One of the most famous city-squares in the world, the Red Square, situated in the heart of Moscow, reflects its deep historical and iconic importance in Russia’s identity.

The Red Square. L>R: Kremlin, State Historical Museum, GUM. Some construction work was going on there.

I went to the Red Square, known as Krásnaya plóshchad in Russian (Красная площадь क्रास्नया प्लोश्चद) on my second day in Moscow. The Square separates the Kremlin from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod. Major streets radiate from here in all directions, thus making it the center of not only Moscow, but all of Russia. Krasnaya Ploshchad is open to the public practically all day. With the fall of communism, the significance of Red Square might have fallen, but it is still one of the most powerful landmarks in the country.

The name of Red Square derives neither from the colour of the bricks around it nor from the link between the colour red and communism. Rather, the name came about because the Russian word красная (krasnaya) can mean either “red” or “beautiful”. The place was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1990.

Lenin’s Mausoleum

Kremlin and Lenin’s Mausoleum

Lenin’s Tomb, situated in Red Square in Moscow, is the mausoleum that serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin. His embalmed body has been on public display there since the year he died in 1924 (with rare exceptions in wartime).

One has to deposit their luggage at the State Historical Museum in order to visit Lenin’s Mausoleum. You are not allowed to talk, run or indulge in any non-serious behavior. Guards posted every few meters will make sure you keep walking. Photography is not permitted inside. Lenin’s body can be seen enclosed in a glass case and brightly illuminated. He looks exactly like his statues and pictures. You may stand here for a couple of seconds, but you’ll be nudged to move on by guards who look like ghosts – since they are completely covered in dark army uniforms except for their faces which look bright and pale in the dim light.

Behind the Mausoleum is the Kremlin Wall. This huge wall is a tribute to the Bolsheviks who fought for their country during the 1910s. There are others buried there besides these men, including a number of different writers and former leaders of the country. You can also see the large busts documenting who is buried where. A tourist graveyard!

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Saint Basil’s Cathedral and statues commemorating the leaders of Russia’s volunteer army against the Polish invaders

Probably the most famous pictures of Russia feature this old church with its spiraling colorful onion domes. For a long time, this building was like a symbol of Russia – just like one thinks of Paris when one sees the Eiffel Tower. The church was first built by Ivan the terrible in 1555 CE and several additions were made later. You are allowed to go inside the building, and it has interesting design inside about which I’ll blog later.

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Walking on the Red Square

The Red Square

After you’ve seen Lenin’s tomb, St. Basil’s Cathedral and the State History Museum, you could either enter the large GUM (Shopping Mall) and get lost inside, or simply stroll on the red square. There are a number of little sights to see. Near the colorful building is the Lobnoye Mesto, a circular platform where public ceremonies used to take place. Next to the GUM is the Kazan Cathedral, standing in its unique architectural fashion.

The square, only 330m x 70m, is nothing but a open piece of land paved with stones. The square was used by Russian Tsars for coronation, and later, governments used it for important occasions. It was the place where the Soviet might was paraded for decades. Now the square is used for recreational purposes too, such as music concerts. Walking around the square, it is wonderful to imagine the grandeur of these proceedings.

I thought the place was very charming, and I went to the red square 3.5 times over my stay in Moscow. Every time, the beauty of the red square only increased.

Information

मोठा नकाशा पाहा

Being in the center of the city (as you can tell by zooming the map), its rare to miss the Red Square – Kremlin complex. Several metro stations (there are atleast 4 around it) will take you very close to there. Police conduct random checks at the entrance gate, so if you are foreign-looking, be ready to show your passport (yes, original passport!) and the migration card.

Oh as a tip, do not drink beer on the red square, you can drink outside.

St. Basil’s Cathedral and the large clock on Kremlin’s main tower. (Picture taken on a cloudy day from the south east end)

Wasaga Beach

This week, Toronto Tuesday goes to Wasaga, a tourist beach town about 120km north west of the city.

Highway 400 N from Toronto to Hwy 26 that goes Bruce peninsula

Yesterday we went to Wasaga, a little town nestled in and around 14 kilometres of white sandy beach on Nottawasaga Bay, part of Georgian Bay, ultimately part of the great Lake Huron. Wasaga has 6 beach areas, the first (main) area being the most crowded one and the sixth being the least.

