The War in Manila on New Years Eve…Or at Least it Sounded Like One

Last year Lady Hiva and I were daring and joined some good friends, Jenn and Chris, and made the trip to New York City Times Square for New Years Eve to welcome in 2011. It is too bad we did not blog back then, because it was quite the trip. 8 hours of standing like cattle in fenced off areas with a million other people, no food, no bathroom, no chair, security everywhere, stay at a hotel with a high end party in the lobby that people were jealous we had tickets to, but we don’t drink or party so our extent of the party was to cross the lobby and get to our room…but we did it, we can say we went the TIMES SQUARE for New Years Eve! It was fun to watch NEW YEARS EVE, the movie, this past week and see that they used clips from last year’s celebration in the video and to know that the four of us were there! (Lady Hiva and I agreed it was a once in a lifetime experience. If we ever feel the need to be there again we will get one of the hotels that overlook the Square.)

This year we are in Manila, quite a bit different. In the morning I went on  a run and it was eery to see that the normally chaotic and bustling streets were empty. Where was everyone hiding? Then about 6 pm we found out. They had been preparing for WAR! With a few introductory bangs that rattled the windows and echoed off the concrete buildings the war began. For hours on end the banging got louder and louder. If you looked out the upstairs windows it looked like the city really was having a war. Loud explosions sounded and in their wake came bright flashes of light and screams (hopefully in excitement). Not a place for someone with PTSD.

We decided to take it easy for the night, we watched a movie then walked over to Mall of Asia for the fireworks. We arrived there 20 minutes before Midnight and there were cars and people ALL OVER. They looked like they had been there all day too. I was SO glad that we were not reliving the sitting and the waiting of last year. We got there, took some photos. Tried to have some guy take our photo but he thought that when the flash popped up, it was taking the photo. Brmp…fail. Then another drunk guy decided to come and stand between us and the camera man and could not understand over the loud music and flashing lights why his friends were telling him to move…brmp…fail 2. Ok maybe we will just take our own photo!

The fireworks started and much different from NYC, they were directly above our heads. The boom from the big fireworks literally shook us. Then the burning ash started to rain onto us. Let me tell you, those pretty glowing colors don’t look so pretty when they are coming right at your face! One large chunk landed between me and the guy next to me, we both looked up and surprise. I started to wonder if we needed to worry how much hairspray Lady had used today…for the rest of the evening people were constantly reaching up and pulling debris and ash out of their hair. Talk about being part of the show! Actually, the show was pretty spectacular despite raining fireballs.

The shelling of the city continued throughout the night. It was funny to see that as we walked home all the mess from homemade fireworks (can it get any more scary than that?) including one high end hotel that put their show on in front of the building even with the hundreds of VERY expensive cars literally three feet away. The cars looked like they had trash dumped all over them. 

This morning there was still such a bad smoky haze over the city they could not let airplanes land or take off! Now that is some SERIOUS celebrations! Oh, and after church today we watched the live streaming of the ball dropping in Times Square right before we took our nap…hahaha

So, welcome 2012! We cannot wait to see what you have in store!

Here is a YouTube Link that show what was happening in Manila New Years Eve:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HPqiY0NJV8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The OUTSIDER’s guide to Manila…or at least how we see it

We have now been here in the Manila for a while and we thought it would be fun to share some hints and tips that we have learned about traveling in the Philippines. Some of these lessons were learned the hard way, so hopefully this post will save you from some of the same experiences.

TRAVEL

·         General

o   Always have toilet paper, wipes, and hand sanitizer with you. Bathrooms are not usually clean. Sometimes they are so if you see a clean bathroom, use it! You never know when you will see the next one. Having soap, toilet paper and paper towels are a luxury not the norm.

o   There are plenty of things to see within a day trip from Manila. It is always nice to get out of the city and see the beautiful countryside of the Philippines. (See our link: Day Trips)

o   The best place to get your car cleaned is in the Mall parking lot while you shop. Almost all major malls have a group that will do that for you.

