Friends from Phildata

Visited Manila in June. I was there in business and for a Linux Conference (I was a guest speaker). Did not have much free time, but had a chance to experience Manila and the Filipino hospitality.

The trip was extremely rich in experiences and I brought good memories and new friendships.

But Manila is not for the unseasoned explorer...

The first shock is the heat and humidity. I arrived the day after Typhoon Maggie, so there was still some flooded areas. I also saw what I think was the most torrential rain shower I've ever seen.

As soon as you hit the streets, you notice the Jeepneys. They are Jeep's the military left at the end of WW2 and became the main public transportation in Manila. Today, painted in colorful patterns (and manufactured for this specific function), they fill the streets and and carry people from one place to another.

The city reminds me of the places where I grew up in Sao Paulo city. The same chaotic traffic, the poor suburbs, the same problems, same social contrasts. It was not very comforting to leave one of the nicest hotels in town and see how different is life outside.

But you forget the problems when you get to meet the people. Filipinos are friendly, warm, and manage to live and enjoy life despite all the difficulties. I identified with the mix "Asian+Spanish" because of my Brazilian-Japanese heritage. Almost everybody speaks and understands English, they are mostly Catholic.

Makati City is the business district. Shops carry the latest and greatest fashion direct from Paris and Milan. Here is where the business travelers stay.

The food is not Asian (it's not spicy, it is not soy sauce based). Similar to what I tried in Hawaii, with some Spanish influence. I had two particularly memorable meals, one at a out-in-the- pier restaurant and the other in a restaurant where all the waiters (and the cooks) sing folk Filipino music non-stop.

I stayed there for a whole week in contact with our distributor and had the opportunity to meet and interact with people, which is not very common in business trips.

Visited some of the downtown touristy sites. Went out for dinner and bar hopping one night with my newfound friends (not a "taking tourist to see the city" thing).

Walked a lot inside shopping malls (the Manila weekend program).

Wanted to have more time to explore more...

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