Stores in the tourist core

Beach area 1 is the core touristic area, with a number of little stores selling everything from fast food to sun glasses and swimwear to beer. This area has a very thick concentration of bikinis and speedos, most of them hanging out in the sun doing nothing or simply playing Frisbees (flying discs) or Volleyball. It was quite hot (the temperature) and noisy there, so we went to a quiter and nicer beach area 6.

Seagulls, relaxing on beach 6

Feeding the birds

I still love doing that!

The water was cold but once you get inside, it feels great. So far I’ve got my feet (and other parts) wet in 3 of North America’s 5 great lakes.

Sunset

Colorful sky

Watching the brilliant colors play in a post-sunset sky is always a pleasure.

Information

मोठा नकाशा पाहा

Wasaga Beach is 120km NW from Toronto and can be reached in about 2 hours via Hwy 400 and Hwy 26. The beach town has a number of little resorts and motels that often get fully booked on the weekends. There are a number of restaurants and bars scattered around the town, and there are some nice-looking ones at the main beach (Beach #1). Other than that, there are a number of stores to cater to your needs of food, drinks and other supplies.

Interesting places near Wasaga Beach are the Blue Mountains, Scenic Caves and the resort town of Collingwood. There are a number of little conservation parks leading up to the beautiful Bruce conservation park further west. Overall, the place is an ideal getaway for a day or two.

First impressions of Moscow; Written on October 20, 2008.

My flight landed at Moscow’s large Sheremetyevo-2 (Шереметьево शेरेमेत्येवो) airport at little past noon. Everything starts to look very different from the moment you land. Firstly, there are lots of Slavic people (obviously) and you suddenly feel like a foreigner. Secondly, there are lots of police and security people who will stare at you as if you are an object in a museum. Even while walking through the corridors, it feels that you are being watched. There was nobody carrying a backpack or wearing ‘american’ clothes except me. The airport is not swanky at all – everything is shushed, minimal and basic.

The queue (if you could call it one) at passport control was interesting too. There were 2 queues, but later I found that they were somehow merging into one because the other window was closed. My window closed for some reason and the people behind me started complaining loudly. The security people shouted back at them, but in the meanwhile the window reopened. And this time they opened the second window (for the second queue) too – Was I in India? My passport stamping was very swift.
“Where you come from?”
“Toronto”
“Ok”

Ring road on my way from airport to the city. Some drivers don’t know what those fancy white lines on the street are for.

I was in Russia! FINALLY! My long standing dreams! The country where everyone smokes, drinks vodka and a speaks something that sounds like PRZFTPNZYSK..SKI. A country where nobody smiled and you could be in prison for a tiny thing… Haha! I’m happy to tell you that none of those stereotypes were even remotely true.

I waited at the arrivals lounge for a bit for my friend to pick me up. Meanwhile, numerous taxi drivers kept on asking me if I needed to go somewhere. I knew what to say to them: “Spasiba, ne nada” (स्पासीबा, नी नाद. Thanks, no need), and they left me alone – for a while. I think ‘Taxi drivers’ is a unique species of human beings that are the same all over the world. I spotted an ‘Information’ booth, so I thought of killing time and having a real conversation in Russian, probably my first. It was a rail information and booking desk.

Me: Dobri Den! (दोब्री दीन! Good day!) [A common greeting in Russian]
Me: Ya hachu nemnoga informachiya. (या खाचू नीमनोगा इन्फोर्माचीया. I want some information.)
She: [blank look, I wondered if I was saying it with the right accent]
Me: Я хотел бы купить Билет на завтра… Москва-Сочи… плацкарт. Сколько стоит? (या खातेल ब् कुपीच बील्येत ना झाफ्त्रा.. I would like to buy a ticket for tomorrow… Moscow-Sochi… platzkart. How much?) [Platzkart is the third class coach]
She: [she wrote the price on a piece of paper and handed it to me] вот. (here.)
Me: Я купить позже, не сейчас. Спасибо. (I buy later, not now. Thanks.)
I think she was annoyed. But I was selfishly delighted for being able to ask for a train schedule and price!

