Sunday, May 27, 2012
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Road Back To Manila
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Never really expected a lot on my trip going back to Manila for the 2nd time in 15 years ... but as it turns out, it was so much more than I could have hoped for. And to think that we never even got to go out of the metropolis during our short 2-week stay. Not surprisingly, it wasn't the scenery that would prove to be the highlight of our travel ( also, due mainly to time constraints ) ...
... nor the food, which would not be that different really from the ones you can find and dine on a whim here in California ...
... ( can't believe I ate kare-kare almost everyday in the hope of finding the perfect one... eventually my search ended at this nice and cozy restaurant in the heart of Greenbelt in Makati ... Lorenzo's Way ! )
... no, ... it wasn't even the sight of the many high rise buildings and fairly developed shopping malls which can be now found sprouting almost everywhere that would bring excitement to me as I journey on back to the place I once called home ...
... oh, and ph-lease! ... don't even try bringing up the subject of weather for there was no way it would have made it on my short list of most liked things during our brief stay ( ... and I really thought Vegas was hot! )
It was ... still is ... and would always be ... the friends, the dearly loved ones, and the people that you get to interact with daily that would, for me, steadily remain as Manila's only saving grace.
This time around, our trip back to Manila is more on renewing ties ... of bonding with long lost and the not-so-long lost friends, relatives ...
This is not to make light of the progress that Manila has undergone during my almost 15 years total of being offshore, but having traveled modestly over the years I can safely say that, no ... I'm sorry ... but it will never be the environment that will put Manila on top of the ratings for me but the people within and the valued time you spend with them that is what's worth going back to.
" my long lost inaanak ... "
" my long lost friends ... "
" best friends for life ... "
I may be wrong and just being too judgmental about Manila's scenery but hey ... I'm always open to second chances. And Philippines might just have the chance to prove me wrong, again, as I look forward to next year's trip back ... ooh, can't wait :) !
postcript ... you guys might be wondering what the h--- is that music playing on the background :) sorry, I know ... but that's the first song I heard on my trip back and had since learned to love it!
*
Never really expected a lot on my trip going back to Manila for the 2nd time in 15 years ... but as it turns out, it was so much more than I could have hoped for. And to think that we never even got to go out of the metropolis during our short 2-week stay. Not surprisingly, it wasn't the scenery that would prove to be the highlight of our travel ( also, due mainly to time constraints ) ...
... nor the food, which would not be that different really from the ones you can find and dine on a whim here in California ...
... ( can't believe I ate kare-kare almost everyday in the hope of finding the perfect one... eventually my search ended at this nice and cozy restaurant in the heart of Greenbelt in Makati ... Lorenzo's Way ! )
... no, ... it wasn't even the sight of the many high rise buildings and fairly developed shopping malls which can be now found sprouting almost everywhere that would bring excitement to me as I journey on back to the place I once called home ...
... oh, and ph-lease! ... don't even try bringing up the subject of weather for there was no way it would have made it on my short list of most liked things during our brief stay ( ... and I really thought Vegas was hot! )
It was ... still is ... and would always be ... the friends, the dearly loved ones, and the people that you get to interact with daily that would, for me, steadily remain as Manila's only saving grace.
This time around, our trip back to Manila is more on renewing ties ... of bonding with long lost and the not-so-long lost friends, relatives ...
This is not to make light of the progress that Manila has undergone during my almost 15 years total of being offshore, but having traveled modestly over the years I can safely say that, no ... I'm sorry ... but it will never be the environment that will put Manila on top of the ratings for me but the people within and the valued time you spend with them that is what's worth going back to.
" my long lost inaanak ... "
" my long lost friends ... "
" best friends for life ... "
I may be wrong and just being too judgmental about Manila's scenery but hey ... I'm always open to second chances. And Philippines might just have the chance to prove me wrong, again, as I look forward to next year's trip back ... ooh, can't wait :) !
postcript ... you guys might be wondering what the h--- is that music playing on the background :) sorry, I know ... but that's the first song I heard on my trip back and had since learned to love it!
*
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