i think the translation for filipino is frogger

(from my PI trip in early january, entry 1 of 3)

we have arrived... in the city!

i can't tell if i can't see outside because of my dried contacts or because of the clouds or if it's pollution. at the airport, we arrived to a massive filipino welcome party. by the time we reached the suite in metro manilla, my shirt was drenched from the wet flower leis. being in the largest archipelago in the world, i can already feel the tropics, especially with the tradition of the aromatic leis, daily fiestas, banyan trees and, of course, the humid climate.

the drive to masantol from manila showed us various styles of living here, from large private palaces to aluminum shacks, dilapidated buildings and houses on stilts. they all share a city block with large billboards and high voltage towers. on every building an advertisement, even in the poorest of places, seeming to improve the quality of life if you only used this toothpaste, listened to that radio station, wore this brand of whatever, and so on as long as you were branded.

chillin in the lounge area at the hotel, i've noticed already that they don't follow the book and play more than just the singles over here. instead, they play whatever they like from the whole album and more. i appreciate their love for music and appreciate even greater sharing heritage to this beautiful region.

close our hotel is one of the major bus stations, the philippines' equivalent to the gare saint-lazare, with the city signs in a row spanning about two or three blocks. the most popular photograph for all to see is the "jeepney", they're the equivalent of city buses though they have a psychedelic low-rider school bus quality about them. each one is handmade and decorated with air-brush artwork, words of religious wisdom and welcome aboard features, perfect for those easy climbs into the rear for an almost free ride to the other side of town.

there are malls in every direction, each climbing 5 or 6 story high. apparently, the thing to do here is "malling". as i'd predicted, we all spent a good amount of time at the local malls and markets. now we're all blingin with the best in season, sporting the new rolexes, louis bags and knock-off dvds. consumerism is contagious.

manilla is just like any other typical asian metropolis: honking is another language that requires considerable deciphering, the blocks are filled with bodega boutiques and pansit-erias, and the streets are paved with pedestrians who refuse the right of way at all intersections. seriously, crossing a street is like playing a game of frogger. despite being filipino, we are still constantly being stared at up and down. the fams say it's because we're beautiful. i think it's because we have a big fat, imaginary name tag that says AMERICAN.