Archive for November 18th, 2009
Hello from Manila!
Mandarin's curious penchant for bladder-shaped pools
Despite heralded as a tropical environment, here I am freeezing in the airport lounge. What is the deal?
Manila, if I can sum it up in one constant theme, is *high security*. Don’t know if I should be flattered or offended to have been given so much attention by security guards! Every single office building checks all my bags and then detains my ID before I can proceed. And let me tell you about the airport, there are two separate lines for men and women at the luggage check. Taking a cue from my ultra-leftist single-sex education, I was instantly offended. I am lucky to live in a world where I don’t experience such odd displays of sexism in the name of security. Oh well! I shall recover my dignity elsewhere!
Even my hotel, the Mandarin, is not spared from such mildly dehumanizing searches! Before entering the hotel my Dior Cannage bag is poked around by a guard with a wooden stick. In my room instead of the usual “welcome fruits”, I find a welcome letter warning against the apparent perils of Manila. The letter begins: “Manila, like any other big city, is not spared from chaos.” Well-put, general manager, well-put. “Like any other big city” — certainly! My caring colleague further warns me against taking anything other than hotel-chartered taxis.
So, scared about the world outside which my GM and colleagues alike have warned me about, I spent most of my time exploring within the hotel, and *way* too much time at the Captain’s Bar (same as the old Mandarin in HK!) By the end of my two-night stay, the waiter instantly recognizes me and shows me to my favorite table. Hehe. The upside to secluding oneself to bastion of safety in a hotel? Achieving instant regular status!!
Thus securely, and freezingly, I conclude my first trip to the Philippines. Not the most enjoyable ever, I concede. Between solving work crises from the distance here and worrying about safety, I had few moments of joy reading Sylvester at the Captain’s Bar!
Here I am off to board. Hoping I will be upgraded again to enjoy lay-flat beds on a two-hour flight. Hahaha. Silly, but enjoyable.