PS: I wonder how they write Russian in English (Latin) alphabet…

“Tsvet: 24 chasa” (Flowers: 24 hours) – Ubiquitous flower stores. This one is next to the Arbatsyaka metro station entrance. (Picture from day 18)

My first glimpse of Moscow was very interesting as my friend drew me from the airport to his apartment. The airport is at some suburb of Moscow and it very bland. The first thing I noticed was ubiquitous flower shops, called цветы ( त्स्वेत् ), meaning ‘flowers’. I also started reading all signboards and practicing my Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet that I learnt only few hours ago on the airplane. I felt like a baby who had just learned to read a language. I was literally reading everything I could! It was fun, you see a signboard which means nothing. Then, very slowly, you read it. And suddenly you know- р-е-с-т-о-р-а-н…. r-e-s-t-o-r-a-n! That’s a restaurant! I felt very victorious after being able to read and make sense of stuff – it was painfully slow but very satisfying.

I settled at my friend Evgeny’s place and spent the next five hours with his mother-in-law who spoke only Russian. I hear that its common in Russia for the mother to move-in with her daughter after marriage. She made some nice food for me and told me many stories and I responded by constructing little sentences. I, ofcourse, understood less than quarter of what she was saying but it was pleasant anyway.

Evgeny took care of me like a baby, right from my arrival to departure. The trip couldn’t have been smashing without his active involvement.

Kremlin and the Red Square from a distance. Yeah, Russians drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road too – like Americans, Germans, and uh, most of the world… (Picture from day 2)

So, yeah I was in Moscow finally. Pretty relaxed and interesting first day. Tomorrow I will visit the heart of Moscow: Red square and Kremlin. Can’t wait!

Aeroflot, the Russian airline, is infamous for many reasons ranging from customer service to flight safety. Here are some of my thoughts about it.

Screenshot from Aeroflot’s Website

One of the triggers for going to Russia last year was the cheap Toronto-Moscow-Mumbai flight. I’m glad I chose Aeroflot, the semi-privatised, profitable, one of the oldest and largest in the world, Russian national airline. The cultural acclimatization started soon after I bought the ticket. I had to call Aeroflot’s Customer service to request a one-day rescheduling. Usually airlines will do it as a courtesy although they are not required to. But I was asked to pay €250 even though the flight was half-empty.

Aeroflot’s reputation

Aeroflot is known to be one of the most unfriendly airlines in the world. Although I didn’t have any problems personally, I could easily see why it has such a reputation.

• People have also told me that the flight attendants are rude. While that might be true when viewing from an external perspective, I think its simply cultural. The Russian flight crew doesn’t have the fake ear-to-ear smiling ladies on board, and that might be seen as being rude.
• People are still stuck in Soviet era of customer service. If you ask something they don’t have, you’ll simply be told ‘Nyet’ (No) without a smile or a hint of apology. If you are going to Russia, better get used to this! Again, I think this is simply cultural.
• I’ve heard from lots of Indians that Aeroflot refuses to serve them water. The thing is, Russians (from my experience) seldom drink normal water, definitely not on the scale as Indians do. They drink juices, teas, colas etc. Refusing someone a glass of water is blasphemous in Indian context.
• Another caveat is that Aeroflot’s flights are always delayed. After studying Aeroflot’s schedule for a month or so on the Toronto-Moscow-Mumbai routes, I couldn’t agree more. My flight was delayed by 5 hours twice, and what’s worse, the online system kept showing ‘on time’ until departure.
• Aeroflot’s flight safety record has significantly improved, but is still worse than many international airlines. Some friends teased me, ‘I hope the pilot finds the runway!’
• Other factors such as crappy airline food, unhelpful service desk, etc. are not unique to Aeroflot.

What pissed me off

Beef served in a Hindu Meal

You might know that I am pretty new to meat eating. The last thing I wanted was to have meat in the flight food. Aerofloat not only dishonored my preference for a ‘Hindu Vegetarian Meal’ but made it worse by adding beef to it.

Serving Beef to Hindus would be as ‘unholy’ as serving pork to Muslims or Jews. I innocently ate some of it and immediately felt a sharp taste that I had never tasted before (until then I had tried only Chicken, Pork, Alpaca and Llama).

Me: Извините, вы знаете, что это? (Excuse me, do you know what this is?)
Stewardess: Да, Это говядина. (Yes, its beef.)
Me: Но я хотел Hindu meal. (But I wanted Hindu Meal.) You serve beef in a Hindu meal?
Stewardess: [shrugging] не знаете. (I don’t know.) [and she left]

The matter ended there. I sent an email and a postal letter to Aeroflot’s office in Moscow. I haven’t heard from them except an email auto reply.

