out great, mainly because Mud was a natural on radio! The guy’s got jokes! He was having fun and it sounded it. He answered most of our questions, but was mum on some, I guess secret info, like if there were submarines accompanying the carrier. But we had a blast talking to him over Monster Radio RX 93.1. Turns out there could be as many as 110 planes on board, roughly 5,000 crew, and as much as 30 planes in the air at a time. Even off-air, the amount of stuff we learned from them made our head spin. Fascinating.
Mud took us on an extensive tour, even showing us the catshot, which is the thingamabob that catapults the planes from the ship. There are four of those on the flight deck, and apparently, the runway just isn’t long enough, so without the catshot, the plane would simply drop into the sea. I swear, I only got to see these things on Top Gun and Final Countdown. And of course, the planes! As far as I know, there were only four types on board. The F-18 Hornet:
Wanna see how a Hornet looks like head-on?
And a view from behind:
There’s also the EA-6B Prowler, which jams the enemy radar:
The Sea Hawk, which is the Navy version of the Black Hawk:
And the E-2 Hawkeye, which acts as the “eyes of the fleet”:
Eventually it was time to leave the flight deck and proceed to the bridge. I swear, everything on this boat was BIG:
When we got to the bridge, everything felt so important. This is where the brains of the operations sit. This is where the Captain Kirks and Sulus and Chekhovs “drive” the ship.
We got to interview Quarter Master First Class Salazar, who makes sure he knows exactly where they are. He makes sure they’re not drifting. He also gave us tidbits like it takes 15 minutes for an aircraft carrier to make a complete u-turn. There were so many gizmos and doodads on the bridge that surprisingly look quite old school, like something you’d find in Captain Nemo’s Nautilus:
Here’s a great view of the flight deck from the bridge:
By the time we were done with the bridge, we were also completely pooped. We realized we’ve been standing and walking for almost 6 hours straight! After saying our goodbyes, we boarded the ferry again, back to MOA, and it felt like we just visited an otherworldly existence, far removed from our own. We got sad and nostalgic, not even 10 minutes off the boat! Again, we could never thank enough the people responsible for the experience. Of course the U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney, for always remembering to invite us to their events, Agnes Caballa of the U.S. Embassy, for always suggesting us to the ambassador and always taking care of us during their events, and of course our hosts for the day, Tanner Lang, James “Mud” Houghton, and our guide throughout the whole time, KC Marshall. (With KC and Agnes):
Of course, this is just Day 1. The next day, we were also invited to attend the dinner party hosted by Ambassador Kenney, also on board the USS George Washington. (To be continued…)
