Who I'm Listening To

  • Lupe Fiasco - Love Letter to the Beat (single)
  • N.E.R.D - Nothing
  • Janelle Monae - Without a Fight (single)
  • Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer
  • Kanye West - G.o.o.d Fridays

Monday, October 18, 2010

My summer set


For the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) vacation 3 friends and I took some much-needed vacation time to visit the Philippines. Here’s the crew:
Yoon (Seoul), Tina (New York), the two Ulsan ruffians...
We spent two days in Manila followed by a getaway to island resort, Boracay. First: Manila. We visited Quiapo Church and the surrounding area or Roxas Boulevard. It was bustling with activity – people worshipping, vendors selling, and kids playing. Here’s a few pictures from Quiapo:
outside the church...
inside, during service, sans priest...
vendors outside the church...
nowhere to play...
We followed Quiapo up with a visit to the oldest district in Manila, Intramuros, which was a city enclosed by walls that featured some great Spanish architecture. Touring Intramuros in a horse-drawn carriage made it hard to take quality photos, but here are a few. Take a look:
Each of the sunsets that we witnessed while in the Philippines were worthy of postcard status (is that the pinnacle of picture perfect pictures?). He was the first of many more:
The next day the crew went to take a hike up and around Tagaytay City which features a view of Taal. It's a lake within an island within a lake…within an island… Mira mira:
notice the lake inside that little volcano out there...
ready for its closeup Mr. DeMille...
on the way out...
after the hike, from the top...
The hike lasted a couple of hours as locals followed us on horses asking us if we wanted to pay for rides. They followed us, literally the whole way up, but what was funny was as we got closer to the top their prices went down. Local-“100 pesos…70…25…” Me-“But we’re here now.” Local-“Ok, so no horse?” On the way down the mountain I was asked if I wanted to play some pick-up basketball with some of the guys who lived on the mountain. The answer (with cocked eyebrow), an emphatic yes. So we played a quick game to 5. It was great to hoop with these guys and see how far reaching basketball is in the world. These guys gave us a real run for our money, playing without shoes mind you!
for the nonbelievers...
the homies...
That night we got a taste of Manila nightlife. EZ was offered male enhancement pills, strip club doors seemed to open up as soon as we passed them, Yoon caught a guy mid reach into Tina’s purse, and we met some guys who spoke to us about Philippino life for a few hours. They were law students who spoke of brain drain, low employee wages, and religion. It was one of the more powerful talks on the trip as they spoke about how they had the opportunity to study abroad and make more money, but want to be part of a movement of young, educated peoples to uplift the Philippines from the inside.
oh, hello manila...
the future of Manila, today...
Goodnight Manila, Good Morning Boracay
The majority of our trip was spent in Boracay, and my only regret is that I couldn’t stay there forever. In the pictures to follow I will try to convince you why.
what we saw when the boat pulled in to the harbor...
the tuk tuks that got us from A to B. not without some negotiation of the fare first, though...
view from the hotel room. mmmhmmm...

            
courtesy of Yoon. the second picture was taken minutes after the first one, on the same tuk tuk ride...
this is for all the "Obama Teacher!" comments in korea...
drink.it.in...
One day we went on a 5 hour tour of different islands around Boracay as well as snorkeling and cave diving.
one of the small islands...
looking out from in, the cave...
While in the Philippines I tried to eat as much of the local food as I could. In Manila I ate a few dishes that I couldn't pronounce, thus can't remember. But in Boracay I came across Balut. This name I can't forget, nor the taste. BALUT? Yeah, I did that (as did Tina and EZ).
before...
during...
as the sun sets...
The night life on the island did not disappoint. It was a full moon for a few of the nights we were there, and at a remote bar appropriately called the Jungle Bar, there was great live music and ambiance. Somehow one of our crew members was invited behind the bar and was able to hook the rest of us up with free drinks for the night. I can dig it. 
With two days left in Boracay for EZ and I, Tina and Yoon had to make their way back to Manila before heading home. And in a serendipitous twist, we ran into a Unicamp friend from UCLA, sir Andrew, who was on vacation at the same time. It was as if Lady Fate wiped the tears of farewell off our cheek with a chance meeting with a good friend from home. Too dramatic? Let's continue...
The next day Andrew and his friends, as well as EZ and I, signed up for a trip to Ariel's Point. A 6 hour getaway to a remote part of the island where for about 25USD there's unlimited food, drinks, snorkeling, and cliff diving. Let me tell you this, that was by far the scariest thing I've done. I jumped 3 times, but the jump was no easier the 3rd time than the 1st.
UCLA in the Philippines strong...
4 stories high is no joke...
the monkey snatched someone's bottle with beer in it, and took it to the head...
leaving ariel's point...
The entire trip anytime EZ or I saw anyone that remotely resembled a Korean person we'd go, "Oh! Hanguk Saram!?" (Are you a Korean person) More times than not we were correct and had a quick stop and chat with Koreans who were also vacationing during Chuseok. On the way back from Ariel's Point we did the same with a Korean couple. We basically said all the phrases we knew in Korean, and shared a few libations. Little did we know at the time, but we had been cheers'ing with the CFO of Samsung.  
the last one...
That, being one of my favorite pictures, is worthy of being the bookend to the volumes of stories and insights that this trip afforded me. Conversations with Philippinos, close friends, and new friends are as fresh in my head today as the day they were had in the Philippines. Revisiting is a must.

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