Survival tips

Problems exist everywhere but perhaps the following tips might help you survive Aeroflot.

• Aeroflot is one of the oldest airlines in the world and among the largest today. Thousands of people fly everyday. Keeping the bigger picture in mind will reduce your hesitation.
• Russians are NOT Americans. They are neither Western Europeans, nor Indians, nor Chinese,… etc. It’s a different culture, and it comes with different cultural norms. Embrace this experience as a new discovery, and if you’d rather not have it, simply choose an airline that you are comfortable with.
• Russians don’t speak English (generally) and even if they do, they’ll be shy using it. This is fairly common in most non-English speaking countries. Having a dictionary or a list of, say, 50 frequent airline words, will be useful.
• Russians, for a long time, have lived under imposed Soviet values where individualism, rights, customer service, etc. are alien and unheard. While this is rapidly changing, a little awareness of the history of the people will help.
• Plan in advance for delays and lack of information so that it doesn’t frustrate you when you actually face it.

Would I fly Aeroflot again?

Yes!

• I can practise my Russian further.
• The prices are cheap. At this point, that’s the most important thing for me!
• Their online-booking system is cool. Only a few airlines will allow you to book a multiple-stop flight (without going to a travel agent).
• They are as bad or as good as any other comparable airline.
• Having traveled once, the element of ’surprise’ is lower.

Coffee, bread and a sugar stick

Finally, if you are wondering about the significance of the picture above, lemme tell you that it’s simply to highlight one of the many words that are common in Russian and Marathi. Word of the day is сахар-साखर (sugar).

Canada Day: July 1

Canada Day is a national day celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act, which united Canada as a single country, which was in turn composed of four provinces.

Canada Day celebration
Crowded street
Crowd at Yonge-Dundas Square

There were some celebrations at the Young-Dundas Square. We didn’t stick around for a long time because it was very chaotic and crowded. Which is not a bad thing at all!

Fireworks

The day ended with spectacular fireworks at the Harbourfront Center.

Volume 1, Edition 23

If you had only one place to visit in Bhutan, this would be the one.

A shrine on the way

About 20 minutes of uphill track after the first pit stop, we came across this shrine. The path, as you can see, took a sharp turn and I was beginning to wonder where it was going. There is a natural water stream at this point and the water tastes something very different. I drank the water, bowed before the deity here and started walking on the blind turn…

Taktsang Lakhang

….woohhww.. there it was! The Tigers Lair, right in front, slightly below where I was! It appears suddenly before you and I stood there, stupefied, admiring its beauty.

From this point, the actual approach to the monastery is a treacherous walk that could take 20-45 minutes depending on how scared you are of heights. The narrow path kisses the mountain’s rock face as it turns sharp left, dipping slightly from the point where I am standing, to sharp right, finally climbing towards the monastery. All through the path, you can see the monastery – its right there in front of you, you feel like touching it, but you can’t! Not before you complete what a local called, “the final task”.

Tiger’s nest monastery, isn’t it beautiful?

One needs a special ‘Monastery’ permit from the Ministry of Culture to visit this temple. You’ll have to deposit absolutely everything at the front gate. We reached the monastery 45 minutes before it closed and the monks had locked several rooms already, but he was kind enough to open the doors for us. The Guru Lhakhang has a central image which is one of the manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, the guru who brought Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan. A level below is the Dubkhang cave, where the guru Rinpoche meditated. Several murals decorate the walls.

Views from the monastery, as you would expect, are spectacular. The air is filled with soft chanting of mantras and the mild smell of incense. It is very likely that you’ll stand there looking at the valley, doing nothing for a bit, and the next thing you know is the monk tapping on your shoulder saying that its been 10 minutes.

I like the musical aspect of chanting mantras in Hindu / Buddhist traditions. Usually a male guru’s voice acts as the drone, with his voice fixed at lower octave, while his disciples sing an octave higher, creating a very fulfilling feeling.

Taksang Lakhang

I really wanted to stay here forever, or for a long time atleast. Unfortunately it was close to sunset, and since we were on our own, it was imperative to return before dark. The ascent can get very confusing at night.

They say that one must visit the Taktsang Lhakhang atleast once in their lives. It’s the holiest of the holy places in Bhutan. I’m glad, fortunate, lucky, blessed, etc. for having visited this temple.

