We are finally back from our Manila trip and now on the road to figuring out how to blend our lives together. Going from the wedding to the holidays and then to our trip to Manila was quite an adventure. We seemed to have come out of it still smiling and with fond memories of our trip.
MANILA, MANILA
Being back home was a refreshing feeling. The longest time I've spent in any one place was my 11 years in Manila. It's interesting how even after being away for a number of years I adjust almost immediately to life in Manila.
The best part of this recent trip was introducing Bruce to my life in Manila and my numerous relatives. Introducing him to over 50 of my relatives the day after flying into Manila may have been too much. I didn't expect him to remember all the names and faces -- that would have been too much to ask for!
Vincent enjoyed the food (of course, who wouldn't?!) and being with relatives. It was nice to have people who were available to check in on him or take him out while Bruce and I were at the beach. This is a connection that I miss a lot when I'm in Corvallis. I can go over to my grandparent's house in the morning and chat with my aunts and uncles. Or we would often be invited to eat out or go out of town by another aunt or uncle. On Sundays we would have lunch with my dad's side of the family. Our last Sunday there they had hired a dance instructor so we did our best to dance, which made for lots of laughter. Another uncle and I spent our two-hour drive from the beach to our restaurant stop along the way catching up on all the latest news about other relatives. I could see why Vincent would enjoy being with all these people. It's sure signs of our roots and a source of our identity.
THE BEACH
Bruce and I got to get away for a few days to visit Boracay. Aaaahhh... It was so beautiful and relaxing. The calm, clear, blue water soothed our tired bodies (after four months of planning a wedding, working, and then the holidays, we were exhausted!). We had the opportunity to snorkel amidst thousands of awesome colored fish! Aaaahhh...
We also enjoyed taking the tricycle (a motorcycle with a covered side car that is a common form of public transportation in the Philippines) to D'Talipapa (a modernized way of saying "the market"). You can find stores that sell local crafts, produce, and other items. The highlight of this market, though, is the wet market. The wet market is a place that sells all kinds of meat -- seafood, beef, pork, poultry... They call it "wet" because they use water to clean up the areas around them, so it's usually wet. Or it could be the blood that's dripped down onto the ground. In any case, it's wet. We loved picking out our own seafood and then taking it to the restaurant across the way for them to cook. You can have them cook this anyway you want them to. Fresh seafood and buko (young coconut) for me and a beer for Bruce is the best way to spend your lunch!
The rest of our days were spent relaxing in our resort's cabanas right by the beach. We even got to have a massage inside our cabana. Heavenly... Bruce got to experience, for the first time, swimming in an ocean without a wet suit. The water at Boracay is so calm and blue. It makes you feel like you're in a swimming pool -- a God-sized swimming pool!
In my mind I'm already planning another trip to the beach. It keeps me sane because it reminds me that there is light at the end of this dark, rainy tunnel.
CALATAGAN
I also got to show Bruce one of my most favorite beaches in the whole world. It's the beach that we went to growing up in the Philippines. My dad's parents had a beach house in Calatagan and we would go there often. I have very fond memories of this beach. The house is now gone, but the memories are firmly in tact. It may not have the fine, white sand and the fancy resorts, but it's the one place where I find peace and joy. I remember the fireflies that used to illuminate the trees. I remember the late night card games with my aunts and uncles. I remember the stars that filled the sky and trying to count how many falling stars would cross the sky. I remember waking up to the sound of a pig being killed for our yummy lunch of roasted pig (lechon). I remember collecting shells and hermit crabs. I remember the long walks along the beach. I remember snorkeling right in front and seeing the most amazing creatures.
I remember all the people we went there with. We were all once so much younger and full of energy. Now I see some of them getting older and not being able to do quite as much as they used to.
FAMILY
I guess trips to Manila always just brings me back to family. I may not have very many friends (and those that I do have I treasure dearly!), but I never felt lonely because of how close I am to my relatives back home. Dropping by my dad's parent's house (my grandparent whom we call Momay and Popay) was just so much a part of me because I grew up there, I lived there, and I spent time with people there. I love dropping by to find my Momay and Popay still at the table with my uncles and maybe an aunt. We would end up chatting there for as long as time would let us. Or getting together with my mom's mother, or Lola as we would call her, and Tita Chary to go visit my Lolo's (grandfather) grave site. This, of course, would lead to lunch. I enjoyed the weekly gatherings once at my dad's side of the family and once at my mom's side. There would be lots of conversations, laughter, and food. Sometimes lunch would lead into dinner even. There was never a lack of company in Manila. I miss this tremendously. People are busy, yet available.
Well, I better continue this later on. This is my brief update for now. More to follow later. Time to relax with Bruce. This I like about Oregon :)
