Bulletin 206-Mike in Philippines Part I

October finds your humble correspondent on a two week visit to Vincent at his family home in Quezon City one of the cities in Metro Manila. I had a mercifully easy 19 hour flight from JFK via Tokyo to get here and have had a wonderful adventure getting to see his country for the first time.

Mealtime at Vincent’s is prepared by Alma who has been the family housekeeper since before Vincent was born. She is a wonderful cook, and when things are quiet, will slip a plate of some new Filipino delight before me to try. Alma and her daughter Althea are considered to be members of the family and have joined us on many outings.

To get from place to place we are driven by the family driver who actually is a family member, a cousin named Des-Des. One look at the main drag into Manila—which is at times 6 lanes wide and filled with cars, busses, scooter, people on bike, people standing in the middle of the traffic trying to sell things—and you can see why it is wise to have a driver.

Our second night found us at a five star hotel and a birthday bash thrown by Vincent’s rather well to do in-laws. Vincent’s twin brother is named Victor, and Victor’s mother-in-law “Tita” Fely threw the birthday bash for Vincent’s 7 year old niece Keisha It was an event that could make a Wall Street Hedge fund manager blush.

The gala included Hello Kitty characters, a magician, famous Filipino actors and actresses, an elegant buffet dinner and more balloons, gifts, and pomp than I had ever quite witnessed in one place.

Happily Keisha, who underwent no less than three designer dress costume changes during the course of the four plus hour evening, seems to have come through it all with good grace.

She and her younger sister Sophie Bella seemed to have just as good a time the next night when most of Vincent’s family took me to a local restaurant in Global City in an old fort that is now a new mall.

As an aside, Starbucks and Gap’s presence here nearly rivals that of New York's UWS.

Monday found us headed to Tagaytay and the Taal Volcano. It was a day spent in the countryside, on the water and the backs of mule like horses.

This particular volcano is nested in a thousand foot deep lake inside another volcano, so first you

travel by boat toget to the base of Taal.

Next, a guide leads you on horseback, up narrow, rocky trails.

Sometimes the guide is on foot, then the next thing you know they inquire, “together?” and before you can answer they have hopped on the back of the horse and are now urging it double time up the volcano.

It is a beautiful spot and well worth the ride both up and down

Afterwards we headed to a restaurant Vincent and his mom found called Sonya's Garden that specializes in dishes prepared from vegetables grown on the property.

It is lovely restaurant, hotel and Spa that Matty, Nicolle and Ben

(the Vegan wing of the Longman family) would most enjoy.

Next Vincent had a surprise in store that would have delighted my step-mom Karlene—a stop at the spa which is attached the restaurant’s garden where Vincent treated the family and your humble reporter to a massage—good move, as it greatly reduced the impact of saddle sores.

And so that pretty much gets you up to speed with my first four days in the Philippines. In addition to showing me around to his favorite spots, Vincent is also making sure I partake of

some of the best local bargains, like a trip to the dentist where you can get your teeth cleaned with the utmost care for 500 Pesos, or about 11 dollars. Before the gala he also took me for a relaxing oxygen facial, so I would look my best for introduction to the extended family. For the inquiring mind that runs about 25 dollars in this part of the world.