Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: A European Diary, Part One

On my most recent trip to Europe, I kept a journal, and tried to write about the experience as much as I could. It was tough, as anyone traveling through the Old World and faced with spectacle after spectacle would tell you, but here it is, in all its gushing, perhaps slightly incomprehensible glory.

First picture in Rome: ruins of an old Fort in Tiburtina, near the Termini (main train station)

8:21 AM

20 November 2015

On the train from Rome to Florence

The old Japanese couple I sat next to on the plane from Tokyo to Rome was sweet. They kept bowing to me apologetically every time they requested to stand up to go to the bathroom. I really didn’t mind, although I would’ve much preferred it if I had the window seat instead. It’s not for the views so much as for the feeling of being comfortable and safe within a small, confined space. I’m weird like that.

The flight itself was uneventful. It was my first time flying Alitalia. I saw 500 Days of Summer, Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, and about a quarter of Spy with Melissa McCarthy. I had to pause it because I was too sleepy. Also I didn’t find it that particularly entertaining.

Next stop: Rome

I got to Rome soon enough. It wasn’t as cold as I expected. Outside the main train station (Termini), I got stopped by the police. Heightened security measures, I guess. I wasn’t really troubled, although I had to wonder what I would have done had I been trying to catch a train or a flight. Would they have reimbursed me if I were late?

The hotel was charming and clean. The old guy at the reception was friendly, but he forgot to give me the key when he showed me up to my room. He also served me pastries and my first cup of authentic Italian cappuccino on this trip.

Hotel San Lorenzo, where I spent my first night in Rome

Now I’m on the train to Firenze, sitting across from this guy from Cyprus. Nice enough. Not exactly the Before Sunrise fantasy, but an unexpected seatmate I can actually talk to is always welcome.

With Alex from Cyprus

Outside, it’s chilly enough for coats and scarves, but not quite cold enough to skin the leaves off of all the trees. The fields are brown and green, as if they haven’t quite made up their mind what color to put out for spectators gazing out of train windows, like me.

Smoke rising out from houses mingle and fuse with the slight mist blanketing the landscape. Outside a town called Camucia, a hill hosts houses with alternating colors of flesh and brick. I think it’s pretty, but then, I’m not quite used to sceneries like this where I’m from. Is it still beautiful to people who live here? Does beauty mean the same thing to people constanty exposed to it?

View of a town somewhere in Italy from the train

2:51 PM

20 November 2015

Galleria Del’Accademia, Florence

I’m sitting on a wooden bench inside the Galleria del’Accademia in Florence, on one end of a long and narrow hallway. On the other side is Michelangelo’s statue of David, arguably the most recognizable sculpture in all of human history. What’s so special about it, one might wonder. I keep thinking back to when I was a kid and I played with Play-Doh. I could barely make anything out of it apart from mutant worms and stick human figures. And here I am gazing at an eight-foot statue of what has come to be known as the perfect example of male beauty.

There's David

I’ll leave the artistic analysis to the scholars, but there’s something to be said about fashioning man out of a solid block of marble: the curls of his hair, the chiseled features of his chest and abdomen, the veins straining out of his arms, and the muscled, powerful legs. Michelangelo played god when he carved David, and, save for the actual breath of life, I daresay he succeeded.

How the hell did Michelangelo do it?!

Peeping Tom

 The rest of Florence isn't bad to look at either.

Firenze Duomo

It's been here since the 15th century

The original David used to entertain his admirers here, but he had to be moved indoors. A replica now stands in its place

Ponte Vecchio in the afternoon

Thirsty?

An ubiquitous presence. David, again, dominates Piazza Michelangelo, which overlooks the city

Early evening in Firenze

I can't imagine living in a city with this much beauty. I think I'll go mad.

To be continued...

I'm Obsessed With Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Image from HBOBinge.com

 It’s ridiculous how obsessed I’ve become about HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. In just a couple of weeks, I’ve gone from seeing just one short clip of his show several months ago, to watching virtually all of the uploads on his official YouTube channel, some of them multiple times. It’s gotten so bad (or so good) that during one whole (long) weekend, I did little else but eat, sleep and watch his show.

Of course I know I’m way tardy on the John Oliver bandwagon. I’m like that guy at a party who brings up a hot new band and insists everybody listen to them, only to have everyone else say, “Tagal na kaya nila,” and then add a variation of “I like their older stuff better” for good measure. But here I am now staying up way past my bedtime writing a blog entry about how I can't get enough of an American TV show. I’m hoping people give me a pass.

