Our Trip So Far - EDSA and Cubao
After heading back to Manila from Cavite, we visited my wife’s aunt in Cubao. Cubao is my old stomping grounds. We lived in Project 4, and Cubao was where my family would go to the movies, eat out and shop. I always swore I would still remember the roads there even after a 22-year absence. Sure enough, I was able to navigate my way back to where we used to live, even though P. Tuazon is now dotted with new buildings. Our old street looks narrower and our old house looks awfully small now. The makopa tree is gone - the whole garden area has been paved with cement. I have no pictures to post here because I stupidly had forgotten to bring my camera’s battery which was sitting in its charger back at home base.
Cubao is pretty much the same. Ali Mall is still standing and the original SM is still there. I was surprised to see Fiesta Carnival still intact. A new mall called Gateway juts out of the space right next to the big National Bookstore and connects Araneta Coliseum to Farmers Market, which has been vastly improved. A new MRT station is accessible from inside.
Speaking of malls, as we headed to Bataan the next day and traversed the entire Metro Manila from South Super Highway, through EDSA and then to North Super Highway, I was amused to see that there are shopping malls every few kilometers along this route. Appropriately, the skyline along EDSA is garnished with billboards pushing the latest fashions, beauty products and mobile pre-paid cards. They’re very twenty-something targeted.
Paved roads in Manila are much improved. Not only are there more of them, but there are less potholes to encounter. Philippine driving, however, is quite a different matter. It shocks me in two ways: one, everyone git-gits each other; two, somehow nobody gets mad at each other for this practice. It’s become the de-facto way of establishing one’s right of way. Amazing. This means a relatively quiet drive (save for my whimpering) with no one blowing their horn at one another. Commuting in Manila was a much noisier affair twenty-some years ago. I’m also glad to find out that some sort of Clean Air Act has been passed in Manila.
Next: Bataan
July 8th, 2005 at 1:39 pm
Grew up in that area too. Kabilang side lang kami - P2 & P3. Jeproks ka din pala!
If you notice it’s no longer Fiesta Carnival but some huge supermarket ran by the Rustan’s group. Nalungkot ako nun when I found out. Before I left I took a walk - from Farmer’s Market until the building formerly known as COD. It wasn’t that late so the lights were out and there were still people about. Wasn’t that scary yet. Natapos na din pala yung Gateway Mall. I hear they have rocking good movie theaters.
July 8th, 2005 at 10:08 pm
When I went back for Christmas, even after just two years away, I was pretty surprised by the sudden jump in EDSA billboard density. Advertising overload talaga.
Hope the current political situation isn’t getting in the way.
July 8th, 2005 at 10:36 pm
Gateway was being built when we visited in December 03. I was a bit overwhelmed with the huge billboards on freeways and buildings that have sprouted everywhere including narrow local streets. BTW, we did a nostalgic trip and dropped by St. Jo and my husband’s old school and home in Pinaglabanan.
July 9th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
Mark: Oh so Fiesta Carnival is gone. I thought I saw some rides or something. And yes, COD’s gone too. But I hear people now have elaborate Christmas setups at their own homes.
And syempre, jeproks tayo, ‘no?
Paulo: Overloaded, it is. And Kris Aquino - she’s everywhere. As for the political situation, I feel like such an outsider. But I can’t avoid it even when I get back home. I hear the Arroyos flew to San Francisco a couple of days ago! BTW, we drove through Macapagal’s hometown in Pampanga last night and there was a police presence in front of the municipal building.
Marie: St. Jo! That’s one place I need to visit before I leave.
July 11th, 2005 at 9:42 am
It may be an accepted fact of life that driving on Philippine roads will have its share of “git-git”. That doesn’t make it any less annoying.
The only reason why horns aren’t honked as much on EDSA is because last year a law was passed about Noise Pollution. You can honk your horn once to warn someone, for instance. But you can’t honk it repeatedly or for a prolonged period of time.
July 14th, 2005 at 8:47 am
Noelle, it’s a good thing that law was implemented. Sometimes laws need to be passed in order for behaviours to change.
August 8th, 2005 at 2:16 am
thank you comming to our coffee house now we made even better for all wi fi user to make thing izzy with power supply and we made wi fi complitlty free no more log in..no more surf and sip but you can rich wi fi in with in second……thanks so much we see you soon…..mahesh