Praying before the mighty Gurus

That ended my travel of Bhutan, what a fantastic way to end this magical tour! I exit the country in my next, concluding post. (I know I have to start writing about Russia soon!)

A Tour of the City

Priyank and I could have been walking around Manila side-by-side and he hit many of the major points that you shouldn’t miss if you’re planning a trip there. Taking a tour of the city is one of the best ways to capture the high points, especially if you have limited time. Manila isn’t the easiest city to navigate on your own and tours within the city are cheap and informative. Also, aside from some mild requests, you won’t be hit up to purchase extras or souvenirs excessively, an annoying aspect I’ve encountered in many other cities in the region.

Fort Santiago

Located inside Intramuros, this former Spanish fort built in the late 1500s has a backdrop of a modern city behind it and is one of the many instances where old meets new in the city. One of the views overlooking the walls is that of a pristine golf course right next door that seems out of place.

St. Agustin Church

As I mentioned last week, religion is prominent in Manila and there is a strong Catholic influence that permeates everything there. There are several churches worth seeing and discovering in Manila and St. Agustin Church is certainly a must. Generally free to the public, make sure you are dressed appropriately.

Balut

One of the Philippine delicacies that Priyank missed out on in his post about Manila was balut. While halo-halo is a refreshing a sweet desert, balut is an adventure that most don’t brave in Manila. (I missed my chance, but won’t the next time I’m there.) Balut is the fertilized egg of a duck that is eaten straight from the shell. This food you can find from street vendors isn’t for the faint of heart…or stomach. You can try your eyes first.

Variety and…Contrast

Manila is an eclectic city and only one stop you should make if you have time in the Philippines. Manila is a great city to explore and launch many more excursions to see the natural beauty the island nation has to offer. It will overwhelm your senses, both imaginary and real.

Any questions or observations? Feel free to ask. I’ll be listening to the comments all day and look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again for making this series as wonderful as it’s turned out, I really enjoyed writing these posts and reading yours.

Pride 2009

A street on Church-Wellesley gaybourhood.

Toronto’s Pride week 2009 festivities culminated with the grand Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28. The parade is among the largest in the world and is a cultural event of the city and the country.

The Church street community center draped in pride colors

It was raining in the morning but that did not subdue the crowds who thronged the streets. Some were wearing protective rain gear, others simply enjoyed the rain. However, as soon as the parade started, the sky turned blue with plenty of sunshine. Suddenly umbrellas were replaced with sunglasses and sunscreen.

Water gun battle with the revellers who were armed with thousands of cameras

Pride week brings out lots of artsy activities such as performances, exhibits, theater, dance, music and other creative cultural expressions. Primarily focused around the Church and Wellesley gay village, the pride week attracts thousands, with almost a million attending the final parade on Sunday.

Prime location indeed!

I saw tons of East Asian and South Asian tourists – aunties and uncles, babies on strollers and hordes of curious Chinese tourists. Clicking pictures of everything they saw, posing with drag queens, clowns and men in costumes, such as someone dressed as a Roman soldier, or a condom, everyone was clearly having a fun time.

Marching ahead

The parade ended by 16:30 and was followed by street parties that ended around midnight. There was street food, beer gardens, and extremely crowded streets that reminded me of peak rush hour traffic in Mumbai. Streets were littered with colorful post-parade fare that might take days to clean since the city’s garbage workers are currently on a strike. It seems that the union deliberately chose the pride week to go on strike, thinking that it would be a bargaining strategy. Thankfully the city did not give in to the outrageous demands of unionised workers.

Proud Police car

Pride week is extremely inclusive and sees participation from young and old, black and white, straight and queer and it feels like a carnival or an Indian mela. It is broadcasted live on television channels, sees participation from political parties, religious agencies (churches), government (municipalities, police), restaurants, transport companies, charities, non-profits, private and public organizations and a host of other community stakeholders. The city of Toronto pumps a lot of money in organization of this festival since it is the largest tourist attraction for the city.

Happiness in the air

Surrender yourself to the power of the mighty Guru.

