Mesa, SM North in Quezon City

Mesa is a good place to have a special meal. My classmate Dan once decided to have our small TCF reunion at Mesa, SM North in Quezon City, on the 5th floor of the mall. It was exciting to be in a posh Filipino restaurant with neat, wooden dining furnishings---and good old friends. Or, should I say, "a bit" old friends.



The food was great. Every Filipino dish we ordered was cooked as good old tradition would have it. Almost just as grandma would do it---almost. What I enjoyed most was the fried chicken, pinakbet, and fried small crabs (I wasn't a vegetarian yet at the time). I do believe we had crispy pata (really crunchy pig's knuckles) and baked tahong, but it was a long time ago---probably 3 years ago---when we had the reunion.

Oh, I strongly recommend the baked tahong.

I just hope they won't change their quality over time. It's what disappoints me with a lot of restaurants---they often change quality as time passes. First they serve really good food, but then the quality wanes after some time. The same with service. I hope it won't be true of Mesa, SM North in Quezon City.

The reunion? Well, you know how reunions are. They're often both exciting and shocking. Exciting because of the long-time-no-see stuff, and shocking because you see what's become of your friends and classmates---and you, especially. I mean, how time has treated you all rather harshly---wrinkles, balding heads, false teeth (or lacking teeth), graying hair, some distortions here and there.



But more than the shocking features, the camaraderie and cherished memories are what really matter in reunions. The same old laughter and teasing, like suddenly you're in college again. Though I know I've changed a lot compared to my contemporaries. For one, I used to be so shy and quiet. Now I've become a joker---though still shy and quiet.

And I love good food a lot more now.

By the way, if you need hotel or tour rates anywhere in the Philippines, just click this link. It's all in this link. You don't have to search all over the internet. And subscribe on my Youtube channel.

Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna

It's the perfect place for a stopover on your way to Tagaytay via Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road. Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna has a shopping center just before you enter the posh subdivision and it's got ample parking area.

What we often love to see there is the large fish pond where gold fish abound and where you get to see them jostle against each other in the water as you feed them. You buy feeds and throw it at them. It relaxes and relieves stress---I mean, your stress, not the fish's.

We also love going for a motor boat ride there. The large fish pond is also for boating. You wait for a ride at the dock where taking selfies is also a good idea. So, if you plan to drop by Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna on your way to Tagaytay, do try this boat-riding experience.



We also love eating at Contis Bakeshop and Restaurant. The picture above was taken right before we were called by a waiter for lunch when a table became available. Yup, that summer we had to wait in line for a table to get vacated.

In summer time the place can get too crowded with vacationers, but I guess Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna gets crowded almost the year round because of the new tourist destinations opening in Tagaytay City. Philippine Roamer gets invited a lot of times to this place so we don't have to spend a lot (sometimes we don't spend a cent) when going there. It's all by God's grace. 😉

So, when on your way up to Tagaytay, remember to drop by this spot. It's just right at the corner of the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road and Nuvali Boulevard. It's spotted with good restaurants. Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

And please see my Youtube channel and subscribe. Click here.

Why the Philippine Roamer Works Out in Filipino Martial Arts

If you plan to visit the Philippines and walk the streets here, you better get safety tips from the Philippine Roamer. Aside from training in Filipino martial arts, I have vital tips on staying safe in the streets as much as possible. Safe roaming equals roaming better enjoyed.

It's not paranoia. Some people say I'm paranoid. I call it being street smart, period. Lots of people behave in the streets like they're in paradise despite the warnings they see in the news almost everyday. Like criminals and bad people don't exist. And if you're taking extra care not to be victimized they think you're over-reacting or you're nuts.



No wonder many still fall prey to scammers and crooks and criminals---because they take extra precautions very lightly. They mock at security measures. They think you're just paranoid. They're like the dumb victims you see in scary movies who mindlessly walk straight into a trap or disaster after thinking that being cautious was a silly thing. Well, not the Philippine Roamer. That's why I'm into Filipino martial arts.

I'm not scaring anyone, especially not those planning to travel to the Philippines. But anywhere you are in the world, you need to be careful and alert, even in places said to be certified safe and secure. There's no such thing, and don't be the first unsuspecting victim in those places. It always pays to be extra cautious---and yet enjoying your travels. That's Philippine Roamer's motto since high school when I was attending night classes.

