Philippines Holiday 4
DAMPA ~
Has a wide range of seafood, it had a market in front of the restaurants that would cook the food for you. In the philippines this is very possible. It was fun walking around there, lol a lot of people offering me fish saying "this maam, very good for pretty girls" oh really? since when did fish have connection with being physically attractive? ANyway we were walking around and we had our driver walking behind us, and we stopped, then we were about to walk off when we looked at our driver and a gay guy was talking to him, this gay guy looked like a lady, i kid you not, he had long hair, skinny jeans and a well fitted top. "Maam, he's courting me ah, why is he like that?" lol. I must have laughed so much just walking along the single isle of that market. There were so many of them women looking men, and they were very friendly and funny! They joke a lot.
Then we went to the restaurant, and boy i ate a lot! A LOT. That the tube top seemed like it wasn't a good idea that night. But i tried to keep my cool as i walked in my 3 inch high stilletos. Boy i love those heels, but their not mine, it's my mums. LOL. I only buy chucks, that's about it. LOL.
BAGABERDE
Green flame as it would be translated. Is a place where live bands play, we went after we went to eat at Dampa. We had a few drinks. It's a good place! a lot of people you get to chill, relax and just watch the band play. Little did i know what the reason was that my mum took us there. "FAT SESSION" the band, was very good, the ladies had lovely voices and so did the man. They called me up on stage and i refused to go up, it didn't help that everyone in my table was pushing me off my chair, and some that were across from me were just looking at the singers while pointing their fingers at me. I dID NOT LIKE THIS!!!! lol. There were so many people. ANyway...they let me go this time and kept singing some songs, did some jokes it was very entertaining, then they did it again, called out my name, and b y this time, i had the instinct that i wasn't going to get away with it anymore. LOL. And yes, i was right... The male singer got off stage and held my hand to go up the stage. JESUS CHRIST. My heart was thumping, and i couldn't stop giggling. I knew i wasn't going to sing right, i knew they were better and it would just be too embarassing! There i was up on stage with every eye on me. EVERY DARN FUCKING PEOPLE looking at me like i had the answer to living life. "NO NO" i thought to myself. "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST i cant believe im doing this", as i grabbed the microphone they gave me. "OMG im going to faint" i thought, as i stared again amongst the crown. I couldn't say no...not now. There's no escaping this...like that time i got a belly piercing that ive always wanted, and when i saw how fat the needle was...there i was giggling away. I was giggling on stage, my mum said.. i was giggling too much that my eyes werent visible. LOL. She also said she had never seen me so pale. My knee caps were jumping up and down, i wish i was that excited as them. -_- They asked me questions for a while, then bagged my aussie accent. LOL. The music played. "i can't believe im doing this.." it kept playing, i looked at my table and let out the words "i hate you!" Then... a familiar voice came out.. it sounded nervous but it was okay. OMG. i sucked.... -_- hmmph. but it was fun! lol.
Here are the photos of that night!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57159&id=732331044http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57567&id=732331044
Philippines Holiday 3
Philippines – Food & Hot Weather ~I’ve never appreciate my shower sessions ever so much before. Every drip of water that has contact with my body every second is somehow appreciated. Somehow the problem and the worry about not having hot water seems like it doesn’t matter here. Regardless of the fact that it is the rainy season here, it doesn’t add any sort of coolness. Somehow it is just wet and humid which is even worse than just a regular hot day.
All that doesn’t matter though, it’s all part of the excitement! I’ve been eating none stop everyday in the Philippines like the water from my shower I cherish the food too. Although it is weird, having KFC chicken with rice I still ate it, watching lily having chicken with spaghetti is even more odd, but she said it was good. I also love my all time boyfriend Jolibee, he doesn’t seem to mind that I cheat on him with Ronald McDonald. He, my little stinging friend, has weird food yet very yummy! It’s really funny how most of their food has Jolly written before each meal. Jolly hotdog, Jolly Spaghetti lol!
There’s also the famous dishes like sinigang, batchoy, palabok, adobo…from different restaurants.. mMmMmmm.
Congo Grille ~Congo Grille, is famous for it’s Filipino food, efficiency and hospitality. We ordered ‘beer day’ as what it’s called. A waiter nervously comes up towards me and had given me the receipt and according to him, for the purpose of the promo, I am entitled to fill out the receipt with details for further promo crap. I thought “oh okay cool free beer one day!” so I trusted this and obviously filled it out.
