First post since arriving in the Philippines! I'm determined to blog about this trip, since I've realised that I hardly blog when I am in the Philippines.

Day 1: Wednesday, 9 Dec

At the airport, some nice photo opportunities:



Natalie and I at the giant bauble tree at Changi Airport!




TALL sunflowers! :D


On the plane I slept most of the way and watched the flight plan. I like watching it, muhaha. Nice food and Cornetto ice cream for dessert! :D Landed without incident at NAIA, which I hadn't been to in a long time. Took the airport metered taxi and snapped photos of the scenery during the long journey to lola's house.


Silhouette of a church at dusk


Finally, we arrived our destination. But we realised too late that we had left the camera in the taxi. ): After many phone calls, the right people were able to contact the driver and we were told we could collect it anytime at the airport. Yay! A rare event it is when a lost item is returned to you in the Philippines. Thank You Lord.


Day 2: Thursday, 10 Dec

After eating in a Chinese restaurant for lunch and ordering the cake, the entire day was pretty much devoted to getting our camera back. Why the whole day, you ask? Because of one thing: TRAFFIC. It seems my eyes have just been opened to the way land transport works here. When I lived here, I guess it just was a part of life. Now, it's a whole new ball game. Perhaps it's not really the length of time that bothers me. I'm incapable of stretching in our car; (I miss Picnic!) and the worst of all is the stress that accompanies being on Philippine roads. I've said it before: driving in Manila is the ultimate driver's test. Sadly, it seems my endurance has drifted away..

Anyway, we finally were able to retrieve the prodigal camera! :P We even used it as a time to meet up with our former helper, Emilyn.


Day 3: Friday, 11 Dec

Woke up early to go to FEBC and the end-of-year chapel. There was a tonne of food! I think I have bittersweet emotions now regarding food. "Yay!" for the great taste but "Boo!" for the extra pounds. (: ): I have hence decided to eat in moderation. Small amounts count!

The place had a few GIANT parols (Christmas lanterns). So cool! Check them out:







After lunch, Natalie and I stayed in Tita May's office. I read my book and Photoshopped a picture of the big parol for Tita May.



1) FEBC family
2) Natalie dwarfed by the large decoration


After saying our goodbyes we were dropped off at Back to the Bible bookstore to meet lolo and lola. Then we went home and visited our other lola. I realised we don't have a photo of her. Oops? But we'll visit again!



1) Christmas tree-hugger
2) Result of moving the camera while taking a picture of the Christmas tree


Worth mentioning here was the fried chicken that was SOOOOOO yummy. It's from America, apparently. O:


Day 4: Saturday, 12 Dec

The beginning of the day was uneventful, but in the afternoon was my get-together with Charmaine, Hannah and Molly. Molly couldn't come since she had to finish her projects and the like. ): There's always another time, though. Anyway, I met with Charmaine first at Fully Booked in The Block at SM North, where we met last year. Since Hannah was going to be late, we strolled around (saw the new Annex too) and talked and caught up with each other.

We talked mostly about school and how it's like in UP, where Charm goes, I mean went. I never knew UP had a rep for being a breeding ground of strikers. o_O She told me about how some of the teachers there could be quite prejudiced. Or how she and her classmates are often invited by activists to join their cause. Lol. On the one had, it seems like a fun distraction from the monotony of school. On the other hand, how can one really learn much from one's classes at such an environment? :P I wish I could crash the classes and experience it for myself, at least for a day. Haha.

Anyway, Hannah arrived with Matthew. And we all decided to eat at the new Sky Garden. It's greenery, nice view and al fresco dining rolled in one. Or rather, grey, polluted air and a view of the traffic and huge billboards rolled in one. I'm afraid the designers had been rather taken by the idea from other countries (VivoCity, anyone?) but sadly neglected how ill-suited it is in a smog-filled Metro Manila. Nevertheless, it's a new potential hangout place for the Filipino.


View from the Sky Garden. D:


We ate at Persia Grill, which serves Middle Eastern cuisine. I just love the inexpensive dining here in the Philippines. And guess what? No service charge or GST to combat when splitting the bill. Gone is the magic number 1.177! :D The food was good, especially the mango yogurt shake I shared with Charm. (:

While eating, there were fireworks:




We then moved on to a dessert place, House of Cakes and Sweets, or something like that. Great cakes! :D


Charmaine, me, Hannah, Matthew


Day 5: Sunday, 13 Dec

Had another early start, since we were going to faraway Imus, Cavite. More traffic to battle. ): We arrived late there for church, but were still able to catch some of the sermon. After the service, I guess it was just all a blur of relatives. :P (I chide myself for not remembering who's who and where's where.) We ate lunch at one house, went to the adjacent one to watch some TV, and were ferried (not literally) to yet another one. To go with the tangle of people is the tangle of pictures:




1) Lunch in the first house
2) Alcoholic (4%) chocolate drink. It's nice. :P
3) After lunch at the second house


After resting some, our cousin Jordan took us to our other cousin Sam's place. It's like an attic room, but mostly like a small, isolated room off the main house. Natalie tried her hand at Rock Band while I tried to recall how it worked from that one time I played it in the US.




1) Jordan on drums, Natalie on guitar
2) Jordan on drums, me on bass guitar
3) Sam on drums, Myron on guitar. They're real good!


After, we played a board game, Cranium. I shall not plunge into specifics about the game but rather, give you a pictorial:




1) The game
2) Me drawing
3) My drawing? Sadly, yes. :P Guess what character it is?


We were kinda late for dinner, which was at Lola Sylvia's where everyone congregated to celebrate her 94th birthday. Yes, 94th! As usual, there was food abundant. From the main meal to the dessert, delicious!





1) Natalie, Clarky, me. He's so soffffft.
2) Cousins!
3) Some grandchildren plus Lola Sylvia and her cake
4) Lola, lolo, Natalie, me, mother, Lola Sylvia


On the way home, we saw parol and Christmas light vendors and attempted to take pictures whilst on the move. We weren't able to get any clear ones, but I think the streaky ones look nice too. (:







Day 6: Monday, 14 Dec

Just stayed home the entire day, much to my relief. The past few days have been a flurry of activity (which can only get more frenzied as Christmas and New Year's approach) and I welcomed the brief respite. I read my book today. And finished it! So now I'm starting #5. I didn't bring the last two; I think I'll ask father and Gibby to bring them. :P

It's beginning to dawn on me that perhaps I won't really be getting the rest-and-reflection time I planned to have while here. There're just too many activities and so little time. ): I wish for more lazy days. :P

Although I don't have the right "conditions" for my reflecting, I've found I've been doing a lot of reflection, observation and introspection lately. Sometimes I wish to share my thoughts in my blog, but oftentimes the moment passes all too quickly. I have reservations about making public my musings too. For now, I'll just have to be content with archiving them in this old brain of mine. (:

That's all for now. 'Till next time! :D