And it's not just my expertise in Filipino martial arts that keeps me safe. That's just a small part of it. The big part is prayer (always pray), alertness and awareness of your surroundings, all rolled into one. Don't be dumb. Stay alert but calm, relaxed and enjoying your travel. That's what I can help you with as Philippine Roamer.

I can help you with tips on how to stay safe while enjoying your roaming. If my availability allows it, I can even be your travel companion, help you stay safe while you're trying to find your way around here in Manila. I know how to read street culture here and am familiar with the psychology of an attacker. I can easily avoid trouble a mile away. I can travel with you---if my sched allows me. I have lots of deadlines as a blogger and wen content writer.

Anyway, you can always refer to this blog, Philippine Roamer, for tips. Or visit my Youtube channel by clicking here and subscribe.

Philippine Roamer

Philippines Commuter

I took that picture when we were booked at Savoy Hotel last week. We met my brother-in-law at NAIA in the evening and went straight to this hotel. We got a cozy and very comfortable room, though the air-conditioning was too much for me. As I was preparing to sleep, I decided to do this blog, Philippines Roamer, and a Youtube channel, Philippines Commuter.


As I've said, I'm a novice video maker and I'm making my Youtube channel as my practice. For now I use my smartphone cam (which is not that good) but I plan to buy a good cam someday and make this a career. I roam the streets in Metro Manila---particularly around Quezon City where I live---and take videos of ordinary life in Manila, especially unnoticed life in the Philippines as Philippine Roamer and Philippines Commuter.

I hope soon I'd be able to cover more spectacular places and tourist destinations with a better camera, a really good microphone and zoom-in lens and the works. And one of my plans here is to present the real Philippines to the world (not just some fancy videos) and real life in this country. Second, as a Philippine roamer, I want to help visitors to the Philippines especially with where to go, where to get rides (as Philippines Commuter), where and how to book hotel lodging, where to eat, shopping. Accompany them. Things like that.

There are few folks you can trust with that, especially if you're a stranger here. It's like what I did for my brother-in-law who I helped out looking for a hotel and then an apartment, talking with locals for him and helping him strike agreements. It's important to have someone handy around when you do that in a foreign country like the Philippines.

So, if you're interested to visit the Philippines and wondering about having someone friendly, trustworthy and kind to help you roam around safely, you may want to take along someone like me, the Philippine Roamer, or one of my team players. You can email me by checking out my Google profile on the sidebar. Or checkout my Youtube Channel as Philippines Commuter.

Sometimes, the Philippines gets a bad reputation because of unfortunate isolated cases. I know there are travelers who want to visit the country alone for some adventures but fall victim to some unscrupulous locals or opportunists or scammers. Well, that happens in most countries, not just here. And I want to help reduce the incidences by helping out visitors roam around safely in the streets, being Philippines commuter for years, having grown up here.



I know where to go and not where to go. I know some of the best places to see. I can help visitors get proper rides without being lost in the streets---or at least the tourist won't be alone getting lost if we're lost together 😁 No kidding. It's better to be "lost" together with one who grew up in the place and knows when trouble's brewing or not. As a team of Philippine roamer locals, we can help with this. If not me, then one of my trusted team members can help you out.

We can meet you at the airport, show you to your hotel and roam around the city.

Savoy Hotel, Royal Amsterdam Hotel and Angeles City

Savoy Hotel, Royal Amsterdam Hotel and Angeles City---last week we met my brother-in-law from the US and showed him around Angeles City in Pampanga. It seems it's become part of our lives to show our tourist-relatives around town, or even other folks not our relatives but close to us. A real Philippines commuter or Filipino commuter. We've become traveling buddies or sidekicks to them. So, I might as well offer the same help to tourists who want traveling help as they roam around town---for a fee, of course. 😉

First, we met him at Terminal 3, NAIA and then took a shuttle to Savoy Hotel in Pasay. We had posh rooms (one for my in-law and one for me and my wife) and then changed money at Resorts Hotel taking another service shuttle. It's nice to roam the city around like that in shuttles. Very convenient and VIP. At Resorts, we had dinner. The place didn't impress me one bit, save the price of the dinner. To think that all we had was fried spicy squid and rice.