The next day I received two text messages from two different waiters of congo grille. With this idiotic act they clarified that they were waiters working there, even mentioned their names. I felt so violated, it may seem shallow but this is infringing my privacy! It is a very petty act. It is a very stupid way of getting my number. I was furious! And then I calmed down and complained to the branch of the restaurant explaining my point of view, in a calm and reasonable tone. I do not wish for them to be fired, I just informed the restaurant of their action to avoid doing this with other customers. Aggghh.
The messages weren’t even sweet or smooth or anything! “hello po.. how are you?, Im *TOOT* from congro grille the tall waiter, you know na?” -_- pick which language you want to speak man! What does he expect me reply? “ay, no I don’t know you eh, who ikaw ba? Hindi me know you.” *asian accent* -_- seriously? I tried calling him the first time to know who he was, he was too chicken to even answer his phone. The second time he answers it then hangs up. Very brave move… I see progress here. He doesn’t seem to know the concept of conversing. “hello gerlee how are you na?” another number said. -_- ><’ “hi, boyee, Im okay lang, how is you na?” maybe I should have said that. Lol.
Karaoke ~I am officially 99% good of a singer according to timezone. LOL! They have Karaoke in timezone! LOL! HAHA. It’s hilarious they have their own little cubicle sort of thing/ room. With a limit of four people only. HEHE. It was embarrassing as the walls were glass -_- everyone was staring at my tonsils isn’t that great? LOL.
Philippines Holiday 2
Danielle’s 6th Birthday ~
I got to sit at the grownup table. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be when I was little. I still am little, but you get what I mean. They talk about the most random things that it’s hilarious. You’d think they would talk about productive things you’d learn from, conversation with full intellect. I guess their just like us teenagers just all grown up. With jobs and families. I wonder if one day someone would think I was hilarious too, I mean I would think I’m hilarious. LOL. Danielle was so happy that it was very touching to see my little sister tear up with joy. It’s amazing how shallow their happiness is, I wish I was a kid again. If I was a kid, simple things like bubbles would excite me, what’s up with it anyway? Popping bubbles is just overrated, you don’t benefit from it. I guess growing up you want more, want more things that you don’t even need. Then again a simple gesture of showing love and care worked for my family, my sister was happy and that made us happy. Until all the other little girls pulled out their Nintendo DS and Danielle’s DS was enjoying itself charging at home. So Danielle sat there, feeling out of place, walked out of the restaurant and cried. Meanwhile, me and my aunt Bambi, along with Lily, planned a little *gmik as they would call it.
Ascend Club ~
I didn’t think it was a club but sadly it was, I hate clubs. To me clubs had a lot of sleazy guys that looked absolutely disgusting. It’s hot and in no position to have to ability of confabulating. To be able to sit at a table we had to order a bottle, we ordered Absolut Rasberry, it was yummy! Haha. At first I was hesitant to dance, I thought that it was too embarrassing. God. And then there it was, my song, it played! “Shorty had them apple bottom jeans” and there was that electric shock that run all around my hips, as it subconsciously elevated itself from the comfortable half donut shaped seat. “boots with the fur, and the whole club was looking at her” god damn, by this time I was dancing. I got tipsy this night but not drunk. I was too worried about my mum’s friend and my auntie. So yes I tried staying sober.
I wasn’t wrong about what I said, after that whole dance I pulled off, a guy in the top hat, was eying me and slowly made his way, as I sat down, I saw from the corner of my eye that he pulled away. Not long after, as I came back from the restroom, he was there sitting at our table, introducing his way around the table, he said his name, but hmm.. I don’t remember. Another guy, in the red, ‘shrek’ we called him, was dancing disgustingly behind my auntie, I pulled my auntie towards me as he was looking at her ass while he was dancing behind her. He tried sitting there, but since they weren’t allowed the waiters told them to go away. I felt so important lol. There was a bouncer next to our table and 2 waiters just blocking the way to get in, so that no one sat there. Everyone whispered, pretending that they weren’t talking about our table, jesus Christ women! Is this 5th grade? Hmm.. the whole look at me and then look away and then look again and then whisper to a friend, then friend looks. Yeah.. very smooth guys. I was dancing, and then a waiter made a move to grab an empty can of Sprite, and then I burnt him with my cigarette. Poor guy, I think I annoyed him by apologizing more than necessary. I was embarrassed!
It was something different, the ability to smoke inside and drink, it was good at the same time bad, because everyone seems to be a smoker in the Philippines, maybe is because the cigarettes are cheap, its around 30 pesos per deck, that’s barely an Australian dollar!
