Whirlwind Weekend

Earlier this year (around April, I think), Gwen and I talked about watching Peter Pan on stage with nonchalance. It was a casual talk with a half-serious tone that usually ends up in oblivion. Fast forward to October, I found myself in the center loge of the theater, clapping loudly in the audience to bring Tink back to life. I knew after buying our plane tickets and theater passes last May that we were actually gonna go see it for real. But until our plane landed in NAIA, it was all just talk for me.

Our arrival didn't go as smoothly as we'd hoped. Just a few minutes after we got off the plane, one of our companions realized that her pouch that held her valuables went missing. We literally spent hours in the airport to try and sort things out. The pouch was never found, and so we left the airport with a heavy heart.

From there, we went straight to Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio for brunch. If you're unfamiliar with the place, it's a weekend food market right in the middle of a business park. There you'd find layers of boxes filled with pastries, buffet pans overflowing with pasta and native dishes in banana leaves. That is where we drowned the bad mood with good food. Kebabs, back ribs, cheezy potatoes, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, green tea mochi, homemade mango yogurt, and a cup of steaming brewed coffee to wash it all down. I still regret not being able to try everything! Oh, and a little (useless) FYI, the last scene from the movie No Other Woman was shot there too.

After a scrumptious brunch, we burned off some calories by walking to Bonifacio High Street to check out the five-decked Fully Booked store. A must-visit stop for bookworms like me. I swear, I could stay there the whole day! They have Starbucks and White Hat inside the store for your gastronomic needs, and a comfort room for when you need to tinkle. It's like book heaven! The 30 minutes we spent there sure wasn't enough, and I ended up not buying anything as I can't decide what to buy. And as I'm writing this, I curse myself for not going up to the topmost floor to explore. I have just found out of their annual sale that runs from Oct 6-16 and, of all the luck, is held only in The Forum (the topmost floor!!). Oh, well. Maybe next time.

A 45-minute cab ride (a rough estimate as I was asleep) later, we reached our little hotel where we slept in the rest of the afternoon. The place was alright. Not bad for about three grand a night for six people. Later that evening, we went to Metrowalk for dinner before the play. I'm telling you, if you're ever near Ortigas, you should definitely try Steak Plus in Metrowalk! (Sense the sarcasm)

Mushroom soup (tasted like gravy with calamansi) and Green Salad (lettuce with a slice each of tomato and cucumber, paired with ketchup & mayo dressing)

The dessert was alright...had they told us first hand that it was going to be turon. We were told that they'd be serving gelatin for dessert, so imagine the surprise on our faces when a plate of turon was placed right in front of us. The main course was alright. Average at best. The place was just too pricey, and the service wasn't very good either. Half a star out of five for me.

A moment later came my most awaited part. The reason why I came to Manila in the first place. PETER PAN! It's one of the things I'm glad I didn't miss. The music was enchanting and the stunts were a sight to see! It's based off the original play by J.M. Barrie and lead by the talented Sam Concepcion as the boy who didn't want to grow up. The Darlings were endearing and the Lost Boys amusing. The Indians gave it color while the Pirates brought adventure. It was a swashbuckling treat that I enjoyed every minute of! It was enough for me to forget all the misfortunes of the day, and left me smiling as I dozed off to my own Neverland.

The next day started early as we had to be at our next stop by 7:30AM. We were headed to the country's biggest broadcasting company, ABS-CBN, to watch their Sunday afternoon musical variety show. But before the show, we had to be on a studio tour as part of the package. From what I've heard, people actually book months in advance to see the show live, and, as always, TFC subscribers are given priority. The tour was pretty educational. I've learned that the studios are actually pretty small, but they appear bigger and wider on TV with the aid of a wide-angle lens. Also, they use industrial sized air-conditioning in each studio to neutralize the heat emitted by the lights. When turned on simultaneously, the studio lights could give you a first-degree burn.

We've met some pretty interesting characters in the compound. The lady in blue who wants to be in all the pictures, the cute tour guide who might be gay, the guy in the front desk who acted like a bitch on her period, and the teenage girls who sadly dressed up like whores just so they'd get noticed on TV. It was also comforting to learn that TV stars are not as perfect as they seem. They just use a better concealer. Make up or talent in acting—either one's good to hide the flaws.

