Dear Readers,

Hi,

I am sorry but I haven’t been blogging for a long time.

A multitude of issues came up and I am sure you will understand.

First, my mom was diagnosed with appendicitis and required an operation. As many cousins and well wishers repeatedly told me, appendics is not a major operation now-a-days but then as with everything involving close family members, reason and logic somehow does not come into play. I was worried sick and being so far away did not help matters either. My sis reaced home yesterday and it’s only now that I am a little relieved.

The other matter which was giving me constant headaches was the search for a new house. The landlord of my current building is demolishing a perfectly fine building. The reason for that is that since there is a lot of space in between the two buildings (it’s a twin tower) that is equilavant to millions of dollars going waste every year. So they will be building a huge block instead. The problem is that the accommodation allowance I am entitled to has not kept pace with the rise in real estate prices (the govt hasn’t done much to check inflation either) so finding a decent house in my budget is near impossible. I went via countless real-estate agents (2/3rd of them are fake) who showed me mini rooms further partitioned to make 2 rooms. Just when I was giving up hope I finally found a flat from my company itself. There are many more details in this story but I will not bore you with them. I should be moving in within 2-3 weeks so expect some blogging interruptions again.

Just a couple of thoughts for this blog….

Have anyone of you watched a program on MTV called “My Super Sweet 16”.

It is as decadent a show as you can possible watch.

Its kind of a reality show which follows the trails and tribulations (quite literally) of some guy/girl who is turning 16 and somehow finds it necessary to throw the most hedonistic & self indulgent party ever.

I was 16 once and can understand the need to impress friends and I also understand that 16 isn’t quite the age where reason and practicalities figure very highly but what the fcuk is wrong with the parents? Aren’t they supposed to be the mature sensible ones?

For those of you who haven’t watched this show let me warn you that it isn’t great television but like a very bad accident on the road it is also impossible to turn away from.

16 year olds are taken to showrooms by indulgent parents where they get to choose expensive and very powerful cars.

All this even when it is amply clear that they can barely even keep their ever escaping bosoms inside their skimpy tops much less control a 3.2litre 540bhp 240kmph super-car.

1 hand for the mobile, 1 for the starbucks, 1 for the lip gloss, 1 for ….

Wait a min…

Don’t they have only 2 hands???

Precisely my point.

Now even as I am writing this I am fully aware how old and fuddy-duddy it makes me sound (which let the record show I am NOT but then someone’s got to bell the social cat)

Americans are worried that their children aren’t learning values, that they are perciecved as arrogant self-absorbed ignoramuses and that most youth after 21 can't find a decent job to sustain themselves without federal help.

With the 'values' that shows like these propogate is it really surprising?

And let’s not be coy here because the impact MTV has on the youth is hugely under-estimated.

There was a report in the Washington Post recently that this is becoming more than a trendand it has almost become a teen-obsession, to out-do each other with outlandish theme parties (one show had a Cleopatra theme but guessing how much ‘studying’ actually gets done in school it wasn’t surprising that Cleopatra was somehow more Roman than Egyptian) and dresses (one 16yr old was dressed worse than a slut in a strip joint in a feathered costume which, lord have mercy, was designed by her own mother).

The next time you hear about limousines, red carpets, paparazzi and custom-made gowns it probably won’t be the Oscars they are referring to .

And then they complain that Latinos and Asians are taking up all the good jobs.

Sorry guys for the break but I was down with a quite severe attack of Flu & Tonsillitis.

Anyway to continue with the trip to Manila….

Philippines Dairy Part III

By the way I have been getting a lot of emails and comments from friends and people I don’t know (Juan from Miami??) who have written to say that as interesting as the blog is, it is ALL about food.

I know, I know but then apart from the interviews all we did for the first 5-6 days was eat out… so…. anyway this last part should more than make up for all that….

Enjoy.

After the Japanese Dinner (See Part II) we headed to a place that teaches all kinds of ballroom dancing. There are boys and girls who for a nominal fee will guide you around the dance floor quite expertly. Val danced her heart out and I was quite content just watching the assorted crowd do the jig including an old stern spinster who danced with the most fearful expression on her face. She would miss a step and then snap at her instructor. The poor boy looked like he would burst into tears at any moment. Aaaah... the things people have to do to earn a living....

Val trying to let her partner lead

Friday 22 June

Interviews. Last day, so we had a lot to complete and became quite tired. Decided to go to the Spa with Val, Yolanda & Adore. (Actually the interviews were not quite tiring but what the hell, do you really need an excuse to visit the Spa?) Slept early as we had a full day ahead of us on…

Saturday 23 June

Woke up at 6am and after a quick bath, meditation and prayers, rushed down for breakfast. Y&A were prompt to pick us up at 7 and we drove to a place/resort called Hidden Valley.

Now coming from Nepal myself I am used to greenery and forests but this was beautiful in another way. The resort has number of natural springs which have been tapped and made to form natural pools.

the tranquil pool

The water in these are crystal clear due to the flowing water and surrounded by jungles etc it is quite an experience to swim in them.