After that we went home. I prefer pubs, I like to sit down drink, and talk, until I get drunk. LOL. I like learning new things from people, you learn new things everyday from just a simple conversation. Seriously if we didn’t leave that place I would have gotten a seizure from the lights.
Frustration ~
Have you ever wanted something so bad that you can’t get it!? Well I’m in that state. I want to shop, I see things I want to buy but my parents won’t give me money to shop lol! There are also other things that frustrate me. Oh well, that’s life, nothing always goes your way.
My best friend here in the Philippines just arrived from her vacation in America yesterday, and I haven’t seen her. L She told me she’d come see me but she hasn’t! Huhu. It’s frustrating.
I also miss people in Australia, but I also want to be here because I like spending time with my Family ,then again, another frustration!
Philippines Holiday 2
Danielle’s 6th Birthday ~
I got to sit at the grownup table. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be when I was little. I still am little, but you get what I mean. They talk about the most random things that it’s hilarious. You’d think they would talk about productive things you’d learn from, conversation with full intellect. I guess their just like us teenagers just all grown up. With jobs and families. I wonder if one day someone would think I was hilarious too, I mean I would think I’m hilarious. LOL. Danielle was so happy that it was very touching to see my little sister tear up with joy. It’s amazing how shallow their happiness is, I wish I was a kid again. If I was a kid, simple things like bubbles would excite me, what’s up with it anyway? Popping bubbles is just overrated, you don’t benefit from it. I guess growing up you want more, want more things that you don’t even need. Then again a simple gesture of showing love and care worked for my family, my sister was happy and that made us happy. Until all the other little girls pulled out their Nintendo DS and Danielle’s DS was enjoying itself charging at home. So Danielle sat there, feeling out of place, walked out of the restaurant and cried. Meanwhile, me and my aunt Bambi, along with Lily, planned a little *gmik as they would call it.
Ascend Club ~
I didn’t think it was a club but sadly it was, I hate clubs. To me clubs had a lot of sleazy guys that looked absolutely disgusting. It’s hot and in no position to have to ability of confabulating. To be able to sit at a table we had to order a bottle, we ordered Absolut Rasberry, it was yummy! Haha. At first I was hesitant to dance, I thought that it was too embarrassing. God. And then there it was, my song, it played! “Shorty had them apple bottom jeans” and there was that electric shock that run all around my hips, as it subconsciously elevated itself from the comfortable half donut shaped seat. “boots with the fur, and the whole club was looking at her” god damn, by this time I was dancing. I got tipsy this night but not drunk. I was too worried about my mum’s friend and my auntie. So yes I tried staying sober.
I wasn’t wrong about what I said, after that whole dance I pulled off, a guy in the top hat, was eying me and slowly made his way, as I sat down, I saw from the corner of my eye that he pulled away. Not long after, as I came back from the restroom, he was there sitting at our table, introducing his way around the table, he said his name, but hmm.. I don’t remember. Another guy, in the red, ‘shrek’ we called him, was dancing disgustingly behind my auntie, I pulled my auntie towards me as he was looking at her ass while he was dancing behind her. He tried sitting there, but since they weren’t allowed the waiters told them to go away. I felt so important lol. There was a bouncer next to our table and 2 waiters just blocking the way to get in, so that no one sat there. Everyone whispered, pretending that they weren’t talking about our table, jesus Christ women! Is this 5th grade? Hmm.. the whole look at me and then look away and then look again and then whisper to a friend, then friend looks. Yeah.. very smooth guys. I was dancing, and then a waiter made a move to grab an empty can of Sprite, and then I burnt him with my cigarette. Poor guy, I think I annoyed him by apologizing more than necessary. I was embarrassed!
It was something different, the ability to smoke inside and drink, it was good at the same time bad, because everyone seems to be a smoker in the Philippines, maybe is because the cigarettes are cheap, its around 30 pesos per deck, that’s barely an Australian dollar!
After that we went home. I prefer pubs, I like to sit down drink, and talk, until I get drunk. LOL. I like learning new things from people, you learn new things everyday from just a simple conversation. Seriously if we didn’t leave that place I would have gotten a seizure from the lights.
Frustration ~
Have you ever wanted something so bad that you can’t get it!? Well I’m in that state. I want to shop, I see things I want to buy but my parents won’t give me money to shop lol! There are also other things that frustrate me. Oh well, that’s life, nothing always goes your way.
My best friend here in the Philippines just arrived from her vacation in America yesterday, and I haven’t seen her. L She told me she’d come see me but she hasn’t! Huhu. It’s frustrating.
