Back to the Philippines

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Are you a first time visitor? I suggest reading:

Top 5 Things I learned from Living In...

Why I left the Philippines

Reason for Considering the Philippines

Our Plan in Stages

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I was fortunate to be able to have time to come back to this new area several times. I particularly like the fact that this place is a product of well-thought out urban planning. Prices of land have already gone up for the past few years. This wasn’t there when I left in 1996 and I am very impressed as to how it has developed.

Basically, you have here places for upscale and middle class shopping and dining. Market! Market! is quite middle class. The other nice place is Serendra and High Street which is more upscale. Both places have nice open air areas where one can hangout. We were at Serendra one evening for dinner and the place was packed with yuppies even at 10pm and that was in the middle of the week!

Transportation is also not a problem. One one side of the Market! Market! is a taxi line

and I think on another area I saw a whole public transportation terminal complete with signs. I saw various signs for transportation to major cities in Metro Manila.

The Balut has gained notoriety all over the world as one of the “grossest” and scariest looking food. However, it tastes good actually. You can also skip the chick and just eat the egg yolk but don’t forget to slurp the soup that goes with it.
[Read more →]

Going to Quezon City from Makati my aunt strongly recommended that we use the MRT or the Metro from Ayala to Trinoma (North Ave). [Read more →]

We were at the place called Serendra, right at Fort Bonifacio, a few days ago where we met two of my former colleagues. Both of them have chosen to stay here inspite of the popularity of seeking opportunities abroad. Most of our former colleagues are now in the U.S., Australia and Europe. I wasn’t surprised that they are both in very high positions with big responsibilities in their respective companies. One of them is a VP for the corporate office of a big mall chain and the other one is a Project Manager for a well established IT company. They are both busy managing IT projects and one common thing I noticed is that they are both in a big crunch, with not enough people to do things, experienced people leaving and projects. They are extremely busy now and should I happen to join them, I’d be jumping into the grind definitely. I am also not sure if I want this life this soon. I think by working at least part time with MrC I will be able to pursue other opportunities and interests. It is however tempting to join in with my former colleagues just to able to reconnect and see how it is to work again with a Filipino team. Oh, and by the way, we saw Dolphy at Serendra that night! Serendra reminds me of a mall in LA next to the Chinese theater.

Last Friday, we flew to Cebu via Cebu Pacific Air. We took the taxi towards Terminal 3 from Makati and it only took a few minutes to get there. One hour later, we were in a shuttle heading towards Shangri-la Mactan Resort. We were given a free night stay courtesy of my generous cousin. At this point, I was already sleep deprived so we ended up staying in the room, and catching up on sleep and MrC working instead of swimming and walking along the white sand beaches. We had quite a heavy lunch. We ate buffet at the Tides Restaurant and it was one of the best buffets we’ve ever had. Total bill was around 50 euros for both of us. That night we had dinner at the Italian restaurant. The food was so-so and we were surprised that the bill was almost exactly the same as the buffet. The next day, we were picked up by my cousin and I was able to see more of my family again and catch up with each others stories. The next day was spent going around different places in Cebu. Some of the places we visited include the Provincial Capitol with golden statues of Lapu Lapu, Fort San Pedro, Taoist Temple, the Tabo-an Market, the IT Park, the International Convention Center, the Ayala and SM Malls, and a farm and plantation in Danao city.
First impression of Cebu is that it is a lot more peaceful and orderly than Manila. I did not see beggars or squatters at all. The City of Cebu has all the amenities and facilities of a modern city but it also includes charming small villages such as Danao City, and Mandaue, which are among those we visited. In principle, what I saw in Cebu is exactly what I was looking for. However, I am not culturally affiliated since I am not a native Cebuano nor I speak the language. It does give me the secure feeling of being protected by family but also somehow I am used to the feeling of being independent from watchful eyes if you know what I mean. Nevertheless, I like it! Now I know that there is indeed a better alternative to Manila and Cebu is one of those. I heard Davao City is also a remarkable city. I hope I could visit that city as well. Now, I am hoping I could find another alternative to Metro Manila that at least does not need me to go to the airport or drive too long. The past few days, I have given hints that I am not a city girl. I could not imagine myself living in the city. This is probably one reason I never liked Amsterdam or New York City. I am longing for a quiet and simple place that could also be good for the business, and of course with stable highspeed internet connection. I am also a bit ashamed to admit it but the heat and noise is such a big issue for me now. I know it sounds to picky or “maarte” but the last few days I have been sweating continuously that I always feel unpresentable in front of people. Someone even said I looked “haggard”. At this point, I am a bit depressed and disappointed at how I feel about Metro Manila. I still have not seen the rest of Metro Manila though. In the next few days we will visit the subdivisions and other possible places outside of Metro Manila and see if it has something I am looking for: less congestion, quiet, peace and cooler weather.

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