Manila: My bias
I just returned from my first solo trip overseas to Manila to see my best friend, who happens to be Filipino. Promising that I would come over someday, I headed out on the 16th for my first overseas adventure to fulfill that promise.
Of course, my family being Chinese and Singaporean, my mother and father would constantly go on about the dangers of Manila. Granted that I should heed warnings, Chinese and Singaporeans are often known to exaggerate superfluously on any impression that they have, and knowing that I treated Manila with the respect that it deserves. I should not have any impression of it other than my own. My impression? My trip to Manila was the best one I've ever done in my life.
Granted Manila is not the cleanest, most organised place on Earth. On the contrary, the streets were dirty and the road packed with cars. It was almost impossible to get from one place to another without getting caught in some traffic jam. My friend would always apologize and suggest that I get used to it, but it just reminded me of my time in Indonesia. I look at Manila and see a replica of my home. I supposed my eyes managed to filter out the bad bits, and look dissimilarities between Indonesia and Manila instead. I hardly found any.
I suppose it's because of my generally positive outlook, but I never really found anything bad with the Philippines at all. In fact I found it to be a wonderful city. Aside from looking like Indonesia (which I consider a plus), food there was absolutely delicious. Never in my life did I expect to find unlimited mashed potato gravy in KFC along with every dish (needless to say I got very fat during the trip) in any country. Additionally, Filipinos know how to eat. Not only is food delicious, but they also know how to eat a lot. Well, at least my friend did. The Philippines is also blessed with beautiful mountains and a scenery. On this trip I climbed Mount Taal and Mount Pinatubo, two trips I will not forget.
I suppose I'm being very one-sided, which is why I say that Manila is my bias. I filter out the bad and only soak in the good. I suppose as a governor this is a bad thing, but I don't see how it will be bad in any other situation. I'm sure we will enjoy the world a lot more if we only looked at the good, and not the bad, although it won't cause change, lest my argument for the governor.
Mount Taal :)
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
Of course, my family being Chinese and Singaporean, my mother and father would constantly go on about the dangers of Manila. Granted that I should heed warnings, Chinese and Singaporeans are often known to exaggerate superfluously on any impression that they have, and knowing that I treated Manila with the respect that it deserves. I should not have any impression of it other than my own. My impression? My trip to Manila was the best one I've ever done in my life.
Granted Manila is not the cleanest, most organised place on Earth. On the contrary, the streets were dirty and the road packed with cars. It was almost impossible to get from one place to another without getting caught in some traffic jam. My friend would always apologize and suggest that I get used to it, but it just reminded me of my time in Indonesia. I look at Manila and see a replica of my home. I supposed my eyes managed to filter out the bad bits, and look dissimilarities between Indonesia and Manila instead. I hardly found any.
I suppose it's because of my generally positive outlook, but I never really found anything bad with the Philippines at all. In fact I found it to be a wonderful city. Aside from looking like Indonesia (which I consider a plus), food there was absolutely delicious. Never in my life did I expect to find unlimited mashed potato gravy in KFC along with every dish (needless to say I got very fat during the trip) in any country. Additionally, Filipinos know how to eat. Not only is food delicious, but they also know how to eat a lot. Well, at least my friend did. The Philippines is also blessed with beautiful mountains and a scenery. On this trip I climbed Mount Taal and Mount Pinatubo, two trips I will not forget.
I suppose I'm being very one-sided, which is why I say that Manila is my bias. I filter out the bad and only soak in the good. I suppose as a governor this is a bad thing, but I don't see how it will be bad in any other situation. I'm sure we will enjoy the world a lot more if we only looked at the good, and not the bad, although it won't cause change, lest my argument for the governor.
Mount Taal :)
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
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