I love Manila. Believe me, I really do. But getting to travel and seeing things that are completely different from the grime and chaos I grew up in has a way of leaving indelible marks on you.
A week after my Singapore sojourn with the family, I am again raring to leave Manila and return to the City-State. I don’t know why–maybe it’s the allure of the clean metropolis, the safe neighborhood where you are not in danger of being mugged every 10 minutes. In the four days that I was there, I barely saw any police officers roaming the street. There were no dirt, no candy bar wrappers, no funky smell on the side streets and all that. Most of all, there were no muggers or morons hocking phlegm on the same street where you stand.
I wish it was like that in Manila. I know, I know…each country has its own problems and personalities. There are things in Manila that I wont get to experience in Singapore or in any country for that matter: like the warmth of its people and ready smile available no matter who you turn to. But after experiencing 30 years of chaos and grime, you kinda start wishing people will stop hocking their phlegm or taking a piss just about everywhere.
Leaving you some of the images that stayed with me during my four day vacation:
LIFESTYLE WANDERLAND 
wala na..di ko na marerecreate yung galit and frustration ko na una kong pinost dito na di nakuha kasi nagkaron ng glitch sa matrix! kaines talaga!
simply put…nalulungkot at nafrufrustrate ako sa state of our manila streets. i mean, we have some really pretty places here in manila worthy of being seen (sadly i can only think of the fort/boni high street and makati). di ko kasi maintindihan bakit ang simplest of rules like throwing garbage in the trash bin eh di masunod sunod..basic na rule yan na bata pa lang eh tinuturo na. siguro walang paki ang mga nagkakalat, fine. tapos pag nagkaron ng ondoy or some other calamity, at masira ang mga possessions nila ng dahil sa baha, iiyak sila and will blame it all on mother nature? kung mapanatili lang malinis ang kalye hindi aabot sa ganun ka grabe ang baha. but collective effort yan diba? wag lang umasa sa mga street cleaners (di naman ganun kadami to begin with), dapat kanya kanya din tayong maayos sa pagdispose ng basura natin, right? one of the things that irks me? yung karinderya sa kanto na nagkakalat ng kanilang leftover food (yung galing sa mga kumain na) sa labas lang ng bakod nila…ie sa kalyeng dinadaanan ng tao! argh!
isa pa-vandalism. ultimo sign ng mmda showing the correct way of disposing of your trash, ivavandalize. actually dapat di na nga nireremind yung tamang paraan pero i appreciate yung effort. tapos dudumihan lang ng mga taong walang galang. ang pader namin sa labas ng bahay, bagong pintura…wala pang 6 na buwan, may spray paint na. walang respeto talaga sa perang ginugol at effort na nilaan para mapalinis yun. (sabi ko di na marerecreate..pero apparently i can’t stop myself na haha)
i really admire countries like singapore. i’m such a sucker for rules. pag tama ang batas gusto ko sinusunod. mas nakakaimpress nga kung mga simpleng rules nasusunod–no smoking, no littering, no jaywalking. sus eh dito ang laki laki na ng karatulang nagsasabing “BAWAL TUMAWID. NAKAMAMATAY.” tapos dinedema pa din. tapos kasalanan ng motorista kung may aksidente. di ba puede may sala ang naaksidente dahil di marunong sumunod sa tama? nagpapagawa na nga ng overpass ng di maaksidente pero pilit pa ring nakikipagsapalaran kay kamatayan.
kakatapos lang ng sona. fine. everyone has their own opinions on how pnoy is governing this country. i voted for him. i want to give him the chance. yes, im putting my faith on the name that he carries..though i can imagine that it may also be somewhat of a burnden because his parents are a tough act to follow…but sana naman magcooperate na lang lahat. ayoko ng madinig o mabasa na ang pilipinas ay isang malaking garbage dump dahil ang ganda ng mga lugar dito….lalabas ka nga lang ng maynila…but sana hindi na ganun in the future.
kaya nga din hangang hanga ako sa bansang kinalolokohan ko ngayon *ehem*alam mo na yun*ehem*….ravaged by war at nakuhang bumangon in such a short span of time! lampas lampas pa ang pagbangon nila. saan ka pa? gusto kong kayanin natin…kasi kaya naman natin, magtulungan lang. ayaw kong umabot ako ng matandang edad bago ko makita yun.
ps: sometimes hesitant nga ako to share these things kasi ayaw kong may pumuna or awayin ako with how i see things. pero thumbs up on your singapore post. gusto ko rin mapuntahan yan. shempre macau lang ang mapropromote ko kasi yun pa lang nakita ko haha. maganda naman din. salamat for listening!
hahaha!
super nakakaaliw ang comment mo, F! Totoo naman–pagdating sa urban planning and cleanliness, we’re light years away from Singapore and other Asian countries. Maybe it’s because of the government and the people. Case in point, after I got back from SG, papasok ako sa office thinking kung paano mare-replicate ang MRT ng SG and MTR ng HK dito–alam mo ba what happened? The person in front of me hocked his phlegm out in the street! In broad daylight! That got me thinking if wala talagang disiplina mga Pinoy. Nakakainis lang!
Hanggang hindi nagiging disiplinado ang mga Pinoy, we’ll always be left with this place.