The first full John Oliver clip I watched was the one about government surveillance, with a sit-down interview with Edward Snowden. I had to see it as I’ve been following the whole Snowden saga since he flew from Hong Kong to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport over two years ago. It had all the elements of a juicy but fictional spy novel, but there it was unraveling in real life, and live on TV and social media. I found it intriguing that a relatively unknown TV host (unknown at least to me) would fly all the way to the Russian capital to get the chance to meet and interview such a divisive personality.

                                                                              John Oliver tackles tobacco 

The interview itself was insightful, provocative, and, above all, funny. For the first time, somebody dared to inject humor in a ridiculously complicated issue, and in the process, strip it down to make it as understandable and relevant as possible to the man on the street.

I didn’t revisit Oliver again until a few months later, when Jon Stewart stepped down from his show. I appreciated Stewart’s high-brow humor (high-brow in this case is relative, but compare his show to comedy in the Philippines and the level of sophistication might even reach stratospheric heights), but I don’t think I can call myself a diehard fan. Oliver was at the farewell show, paying tribute to his mentor, and that’s when it hit me. Of course. Where else would the geeky British guy with a penchant for checkered shirts come from than the satirical news show that started it all? I clicked on one of those suggested videos on the right of the screen on YouTube, then another, and then another. Before I knew it several days had passed and almost all the thumbnails on the Last Show Tonight channel had a grey film over them with the word “Watched.”

But what exactly makes Last Week Tonight so compelling? I mean, it’s just a guy at a desk talking directly to the camera. Granted he had a British accent, but it’s not like he’s the only one. For one thing, the show is clear about what it is. Oliver has never claimed to be anything other than a comedian, whose show just happens to straddle the line between hardcore news and a stand-up routine with visual aids. Much has been said about how much Oliver has so deeply assumed the role of a hardhitting journalist tackling serious issues like the death penalty, transgender rights, and nuclear weapons, but in interviews, the host has been adamant in saying that, as a comedian, his main job is to entertain people. This, I think, is important because it immediately dismisses any pretensions that the show sees itself as a traditional investigative news program. Last Week Tonight is a comedy show whose material just happens to be the stuff we see on the nightly news.

The show's episode about FIFA and the World Cup has 11 million views and counting

Criticisms that it’s nothing but a derivative of The Daily Show are unfounded. You can tell, of course, that it takes much of the elements that made Stewart’s old show great, but in the year or so that it has been on air, Last Week Tonight has firmly established itself as its own entity. The writing is incredibly sharp. I particularly enjoy the analogies and metaphors they use either to explain tricky concepts or simply to get a laugh out of audiences. Consider these gems:

In a story about tobacco:

“It’s an aging product that’s decreasing in popularity and yet somehow, it just can’t stop making money. It’s basically the agricultural equivalent of U2.”

In a story about the NCAA

“Paying college athletes with a top-level education is like asking a full-time nurse to take trumpet lessons. There’s no salary for this job, we’re just gonna give you trumpet lessons which you’ll be too busy to do, but if you don’t learn to play the trumpet, you’re fired.”

In a story about marketing to doctors:

“Drug companies are like high school boyfriends. They’re more concerned about getting inside you than being effective once they’re in there.”

                                      One of my favorite episodes is his takedown of the evil that is televangelists

The script is funny, sure, but equally impressive is the amount of research that goes into each episode. Oliver is basically in a one-sided conversation with his audience, but you can be sure every claim, every study, every statistic that comes out of his mouth is backed up by solid research. The comedy writers may concoct the sugar that helps make the medicine go down, but the medicine itself is crafted by the show’s research team, who are so good that they would make any traditional news agency proud.

Television is supposed to inform just as much as it should entertain, but I don’t think anybody would argue that, over the last few decades, it has become more of a vehicle for escape than a tool to increase knowledge. Although some would argue that it is still, first and foremost, a comedy show (including, most passionately, Oliver himself), Last Week Tonight With John Oliver is perhaps the most concrete example of a TV show that does not turn its back on its obligation to make us think even as it does its best to make us laugh. And I, for one, cannot get enough.

Hamburg: The Gate To The World

They say you never forget your first. That's certainly true with Hamburg, the first city I ever visited in Europe. It'll always have a special place in my heart. I lived there for a month back in 2009 and have gone back three more times since. This is a slightly altered version of a story that first appeared in the November 2009 issue of Lifestyle Asia magazine.  

Written and photographed By Paul John Caña

Additional photos by Pedi Dela Cruz

Oh Hamburg

Three rivers flow through Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest state: the Alster, the Bille and the Elbe, while the North Sea borders it on the west. There are over 2500 bridges here—more than Venice and Amsterdam combined. 