Anyway, back at Savoy, the room was impressive but I had a hard time trying to sleep due to the cold air-conditioning. I didn't know how to turn it down---no remote control around. But my wife went to sleep quite soundly. At least I had a few hours of sleep myself. I slept at past 12 midnight and woke up at almost 6 am. I read the bible and reflected quietly. Then I looked out the window. We were right in front of NAIA. I thought we were some kilometers away. Then I watched some planes take off.

We had an expensive breakfast buffet (which was good but wasn't very impressive, but the lettuce and fruits were okay) the next morning and then the shuttle van from Royal Amsterdam picked us up at 10.30 am. We drove via Roxas Blvd., Quiapo, Dimasalang, La Loma and Balintawak and soon found ourselves on NLEX to Pampanga. The traffic was heavy in Manila, but ti was smooth sailing along NLEX. We arrived at Royal Amsterdam at about 12 noon.

We spent 2 nights here while looking for an apt apartment for my in-law. We went around Angeles, particularly in the vicinity of The Walking Street (Fields Avenue) where we saw all kinds of night bars and beer houses---plus the girls and women displayed in front of them. We tried several eastern restaurants trying out delicious Indian and Mediterranean foods. Finally we found a nice apartment on our second day there and then went shopping at SM Angeles.

The following day we left my in-law there enjoying his new cozy and safe apartment (it has 24-hour security). It was a nice time helping him out with his hotel and shuttle bookings, roaming around and scouting for an apartment and places to eat, and helping him with the locals for direction and other stuff. I figured, I can do that with other tourists who need similar help. If you need that kind of help, email me and we can probably work out something.



Overall, as a Philippine commuter I had a grand time seeing Savoy Hotel, Royal Amsterdam Hotel and Angeles City. I learned a lot of new things (especially Arabic culture and food from our guest, my brother-in-law) and curious sights of the red light district in Angeles---what I need to be full-fledge Filipino commuter 😄. And Royal Amsterdam? Well, the staff were really nice and courteous and the hotel was okay except for the smell of cigarette smoke (I thought I smelled) in our room.

Tales of City Street Canals

Believe it or not, every street canal in the Philippines has a story to tell. A lot of them have been here since time immemorial and were witnesses to many historic events. For instance, I always wonder what the street canals in Bataan, San Fernando, and Pampanga saw during the Second World War, particularly during the Death March. 

The street canals in the vicinity of Malacanang in San Miguel, Manila must have seen a lot of historical highlights, especially when presidencies changed. The canals in Mendiola saw all the violence that happened in riots and protests in the past, particularly the First Quarter Storm and People Power Revolt in the days of President Marcos, the massacre of farmers during the Cory Aquino administration, and the violence of the Erap supporters in the first years of President Gloria Arroyo.

The street canals along Espana have always been witness to the unmitigated pollution of the street drainage there due to terrible lack of discipline. Those canals would often swell into raging rivers or seas when monsoon rains came and stopped even big trucks which were marooned right in the middle. And of course, the mass exodus of U-belt students who trek home all at the same time when classes are suspended in the metropolis.

Our own narrow street canal in our subdivision has witnessed the passing of an entire generation and the coming of a new one. Once, Project 8 was a mountain of wilderness trimmed and cleared sometime in the 1950s to give way to subdivisions and villages. The first things that were put in place were, of course, the streets and the canals, so they were the true pioneers of the place. And they saw how the entire vicinity transformed from empty streets to the gradual mushrooming of housing projects and then the renovations, the settlers that came, the rise of re-modeled houses and then  townhouses and condominiums, the kids who were born and grew up here, the time when some settlers had gone, and finally the present.

The street canals saw them all!

Like all others, they also suffer the ravages of time. Some clog and die, some are wrecked and deform, some form new routes and create ramifications, some dig deep into the earth and cause accidents, while others expand and take over streets, being blamed for massive flash floods. But actually, just like the ugly rats that live below them, they're just victims of reckless development and modernity.

If you just stop and listen intently to street canals, they'll tell you their stories on life in Manila.