The Hot & Cold Pool. Yolanda in the hot pool while Val gats a hydro massage

They have many pools like these scattered around the huge resort with names like Tranquil Pool, Soda Pool (it has bubbles) and Lover’s Pool (semi-heart shaped and secluded). The best of them is the 3 layer pool which is actually 3 flowing inter-connected pools. The first pool has 2 natural water sources, 1 cold and 1 warm.

the 3 layer pool

It is quite heavenly. The only drawback, if you can call it that, is, as Adore put it, bus loads of Korean tourists who descend on the resort with their usual cackle of touristy sounds. After swimming and lazing in the pool we had a simple Filipino lunch in the resort dining hall and while eating we were serenaded by 2 men playing guitars and a plump girl singing soprano.

it aint over till the fat lady sings

Satiated we drove (actually Adore drove and we napped) to Tagaytay Highlands which is a vantage point from where you can see the Taal Volcano.

It is an extinct volcano surrounded by a Taal (Lake).

Incidentally Taal is Lake in Nepali too.

Strange Naa?

Very beautiful but with lots of commercial constructions coming up around the hillside so I am not sure how much longer it will remain naturally beautiful.Taal Volcano

WE were supposed to head back and spend the night in the hotel but Adore suggested we drive to Subik (an ex US Naval base) in the evening and spend the night there.

After a quick change in the hotel we were off again.

This time we had Yolanda’s children join us. Her daughter’s name is Venice and she too blogs quite regularly and so is a kindred spirit. The son is France but he is better and more affectionately known as BiBoy. He of the Cliffhanger Sandwich fame.

BiBoy, Venice and a Proud Yolanda

Both sweet kids and very very well behaved. For a 13 and 15 yr old that’s saying a lot. They are a great asset and credit to Yolanda.

On the way we stopped in a place called Dinalupihan which is the home of Adore’s mama. And like a true Mama she had put out a spread for us. Shrimps and Pork and heaps and heaps and heaps of fresh Crabs of the juiciest variety. I thought that I loved seafood but Yolanda & Valerie did not speak for the next 45 minutes as they gorged on the succulent dishes.

Mama truly outdid herself with her hospitality. This mix of great restaurant and even greater home-cooked food is what made the trip to Manila truly memorable.

Mama is such a sweet and hospitable person that it is no wonder Adore has turned out the way he has.

Mama. Thank You for opening your house and your heart to us. We miss you.

Mama and Adore

Then ofcourse the adventure began....

Y&A had booked us into the Forest Hills resort in Subik and as the name suggests it is in the middle of a forest. After taking ages to locate it we finally reached there at about 9:30 pm only to find it old and musty and Yolanda being the great hostess that she is, immediately said we would NOT stay there and would instead go to town and check into a hotel.

The 1st hotel in town we passed was Subik Intl, which allegedly has a reputation of being old and stuffy so we all turned our noses at it and drove on.

Good Plan… except there was a carnival on that day plus it was the weekend.

Hotel after hotel we stopped at and checked in, but all were fully booked.

With the prospect of sleeping in the car looming we finally swallowed our egos and drove to Subik Intl and finally fell asleep at 1am.

Sunday 24 June

Y&A woke us at 6am and after a tepid bath when I came down to the restaurant, the whole family was chirpily eating breakfast. They have to be the most energetic and cheerful family I’ve known in a long time.

Drove again to a place called Anvaya Cove.

This is a cove surrounded by hills on which private residences are being built. Yolanda has bought a property there and the community has its own private beach.

And what a beach.

Pristine, clean and no sign of the Koreans anywhere.

I could describe it in many words but, like they say a picture is worth a thousand words…..

the view of the private beach....

which is so beautiful that...

it makes my amateur photographs look like postcards

On the way back the kids wanted to stop and go horseback riding. The place is called El Kabayo which apparently means The Horse which is strange because Kabayan means fellow-Filipinos.

Strange that Horse and FellowMen sound so similar.

BiBoy on a horse....

Did I say the kids wanted to go horseback riding???

Well, what’ a person who has let the kid in him die….so I decided to ride too….

No vacation is complete without horses…. Ha haand BigBoy too...

Our flight was at 12 midnight and our late checkout was only till 4pm. So after packing and checking out at 4 what do we do????

Why, we go back to the Spa ofcourse.

Departure

At 9pm finally after 10 tiring but glorious days Y&A dropped us at the airport and while we were hugging and saying our goodbyes a curious sensation overcame me.

WE almost felt homesick… like we were leaving home and going back.

And in a way we were….

We had swum in natural ponds.

We had bamboo rice with Crispy Pata.

We had visited the heavenly Spa… again and again and again…

We had fresh crabs at Mama’s.

We went up a volcano

And Came down to a private beach…

and above all

We had found great friends in Adore and Yolanda.

Once again a BIG Thank You to Adore & Yolanda for making this trip so memorable.

As we looked at the city one last time, two quotes came to mind:-

By Shakespeare & Schwarzenegger.

Shakespeare who said:-

"If we shall meet again, well then we shall smile. If not, this parting was well made"

and Schwarzenegger who simply said:-

"I'll be Back"

manila skyline

Ciao Manila

Dear All,

I am sorry if my Philippines dairy is still incomplete.

I have recently been down with severe flu and tonsilitis.

Recovering, but will take a few days before i get back to nomal.

Till then......

Vishal