o   If you are flying out of Manila. Make sure you know which terminal you are going to. They are in different parts of the airport and you CANNOT walk between them. Be specific with the driver dropping you off because otherwise you will end up at the wrong place and have to take another taxi (Very FRUSTRATING experience)

·         Getting around Manila:

o   There are several ways to get around Manila itself. Jeepneys, tricycles, buses, the train, or taxis. Many of these are overcrowded and generally not recommended for foreigners that are not familiar with the area and people. If you do take them, be alert; know where your valuables are.

o   When crossing the street, just hold your hand up and start walking. There are no crosswalks and people will normally stop for you. Very scary experience at first, but it works

o   Taking a taxi is the easiest, especially if you cannot speak the language. You can see the price. Make sure they start the meter when you get in. If they don’t, then get out. There are plenty more taxi’s behind you. Often they will try things like stopping at a petrol station to fuel up on your way. The first time this happened we were confused. Then we realized the time runs while there. You can either get out then, or just figure the ten pesos and time is not worth the hassle of finding another taxi.

o   It helps to have a general idea where you are going maps are a good thing to have handy, even if it is a just a printed copy of a MapQuest. That way you can object if they start taking the “short cut” that usually costs more in the end. Keep in mind that times and street names are relative so stop and ask if you think you are lost.

o   Have your address written down in English and Tagalog. Include major landmarks the driver will know. The first time we went to the mall in a taxi was great, then when we wanted to return home, I had no idea how to get there! YIKES! They don’t do addresses like we do in the States, they use landmarks. For example: “We live between the __________ and ______. Next to ______________”

o   Knowing some simple Tagalog phrases can help:

•   Pupunta ako sa _____________ =“I am going to __________________”

•   Salamat po_________________= “Thank you____________________”

·         Driving yourself

o   Several foreign families have their own driver. It is easier and hassle free.

o   We chose not to have a driver and generally have no problems. That being said, there is an art to driving here, especially in Manila—there are people everywhere! Most days it is complete chaos!

o   Don’t worry about figuring out the rules—there are none. Just worry about the cars around you and work with them, it is much like a jig saw puzzle. Go with the flow.

o   ALWAYS expect the car to cut in front of you. Busses and motorcycles are the worst. They do not look, slow down, or use signals before they come over so it is best to just expect it. They will also drive against traffic and turn right from the fourth lane over.

o   Use your horn. It can be a handy tool to let people know you are there, you want to turn, that you are coming, etc.

o   Be alert. Either on foot or vehicle, they will pull out into the road and THEN LOOK. Not the other way around. Make sure you always know what is around you in case you have to dodge hitting someone.

o   Policeman will pull you over and want you to bribe them not to give you a ticket. Do not give your license to them because they will not give it back until you do pay them. So be careful there.

o   Street beggars will come knock on your windows and doors for money or to sell something. Make sure your doors are locked and windows up. It is hard to see, completely sad how they exploit children and elderly, but realize most of the money they collect does not go to those they exploit. There are plenty of charities around the country that are doing wholesome help for the poor, your money is better used if donated to them.

FOOD

• ·         Take bottled water with you or order bottled water when you drink. If it is a higher end restaurant the water is usually ok, but if you are unsure it is better to be safe

• ·         Street food is usually not a good idea. Unless of course you have an iron stomach.

• ·         Most Filipino dishes are fried, have mayonnaise, some kind of fish sauce, or lots of sugar. If you do not like any of those things make sure to ask before you order it. We were shocked the first time we had pasta here because there was so much sugar in it. Fresh fruit smoothies and shakes will also have straight sugar water added.

• ·         When eating a Halo-Halo (a popular desert here) make sure to mix it. The first time we tried it, we did not like it because we ate it layer by layer. To get the full effect you have to mix it all together.

·         Eating out

o   Manila is a diverse city so you can usually find a good restaurant or two. Here are some of our favorites

§  Indian Food: Kashmir on Padre Faura street, Ermita. The outside does not look like much but inside it is a fun ethnically decorated place with delicious dishes!

§  Thai Food: Peoples Palace has somewhat westernized Thai food. Located in Greenbelt Malls, Makati. We love this place! Make sure to try the sticky mango coconut rice.

