MORE BUS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Ain't it always the case? Just as you're about to complete a set, they go about changing the whole darn collection.

But, hey, who's complaining? Not when it's the Embassy's "Friends" that are doing the changin', and the new toys being rolled-out are the "It's More Fun in the Philippines" vehicles!!! 

  Decepticons the universe over just went "awwwwwwww"

Yebba!  We got seventy-frickin'-five of these bad boys now roaming the streets of London, not to mention 75 ad panels in Tube stations and over a 1,000 digital screens on taxis. Plus the older collector's items are still around!

So what you got, Warsaw PE, watchu got!?

(hehe, that's not really fair since we have a Tourism office on site in London and Warsaw doesn't.  I'm just so pumped!!!) 

The whole point of course of tricking out cabs and buses is for them to be seen and admired by as many people as possible, hence a spin around London was also arranged on the day of the launch.  An empty vehicle motorcade, however, might convey less "Fun" and more "Creepy", so we went about packing our wheels with some random fun-seeking passengers looking for a ride.

What?! They all happened to be dressed in Filipiniana?!  What a coincidence!!! 

As my ati-atihan outfit was still in the dry cleaners, I was not adequately attired to board the bus.  I was, however, able to take a short video of the (literal) rollout, which included the following highlights: 

• (0:07) I confuse our new catchy tourism jingle with our old catchy tourism jingle 
• (0:37) That's got to be the best piped-in music on a bus, ever 
• (1:20) Hunh. Sakay-baba ng pasehero sa gitna ng daan 
• (1:50) After nearly being sideswiped by the bus driver, I find comfort  in the taxi driver asking "You alright?", until I realize he was talking to the bus driver 
• (2:45) the hired Philippine bus makes singit in traffic...in front of  a random regular Philippine bus! Um, yeah, just like we planned it!

With apologies to the MMDA for the possible "swerving" 

Fun times indeed.  I was actually able to walk alongside the motorcade further down the street and all around Trafalgar Square, stopping only once I came across that nagging Olympic clock.  That was my cue to turn around and head back to work.  The new "More Fun" rides are great and all, but lest this office concierge forget, they were consciously launched in time for the impending London Games and the throngs coming over to watch them.      

Dammit Chloe, they're all on the wrong side of the road!!!

MY BEAUTIFUL DORK TWISTED FANTASY

The Olympic clock right outside the Embassy keeps ticking away, constantly nagging this office concierge that the games are just around the corner (dammit, Chloe!) -- yet I still don't know who will be coming over from the Philippines. Turns out the qualification competitions practically go all the way up the opening ceremonies, so I really can't tell how many athletes, coaches and officials will be arriving right until the last minute.

Ah, if only Olympic qualification was as simple as fantasy basketball: quantifiable, over by mid-April, disputes settled by profanity laced message boards, and above all......a Filipino lawyer/diplomat FTW!!!!!!!

I'm torn between getting Jessica Sanchez to sing the national anthem at my awarding ceremony, or hiring Spandau Ballet to yell "You. Are. Gold!" 

But what, you ask, of MetroManilaBalls, that 10 year-old FSO-laden league of which I am Sovereign? Fare thee well?  I can proudly say that this year I made deft use of all my fantasy commissioner powers -- entering into fantasy CBA negotiations, settling a fantasy players strike, signing a new fantasy TV deal -- and finished the league a fantastic...um, fourth.

Again.  Kinda makes me the fantasy Fulham.

Let us not, however, lose sight of what is truly important:  I destroyed the LLDD-Hyphen-L. That's right, for the second year running, I finished better than the better half.  No more holding your 2009 championship over me, sweetie!  

(OK, you gave birth and took care of the LLDD-baby the whole season. Still.)

adorable, but the only rose you should have been spending time on was derrick. ha!