Shopping with Your Wife Kills You More than Workouts Can

I regularly workout to keep healthy and fit and sometimes working out can kill you. When I get too excited about it I tend to overdo my workouts and later suffer the consequences--muscle aches allover. So you got one lesson there--don't overdo your workouts no matter how exciting.

But shopping with your wife is something else--especially if your wife is like my wife. She likes thoroughly searching the whole area, like a military mopping-up operation, leaving no stone unturned. We literally search every nook and cranny, going from stall to stall, floor to floor, building to building, and then ending up buying the item from the first store we inquired from.



Definitely worse than a rigid workout.

Walking in and out of malls is easy, but not if you are shopping with your wife. There's something about shopping that stresses you even if you determine to relax. It's probably my wife's shopping style, because when I shop alone I never get stressed out. I just choose from a few items, close my eyes and buy whatever my hand grabs. That's it. I often do all my shopping in a few minutes.

With my wife, it takes about half a day to buy 3 items--3 items!

Like this afternoon. We met at SM North to buy 3 items--a shirt and shorts for our youngest son plus my wife's sandals. We started at 4 pm and ended at about 9 pm. She asked me to choose some of the shirts so I did some careful search, knowing how meticulous my wife was. And after taking some time deciding what color combinations fit our son, I showed her my choice. She took one look and announced, "Umm, well, shirts are not my priority, really. I think I'd like to buy our son some other thing."

After that, we went back and forth SM North and Trinoma. I thank God we later had dinner at the food court of Trinoma where I had my favorite Sinigang na Ulo ng Maya-Maya I bought from Baliwag. It was a real break!

Wait till I tell you how long and hard it took my wife to finally choose the right sandals that fit her feet. But I'd rather not because the reason I created MManila Boy is to have some relaxing time at the end of the day before I go to bed after a hectic day. I think you get a good idea what happened and how walking round and round and round almost killed me more than workouts could--I mean, killed my feet. When we got home, I immediately took off my shoes and the relief I had was joy unspeakable.

That's life in Manila.

Beating Summer Heat in Manila

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What do you do when you can't bear the hot, hot, hot summer nights in Manila anymore? The whole months of March and April, and now it's the middle of May, we've been patiently enduring hot days and nights. Turning the electric fans on give some relief but we try not to use them often for fear that the electric bill would skyrocket. Just imagine how much people who turn on their air-conditioners the whole day have to pay.

What we lower middle class do is make manual fans of hard cartons or cardboard. Better if made of used illustration boards. Or we buy plastic or accordion manual fans. And then we find satisfaction in drinking iced water. For instance, my wife and I just bought 2 plastic bags of ice for P2 each at a nearby street store. We let that soak in a pitcher of water and later, we enjoy glasses of ice-cold water to fight the summer heat with.



We find satisfaction in that.

Plus, we take a bath 3 to 5 times a day--well, we take a bath once and take half-baths the rest of the time.

Some of our neighbors have air-conditioned homes--which we can't afford--so all we do is imagine how it is to live in fully air-conditioned homes. Imagine sleeping in a posh bed in an elegant air-conditioned room each night, and especially in summer! I and my family only experience that when someone like my sister treats the clan out to a resort-hotel overnight stay like the one in Tagaytay. We went there in March and April, all expenses paid by my sister.

Worse is when in the middle of a hot night flying termites suddenly appear right inside your house--in the bedroom, kitchen, dining, living, and even outside the house. Called "gamu-gamo" in the vernacular, others say they're small moths. But I saw somewhere online how someone called them flying termites. And I think that's a more apt term because these insects later turn into termites. And they come from termite colonies. And these small flying creatures bite.

So, when they appear, we have to get out of the house and roam the streets for a while. Or, we stay in dark places. We close the lights so that these creatures fly out and linger around street lights (they love bright lights), sometimes crazily flying together and circling a light source like a tornado.

Imagine what we have to endure in hot, hot, hot summer nights in Manila. But strangely, amid all these, we still find reasons to laugh at ourselves and the hardships we have to endure. I don't know--it's probably because we have no choice but to live like that, and we figure it's better to just enjoy and laugh, no matter how miserable, than to complain and be stressed out and still not get any answers.

That's life in Manila.