§  Pizza: Yellow Cab Pizza and Shakeys Pizza seem to have the best “American styled pizza. There are located all over the city
§   Cheesesteak shop: Makati, Authentic Philly cheesesteaks with imported bread and meat.

§  Italian food: Italianis  in most major malls. The pasta does not have sugar in it and tastes most like we would expect.

§  Greek food: There is good restaurant on the second level of Robinsons Mall Ermita. Really great for fresh vegetable salads.

§  Lunch/breakfast: Apt 1B Great burgers, smoothies, salads and sandwiches Salcedo Village, Makati

§  Japanese food: There are a few really great Japanese restaurants in the Ermita area

§  Chelseas: Serendra, Fort Bonafacio. Upscale home-style food. Great burgers, sandwiches and salads. Make sure to try their Cantaloupe coconut smoothy

§  Korean BBQ: ask around, some of the best are ‘hole-in-the-wall places’

§  They also have TGI Fridays, Chilis, Tony Romas, Wendys, McDonalds, KFC and other American brands at all major malls.

SHOPPING

You can find just about anything you need in Manila. (Or a substitute version of it) You just have to be willing to go look. The game becomes convenience over necessity. (Click on the Shopping link to see all of our stories about shopping). 

·         General

o   There are sometimes MORE employees in a store than shoppers. They want to be helpful, especially if you look foreign so they will all come talk to you or wave you over to their stores. It can be exhausting and a bit claustrophobic at times.

o   Don’t pick up, point or ask a price unless you are prepared to either bargain or fight off the vendor who will clamor to sell it to you.

o   Be prepared to be patted down when you enter any mall by the guard.

·                      Malls

o   Mall of Asia

§  It is big and has quite a bit to see. The theaters are clean (although you can read one of our experiences with a  mouse on a previous post)

§  Several stores to choose from

§  An ice skating rink

§  They do fireworks on the bay every Friday and Saturday 7pm unless it rains

§  A few restaurants we like. Most are local favorites

§  Always big crowds

o   Robinsons Mall Ermita

§  Big and clean, more stores that are not high end. Less crowds and we have found it has a better variety of restaurants than Mall of Asia.

o   Makati Malls

§  Greenbelt and Glorietta malls are right next to each other

§  Both malls are high end and mid-level shopping and always clean and beautiful

§  Rustans and Landmark mall are across the street and are both basically a large department stores like Macys or Nordstrom.

§  Makati malls are most similar to what we see in the States

§  Plenty of great restaurants, bars and movie theaters to choose from in this area

§  The drawback is traffic getting to and from

o   Fort Bonifacio

§  Market-Market, High Street, and Serendra, much like in Makati, are all strung together.

§  Stores are mostly catering to the wealthy. Plenty of sit down restaurants. A great place to get away from the chaos of Manila and feel like you are in the States for a few minutes

oRestort World, across the road from the Airport. A big spacious mall/casino. Very clean, not many people. There are several restaurants to choose from. The theater is more expensive but the cleanest of all the other malls. (And the bathrooms have soap, toilet paper AND paper towels)
o  Greenhills

§  Completely chaotic. It is much like an indoor flee market attached to a mall; A great place to buy bags, pearls, handicrafts, clothes, etc. Just be prepared though it is an intense experience. Bargain. They will raise the price because they think you are rich. If they will not lower the price, leave. They will lower then or you will find another booth that will.

§  Again know a few Tagalog phrases are good here

·         Magkano? = how much is this?

·         Sobrang Mahal = too expensive

·         Tingnan lang = just looking 

·         Outdoor shopping (again, see blog links to the side for our experiences at these places)

o   Taft street and Baclaran

§  For a fun walk and to see all the street vendors that sell everything from shoes to clothes to household items, take a walk around Baclaran. Be aware of your valuables (don’t take any more than necessary). Things are cheap, feel free to bargain, they will raise the price, up to 100% over what they charge a local.

o   Cartimar Market

§  Located in the Pasay/Ermita area, Cartimar sells shoes, clothes, animals (of all kinds), and plants. Another place to just go explore

o   There are two farmer’s markets in Makati on the weekends. One on Saturday morning

in Salcedo Village, and one on Sunday morning. They are really similar to markets in the States.

o   Divisoria

§  North of Chinatown in Manila. Divisoria is a collection of malls and outdoor shopping. Completely crazy, but cheap. You can find anything here that you need, from furniture and cloth to flowers, jewelry and food. Truly a great experience, even if you only go once.

