So this whole trip started because of my cousin Pipo's wedding. Being the fully supportive cousin, I decided to make the flight over...all the while inserting some self-serving fun. Pipo wasn't actually in the country when I first landed so I didn't get to hang out with him (or my cousin Paco for that matter) so when I flew back to Manila we made up for lost time...first by getting a degree for Cameron.
The origins of Cameron the Bear, Bsc. (International Relations)
For those not in the know, Cameron (see the bear on the right of the screen) is my travel buddy. Seriously. He goes on a lot of the trips that I go on to star in the ridiculous photos I'd like to take but not always have the balls to take myself (or more often, there's no one else to take the photo for me). Think the Travelocity Gnome from the Amazing Race or the Gnome from the French film Amelie...only I got him after a tour of the UN headquarters in NYC. (I have mentioned I'm a wee bit of nerd right?) So far he's been to Japan, Hong Kong, Texas, NYC, Calgary and even kicked it in Las Vegas. Naturally, it only seemed fitting after awhile to get him a degree in International Relations.
Avida (spl?): the seedy underbelly of Manila
As part of my full integration into the craziness that is Manila, Pipo thought it would be fun to go to Avida to get me a faux degree from an actual university in Manila. Seeing how I have an aversion to getting arrested, we compromised to get Cameron a degree since you really can't arrest a stuffed piece of fabric made in China.
Anyhow, after having breakfast in Chinatown, we took a Jeepney to Avida and found our lucky degree vendor amongst stalls that were selling "DJ-quality" club remix CD's, old DVD's, strobe lights and pirated Asian porn (did I not mention this was the seedy underbelly??).
The vendor appeared to be in his late teens, early 20's and was all business. Seeing how I had the "funny accent" I kept quiet (shocking!) and let Pipo do the talking to avoid getting scammed. The entire deal talk took about 5 minutes during which he gave Pipo a choice of actual schools based in Manila, choice of degree and even asked if we needed transcripts as well for Cameron . In the end, despite the University of Manila not actually having the degree program, a mere 1-hour later, "Cameron U. Nations" got his degree in International Relations, complete with gold seal and signatures. All for the low price of 400 pesos, or just under $10 bucks Canadian. Damn, and I spent how much over the course of 4-years at York....gah...I kid, I kid...or do I??
****airport break*****
(Note: Ok, so I kind of got hungry and another guy in the internet lounge at the Manila airport kind of creeped me out so I took a break...now I'm in Seoul...)
Shopping: The Filipino Way...extreme-styles
On the same day as Cameron's faux matriculation, Pipo and I went to the Visoria in Manila (the slightly classier underbelly of Manila). The best way you could describe the Visoria is that it's similar to NYC's Canal Street in that you can "authentic" goods here (from "Burberrry" to Guccii). If you're feeling really fancy, you can also get gun ammunition to go with your cheap, yet luxurious table runner.
For better or worse, we decided to go to the Visoria a couple of days before Christmas. Holy. Mass. Chaos. I suppose if you're looking to get gifts on the cheap the Visoria is a good place to go but you're going to have to deal with people darting around unexpectedly as well as sneaky pick pocketers. Also, while I would have the problem in Toronto of not being able to see overtop of people to see where I'm going, here I have the opposite problem - I'm actually tall-ish here and there were a couple of times amidst the madness where I was afraid I'd body check someone to the ground while I was weaving through the crowd. I'm happy to report to say that I did survive the madness, money intact and to my knowledge, there were no casualities left on the floor.
If I could describe the Philippines in one statement, it would be that it is a country of extremes. The shopping situation here is a prime example of this. The day after the Visoria, Pipo, his mom and I went to the Mall of Asia. It is the 3rd largest mall in Asia and is equipped with an Olympic sized skating rink. It wasn't as chaotic as the Visoria, mainly because people where dispersed across a larger area but it still was pretty busy. Situated along Manila Bay, the Mall of Asia is worth the visit. In addition to some touristy things you can see along the Bay, there are a lot of brands from the around globe that haven't even touched North America/Toronto yet (e.g. TopShop, Maldita, NafNaf) and their prices are pretty reasonable. I did some damage here, I'm not going to lie.
If shopping isn't your thing, the Mall of Asia has other things that are pretty cool. Random ice rink aside, similar to other Filipino malls, there are a ridiculous amount of spas and massage places in the mall that are very cheap for North American standards. Since I've been here I've done three facials, two full body massages, two foot spas and got a haircut...and I'm pretty sure I barely broke the $50 CAD mark. (Yes, I'm not a fan of massages but hell, for the price of super-sized value meal at McDonald's, I'll do it!) We've been paying too much in Toronto!
Anyhow, my tummy is grumbling and I want to have my last official meal in Asia (aka the airport). When I recover from the shock of no longer being in 30 degree weather, I'll post "Best of" photos/places to see based on my travels this time around.
*tear* The more you travel, the more you want to do it...Peace out Asia...I miss you already!
xoxo
C
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