The natural harbor in the center of this progressive and prosperous city serves as a busy port, the second biggest in Europe after Rotterdam, with ships coming in to pick-up and unload cargo from all over the world. There's lots to see and do in Hamburg, a truly international city worthy of a visit for anyone making their way through Germany.

A closer look at Hamburg's Rathaus

A stop at the Rathaus (or Town Hall) can serve as a jump off point in exploring the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (the name is a reference to its membership in the Hanseatic League, a European trade monopoly during medieval times). Constructed from 1886 to 1897 the magnificent neo-Renaissance façade of the city’s seat of government is best admired from the Rathausmarkt or plaza in front of it. 

In a small tributary of the River Alster flowing adjacent to the square, graceful swans, playful mallards and other water birds compete for morsels from delighted spectators. A late afternoon stroll through the charming Altstadt district, with its high-end shopping boutiques and quaint side streets, is warm-up for a night-out in Hamburg’s world-famous Reeperbahn in Sankt Pauli.

A resident of the Binnenalster

Water fowls compete for morsels of bread from amused residents and tourists

First garnering attention as a notorious red-light district, Reeperbahn is slowly undergoing transformation through a gentrification process. Existing side-by-side with erotic attractions are museums, theaters, shopping areas and restaurants. 

Reeperbahn

Steel silhouettes of the Fab Four

A museum dedicated to the musical group The Beatles used to stand near Grosse Freiheit, but was closed back in 2012. Diehard fans know that it was in Hamburg, specifically the bars and clubs in Reeperbahn, where the legendary band first built a cult following before exploding into the consciousness of pop music fans everywhere. John Lennon famously said: “I was born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg.”

Me with the Fab Four

Sankt Pauli is where the party's at

In March, August and November of each year, Hamburg plays host to an enormous fair called Dom. Not ten minutes by foot from all the madness in Reeperbahn, the young and young-at-heart will delight in amusement park rides, various food stalls and confections and a general air of pomp and festivity.

Rollercoaster at Hamburg's Dom

Der Fluss, a sculpture by Aristide Maillol 

Once nicknamed the “Gate To The World,” Hamburg served as the port upon which millions of Europeans left for the New World in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Today, tourists flock to Landungsbrücken to take in the sight of large tankers and smaller ferries scurrying about in the harbor, breathe in fresh ocean air and listen to the squawks of sea birds harmonizing with ships slicing their way through the water. 

No visit to Hamburg is complete without a boat trip, and many tourists might opt to take the ferry from here all the way to Finkenwerder and back.

Landungsbrücken at night

Bicycle riders in one of the city's tunnels

On the outskirts of the city, history buffs will appreciate a tour of the old concentration camp at Neuengamme. Used by the Nazis during World War II, the camp held over 100,000 prisoners from 1938 until the end of the war in 1945. Of this number, 55,000 perished. 

A museum houses a list of the known victims. Outside on a small grassy field, a monument stands tall next to a humanlike figure twisted in an odd angle lying on the ground, a symbol of the suffering and death that happened within the walls of the camp. It is a sad and difficult visit, but one that anyone needs to make in any attempt to understand one of the darkest chapters in human history.

"Your pain, your suffering, and your death shall not be in vain."

"Der sterbende Häftling“ (The dying prisoner) by Françoise Salmon 

Hamburg natives, or Hamburgers, will talk openly about Germany’s past, but this does not mean they are dour and irritable. On the contrary, most Hamburgers are pleasant and proud of their city. Tour guides will nonchalantly state the fact that there are more millionaires in Hamburg than any other German city (although I checked and it seems Hamburg ranks only third behind Frankfurt and Munich for most multi-millionaire residents). 

Forgot where this was, but it looks nice

Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station)

Altona train station

Pedi was nice enough to come visit from Spain while I was there

Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the charming suburb of Blankenese. Nestled on a gently sloping plain along the River Elbe, Blankenese was once a fishing village and is now one of the most affluent and picturesque communities in the city. 

The Elsa Brandström Haus in Blankenese was where I lived for a month in Hamburg

There is an amazing view of the Elbe from the house 

There are stately manors and sprawling mansions on either side of the street when you go on a casual drive. You can also get a feel of local life by enjoying a kaffee at the plaza outside the Bahnhof (train station). On summer weekends, Hamburgers will make the trip down to the river and set-up picnics by the riverbank while soaking in the rays. With a cold bottle of authentic German bier in hand, it’s not a bad way to spend the day in this corner of Europe.