§  Take a taxi in and out just to make sure your car is safe

§  Again, be prepared to bargain. They will raise the price. Or buy things that have prices listed

§  BE Aware of your surroundings. Most people are friendly are wonderful, but make sure you are aware of your surroundings.

§  Most people take a local with them; we went by ourselves and were fine. 

·         Grocery Shopping

o   S&R

§  A membership club, much like Costco or Sam’s in the States. You can get American soap, detergent, candy, milk, foods, Melona bars, Breyers ice cream, salsa, ranch,  oreos, real orange juice (that is not LOADED with sugar), and we have found they have the best meat selection. It is expensive but some things are worth it.

o   Hypermarket

§  A big supermarket brand name here. Kind of like a small Wal-mart or Target. This is where we do most of our shopping. They have a large international section and we can find either what we need or a close substitute. Their fruits vegetables are usually good.

o   Rustan’s

§  A higher end grocery store. More expensive, but they have specialty things other stores do not have. Like Mochi ice cream, rice milk, refried beans etc.

o   Santi’s deli

§  A chain of deli’s that sell fresh deli meats. Something that is hard to find anywhere else

o   Robinson’s Supermarket

§  Located in the Mall in Ermita. A less hectic and cleaner version of Hypermarket but not as expensive as Rustan’s. Vegetable and fruit section quite a bit larger here.

Nosebleeds and Panicked Eyes

Lady Hiva and I are the young women and young men Sunday School teachers. Completely interesting considering Hiva does speak Tagalog at all and I learned vocabulary for ‘business Tagalog’, not ‘religious Tagalog.’

In the Philippines they have an expression for when you are speaking too much English, they say, “You are giving me a nosebleed,” and hold their index finger under their nose as a visual. I had finished my first lesson two weeks ago for the young men—they were so quiet, probably because some white guy was here in their class—and one of the adults saw me walk out and said, “Do they have nosebleeds now?” I laughed and said ‘yes,’ then made a mental note to get fluent enough they do not make that joke anymore. I have two years, I can do it. Then I turned to talk with the next guy in the hall and he handed me a card and said, “The Bishop wants to invite you to speak in Sacrament Meeting (mass) next Sunday.” ‘Yikes! There will be a whole bunch of nosebleeds,’ was my only thought, but in reality I felt myself smile and nod while agreeing to speak. I did speak and hopefully it went well. I am not sure how much they understood, but I tried.

The last two weekends have been full of Church activities. Last week I was with the young men as they played games and cleaned the chapel for Sunday services; and Hiva learned from the women of the congregation how to cook some local dishes. It was a blast to get to know them all better.

Yesterday we had the young men, well some of them, come over for a pool party. Again, it was the first time most of these kids had been in a real pool. Most of them did not know how to swim. It was fun seeing them use those blow-up arm floaties for little kids or life jackets so they dared get in.  A few of them ventured to swim to the other end of the pool with me swimming beside them or holding their stomach up or my hand on my back. For some reason my presence gave them courage to keeping going. I would constantly say, “Almost there, you are doing great!” Once in a while they would make it half way across the pool, look up with a panicked fear in their eyes and say (in Tagalog), “So deep now!”

“Almost there, Almost there,” I would assure them it was alright so their panic did not paralyze them.  It was such an achievement they would cheer for each one that made it to the other side.

