Believe it or not travelling to Manila was actually my first time flying out of the country. While I was sitting at the airport, waiting for my flight, I recalled back what supermom used to say to me when I was a kid. She used to travel all the time and I was too young to follow her. She would say to me,
"You are just like me. I didn't travel until I was in my late 20's. When you grow up, one day, you will have your chance to travel and see the world on your time." Well, she was right and I am glad that it was with someone that I love.
Poor lil' ol' me. Haha! As a first time flyer, even this fascinates me.
(Above) First picture of the day at the airport. No make up! The eye bags were from the late night before trying to figure out what to pack and not to pack (I hate last minute packing). Note to self: NEVER over pack, and for the next trip, I am going to make room to bring along some more of my work and crafts with me. (It was a work-trip)
Seeing Manila for the first time is an eye opening experience. The moment I stepped out of the
Ninoy Aquino Airport, I felt as if I was back at home, in Pudu Raya, Kuala Lumpur. Only difference was that everyone spoke in English and Tagalog. The journey to the hotel was chaotic. The jam was crazy and the routes were narrow. Well, not that narrow than what I expected, but it was certainly one helluva journey to the hotel.
I was actually really worried about their typhoon cases. Apparently, just few weeks before my trip to Manila, they had a typhoon hit. According to the hotel staff, it wasn't that bad and they assured us that we will be safe at the hotel if it does happen. I thank god that we are OK and that nothing happened to us.
Jeepneys! A longish car that look almost like a Hummer but it's not really. Apparently it is a popular ride in The Philippines, almost like taking the mini bus. Most of the jeepneys that I come across are very colourful, or quirky. I don't know why but the first thing that came across my mind when I saw a jeepney was Optimus Prime from Transformers. How random.
So, while I was in the taxi
(they don't call it 'cab'), I noticed that this was happening a lot on the streets (pic above). It was common for the locals to walk around or in the middle of the road to sell their goods. It was also common for a homeless people to walk up to cars in the middle of a jam, and knock on the windows to ask for money. I can't help feeling sorry because Manila is a beautiful place even though there is a gap between the lower class and the upper middle class.
I was told to avoid the slums or avoid going out at night altogether. Apparently it isn't safe at all and you wouldn't want to be getting into the wrong crowd or knowing the wrong person. But then again, almost everywhere in the world is unsafe. We just have to be careful.
 |
| One of the local bars that we passed by often. |
Manila is a colourful city. I noticed how colourful it was just by the sight of their roof tops before the plane landed. It was beautiful! Even on the streets, although it was the slums, but the shops were quirky and creative in its own way, filled with assorted prints. The streets and the people also reminded me a little of Mexico, even though I have never been there before. (Thank you movies)
 |
| One of the watercolour paintings in one of the rooms. |
We stayed at a hotel called
Solaire Resort & Casino, located in
Paranaque. I spent the first couple of days exploring the hotel (it is a big hotel). Solaire is a hotel that is filled with fine art paintings and sculptures. Each room is decorated with its own 3-series painting and each is unique on its own. I knew this because we had to room-hop.
Art, design and decor is a pretty big thing in Manila. I know this because I also happened to hotel-hop and I noticed that each hotel put a lot of effort in its interior and architecture design. Almost every spot I visited, there is an art exhibition happening. It was amazing!
We visited their famous mall called
SM Mall of Asia (MOA) and the place is huge! It is located by the bay, so as you shop, you could smell the sea breeze.
Okay I may sound like a typical tourist here, but really, one of my favourite stores is called
Kultura Filipino, a creative that not only offers souvenirs and Filipino merchandise; each product offered by Kultura focuses on the artistry and craftsmanship of Philippines.
Kultura's items ranges from handmade jewellery, apparels, paintings, wooden crafts, home decor, food and beverage and more.
I am always fascinated with design and typography. There is a trend going on now in the creative scene, people are going crazy with cursive hand writing, watercolour and calligraphy. When I was going around town, I noticed cursive hand writings, written with paint on their vehicle. A pretty good job if I might say so myself. I am impressed!
It wasn't just all play for us. We had to make sure that we got our work done, and balance it with some fun at the same time. While I was there, I managed the creative biz on the laptop and on my phone. Thank god for internet everywhere! I also brought my journal along with me so that I could do a journal entry about my experience.
By the way, this is just part 1. There's more to tell in part 2.
Live Na Buhay! (Live Life)
