Friday, April 20, 2007 Manila By Rene Lizada Papa's Table
WHENEVER I go to Manila I thank that I am from Davao.
About three weeks ago we went to Manila to attend the graduation of Miguel. All four of us packed our things for a brief stay. When my wife asked how long we were going to stay in Manila, I said four days at the most. I have never really liked Manila and as much as possible I avoid going to Manila. The reasons are obvious.
When we arrived a wall of heat hit us. And as I looked around swarms of people were all over the place. It was noisy, hot and crowded.
I looked at the three of them and they were all squinting perhaps due to the noise, heat and crowds. We may have all these in Davao but not at the same time. I called up Miguel to tell him that we had arrived.
We looked for the driver and lucky for us we did not have to wait long. Our driver with his happy face and eager smile was accommodating and hospitable.
We got our things and heaved them to the back of the car and we all plunked into the SUV. One of the kids commented, "kainit uy." The air con was a welcome relief to the heat that was all over the airport.
We started to move but we managed to only inch our way. Traffic was ahead. Not the Davao traffic that we know but the normal Manila traffic that we consider as a major catastrophe in Davao. (I always tell myself after a trip to Manila that I shall never complain about Davao traffic again.)
After three centuries we finally arrive at our hotel. It seemed nice and huge. We settled in. The rooms were standard hotel rooms. I opened the curtains and peered down the heat to the swimming pool. From afar loomed the Mall of Asia. Not now I said.
After settling down we had a quick lunch and off we were.... to bed. Natulog kami noh! We are a family that suffers motion sickness and our plane ride was a little bumpy and so all of us were useless people at this time. So off to bed.
We would have gone to sleep the entire time were it not for the Parent's Night at Cervini. Miguel asked us to be there and so we had to go.
Dinner was at eight and because distance and traffic were concerns we left early. And we spent two hours on the road. Two hours to get to the Ateneo. Sheesh! Two hours. We had barely recovered from our motion sickness and here we were again being given another dose of it.
Miguel called us because he wanted to find how where we were. We replied we were in Lipong Land. Nalipong sa traffic. The vehicles were endless, the taillights looked like allergies sprouting. Everywhere we turned there were cars, people, buildings and more vehicles.
Finally we are arrived. The eagle in the Blue Eagle gym looked like a maya. Finally we got to Cervini. We stepped out of the car with wobbly feet and dancing eyes. Miguel was waiting for us. He smiled and we smiled back. We were led to the Recreation Room I think.
Some parents were there together with their kids. We had a short dinner that lasted over an hour and it was time to leave because the Baccalaureate Mass was going to be at seven thirty in the morning and the graduates had to get their diploma sleep. I sighed once more. We traveled two hours for a one hour dinner. And now we had to go back to the hotel. Haaay.
Before we left we asked to see the room of Miguel. The wife who is a stickler for everything wanted to see if her eldest son had packed his things. So off we went with our weak knees to Migoy's room.
Miguel had not finished packing and the OC wife was about to start but we were all too tired, too dizzy, too zonked and too out of it. And we let it pass. And besides we were going to have to go back to the hotel, which was light years away. So we said goodnight to Migoy and the four of us began our journey back home. Confucius came to mind. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step."
When we got to the hotel I noticed something. I smelled cigarette smoke. In Davao we take for granted the non-smoking policy because we have been used to it but in Manila the pungent sticky smell of cigarette smoke was all over the place.
I would have thought about that more but I was too tired. Too dizzy and too bleary eyed to care. Both Eps and Gabo went to their rooms and my wife and I went into ours.
I do not know how I managed it but I was able to take a bath. After drying up I jumped into bed. I looked at my watch and it was close to midnight.
Great, I thought! We have to be up by five for the mass. And I was in a strange bed and I can barely sleep in a strange bed in a strange room even though the bed was inviting and the comforters were fluffy. But I had to find a way to sleep. I turned to my wife but she was already asleep. I closed my eyes. And surprisingly I slept.