Lady Hiva and I went on our weekly date Friday night and we wanted to watch a movie. The movie we chose at Mall of Asia was not going on until 10pm so after we ate dinner we had time to kill. We decided to go walk on the boardwalk behind the mall. It is a happening place on the weekends. Several restaurants line the waterfront each with a live band playing. Street vendors sell toys, an amazing array of foods, and drinks of all kinds. In the middle there is a homemade zipline. It starts from the third floor of the mall and goes towards the water over all the people. Lady Hiva decided that we should try it to give us something to do. I was game, so we paid our $3 and went for a ride. (Really Cheap: should have been our first red flag)

You have the option to sit side by side or lay side by side on your stomach. We chose sitting. As we put on the ‘safety’ belt the workers laughed because my legs were too long, I had to contort my body in odd angles to finally get in. (Made for small people: second red flag). We took off and synchronized our swinging feet to speed up. Our weight and the swinging did speed us up quite a bit, people stopped what they were doing and watched us in amazement as we went flying over their heads. I looked up from watching people below and saw we were coming to the end and a really LARGE cement wall was approaching faster than I was comfortable with. (Brick wall, no brakes: Red flag number 3)

The only thing between us and a massive collision with the wall was two old car tires strung on the cable and three really skinny Filipino guys, who were starting to frantically wave at us. (Red flags four AND five) ‘What are they waving about? Do they want us to get off?’ I was suddenly not so sure this was a good idea. I noticed Hiva was not laughing anymore either. I am sure we had the same panicked eyes as the young men in the pool.

But we were stuck. Safety strapped into our ride of death. GREAT.

I held my breath as we hit the first tire and did not slow down at all, the second caused us to swing wildly forward and four hands caught us as our faces and knees swung dangerously close to the cement wall. So thankful we did not choose to lay down face first.

In the movie we decided to sit way away from the ‘mouse wall.’ They can be in the theater with us—there is plenty of food to eat on the floor—but I just do not want to see them! Especially since the other day I was sitting on the couch and Hiva in the dining room and we had or large windows open to enjoy the gorgeous day. I looked up and saw a HUGE rat, mind you this was broad daylight, scratching at the dining room window. We grabbed the camera and then took photos as it scratched at the patio door trying to get in! So nasty. I wondered why the stray cats are not chasing it, then I realized it is just as big as they are, I would not mess with it either if I were them! After realizing it could not get in, it just ran away…no panic on its part.

The Vibrant Colors of Listening

It is amazing what you learn when you take time to listen. The last few days were full of insightful conversations with some unexpected people.

We had gone ice skating in the middle of the mall with some friends for her birthday. That was fun except for the time Lady Hiva and I were holding hands while skating and her left skate toe pick caught a flaw in the ice and she went down. You know one of those experiences where your brain processes that an accident is about to occur and your body futilely reacts to stop it. However, the one second disaster takes place painfully in slow motion. This was one of those experiences. She stumbled; I tightened my grip on her hand and became perfectly aware of my own unsteadiness on the ice. She went down head first towards the ice, I pulled up with my arm in attempt to save her one last time and instead her body twisted in midair, parallel to the ice, and her hip hit the ice with a reverberating thud. Still holding her hand, I involuntarily pirouetted 360 degrees and went down on my rear end and with the knowledge of defeat, I surrendered to inertia and was sprawled out on my back across the ice.

The whole rink went silent.

I opened my eyes to see the mall photographer’s face above me saying, “Sir, you ok?” All I could do was laugh. As we got back together and skated more, Lady Hiva said, “Thanks for falling with me.” We went down as a team! Nobody had asked if she was hurt, I guess her fall was more graceful than my awkward sprawl! HAHA.

We ate at a restaurant afterwards. All of us eating together were LDS. The waitress came over to talk with me, excited that I speak Tagalog. She asked how we all knew each other, I told her we went to the same church, the LDS Church, to which she asked, “Which kind of Catholic are you?” Hmm…I thought about how our deep our frame of reference is when it comes to culture. Filipinos are 85% Catholic, so it is hard for them to imagine there are other churches and especially hard to think a group this large could be in one place outside of church. I assured her we are Christians just like Catholics, but a different church. I guess we passed the test because she beamed a welcoming-you-are-like-me smile.

