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I dropped by the shop of the Soup Nazi of Seinfeld fame — Soup Kitchen International at 259-A W. 55th Street, expecting to see a long line of people waiting to for their chance to order soup. Unfortunately, the soup shop was closed when I got there.

Could this be one of the largest of Microsoft’s infamous Blue Screen(s) of Death? Found this on the Port Authority Bus Terminal building, amid the bright neon signs in the Times Square area . Larger version.

Just a quick note — after spending a week in New York City, I moved into the SUNY-Stony Brook campus — the Chapin Apartments, specifically — after lunch today. I’ll still be attending a series of orientations within the next two weeks. Come August 30, I will be a student once again — this time, pursuing graduate studies in physics.

I had my interview for my F-1 visa application this morning. I arrived at the embassy before 6 AM for a 7:30 AM appointment. Lots of non-immigrant and seaman visa applicants were already in line.

I got to the visa interview waiting area at around 6:40 AM. Prior to that, I got my interview number, got my passport barcoded, and submitted my passport and application forms. It seemed that there was a separate line for barcoding for F-1 visa applicants. I believe that significantly minimized my time waiting in line. There were only less than 10 people waiting when I arrived at the interview waiting area. By the time I was called in for interview at a little past 8 AM, the area already hosted an SRO crowd of applicants. Maybe because I was to be interviewed in one of the small rooms, and not in front of one of the open area windows, my name was called out instead of my number.

The interview was brief, and lasted just around 5 minutes. The questions focused mainly on what I am going to do in the U.S., why I chose my university, and how long it would take to finish my studies. The consular officer didn’t ask anymore for supporting documents. After the interview, he handed me a yellow slip of paper, and directed me where to go next. That yellow slip was a sign that my visa application was approved, even if the consular officer did not say anything to that effect. The American Idol auditions came to mind, where those who were chosen were given a yellow slip of paper which they proudly wave to the people waiting outside. I quickly walked outside, happy that the interview went well.

I then submitted the yellow slip to the courier, Delbros, which would deliver my passport a few days later. I got out of the embassy and got to the Chowking restaurant by 8:30 AM. I was simply glad that the whole process was over, and that it did not take too long. The waiting was definitely an unnerving experience, but after the short interview, all worries were swept away.

Today, I went to Quiapo. It was only my second time to go there, but it was my first time to do so by myself. It seems that I only get to go Quiapo when I’m looking for something particular to buy. The first time was back in high school, when my group was looking for a DC motor for a solar-powered bicycle we were proposing to build. This time around, I was looking for a charger for NiMH AA batteries which I can use for my digital camera (Canon Powershot A70). I have been using this camera for almost a year now, and everytime I simply used off-the-shelf alkaline batteries.

Now why did I have to go all the way to Quiapo for a charger? Well, I was looking for a charger that would work for both 110V and 220V AC input. All that I can find in malls only work with 220V input. I wanted one that could also come in handy abroad. I was also a little bored, and so decided to go on some sort of adventure. So I decided to go all the way to Quiapo, and in particular, Hidalgo St., which from what I’ve read and heard, has a good array of camera stores that carry all sorts of accessories. Since I had no idea how to get there, I simply followed the directions from The Hidalgo Shopping Experience.

I went there via the suggested MRT3-LRT1 route, getting off at the Carriedo station of LRT1. Coming from Antipolo, I also took the –LRT2 to get to the MRT3. I got lost a bit because I was expecting the SM indicated on the map to be a huge building, like most other SM malls. It was just a relatively small building so I missed it the first time. So I simply breezed through the variety of stalls along Carriedo selling all kinds of goods — fruits, pancit, clothes, bags, VCDs, etc. — until I reached Quiapo Church. I wasn’t able to enter the church though as the main entrance seems to be closed. Anyway, I just walked around, passed by the fortune tellers, and headed back along Carriedo.

Finally, I got to Hidalgo St. The tell-tale sign was the cluster of photo shops lining the street. There were still a bunch of stalls selling pancit and other foodstuff along the street. One just has to keep a sharp eye for the signs fo the different photo shops, as the photo shops’ storefronts themselves are hidden from view by the stalls along the sidewalk. I went straight to Watson Photo Shop and purchased the Sanyo NiMH charger (NC-MQR02U) (with two batteries) for PhP 900 and an additional pair of batteries for PhP 170. I didn’t bother to enter other stores, but I did see that there were really a lot of cameras and accessories available in that area. I just asked about the prices of two Canon digital cameras, and was able to confirm that their prices are really at least PhP 1500 cheaper than standard mall prices. I’ll definitely go back there when I decide to replace my camera.

After a while, I decided to go home. Instead of taking the reverse route (LRT1: Carriedo to EDSA-Taft, MRT3: Taft to Cubao, LRT2: Cubao to Katipunan), I decided to simply take the LRT2 back to Katipunan. I walked towards Recto along the pedestrianized Rizal Avenue. That was also my first time to see the pedestrianization project of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza along the length of Rizal Avenue from Carriedo to Recto. Along that strip, the pedestrian is king. The street-turned-promenade was covered with concrete blocks/tiles and different shops lined its sides. I think I also saw a cafe or two right on the middle of the road. The LRT1 structure directly above that strip was also covered with tiles to complete the look. I wasn’t able to see how Avenida Rizal looked like before this redevelopment so I have no basis for comparison, but definitely the place is one unique strip in Manila. I wonder how it looks during the evening.

Upon reaching Recto, I came upon the still non-operational Recto station of LRT2. Instead of taking a jeep along Recto, I simply walked along the avenue to reach the Legarda station. For someone who has spent most of his life in the eastern part of Metro Manila, most of Manila is definitely unfamiliar territory for me. Walking around Manila was a nice experience. I was able to walk by some of the universities along Manila’s University Belt, including the infamous Recto diploma mills with several types of diplomas on display (University of Recto?). I also passed by several second-hand bookshops, on my way to Legarda, where I took the LRT2 back to Katipunan.

Maybe next time, I’ll visit Chinatown and Intramuros.

PS: It turns out that a 100V-240V charger (PowerBase) is available from Compex Megamall, so my trip to Quiapo turned out to be unnecessary, but it was still very much worth my while.