8 THINGS I MISS ABOUT MANILA

In no particular order...

1. THE VARIETY OF PLACES TO EAT IN.
Nothing beats Manila for the variety in cuisine, especially for someone like me who loves and enjoys food, the countless restaurants that open and are available any time of the day is something I look forward to. I miss eating in Isshin =(. I've been researching though on places to eat in Cebu and already my list is at 20.... will post a review soon on 2 recent ones I've tried.

2. PEOPLE BEING UP AT MIDNIGHT.
It seems like everything in Cebu slows down by 9pm. By 10pm, almost everyhing shuts down. Being a night owl myself, I'm restless. There are a few places you can go to but they are few and far in between. And currently being carless (as I'll be bringing my trusty transport in July), I wouldn't want to risk being on the headlines of Taliba or People's Tonight - "Babae, Tinapon sa Canal".

3. FASTER PACED LIFE.
The demeanor here is very laidback. From the way the cashiers slowly and congenially banter and chit chat with each other before processing your groceries for checkout, from the relaxed way the waiter saunters to get your order to and from the kitchen. People here are just more relaxed like dut....CHILL.

4. BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OTHERS SAY.
I don't understand or even know how to speak Cebuano. It's a foreign language to me. I know basic one word stuff that will get me to and from where I want to go, but anything that stretches into a sentence, all I hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH. I'm kinda getting the hang of it as there are some things which you can guess from context (eg. like the driver asking you where you want to go) but overall, I'm still lost.
Now I know how Bill Murray and and Scarlett Johansen felt in the movie "Lost In Translation".

5. THE CONVENIENCE OF KNOWING WHERE TO GO.
Learning how to drive at an early age has its perks, as I know roads in relation to the homes of people I know and places I frequent. For example, I'm familiar with the Paranaque area as I know how to get to B and C's house. I'm familiar with a portion of the QC area as college meant travelling to ADMU and of course, those long breaks in between classes left me bored and made me explore the places around it. I know the Mandaluyong area because E lives there and of course, went to work there too (Hi Explo love you!). I know the Greenhills area as C, V and other friends live there too. I know the Alabang area because sister used to live there.

6. RUNNING OUTDOORS.
I miss High Street. I miss Ultra. I miss going around Fort. I miss our long runs in Alabang. I miss our long runs in Corinthians. I miss knowing that I can run outside because I know where I am. Here it's simple...gym,gym gym... B-O-R-I-N-G!

7. THE COMFORTS OF HOME
Living away from home has its own pros and cons. Now I'm realizing the value of going home and having a meal at the table. Sometimes you're just too tired and want to just eat and sleep but since you have to do EVERYTHING yourself, that goes for feeding yourself too. I mean sure, you have your own time in your hands, nobody to answer to, you can spend as much (or as little) as you want, but at the end of the day, having your family around you whether it's been a good or bad day is comforting. Now I have to make do with emails, phone calls and texts. It's just not the same.

8. FRIENDS! FRIENDS! FRIENDS!
Having been in Manila all my life, you develop a lot of circles of friends. Friends from grade school or high school. Friends from college. Friends from work. Gimik friends. Running friends. You know who your real friends are when despite the distance, they still somehow make you feel they are just right there. (Yes thats you T2,and all my other multiply and gmail chat mates hehehehe)