The next night at a totally different restaurant with just Lady Hiva and I, we again attracted attention because I was the only white person there AND I spoke Tagalog. When that happens, word spreads fast and we had almost all the employees stop by our table at one point or another. Even the bartender brought us our fresh fruit smoothies (something Hiva and I are addicted to here, they are cheap and delicious) instead of waiting for the server to bring them. During our dinner it was someone’s birthday in the table next over and all the employees gathered to sing.

Lady Hiva and I laughed as they began to sing. Here in the Philippines, the song, “Happy Birthday,” starts out the same as it does in America, but gets completely different from there. First reason is they clap the tune as well while singing. It is hilarious to watch at work when we are celebrating a birthday and the Americans are so confused by how, and when, to clap that there is a chaotic chorus of varying versions of the song. It is good the last note is of “you” is held out long in the end so it sounds like we all end together! So at the restaurant we expected the clapping and singing, but this song was different than any restaurant ‘Birthday’ song that we have ever heard.

In the states, the servers are half-heartedly singing with fake expressions of happiness; yet their eyes say, ‘Can we get this over with? My table needs their order taken and my tip is decreasing with every minute I am here singing this stupid song instead of helping them.”  These Filipino servers were singing in a five part chorus with one of the women wailing to add a pop concert feel to the song. I could not help but join in the energetic clapping and singing.

I love how the Filipinos are prone to musical talent. Karaoke is popular here. There are karaoke bars everywhere. The karaoke bars are diverse economically, socially, and…well, we can say in purpose—just make sure you go into one without neon lights at night and specifically  states “Family Karaoke.” We have never been into karaoke bar, but it is not required to enjoy the experience. Every large store has a karaoke machine in the entrance. There is always one employee that sings while you shop. Last time we went to buy paint at Ace Hardware, the manager was singing and we had to keep interrupting him to ask questions about mixing the right paint for the color we wanted.

I like it because whenever I have the urge to break out in song, I can sing and nobody thinks anything of it. If I am following Lady Hiva through the store pushing the cart, boredom often sets in on the third aisle and Lady Hiva has some unspoken rule that you have to wind through EVERY aisle and explore, to ensure we do not need anything there. The result of which is that we end up with things not on our list-most of which we don’t need--and I have a full case of what I call ‘Wal-mart-itis’ which is claustrophobia mixed with a frantic urge to exit quickly before I start yelling and cart ramming all the people that are obliviously blocking the aisles with their cart.  It is then that a song will pop into my head and I entertain myself by singing. The great thing is I can sing out loud and nobody thinks it weird. And not just the store either…I can sing at work, in the elevator, in the taxi, and on the bus!

The last conversation I want to share is with a little elderly cab driver who asked me what country I was from as soon as I sat in his car. I guess my ‘Joe-ness’ was not broadcasting loudly that day. When I told him America, he said, “How is your country doing? Are you fixing the money problem? I thought that we were the only country that has problems.” I assured him there are several countries with problems and he listed some he knew. Greece, Britain, the U.S., Japan, and ended with the bombing in Norway. “They are nice people there, why do they have problems?” It was what he said next that startled me the most, “Is all of this in the Bible, or it is bad people’s choices?”

How do you answer that loaded question? I told him I believe people are all children of God, but are able to make their own choices. We see the results of those choices every day and sadly, it does not paint a particularly cheerful mural. Sad actually.

All of these conversations remind me that each of us have a tapestry of color woven by strings of experience. It is by understanding each other’s experiences that we see how life is beautiful to all of us in different ways. If we are falling hard in front of everyone, riding in taxi, trying to understand the religious beliefs of another,  practicing patience, or singing a different tune, each time we listen to what another has to say, the colors of our own tapestry become more vibrant.

Nag-shoshop sa Manila!

For the our second weekend here Lady Hiva and I went exploring several markets around the greater Manila area. Having seen several malls last week similar to malls in the United States, we wanted to see what the markets were like.

