To start off, we left Taipei at around 2 AM on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning after a slight aircraft delay. We arrived in Manila at around 4 AM local time, were able to go through customs and immigration with very few issues, and then waited at the terminal to be picked up by my relatives. After chilling at the airport for about a half hour, I saw my Tita and Ate Loren and after a few introductions, we headed off to our van. After stopping off at the Pancake House along the expressway, where we had a delicious breakfast of pancakes and waffles, we proceeded to travel to Zambales, where a beautiful beach awaited us. After our first of many delicious Filipino meals, we decided to go out for a swim. While my cousins thought we were crazy for going out into the sun when it was at it's hottest, but we went swimming anyway and boy, was it refreshing. So worth burning the bottom of our feet on the scalding hot sand.
My wonderful Lola Sebring. Still as strong and smart as ever :]
The next day, we woke up (somewhat early), had Jollibee for breakfast, and drove back up north past Manila into Batangas. On the way, we stopped at the shrine for the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal. We also went up along a mountain and took pictures at a nearby Boy Scouts of the Philippines camp; it was pretty cool and definitely made me think of my brothers. We went onto a family friend's beach/mountainside house which itself was gorgeous and had a spectacular view of the sunrise/sunset across the ocean and mountains. That night we had some fun out on the patio; it gave my cousins and I a chance to catch up and re-bond after the last ten years. Words can't express how good it felt to be with them again; it felt like we were the same people we were 10 years ago, just with a few more experiences under our belts :]. We talked, played cards, drank (fun juice for them, plain pineapple juice for me :]) and just enjoyed one another's company. It also made me realize how well my friends got along with my cousins, making the night that much more memorable.
The next morning, we went to a beachside resort near the house and pretty much spent the day there, alternating between swimming in the ocean, the swimming pool, and resting in the shade. Quite a relaxing day. Later that afternoon, we headed into Manila to a Holiday Inn and rested our burnt/tanned selves for the night. *Now I might not have mentioned it yet, but we did a lot of driving while we were there. Like a lot. Well I guess we ourselves didn't drive, but still, sitting in the car for hours at a time got exhausting too. Although it was kinda nice because it gave us a chance to catch up on much needed sleep lol *
On Saturday, our last day there, our schedule was packed. After grabbing breakfast, we toured around the universities in the Manila area; lucky for us, most of them were within a 10 minute drive of one another. After our tours, we headed to SM Mall of Asia, the biggest mall in the Philippines where we spent the remainder of our time shopping after lunch at Pizza Hut. We shopped for a few hours- the girls with Lorna and the guys with my Ate Loren, and we met up for a last dinner before heading to the airport. This was also our first of several goodbyes. Luckily, we arrived at the airport at around the same time so we were able to take pictures and say goodbye again. We checked in for our flight and talked to my Tita and Ate Loren for a few more minutes before finally saying goodbye. Luckily, our flight was running on time, giving us just enough time to explore the terminal and relax for a bit before heading back to good 'ole Taipei.
Words simply cannot express my gratitude to my family for all of their generosity and hospitality throughout our stay. My friends and I had such a great time exploring the different aspects of Filipino culture. Our reunion was a much needed one- 10 years is way to long to go without seeing family. If they're reading this, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my group of friends for opening their minds and hearts to my family and heritage and to my family for embracing us with love and kindness. This truly was a trip that I will never forget.
Aaaaahhhh! I FINALLY found your blog address. You look like you're having so much fun! How awesome! (let's see how many times I can use an exclamation point...) Honestly though, what a neat experience. Now that I have your blog address I will be checking up on you. Email me your mailing address too sometime =)
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