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Saturday, June 11, 2016

It’s Indeed A Lot More Fun In The Philippines...

Despite being extremely busy with meetings in Manila through the last few days, it has indeed been a fun trip so far.
Getting through the horrendous traffic in the city once again taught me the virtues of patience, that I had almost forgotten in Songdo. And then interacting with local people, right from hotel staff to the taxi drivers to my counterparts over here was a breeze - not only do they speak English (which was a big wow factor for me, coming from Korea) but they were all happy and content in their own way, and that had a rub-off effect on me.
And then Neeti flew in on Wednesday night, for three days of sightseeing in the countryside around Manila. So it was through Neeti's camera I explored the countryside, despite being busy in the city!


The Taal crater volcano lake at Tagaytay...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


The lush countryside is a far cry from the maddening rush and energetic pace of Metro Manila...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


Pineapple country...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


I loved this sight and I wished I was there...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


The jeepney factory...
(Photo credits: Neeti)



A jeepney model...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


And my joy knew no bounds when Neeti got back a bag of mangoes from Tagaytay...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


This aptly describes the Filipinos...


Chilling out at the hotel was fun...


And with lots of good music, the 1980s kind of music that Neeti and I grew up listening, a welcome change from K-pop!


And the next pit-stop for Neeti was Corregidor Island, which is located at the entrance of Manila Bay. Due to this location, Corregidor was historically a strategic military location to defend the entrance of Manila Bay and Manila from attacks by enemy warships in the event of war...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


During the Second World War, Corregidor was heavily bombarded and the ruins on the island have been made into memorials...
(Photo credits: Neeti)


While Neeti was away in Corregidor, I was in Makati for some meetings. And this time I was taking no chances with the traffic, I started two hours before my appointment but reached in 30 minutes, flat. And that was a good opportunity to have a hot cuppa, a cup of English Breakfast tea...


With the Independence Day on Sunday, the streets of Makati are decked up. Bright Filipino flags are every where...


And a local dress competition at this office in Makati to celebrate the Philippines independence day. It was more like a carnival! Who wouldn't love the Philippines for this?


Time for some retail therapy...
And I was surprised to this shirt was marked "Made in India"...
It's a pleasure to shop in the Philippines. Not only are the prices reasonable but sizes appropriate for us Indians are available here - that made me realise that the Koreans are indeed tiny!!!!


And time for some pampering for Neeti and me - a relaxing foot massage! It’s Indeed A Lot More Fun In The Philippines...

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