I'm assuming these are residents taking advantage of the summer sun

Hamburg is where I first had a taste of Beck's which has since become one of my favorite beers (it's from Bremen though, not Hamburg)

The seal of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

'Champagne Supernova' Dreams

Some of the concert reviews I've done over the years are no longer online, so I am reposting them here. This one--Oasis live in Singapore--is certainly one of the most memorable, especially since the band broke up a few weeks later. I also got to meet and interview Liam Gallagher before the show, which still sounds unreal even to me, today, six years later.

Oasis

Singapore Indoor Stadium

Singapore

5 April 2009

There were no hosts that went up onstage to welcome everybody to Oasis' big concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last week. No spiels inviting everyone to watch any new TV shows, no expressions of gratitude to corporate sponsors and no advertisements flashing on the giant screens prior to the show. When the band casually strode up the stage, there was just endless screaming – deafening and contagious – and a simultaneous rush by the audience to get closer to the stage.

Me interviewing Liam Gallagher

I was with a couple of friends with floor tickets to the show. We flew in a few days early to see the sights around the city-state, and also came to the venue bright and early for my interview with frontman Liam Gallagher (see main story). We managed to plant ourselves just a few rows away from the stage, close enough to actually see Liam, brother Noel and the rest of the band. When the lights came down and the first few strains of “F***in' In The Bushes” came on, there was complete and utter chaos. We were shoved around like life-sized rag dolls, elbowed and kicked by audiences hungry for Oasis and not being completely satisfied by the fact that they were right there onstage.

The airconditioning was working, as far as I could tell, but in just a few minutes, we were sweat-soaked and burning. But we didn't care. One of the biggest bands in the world were right up there just a few feet away from us, and, over the opening song, “Rock N' Roll Star,” it was insanely exciting to realize that we were experiencing a concert experience like no other.

The band played a mix of old and new songs, and the setlist is one that they've been using for most of the current “Dig Out Your Soul” tour. Earlier during my interview, Liam mentioned that it was Noel “who sorts out” the setlist. “We got some new ones definitely but certain songs are gonna get left out, which is a shame. People are always going to be disappointed that we don't play this or that song, and I know where [they're] coming from.”

Oasis!

While I was a bit bummed that they didn't do personal favorites like “She's Electric” and “Some Might Say,” the show overall was pretty solid and nothing to get cranky about.

Liam rarely ever conversed with the audience; he just stood there and looked all hip and glamorous, but he engaged his followers nonetheless with his trademark singing pose (arms behind his back, slightly bent forward looking up at the microphone pointed downward) and, in between songs and during solo instrumentation, striking a more rock-star pose: standing straight up, face serious, eyes fixed on a point far away, while hundreds, even thousands of digital cameras snapped away.

They were promoting their new album, Dig Out Your Soul, which sees them trying out a  much bigger, more lush sound than their previous efforts. On the newer songs, few in the audience could mouth the words along with Liam and Noel (big brother did vocal duties on a couple of numbers), but on old favorites, like “Shakermaker,” “Slide Away,” and the classic “Wonderwall,” it was easy to get swept away in the moment and just sing along with the band.

Liam was as cocky as you'd expect him to be

From where I was standing, I could see dozens of cameraphones twinkling like little digital fireflies, capturing the moments forever (or until they could upload it on YouTube or their own personal websites). I've always found it particularly strange that peole would much rather spend time during concerts focusing on getting a decent shot on their phones than just enjoying the moment clearly, without distractions and interruptions. But I suppose “living the moment” means different things to different people.

During the encore, Liam disappeared and it was up to Noel to sing one of the band's signature hits, “Don't Look Back In Anger.” I couldnt help but get all sentimental, it was a song I've listened to and sung countless times before: in the shower, while dressing up for school or work, in the car during rush hour traffic, in my old walkman and now, iPod. And there I was listening to it live. It was just too surreal. 

Has to be one of the best concert experiences in my life, ever

On “Champagne Supernova,” there was just a palpable sense of kinship and camaraderie amongst all the fans of Oasis that I felt like hugging everyone there, even the obnoxious guy behind us who kept banging himself to us as if we were willing participants of a mosh pit. And on the explosive finale, their cover of the Beatles classic “I Am the Walrus,” we knew we've reached the end of one gigantic head trip. My legs were rubbery and my voice was hoarse, and we had yet to put some sustenance into our growling stomachs, but it was all worth it. After all these years, Oasis have proven that they can still rock it, and I'm just over the moon that I was there to experience it.