Blogs from Jupiter

My last overseas business trip was so far the worst in terms of work but it had its saving graces.

A few months ago, our media relations officer and I were sent to Durban, South Africa for an international exhibition-conference. We were particularly in charge of setting up our company’s exhibition and in manning the booth, coverage of the event for our publications, and in assisting our big bosses who were delegates to the event. The head of our Madagascar operations was a speaker in the conference.

A week before the actual event, we sent through courier information materials, which we would distribute during the exhibition. These materials were sent in advance because of the bulk. To cut the long story short, our shipment was put on hold by customs in the capital Johannesburg, which is quite far away from the place we were in. We were expecting the shipment to be in our hotel before our arrival.

We were harassing people of the courier company in Manila, and their offices in Durban and Johannesburg. And we were harassed ourselves as we were panicking— an exhibition would not be complete without brochures and other information materials and most importantly, the giveaways. Our media relations officer, who arranged for the shipment, was so worried for his job. We thought of plans a, b and c just in case customs had no plans of releasing our shipment. We pressured the courier to move heaven and earth just to release our cargo.

Of course, I also asked my angels (Archangel Gabriel in particular) to take charge of the situation While we were going around and about Durban (trying to figure out how to go about the situation), we stumbled upon Durban’s central park (I think), and there she was, Angel Peace, a monument erected in her honor. I asked Peace to give me peace by peacefully turning over to us our shipment the following morning, the opening of the conference. I could feel her grinning as if she was giggling on our panicked stricken selves. We were really down and ugly since the day we arrived in South Africa.

We received good news that very night, while we were working on plan a and b. We would receive our shipment first thing in the morning, a few minutes before the actual opening starts. We were able to arrange the stuffs in our booth, though everyone saw us working double and triple time in packing the brochures, CDs and newsletters in the carton envelopes. The exhibition went well, and our booth was one of the most visited exhibits in the conference.

Like any port city in the world, Durban has its dark alley side. New York has the Bronx and Queens and here in Manila, we have Tondo. In Durban, they have patches of gangster areas. We experienced it first hand when we bought groceries in a 24-hour convenience store at Victoria Embankment around midnight.

We had our cab wait for us outside the store. When we went back, a group of youngsters were outside waiting for us. They requested if they could hitch a ride with us. Fearing impending danger, we told them to just take the cab. I told the cab driver to return to the store as soon as he’s done bringing them to their destination (which was actually just a few blocks away). We went back inside the convenience store where it was safe. I was calling our hotel’s concierge for hotel transport. But there was something wrong with the one who answered:

“Good morning, this is the !@#$%^&*( Hotel and this is @#$% speaking. How may I help you?”

“My name is Jupiter Kalambakal and I am your guest at Room 208. I am here at $%^&*#$@ Store at Victoria Embankment. Can I request for hotel transport to fetch me here?”

“Oh yes Mr. Kalambakal. Your flight to Johannesburg is at 1:30 in the afternoon tomorrow. Airport transport will fetch you at around lunch time.”

“(Huh?!) Yes I know that. But I am at Victoria Embankment and I need hotel transport to fetch me now.”

“Yes Mr. Kalambakal, transport service will be here at 12 o’clock. We will call your room as soon transport service arrives.”

“What I mean is I need a cab now to bring me to the hotel.”

“Yes Sir. A cab will fetch you at the hotel tomorrow to bring you to the airport.”

(AAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!) It was no use talking to him! Good thing the cab went back (of course he’ll come back. We need to pay him).

The weather in Durban at that time was cool— Baguio cool, a welcome break from the hot weather we have here in Manila. I love it when it’s cold, not biting cold, but cool and chilly. We had the chance to go around the nice places in Durban, and its other side. I was able to meet a handful of new good friends who was eager to befriend an Asian. They were not sure if I was Japanese or Chinese but Filipino does not register well with them. I have to remind them that a country called the Philippines exists and that we have buildings and malls all over, and the nice beaches and golf courses.

This guy Sam accompanied me around the commercial district of Durban and in other areas looking for a photocopying shop. He went to the extent of bringing me to obscure places just to get the cheapest price for photocopying stuff. He showed the not so touristy areas of Durban.

Then there’s this exhibition visitor, Alwyn, who I enjoyed talking with. He’s a conference organizer and he was benchmarking with the conference we were attending. He was going around the conference trying to look for fresh ideas. I loved the exchange of ideas, him being an African, and me being an Asian. We belong to the same type of work, and it was interesting to know how they practice the public relations profession in Africa, and a whole lot of caboodle. I learned from Alwyn that there are three races in South Africa; the obvious ones of course are the whites and blacks, and the other one are the people of color, like in Alwyn’s case: he’s mix Indian and bushman.

During the conference, I had a student following, journalism students who would always visit us in our booth. When I bump into them, they would always ask me questions on the media situation in the Philippines and the country itself. And I happily answered their queries. I told them that I was a former journalist who crossed over to public relations. I told them about our democracy, and how we fought for it. How vibrant our democracy is: our English language papers, our TV network wars, etcetera. I told them how Nelson Mandela and Cory Aquino are similar to each other. How South Africans fought apartheid and how Filipinos fought a dictatorship. It was beautiful!

And of course, I impressed them that I know and read Nadine Gordimer of South Africa and Chinua Achebe of Nigeria. I understood Africa very well because Gordimer and Achebe are among my favorite writers. I told them that if they want to know the Philippines some more, they should read Francisco Sionil Jose, and if they’re brave enough, Jessica Hagedorn.

Our last day in South Africa was spent in Stanton. I thought Stanton was part of Johannesburg. I later found out that it’s the nearest city to the airport. Stanton is one uppity place. It’s a bigger version of Ayala Alabang. We were recommended to go to the Moyo Restaurant in Melrose Arch for us to try modern South African cuisine and African reggae music. It was one cool place; great place to chill.