After partying on the set of ASAP and beating the rain on our way to the train station, we set out to our next stop: Tagaytay City. From the TV station, it took a cab ride, a train ride, a bus ride, and a trike ride before we reached our destination. We stayed in a quaint little villa at 3.5k a night, and went hiking the next day to get a glimpse of the famous Taal Volcano.

In front of Keni Po Rooms (Tagaytay)

Hiking in Picnic Grove (Tagaytay)

After a tiring hike and fueled only by a cup of coffee and some lengua de gato, we set off to our last stop in Tagaytay before heading back to Manila. Brunch at Sonya's Garden may seem pricey at P600+ for a buffet, but it's something one should try. The place looks like something that came off straight of a wedding magazine, and the food is organic and guaranteed fresh. The salad was more than enough to make up for the one we had at Metrowalk. I could honestly just eat salad all day and not move on to the main course! And the sesame bread. Yum! The main course was pasta and fried salmon belly. Really, just writing about this now is making me hungry! Then for dessert, we were once again faced with turon. Haha! But not just turon, mind you. There's chocolate cake and sweet potatoes, too. All served with a warm cup of refreshing tarragon tea. Ah, Sonya's, you are sorely missed!

After bidding Sonya adieu, we took another bus ride back to Manila. We had originally planned to stay in Makati before we had to leave for the airport, but a certain celebrity invited us to come visit him on the set. So instead of strolling along the streets of the financial center of the Philippines, we braved through the streets of Tondo on a tricycle to meet Mr. Gabby Concepcion. He was very nice, and quite the looker for a man in his forties. After a quick meet up and photo session, we had to leave in a rush so as to avoid missing our flight.

Homeward bound and quite exhausted, I realized how much fun I had that weekend. I didn't get much rest, seeing as we're always on the go, but still it was a weekend well spent. It gave me a chance to renew my views of Manila, get to know familiar faces a little better, meet new people, try something new, and of course, see a play I've always wanted to see. I may have missed out on a lot of things for that weekend, but I regret nothing. I arrived home with little money in my pocket and no souvenirs, but had a big smile across my face. I had a whirlwind weekend and enjoyed it.

The trip that I've been looking forward to for months is over. I'm back to my old routine, and my solitary world is back to being quiet. But not for long, I hope. ;)

Coming Back and Changing Minds

Ten years after I last set foot in Manila, I was astounded at how much the place has changed. It is to be expected, of course. Ten years is a long time after all. The country is keeping up with the times and the capital is intent in being a globally competent metro. Metro Manila has put up a facade that’s far greater than the last I’ve seen. I even admit to falling in love at first sight with Bonifacio High Street. Having the biggest book shop I’ve ever been to and a line of top brand boutiques, I need not see the entire place for me to declare it as one of my favourite places to visit. However, no matter how much the place has changed physically, it still holds the same old stench: the crazy traffic, overpriced food, suspicious characters, overcrowded streets, and rude people (case in point, that stuck up bitch from ABS-CBN Tours’ front desk). Just when you think you might actually like living there, these things make you stop to reconsider. They make you miss home’s far more tolerable traffic, less crowded streets, reasonably priced food, and the people who are far more eager to please its clientele.

I’m not saying my hometown’s far better because, like every other place in the world, we have our own flaws. We have our share of shady characters and soap opera-like antagonists. Commercially, we are a little behind compared to Manila. We are growing at a much slower pace and I think we need to learn a thing or two from the capital city in terms of innovations. The only thing I can guarantee is that Cebu has a much more laidback atmosphere. It has the right mix of the metropolitan high life and the homey feel of the country. But much to my chagrin, Manila would easily trump us in terms of industrial growth and modernization.

Manila sure made me appreciate home, but I can’t say I didn’t like it there. The three days I spent there was more than satisfactory that I even ended up writing about it. This year's visit is a far cry from my last memory of the place. I enjoyed it enough to not make me cringe at the idea of coming back. Well, to put it more accurately, I intend to come back. To visit, that is. A wider selection of books, fashion strip you can't find at home, international concert tours, and professional theater productions of well-loved plays and musicals! I'd say Manila hasn't seen the last of me yet. ;)