Firsts

As I stood in my hotel room and stared out the floor to ceiling window, I see the black cloud that's rising up, getting ready to engulf the high-rises in front of mine.  This is the first typhoon that I am experiencing in Manila.  Since my new friend, Andrew, suggested that the rain will be on and off for the most day as the typhoon swirled around Manila, Marly and I stuck with our plan and headed out to the Organic Farmer's Market anyway.

Most people taxi around town since the weather is either really hot and humid or it is pouring down rain.  In the name of adventure, Marly and I bought our 'first' one hundred peso (about $2.5) ten rides MRT pass.  We figured out the direction of the train and arrived in Mikati in precisely eleven minutes.  Compared to being stuck in a taxi, the MRT was so much more relaxing.  Arriving in Mikati wasn't the problem, finding the Organic Farmer's Market was the issue.  None of the locals that we asked for directions knew where the market was.  It must be a foreigner's thing, I thought.  We finally stopped at a hotel lobby for directions, the receptionist managed to give us the wrong directions after about ten minutes.  Marly must have done this a lot and suggested that we check online to confirm.  Sure enough, the direction was off but this also meant that we had to walk further.  We chatted, we walked through Greenbelt 5 to Greenbelt 1, and eventually arrived at the Lagaspi Organic Market where some locals and foreigners gathered.  I had my first fresh coconut juice from Manila, bought some cheap vegetables and fruits, and checked out some interesting arts and crafts from the market.  The walk was long and the market was hot, so we headed out to find Marly's future apartment and to survey the neighborhood.  

I have no idea how far we have walked but I haven't sweat this much in so long!  We ended up at a coffee shop in Marly's future neighborhood (she doesn't know that it's her neighborhood yet, but I can tell) for drinks and to cool down. The sun and the occasional drops of rain made us decide to take the taxi home instead of the MRT.  After our adventure, I headed to the indoor poor at the hotel to relax so I am ready for another week of work at the office.

Marly, after doing her nails, will be bringing the pictures of her potential new home to show me and we will be sharing our first bottle of wine together in celebration of our first Manila adventure.

Wishful Thinking

The most cheerful people that I have ever met are people from the Philippines.  They laugh hard at your jokes, they focus on their families, they are pleasant, and you can hear their laughter from miles away!  Granted everyone is different but I have had the pleasure to meet the very cheerful ones!  Why are they so happy?  Where does that come from?  After living in Manila for three weeks, I have a little theory...

If you ask the residents of Manila - what don't you like about living in this City?  I think most of them will say, "the traffic!".  The congestion in Manila is infamous and is probably one of the worst amongst large Asian cities.  A five kilometer ride can easily take 30 to 40 minutes in bad traffic conditions, an average runner can complete that same distance in his / her running shoes with the same amount of time, if not better.

Since I am new to the city, every time when I get in the taxi, I ask the driver, "how long will it take?"  The answer is always, "oh, it takes ten minutes without traffic, but right now, it will take maybe 30 minutes".  I have asked and the drivers have answered without fail - this amount of time with no traffic and this amount of time in current condition.  I ask myself, "How often do the drivers experience no traffic (if any) and why do they always tell you the no traffic time first?"  My theory is that it is wishful thinking on the drivers' part.  They have to believe that they will get to the destination, without obstacle, in a certain amount of time so that when they are faced with bumper to bumper traffic, their road rage doesn't take over.  Maybe, like the drivers, the Filipinos that I know have been trained to be hopeful and to see the brighter side of life so that they are not depressed by the poverty and inequality that surround them...

Day Dreaming

Dad has been complaining about not having places to go other than the malls around my hotel.  But we have been going to places with his friends...  Every other day, we go out to eat with his friends after work and I have been exhausted.  So on Saturday, I had the hotel breakfast buffet, came back to the room, started surfing on the web for interesting sites to visit.  I day dreamed about having cocktails on exotic beaches, hiking through the mountains, riding in a jeep with other tourists, and I started wondering about travel safety and how I could fit in.  "Maybe I should learn some Tagalog first?", "if I just look like an American tourist with a cap and backpack, I would look like a poor student?", or "maybe I should join a tour?"

I fantasized about my journeys each time when I found a different travel blog or new advertising page for the Philippines.  Then, Dad popped my bubbles with his infamous questions, "where are we going to go today? staying at the hotel again?"  I get so annoyed with him whenever he asks that question, I am just so exhausted from work everyday, why would I want to go anywhere but just chill out at the hotel?  Then, irony presented itself - all the searches for amazing beaches, mountains, and tours require me to get out of the hotel.   Maybe a little exploration wouldn't hurt?  I got ready, herded my parents out of the hotel, took a taxi and arrived at Little Tokyo in Mikati.

