It's difficult to focus on a post under these circumstances. Gun shots, men shouting "Go, Go, Go" and sounds of people falling to their death are all around me. But this is no battlefield in Vietnam in the 60's or field around Phnom Penh in the 70's.. this is an internet cafe in a large Manila shopping mall in the year 2002. Young men around me, presumably here together, are yelling and laughing to one another over the loud barrage of gunshots. They are playing Max Payne, a brutal and bloody shoot-em-up game that I have come to know from my brothers who eat this kind of stuff up. Personally, the game gives me motion sickness and other kinds of sicknesses that I won't go into here.
There is only one other girl in the room and she is on the internet like me. She has headphones on and is singing some Top 40 hit at the top of her lungs. I also have headphones on in a futile attempt to block the noise but I have landed on an online classical music station and it's really hard to sing along with Bach.
We arrived here in Manila yesterday. We had a one day layover in Bangkok which we whiled away at the weekend "Chatuchak" market. We had made one previous visit with Aaron months ago but reserved all our buying for Saturday since we knew we would have that day in Bangkok and a better grasp at how fast the travel funds are dwindling. Our shopping limit was US$200 and although we tried, we didn't go anywhere near spending that amount. It wasn't at all difficult to find things to buy and we
stocked up on some beautifully crafted ceramic bowls and chopsticks sets along with other housewares and gifts for you back home... but it's really difficult to spend a large amount of money when you're bargaining for everything with the help of Magi's mom (who won't take "that's my final price" for an answer) and getting great deals left and right! It was a blast, especially knowing that we would only have to carry the purchases as far as Manila from where Magi's parents will bring them back to the US.
I have never been to L.A. but Manila is what I would imagine it to look like (complete with the thick layer of smog that you can see in the distance). After we settled in Magi's parents condo and they arrived a few hours later on a different flight, they took us for a walk around the neighbourhood. This area, Makati City, is full of new, very nice restaurants with trendy names and stores for the ultra-chic consumer. I could hardly believe my eyes, I felt like I had been transported to somewhere other than the Asia I have come to know and love. We had a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant where our waiter continued to fill the plate in the middle of the table with warm, fresh rosemary foccacia (complete with balsamic vinegar and olive oil I might add).
Magi's parents are in the process of moving to another condo so we're helping them move their things down the street today. Tonight Magi and I will stay in the new place while her parents remain in the current condo. We have two weeks to explore this 7,100 island nation but I'm sure we'll be back many, many times for more.
I wish I had a poppy to wear for Remembrance Day... but the day is on my mind nevertheless.
tothesea,
k~*