Day 353 - Waiting for the Train

Today I went to the North to meet with my best friend, only to take the train again to go back to the South and see a movie* at ATC.

Anyway, this is what I could see while waiting for the train to arrive. I took a photo because you hardly ever see this place look this way, with hardly any people in it. Only in really off-peak hours, and on holidays like today. Normally, it would be too crowded for you to be able to get your cellphone from your bag, let alone use it to take a photo.

*As for Tower Heist, it was surprisingly really good. I like Ben Stiller's comedy better when he's not being so ridiculous (as in, I did not like Zoolander nor Dodgeball at all). Or is it because heists in general are already quite entertaining? But it was definitely better than The Italian Job, so that's something. :)

Day 120 - To the Patch of Green

Entrance to the DLSU Manila Football Field, Velasco Building (where Engineering classes are held) at the background

I went back to my college alma mater today. It was to watch a Japanese comedy, Rakugo, recommended by my Japanese language teacher. Since I'm no longer a student there and had no alumni card, I had to register myself at the gate, like the regular non-Lasallian folk. I don't mind. I never really identified myself as a Lasallian, anyway.

It's not because I had a horrible time in school. I made great friends in college, and I'm still pretty close with them until now. It's just that, I've never really felt at home there. For some reason, I feel like the DLSU Manila Campus doesn't have too much of a personality. There are no secret, quiet corners where you can be alone and ponder about life, or something. I know I'm sounding strange, but it just was never a comfortable place for me. Also, I only studied there for 3 years, and that's a pretty short time. At least, in my point of view, considering that the school I went to before college, I studied in for 13 years. I really want to write about this more, but maybe I'll post that in my main blog.

For now, I'll tell you that I took that picture on my way out of the campus. I read somewhere that the football field will soon "give way to buildings and classrooms" so I thought I should take a picture of it now, even if this photo shows just a small patch of green of the field. But this news actually illustrates my point of how I never warmed up to this campus. I don't know about you, but I've always thought of a concrete jungle, which DLSU now seems, as a place that stifles creativity.

Day 101 - Survival 101: Don't believe everything you read.

At an intersection somewhere in Manila

Originally, this is a sign that says "BAWAL TUMAWID MAY NAMATAY NA DITO." (Do not cross. People have died here.) Now, because the first line's been changed by some vandals, it says "It's a joke that people have died here."

I've never heard it proven that people have died in this particular intersection because of jaywalking. And since this sign is placed on practically each major intersection in Manila, it's very likely that this is just a ruse. I guess some people just really don't like being lied to, especially in big bold letters.

Day 95 - Seafood and Pirates

My half-German cousin and her boyfriend had been craving for lobsters ever since they got here to the Philippines for vacation. But because it's too expensive in most restaurants, on their last night, we went to that place in Manila where you can order the lobsters raw from the market and then just have one of the surrounding restaurants cook it. It's the cheapest place you can get lobster from, in the city at least. It's also one of the places where you can buy pirated DVDs like these. I guess it makes sense that somewhere near the sea, there will be seafood, and pirates.

P.S. Apologies for the quality of the photo. I had to take this covertly with my cellphone.

Day 90 - Old Books

In search of Julia Quinn, I walked around Manila after my Japanese class. My school is located near a lot of universities so there were a lot of book stores in the area. Most of them sold second-hand books that are cheaper, and you can exchange them with your own old books. This goes for fiction and school reference books as well. What can I say? It's a student area.

I wasn't able to find Julia Quinn, though, and I ended up not buying anything. But there are about a million books there. I'm quite sure that one of these days I will end up buying something, or maybe exchanging the ones I have here at home that have become dusty over the years.

Day 86 - The Other Fort

THE OTHER FORT - Entrance to Fort Santiago in (old) Manila. Small Jose Rizal park and museum on the other side.

And I say it's the other fort because the place known as "The Fort" is Fort Bonifacio, where my former office, along with a bunch of other offices are located. I always wondered if there are people who actually think that when you say "The Fort" you're referring to this one, Fort Santiago. Since this is literally a fort. But I don't think that people talk about this place enough for that to happen.

We went here today as part of an impromptu (for me, anyway) Manila tour with my cousin who's here on holiday from Germany. I thought we were just going to have lunch by Manila Bay but it turned to a short tour of Manila, not that I mind. Believe it or not, I've actually never been here before this.

We didn't get to explore the whole place, though. The other museums were closed since it's a holiday today (National Heroes Day), and we didn't have enough time because they still had to pick up my other cousin from Germany at the airport. On Wednesday they're all going to Boracay. They're heading to CamSur after that, and then to Palawan after that. Can you say holiday?!

Day 84 - Bay from the Bus

It's Saturday today and so I went to my Japanese classes in central Manila. Like normal people, I'm not too fond of commuting or traveling to far places, except if it's to an exciting travel destination, which central Manila is most definitely not. But I don't mind it all that much either. I think, compared to most, I'm already a very patient person when it comes to commuting in the city. Patience is key, if you don't want to be in a bad mood after crazy traffic, unbearable heat, and unscrupulous characters running about. If you're patient, you get to enjoy views like these.

This is Manila Bay, that you'll pass by every time you take the Coastal Road. I took this photo at around 8 in the morning from the bus I was in. The sky was clear and the color of the water was a beautiful blue. Despite everything, I still think that I live in one of the best places in the world. I know that's a very unpopular opinion (especially these days), but you'll have to forgive me. I live here. If I don't love it, who will?