The hike to the monastery begins. The board says: “Walk to the Guru’s glory! Take back memories of a kingdom, for here in this kingdom rules an unparalleled benevolent King “

Machu Picchu, Taj Mahal, Red Square and Dome of the Rock. These are the top icons that define Peru, India, Russia and Israel respectively. Taktsang Lhakhang or the Tiger’s Nest Monastery would be such icon of Bhutan. This monastery was among the last places I saw im my trip to Bhutan, and rightly so. By now I had (and you have) seen the Bhutan story build bit by bit and it was about time to climax.

Prayer wheel at the first pit stop. Enlarge the picture to see the temple on the cliff behind.

Perched miraculously on the side of a sheer cliff 900m above the base of Paro valley, the only sounds you can hear at the Taktshang Lhakhang are the murmurs of the wind and water and the chanting of mantras. The name ‘Taktshang’ means ‘Tiger’s nest’ and it is believed that Guru Rinpoche, the Guru from India who preached Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan, flew to this site on the back of a tigress to subdue the local demon and meditate in the cave. Takshang Lhakhang is a holy place and Buddhist pilgrims from all over Bhutan visit here.

Prayer wheel viewed from the first pit stop

The only way to reach up to the Tiger’s Nest is to walk, or fly on the back of a magic tiger. I picked the former since I don’t know how to ride a flying tiger and I might have missed taking pictures. Ask any taxi driver in Paro to drop you off at the junction from where the road to Taktsang Lakhang begins (8km, Rs. 15). The actual hike starts about 3 kilometers from the point you were dropped off (elevation: 2,600m).

Admist rows of prayer flags

The hike is 2 hour long and offers spectacular views. In the first part, the trail climbs through blue pines, then switchbacks steeply up the ridge and suddenly the valley opens up. After climbing further for an hour, the small white chhorten with prayer flags comes into view. There is a convenient tea house located near the chorten where we took our first pit stop (elevation: 2940m). The tea house is expensive (its the ‘tourist’ thing): a bottle of water is priced five times here (Rs. 50) so choose between carrying lots of water or spending money here. You can see Takshang Lhakhang right across the cafeteria and we enjoyed the impressive view while having brunch and chatting with other visitors.

Admist rows of prayer flags

Many visitors opt to hike only upto this point and have a darshan of the temple from here. Darshan is a Sanskrit word that cannot be translated, but it means something like ’sight of the holy or the divine.’

Taktsang Lhakhang.. seen right in front in the middle of the cliff.

That’s where I’ll be in the next post.

Manila bay at night

Manila is an eclectic city seemingly in the midst of it all and yet at the edge of the world at the same time. Contrasts between old and new are abound and almost everyone wears a smile when you meet them. Many of Priyank’s assumptions were right on target, including his first taxi ride.

Contrasts

Language

Priyank began his imaginary trip by getting into a cab with a driver who only spoke Tagalog. You’ll find that English is common among the educated but most people you’re likely to encounter driving taxis and jeepneys won’t speak more than a few words. While many won’t speak English you might come across several tour guides that can sing almost every single Elvis song word for word – which I did outside Intramuros, The Walled City (He’s the guy on the left).

Tour guide

Take A Jeepney Instead

One thing that I highly recommend is taking a jeepney to get around. The most popular mode of public transportation in Manlia, many are made from old World War II jeeps left by American soldiers. They can fill up to 8-10 people who hop on and off, passing their money to the driver who never looks back to see the passengers. The entire process works on the honor system. Be prepared to board and exit quickly as jeepneys stop and go with the flow of traffic.

Jeepney

Religion and the West

Catholicism is everywhere in Manila. Most wear crosses, there are elaborate churches throughout the city, and numerous religious icons for sale at shops. Mostly an influence the result of Spanish colonization, aside from religion there is a strong Western current that runs through Manila. Many of the bars, cafes, and restaurants could be taken out of Asia and placed in Europe. And everyone seems finely in tune with US pop culture (especially the NBA).

Manila Church

From People To Places

Many of Priyank’s observations were insightful and mostly accurate. Here are a few more well made points.

• The streets aren’t terrible inside the city but traffic is a nightmare at most hours except the very dead of night.
• Malls aren’t too different than ones you’d find in North America but they are exceptional in how close they mimic them.
• Fashion is comfort meets casual. In the Philippine summer it almost has to be.

Next week I’ll run down some of the places I visited in Manila and compare with Priyank’s imaginary tour of the city. Any questions or observations? Feel free to ask – I’ll be listening to the comments all day and look forward to hearing from you.