Tuesday, November 11, 2008

They always look good in uniform

the drill

THE DRILL. PMA is the training school for future officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

the salute

THE SALUTE. There's a rule of thumb for the salute and the "good morning" greeting. But I got the greeting every time they passed me by, which made me smile at all times.


a lady cadet

A LADY IN UNIFORM. She looks pretty even with the short hair.

I was traversing through the manicured ground of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) while enjoying the thick fog that was coming my way. The fog touched my face and felt the cool breeze. I stopped walking and suddenly found myself lost in the middle of oblivion.

While I was enjoying a fleeting moment of my solitude, my other two companions were exploring the area. My boss opted to stay in the car. She is a resident of Baguio City, after all.

I scouted the place for some photographic moments. I went to the Lopez Hall of Leaders, quite a new building that would probably attract any visitor because of the beautiful landscape. While taking photos of the flowers, a group of men and women came out of their classrooms, marching their way towards my direction. They look awesome in uniforms. And even with a military cap and a very short hair, I spotted a few female cadets marching with the men. Biologically speaking, there’s still quite a clear delineation of how a woman and a man marches. Nonetheless, they all look smart in their uniforms.

Although PMA was established in 1905, it was only in 1993 that it started accepting women in the Academy.

Located at Fort Gegorio del Pilar on Loakan Road, PMA is a favorite spot among tourists who visit the City of Pine. It has a museum, an exhibit of vintage tanks and other historical military weapons on the ground.

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[postscript]

some random thoughts...

...Oki and I met a long-time friend at starbucks. Oki had to leave early though. It was just me and the friend. we talked about her life and got surprised of how opened she was about it. somehow, without her realizing it, i got (so) enlightened by her experiences that i was left asking her all the time. asking like an innocent child. it occurred to me that most of my 'serious' conversations (often) happen either over a cup of coffee or a (tower) of beer. cheez.

...i wanted to start reading books again. but every time i pick a new title, it always ends up beside my bed (or under my pillow). it takes me at least a month or two before i finish one. sad.

...my chance of getting an MA degree this year is getting (more) hopeless (than ever). this morning, i had to cancel a subject because of a misunderstanding (or stupidity?). will there ever be a cure for stupidity? i told a colleague that i will try to finish my thesis this semester (or at least a draft of my manuscript). he smiled. i took it as a sign of sarcasm (which i always do). i never finish anything.

...i am liking the ellipses. you know the dot, dot, dot...not-finishing-a-sentence-kinda-thing.

...i invited this someone for coffee and what do i get as a reply? "i will send you a memo." is there any subtle word for "crushed"???

...i love Wong Kar Wai's latest flick, My Blueberry Nights, so much so that i wanted to watch it again and again.

6 comments:

Sidney said...

...and obviously you also like men in uniform...

Nice pictures...

Anonymous said...

Love the photos. Hehe.

Off topic; I love My Blueberry Nights too! It was very refreshing - in a way for me.

escape said...

one thing i noticed here. despite the busyness and the worries you still offered a special time to a friend. thats really really good.

as usual really good shots of the PMA students.

Photo Cache said...

the cadets look so young. i wish you captured the fog too, am a fog lover, so much that i begged my mom to attend college in baguio. she said no way.

my gulch said...

Sidney:
am i that obvious? seems like it. it's funny watching them do the march though. same outfit, same bag, same sway of hands, same walk and in number--it's all robotic to me except when they meet other people and some would smile.

kyels:
oh you do? good heavens, glad to know i am not the only one. it's a mix feeling for me. all sorts of emotion, mostly melancholic. good characterization has always been a major strength in every Wong Kar Wai film. i can't help dipping my finger on it everytime i watch it. the best line for me is the analogy of the 'unfinished blueberry pie' and the 'keys inside the jar'.

Dom:
thanks. i am sure you would do the same. talking to the people you care about is somewhat a relief from a very boring routine.

photo cache:
i do have the shots of the fog. will try to post it somehow. i love the fog too. the last time i have them was when i was climbing the top of Mount Kinabalu.

pieterbie said...

Funny that you should post this, there is a reality tv series running here about the Royal Cadet School in Belgium.
Nice shots of the trainee officers!

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