Manila... Manila...

For the first time, I felt "promdi" (from the province).  I've been in Manila so many times this is an instance that I was very ecstatic about the trip.  It was probably because it's also my first time to travel with my fiance.  I was overly-ecstatic to the point that from the first step I took out of the plane and into NAIA 3, I was awed.  The airport was huge.  I felt like a kid inside a huge toy store.

My fiance's mom kept chuckling while I was wide-eyed and eagerly pointing at everything new.  I finally felt what a "promdi" feels like. And I was also very excited for doing things for our wedding day.  We have a pretty tight schedule in our 5-day stay.

We went to Tutuban Mall to buy sets of cloth for our sponsors on our first day.  It was a 30-40 minute ride from Pasay City where we were staying.  It was my first time to pass by Binondo. I've never been there even though I wanted to go there to somehow feel what's it like to be in the Philippines' China Town. I'm of Chinese descent after all.

My fiance's mom is good at haggling.  I might learn some pointers from her because when I tried haggling for three shirts, I got a 10-peso discount. And I was proud and happy that I got a discount for doing something I'm not totally fond of.

Then, we had late lunch at Teriyaki Boy in Glorietta. Another first for me.  I ordered the Gyudon just like my fiance's.  I think I over ate there.  After lunch, we went around Glorietta to look for a red and white gown.  They are for our upcoming e-session and I still don't have that red long gown (*oh... the pressure*).  We also did some shopping.  We're not all work and no play.  But ever since I've been purchasing clothes online, I find the clothes sold in the mall so expensive that I ended up buying none for me but all for my family.  In the end, I bought myself a couple of books from Powerbooks. Now that made me so happy and satisfied that no other dress or blouse I see in the mall can.

After a few hours of shopping, another "first" happened.  My fiance's nephew pooed and I volunteered to assist his sister to join her in the bathroom to change diapers.  We hurried to the nearest restroom only to find out that they didn't have a table to lay down the baby.  We had to walk all the way over to the next nearest restroom and pay Php10 to enter.  As the baby was lain on the table top and I had a whiff of the air surrounding me,  I gagged.  I never encountered such a putrid smell.  Yes, that's how terrible it is.  That was also a first for me.  But I had to help my fiance's sister.  So I pinched my nose with one hand and held the baby's legs high with the other.  And the baby kept moving and we were having a hard time changing diapers.  Eventually, we were able to change it.  But the damage is done and I'm traumatized.  And my fiance's nephew conked out soon after.

The next few days were spent with finding wedding shoes and the dresses.  I was able to buy shoes from Milani.  I like it 'cause it's simple, elegant and the heel height is not to high.  I can manage to wear it the whole day.

I also got to spend a day with one of my girlfriends from highschool in MOA and we had a blast.  And she got to meet my fiance.  She had to do some MOH duties as well in helping me find the dresses I need.  Sadly, we didn't get to buy everything I need and we had frozen yogurts at Red Mango after to console us.  Their yogurt is so yummy and refreshing.

It's also in MOA that I get to have more "promdi" experience.  I asked the concierge where Coffee Bean is 'cause that's where we're going to meet my friend.  She asked me if I knew where the Music Hall was. I said "No".  Then she asked me if I knew where the skating rink was.  I said "No" again.  Then she tear off a sheet from a pad and drew directions to Coffee Bean.  Here I was holding a map of MOA for directions with my fiance tagging along.  I did feel slightly embarassed but I'd rather carry a map than circle 'round and 'round the largest mall in Asia... haller?!? My mindset the whole time was that nobody knew me personally there.  So I can be as clueless as I want because I really was.

 When we finally met my friend, we decided to have brunch at Congo Grille.  I remembered that they served delicious scallops there and I was right.  They are still as delectable as before.  But our other orders was not so great.  Their Paella de Negra was overly negra (it was as black as charcoal) but lacking in taste.  We were like wearing black lipstick as we ate it.

In the afternoon, my fiance and I left MOA for Edsa Shangrila.  We were to have our giveaways engraved at Rustan's.  Imagine that we had to go all the way there because Rustan's Makati doesn't have an engraving machine.  It's Makati.  Don't they have the latest and most expensive things there?  It was unbelievable but inevitable.  We had to go to Shang if we wanted to have machine engraving.

But I can say that it must be fate because Golden Spoon, another yogurt place recommended to me by a friend, has a stall there.  You see, I'm on a yogurt quest ever since I got hooked on frozen yogurt over at Coffee Cat's here in Davao.  I was bound to taste all the yogurt I can find in Manila.  I ended up eating yogurt twice on that day.

So what's my verdict? Red Mango's tastes better.  Well, it tastes like yogurt unlike Golden Spoon's yogurt which is more of an ice cream.  I still haven't tried all frozen yogurts though.  These are just two of them.

I can say that our 5-day trip was a success.  I was able to travel with my fiance, meet up with one of my bestfriends, buy what we need for our big day and eat yogurt.  And to top it all off, we watched How to Train Your Dragon 3D in IMAX at MOA.  I'm happy.  Hayyy... if only we could extend our stay but I'm running out of funds.  Until our next trip in September. Oh... I can't wait!