A Visit to the Big City (Part 1)


We arrived in the big city at 9am, the boss is already waiting for the vehicle that will pick us up from the airport, and my eyes were scanning the big city life, buildings there and everywhere, the racing vehicles and the ever annoying traffic.

It's been a long while that I have not visited Luzon. I spent two years of my life in Pasay while I was 5-6 years old, all the rest of my days were spent in Antique, and when I was in Grade 6, transferred to Koronadal City, in college till now, here in General Santos City.

You see, it has been a long while that I have not seen the progress that's happened in Manila, and I was amazed at the skyscrapers that surrounded me, I felt so small in a world so tall.


Manila, a place many people have longed to visit, longed to live in, and longed to conquer. But when I was there, I was jittery to be back in my comfort zone, Gensan.

True, Manila is a big city, a land of many opportunities for whatever things you'd lay your hands on, but this is not the life for me. I am from the province, and life in the province is different, way way different from the land of tall buildings and heavy traffics and people with different and pretty Smocked Dresses.

I admit, I was culture-shocked. It didn't come as if I never expected what I saw, because it's been in the news, it's just that I never expected it to be that way. The traffic seemed forever and I see people everywhere. I imagined pink, and some places were really pink. Thanks to MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando.


I am just glad that there's one friend who was able to tour me around the city. I saw the situation after the storm, and some rivers stink still because of the flood. Manila, they keep coming back to Manila because of the opportunities, and thank God some dwell for their purpose was achieved, but for me, whose life has been forever in the province, I'd stay where I belong.

I have not conquered Manila really well since my purpose is only to meet writers in Pangasinan and in UP Diliman, I was able to visit Luneta, breathe the air in Tagaytay, passed along Binondo, met with friends in MOA, wanted to ride the caleza, hurdled the siksikan LRT and MRT, walked the kilometers long Tutuban Town Centre, and did some sight-seeing while on the way to Caloocan.

Manila can already be compared to the booming big cities, the like of HongKong and Singapore, but life for me would still be where my heart belongs, General Santos. It's always been my comfort zone, not to mention the fact that in the days I was in Manila, i left my loved ones in Gensan.


Who knows, I might be back soon, hopefully with the hubby and kids, but one thing's for sure, I will keep coming back to where HOME is for me.

Comments

kg said…
tama ka sheng...the countryside is better than the city. lalo na that gen san is your home!

ako i love going to the province, where living is slow paced and relaxed.
witsandnuts said…
In your next visit, I hope I'm there. Yes, traffic in Metro Manila takes forever.
Lito Antoque said…
sanay sanayan lang yan ...but for me i dont like to live in manila too.ang ingay.parang busy lahat...takot ako sa matataas na building...what if kung maglindol?...oh no!

gensan is a safe home for me.apir!
ms firefly said…
i've lived and worked in manila but my heart has always belonged to gensan. no thanks to the typhoon, baha and trapik, not to mention na-holdap yung jeep na nasakyan ko minsan. but i've met wonderful friends there, the reason i can remember manila with so much fondness.
upto6only said…
there is no place like home talaga. pag bumalik ka let me know ulit.
Jeanny said…
Traffic is one reason why I hate Manila, though may MRT and LRT grabe naman pag rush hours feeling mo sardinas ka hahaha!!!!
princess_dyanie said…
"I felt so small in a world so tall" -- naalala ko to nung sinabi mo to nun nagkita tayo sa makati haha :P
Eds said…
sanayan lang yan Sheng. sobrang trapik talaga dito.

sana next visit mo dito mameet na rin kita.
Anonymous said…
that's why i ALWAYS have to go home to pampanga during weekends. :) manila makes you tough... but i don't want to be too tough, stripped of being down-to-earth. ah basta! di tayo nagkita! hmpt-ness! :P
Rico said…
If I had a choice, I'd go back to the province too and live there. I sometimes dream of the day when I could go back to simple living. Manila has it's charm. But at the end of it all, I want some simple and basic things too.
Terribly sorry we missed you when you were here. I'll see what I can do so we can send some baked goodies for you and your family.
ALiNe said…
Yuh, kakainis ang traffic talaga dito
Heart of Rachel said…
Hope you had fun going around the city.

I've been living in Batangas for almost nine years now. I moved here when I got married but until now I miss Manila. I have lived in Manila since I was a child and my heart will always belong there.
escape said…
whoa! finally sheng! you were along the street where i am working. you almost framed it in one of your photos.

nice to know that you still want to return. let me be the host that time.
Lantaw said…
glad you enjoyed your trip here
LOREN said…
My friends in our province preferred to stay there instead sa Manila. They have very same sentiments as yours. Hope you enjoyed your visit here!
Perky said…
I have yet to set foot in Manila but am planning to put that into my calendar next year. It's my dream to visit all the ASEAN countries :)
Oman said…
manila... the land of buildings and malls. nakakalula for promdi like me at di ko pa rin pagpapalit ang countryside. :)
Julianne said…
wow ang dami mo ng napuntahan. Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. Ang saya! Nawindang ka ba sa buhay dito sa Manila? Hehe! ok lang yon. Kami ngang taga Manila nawiwindang din. Pero ganun talaga. Katulad mo, I will still be where my heart belongs.

So musta naman ang pamamasyal? Mukhang enjoy naman mga naging activities mo except sa traffic and usok.

yes, im looking for short course in education. may alam ka? gusto ko sana ung tipong 6months lang. meron bang ganun?

first time ko dito. sensya na medyo mahaba. nasa mood kasi magblog hopping. :)

God bless
I'm always somehow wistful about Manila, maybe because despite all the inefficiencies of a big city, I really loved studying and working there. Hope you get the chance to revisit it!
dyosa said…
Manila has always been my home eversince. I grew up looking at the tall buildings and bracing the everyday traffic. I sometimes envy those people born in the provinces or have relatives in the provinces that they can visit because that's the one thing I lack. That's why whenever I can afford it, I go to provinces/different places to explore. But as what you also mentioned, I will always miss and go back to my home...and that's Manila in my case. :-)

Hope to see you the next time you go to Manila. Sama ako sa inyo ni Dyanie ha. :-)
Reena said…
hi!! hehe. so hindi kayo tumuloy ng pangasinan? the roads were okay naman pala though we had to reroute through Manaoag just to get to Ilocos. Okay narin yung detour namin kasi our other consultants were able to drop by and pray sa Manaoag Cathedral.

Anyway, hmm. I hate manila's traffic. It stresses me a lot. Kaya siguro I prefer living here sa suburbs area in Parañaque kasi it's not very stressful. Kaya nga everytime I have meetings sa Business Districts, I always go home stressed. :)

I also like living in the provinces. Though with my very active mind, I thin kit will bore me to death. hahaha. Ndi ako mapakali when i'm out sa province eh. :D

Hope you enjoyed your adventure in Manila.
RedLan said…
There's no place like home. Grabe ang taas ng mga building.
iluvgreen said…
sheng nde n tayo nakapag meet! im busy also... im so back in the rat race. balik ka ulit
Anonymous said…
you miss to visit mo, lol!

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