The restaurants formed a little Japanese restaurant village which provides outdoor seating for the patrons in the square / garden.  We picked the yakitori specialty restaurant and devoured 18 meat sticks, 2 sticks of grilled chilies, a Japanese asparagus salad, a cold tofu dish (my favorite), and two Asahi beers (my second favorite).  A Japanese guy walked in with a book, sat down at the bar by himself.  He lit his cigarette after ordering his food, and started reading.  I like it that eating alone in a Japanese restaurant is the norm not the exception and I also like that the cigarette smoke was sucked into the vent for the yakitori.  After we stuffed ourselves to the brink, we visited Greenbelt 3 for further exploration.

This morning, dad didn't ask the 'annoying' question that I anticipated that he normally asks.  But I am asking myself, "where do I want to go today?"  Visiting new places is just as much fun as day dreaming, but a lot more filling and delicious!!!

Domesticating Me

I know how difficult it is to move to a new place, not knowing anyone (or knowing just a few people), and not have a definite return date back to 'home'.  I know the sadness of missing loved ones (including cats) can negate the excitement of moving to a new place.  I know the annoyance of not having everything work the same way as it is back home can ruin the opportunity to experience an exotic culture.  I know the confusion of a different language and local customs can relinquish the desire to learn and the capacity to feel secure.  However, I also know that the sadness, frustration, and confusion will persist until the choice is made to embrace a different lifestyle.  Therefore, I have been trying to localize or 'domesticate' myself quickly, so desperately, it is so comical, even to me!!!

Instead of shopping for clothes, souvenirs, and going to fancy ethnic restaurants, I went to the mall for nail clippers, facial cleanser, and tooth paste.  To be sure that I am localized, I asked to join the Mega Advantage card to collect points.  I don't even do this in the States but to feel like a local, I had to.  I went to a modern Filipino cuisine restaurant, Mesa, and ordered what sounded authentic - Palabok.  Grilled fish on top, etc.  As it turned out, the dish was quite seafood-ish.  Now, I finally understand the reason that Racel doesn't like fish!  I also ordered green mango juice without syrup, and that was a mistake also!  As I observed the patrons of the restaurant (for next time), they ordered a fried fish that is beautifully presented, a porcelain pot with some kind of soup in it, and succulent pork dish...  So my fishy noodles and sour mango juice - What do I do?  Well, chili and vinegar went well with the fishy noodles and the sour mango juice washed down the spicy fishy noodles without a problem...  That was an interesting lunch experience but I can't stop here.  To be a true local, I had to have a local cell phone.  However, without an address, cell phones, credit cards, and Mega Advantage cards are all out of reach.  To domesticate myself, I used the hotel address even though I am not staying for long.  Hopefully, the bills and point statements will arrive at the right place.

As soon as I walked out of the mall with my essentials, cell phone, and Mega Advantage card, the rain started picking up...  But guess what, this time, I am carrying an umbrella during the rainy season, just like the locals!

Rain drops falling on my head

I have to admit it was a little lonely living in a hotel room waiting for the first day of work.  I have read all that I can for the job, Edward's family had kindly showed me around.  So, on Sunday morning, I decided to be a little adventurous - I walked about three blocks away from the hotel (compared to the usual two blocks) and ended up at the Podium mall.  

After gathering all the necessary supplies, window shopping, and people watching, I found myself standing outside the mall waiting for the rain to subside.  It is rainy season here in the Philippines.  It had rained on and off ever since I have arrived.  "No big deal", I thought, "the rain will stop in no time and the hotel is only three blocks away".  The longer I waited, the harder it rained.  To make it back to meet tita Cely, I bought an umbrella to shield me from the rain.  Little did I know, it was the rain puddles that were going to get me wet.

As I hopped, skipped, bounced, jumped, and leaped over the small and big rain puddles to avoid being splashed by 'recycled' dirty rain water, I noticed that there were so many people doing the same thing.  We were balancing our umbrellas, shopping bags, and purses while focusing and strategizing for the driest route. It was as if all of us were coordinated in a rain dance, and that put a smile on my face...  "If there was a song that goes with this, it would be perfect"- I thought to myself.  Then, there it was, "Raindrops keep falling on my head.....  But there's one thing I know, the blues they send to meet me won't defeat me, it won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me.  Raindrops keep falling on my head, but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red.  Crying is not for me. 'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining.  Because I'm free, nothing's worrying me".