I also miss people in Australia, but I also want to be here because I like spending time with my Family ,then again, another frustration!
Philippines Holiday
Trip to Manila ~
Arriving here with such familiarity in my hands made me happy. It didn't feel like i was home, but it felt like it was still a part of me, and that was such a wonderful feeling. A lot of urges came through me, what was the first dish i was going to eat?! When do i start drinking? Isaw? Barbeque?! It was all too exciting, so as i walked up to the immigration lady, with her grumpy face, i took in a deep breath and whispered i can do this. "Hello, how are yah?" i said with my Australian accent. "Great, just great.." i thought to myself as I was so sure that the words were going to come out in Filipino and yet it came out in English. "hmmrmph" she replied with no sense of welcoming tone at all. Maybe it was because i was down at the 'visitors' line not at the 'balikbayan' (home coming sort of thing) line.
The most scary part that happened to me on the plane on the way to Manila was that a man was in front of me. He was a bit intoxicated the time he started talking to me and Lily. He talked about random crap, it was funny you know, it was good, i loved socializing. "oh crap" i though to myself as I revealed an information every middle aged man wanted to know: 18, alone in Melbourne, visiting parents in the Philippines. Just great Alyssa you and your bloody big mouth. So he continues talking asking me for my number, he hesitates and then continues to talk about a lady in Melbourne that could take care of me, well i thought that's nice, maybe i could talk to her if ever i needed help or something, but then i thought, hmm, i have my mums friends there that can be trusted, like the man from the filipino store, and norm. So he said he'll give me her number instead of getting my number so that i don't get the wrong idea. Yeah right. Sleaze. We stopped talking, he starts talking to the man next to him. This Filipino man looked tiny compared to this man, he was offering to help him, but the man starts screaming at him with rage, anger… furious as he is, he complained that the Filipino man fiddled with his phone, *configuring* with his phone, he looked like he was hiding something or guilty of something, why else would he be so defensive. He demanded for the Filipino man’s passport details. The man kindly replied “Why? I did nothing, I was just trying to help you” now to me that is very polite, although he had fear in his eyes, he made it very convincing that he was calm and that he wasn’t guilty of anything, this probably made the other man even. By this time we were all standing getting our bags, waiting for the exit doors to open on the plane, man… still yelling at the filipino man. As I walked pass them, the Filipino man attempted to walk out ( he was sitting in the window seat, therefore trapped as the intoxicated angry ugly man was sitting on the isle seat – 2 seated ) The drunk man stood up and as I turned my head towards them, I saw the Filipino man helpless with his arms up, covering his face with his sling bag, and the tall angry man hitting him. I quickly ran to one of the steward man. I don’t know what you call them, and told them a man needed help as he was attacked by a drunk man. I’ve never had that happen to me on the plane before and it was just all too scary, as we were sitting right behind him.
Arrival ~
Arrived at Manila, felt the heat right away, as I walked out of the airport. Heat, noise, the smell was just different, it wasn’t disgusting, it was different and familiar, an I loved it. Loved every bit of my existence there at that moment. I walked out with a smile on my face, as a man with a broom said “Merry Christmas Maam” One of the thing I loved about the Philippines. They have so much faith in everything, regardless of how hard their life could be, and it’s inspiring. I wish I was like that. With so much faith. Maybe it could be because that they have limited knowledge about god and alll other things that they believe in it fully, whereas I cannot, I have y doubts and yet sometimes I still do choose to believe. Just not that much faith. So then I grabbed a cigarette, and quickly lit one, looking up at the roof above me, thinking “If this was Australia I would have gotten a fine” I was loving it even more. Sydney didn’t have one smoking area. NOT EVEN ONE TINY ONE. So I had to bare that for 10 hours.. So then I walked down the very steep ramp trying to help lily with the trolly that had a mind of it’s own and went down to “w” –Watt, my dad’s last name.
Our car was a monster, it was absolutely huge, that I wondered if at night it transformed and ate people. The traffic was hilarious, the 2 lanes became 4 or 3. I wonder what people think about their driving. It’s just plain stupid. When you indicate people behind you speed up, why? It won’t make a different because we’ll all get there anyway. I just don’t get it. I had my eye on the buses though, they were creeping the shit out of me, god it was horrible! I though it was going to break with screws flying everywhere ( I have a vivid imagination - damn cartoons! ) but I made it home safe without choking in one of the screws.
Our house didn’t surprise me, our life in the Philippines is completely different. Although my life in Australia is absolutely wonderful, in the Philippines everything was just even more upsized. Can thing get anymore bigger? God. I loved the fact that the house had a pool, didn’t love the fact that the trees were covering the pool therefore making the pool freezing. I have only gone in it once since I got here.