We started the day shopping at Cartimar Market that is not far from our house. We had fun exploring shop after shop. We saw them selling everything from freshly chopped meat to shoes and hand tailored clothing--when I say fresh, I mean that you get the pleasure of watching them skin the meat and hack away at it right as you order. Not the most beautiful site, although I would have been alright if not for the overpowering smell of dried blood and old discarded meat parts. My mind just screamed 'fresh air, fresh air!' Luckily the next store in was a shoe store with several large fans to calm the olfactory system. It was mesmerizing to watch several seamstresses use old black humming machines to agilely piece together clothing that someone had requested. Down at the other end of the market was the pet shop, or shops I should say. There were all kinds of fish to put in your tank from sharks to koi and small betas. Or if you wanted a cat, dog, rabbit or rat and mouse multiple colors, shapes and sizes were available. If a bird suits your interest then pigeons, parrots, little colorful chirping birds, chickens, roosters and cockatiels can be found. Darkly I hoped that these animals did not eventually migrate to the other side of the market and leave in a bag instead of a pet...ok, next market, I was suddenly done looking at Cartimar.

We then drove to Makati--one of the really nice areas of Manila--and walked around the farmers market they have there every Saturday. The smells of food are abundant and enticing. Sadly, my allergy to shellfish kept me from trying most of it, but it was still fun to look at the creativity of each dish. The flowers for sale were beautiful and the fruit delicious. As we tried to decide what to buy, the seller would give a slice of melon, or a small sample of whatever was on their table. We ended up having too many bags of fruit and vegatables so we went home to unload and went to Greenhills.

Greenhills is out in Quezon city, about an hour drive from our house. Quezon is where the temple is and it was neat to look out over the houses and see white steeple sporting Moroni over everything else. Moroni is actually quite famous here in Manila, twice I have had people who find out we are LDS refer to Moroni by name as the 'guy on the temple,' and the taxi cab driver understood exactly what building I was referring to when I asked if he knew where there LDS temple is. He answered, "Yes, yes a beautiful white building with a steeple and golden warrior!" (all in Tagalog of course). SO warrior, protector, or trumpet player, whatever Moroni is known by he is definitely a symbol that is recognized.

Greenhills is a large warehouse type building that is sectioned off into hundreds of small cubicles all selling something. Clothes, bags, decorations, furniture, pearls--you name it, someone at Greenhills is selling. There are many phases of emotion as a Greenhills shopper: At first the busy-ness was a novelty to the senses, then bartering becomes an addicting game to see if you can get a better price from them or the next store down that is bound to sell the same merchandise. I must say the Filipinos give in A LOT easier than the sellers in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong they would lower the price, but not until you were actually walking out of the store and they would chase you down or hold onto you until you bought. Here I would merely look like I was going to set the item down or turn slightly to the door and they would lower the price! Even if I was going to buy it anyway. Lady Hiva bought a new hand bag that was originally priced PHP2000 (USD $46) for PHP800 (USD $18) because every time she looked at me for approval that it looked good with her skin tone or hair color, the saleslady mistook the non-verbal gesture as Hiva asking for approval to spend the money and would lower the price!

Hiva found some great snacks of course, her favorite being fried dough into a cylinder and filled with chocolate ice cream. We ate dinner at California Pizza Kitchen--yes, I know, that is not very exotic, but after a day of chaotic shopping, it was nice to sit in a quiet place with a clean bathroom for a few minutes while we regrouped.

We finished the night off at Mall of Asia, close to our house. Every Friday and Saturday they have fireworks over Manila bay. We got there early and watched everyone coming and going on the boardwalk until the firework show started. When it did, we suddenly found that they were being let off directly OVER OUR HEADS! It is a bit shocking at first, the noise is so loud it pops your eardrums and the small burning cinders look like they will land on your head before they cool! It is something that I guess you take for granted in the States with safety restrictions that makes you stand so far away from the explosions--it added a whole new dimension of adrenaline to the show though!

The thing that impressed me the most about the malls here in Manila is that they have chapels in all of them. Yes, I said chapels. At first I mistakenly thought there was a store called "Chapel" because all the mall directories listed it. But mall after mall this week I was shocked to realize it is a real chapel with Mass! Incredibly convenient I guess to have Mass in the mall and you can get your shopping done after...