We went to TGI Fridays and had my first legal beer in the Philippines! Haha. (not counting the years I spent here drinking red horse and san mig light. But that wasn’t legal. haha).
Christmas Shopping ~
On the 24th of December we went Christmas shopping, god that was horrible! We went to this big ass super mall “market market” in the fort, yes im a cheapy I like to buy cheap clothes that look decent. SO what?! Haha. They have good shops there too! Well anyway, I went in the area that was like “pipeworks” in Australia. It was fun everything was so cheap. HAhaha. It was hard at first because they’ll be like “250 maam” in my head im like “a-wah?? 250 bucks for that? Ehhh?” and then I realize its in pesos. So then we spent the whole day trying to look for presents and it took ages because we didn’t know where things were which made it hard for me. I went in to converse to buy my dad some cool shoes. Hahaha. Yeah, I had this argument with the lady, she didn’t seem to know the system of converse shoes -_- At first I acted all cool speaking in tagalog, and then she frustrated the shit out of me, that it was too hard to speak tagalog, because I had to carefully think about each word to use and how to construct it into a proper sentence, all this in a short second aryt. SO yes, my bad, I started speaking english. I felt so bad afterwards I must have sounded intimidating and demeaning. But that wasn’t my intention, so after that I kindly apologized and used the heat as an excuse, well it was part of it, but of it her.
Christmas ~
I love Christmas, seeing people smile with excitement as they see their names of the tags of the presents is wonderful, especially when it’s from you. I think that all little things matter, it’s always the thought that counts. And with my family, it think that matters.
Danielle, my little sister, had her own little tree. Around it were a lot of presents! More than what we had on our big tree, the presents that were supposed to be for everyone. Lol. SO then Lily was the first to open her present, from Danielle. It was a Philippine Jeepney! Haha! She loved it! I can’t enumerate everyone’s presents because that would take yonks. But, it was great, and oh my dad’s present, from me and lil, the converse, he loved it! Haha it was so cute!
Boracay ~
It was the funniest shit. The plane was so small! It was scary but the flight went smoothly. I can’t say much about Boracay, so many things happened. But digging my feet into the powder like white sand was so nice. This wasn’t the first time I went there, and yet every single time i went.. it was like my first time. Sitting there sipping on my beer watching the sun set was a wonderful feeling. Things like this, regardless of it being so normal, I still appreciate it. When you come to think of it, the beautiful things in life are taken for granted. I think about the many years that took for such beauty to exist. Boracay was still very beautiful, when I was there when I was 7 the very first time I came, it was less crowded, less building, everything was just beautifu and now there’s a lot of concrete. It became a tiny Manila.
Its sad that the beauty of the resources is ruined just for the convenience of people. My parents were awesome, they took us to go snorkling, and lily never did that before. Seeing her happy, it was like an achievement to me. It was great! It was also great to go on the “we found him!” boat that was painted like a clown fish “NEMO” in the movie “finding nemo” lol. It was glass bottom boat, it was a good experience to see all different fishes. I was going to pass on the snorlking but one of the guys on the boat was like “snorkling maam?” im like “nah.. ill pass, can’t be bothered” he goes “or are you scared?” Was he serious? Me, the water baby, and the beach bum? So I took my denim shorts off, my green sunnies, green top…flaunted my new belly piercing I bought for 500 pesos that had the dangly diamonds reflecting light from the sun. Grabbed a snorkel and dove in the water, I then bounced up into the surface and gave him a smirk, as I looked at everyone with a life jacket.
I tried going under water to get the star fish, the problem with snorkels is that because its blocking your nose, it makes your ears very painful when you dive under the water. So I didn’t want to do it. Lol.
Almost everyone had an underwater camera, it made me very conscious. I wondered of how many people that accidentally took a picture of my ass? Yeah… I wonder. Eww. My ass. ><” great.
We went back on the 31st. Everything was so busy.
Newyears ~
My dad’s idea of the fireworks is that you buy a few to intimated other houses in the Philippines and because they want to prove that they have better fireworks and more money, they’ll buy all they can get. So my dad doesn’t bother. We enjoyed watching the neighbours’ fireworks it was great. You don’t get to see that around Williamstown randomly you now? LOL.
I laid on the pavement and watched the fireworks.
As i heard my mum say "that's it. they burnt all their money" and it made me laugh. No wonder why they didn't buy so much. LOL.
