More Food.

Sweetened yam, sugar coconut and Filipino version of Corn Nuts.

Ondoy.

Here's some pictures of Makati just hours before Typhoon Ondoy hit.







"MANILA, Philippines – Damages due to massive floods brought by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana) has peaked at P4.79 billion, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Wednesday."
Click here for the entire story

"At least 50 people have been killed and thousands more evacuated..."

"At least 50 people have been killed and thousands more evacuated as floods caused by heavy rain brought chaos to the Philippines, officials say.
At least one town is completely under water. Power has been cut off to parts of the capital, Manila, where hundreds of people are trapped on rooftops.
The government has declared a calamity, allowing access to emergency funds.
Television pictures showed water flowing down roads like rivers, with the floods chest-deep and rising.
The equivalent of a whole month's rain fell in six hours as Tropical Storm Ketsana, also known as Ondoy, lashed the island of Luzon, causing the worst flooding in Manila for 20 years." - BBC



Read the story here

Typhoon!

I survived a Typhoon! Not really but a Typhoon missed the island by a few kilometers. We had a horrible rain storm and flood. We went to the mall and by the time we left we were up to our wastes in water. We took a cab but the taxi driver made us get out because the tide was too high! We had to walk three blocks in waste high water! It was an amazing adventure but I wouldn't want to do it again.

Energy Drink!

Not sure who this guy is, but I'm sure a couple of these and you'll be ready to take on Bruce Lee!

New work schedule.

I will be working 2:30am to 12:30pm next week.

Pinoy-Step. Nomad Crew! Boh!

Here's a few shots of a monthly drum n bass night. You can see they have a nice little crowd, also there's a picture of Liquid A (female DJ) and Morse (local Pinoy-Step producer). I didn't get to play because the lineup was full. They did promise me a gig very soon. I got a chance to MC on the mic. They loved it! Finally! LOL. Ha. I will have a DJ gig soon! I know it. I will post more info about the dnb scene here very soon

Food! Filipino Delicacies

One day old duck and fried Balut.

Fried pigs blood.
Dried Anchovies

Pig intestine

Smells like crap, tastes likes heaven.

Paul Van Dyke in Makati - Oct 13th

Live Performance by Silk @ Hard Rock Cafe Makati

Here's a local cover band called Silk covering Umbrella by Rhianna.

The View From My Apartment. Somerset MIllennium Makati

Ill Kid @ M-Cafe Thursday Night

I have a DJ gig at M-Cafe this Thursday! I'm so thankful that the jungle DJ's have given me an opportunity to play some jungle in Manila! I'll keep you updated!

Communications

I must apologize, I do not have a phone yet and I have not called anyone at home. :(  There are so many cell phones and providers out here. I'm trying to make a good decision because I have to use my own money to buy a cell phone. The company will not reimburse me for the phone...only the minutes. I will call you all ASAP. Until then, I have Skype. My screen name is madridonskype.

Hit me up! Also, I should have AIM soon. Sorry, I've been super busy. I love all of you, thanks for following the Illa In Manila!  Send me an email with your number and cell provider and I will send you a text via free text on the internet! Thanks!

Fruit!

There's so much good food here!  Sushi, seafood and fruit. There is a fresh seafood market and fresh fruit market within two blocks of my residence! I will post pictures soon!

Getting closer to God in a tight situation.

There's around 16 million people in Makati City and about 93 million in the Philippines. I'm never alone! So many people everywhere. I feel close to God because there is so much life here. So much love. So much passion.

Weather

Alot of people have been asking how the weather is here. There's two season's wet and dry. Right now it's wet season. It rains everyday! The cool thing is it only rains for a few hours in the evening. The perfect weather here. Sunny in the morning, a nice shower in the evening and humid at night. I've never liked humidity but it's the perfect amount of humidity. It's hard to explain, so if you want a better description, just come out here and visit me! I have a beautiful apartment in downtown Makati City. There's two huge malls in the area. Each mall has about 5 or six parts. I take a cab to work but I walk home everyday after work. There's a short cut my residence through the mall. So.... I have to walk through the mall everyday to get home (it's so hard being me!) I love this place!

Language

Ok, so the words are different here....LOL. I learned there is a difference between clubs and bars. Clubs here are places for "bird watching" and bars are places where you go to drink.  LOL. I was wondering why they looked at me weird when I said where are the dance clubs....LOL. Also learned a new word: Astige! It means super cool!

Filipino Flan

Pronounced Fl-ann not flon. LOL

I tried a new dessert today at work. One of the girls brought leche flan. Best dessert I've ever had!!!

BALUT!

I tried Balut today. I will try to get the picture and video posted soon! Balut is Filipino delicacy. It's a young duck egg. You peel the egg, drink the "juice" and eat the rest. YUM!

First Day of Work

Today was truly amazing! Convergys launched the program today and the first wave of employees graduated from training. There was so much excitement in the air, people were nervous and excited but mostly just really happy to be doing their job. I like to be around people who love what they are doing. The people here are so passionate and I was full of joy all day. I'm even getting emotional just typing this. :)

Filipinos Know How To Party!

This was a group of friends we saw at one of the clubs, they were having so much fun I HAD TO capture the moment!

This is how I lost my bag

The baggage claim in Manila was CHAOS! I guess at some point a lady grabbed my bag on accident. Luckily she returned to the airport the next day.

Japan!

Japan coastline, Mcdonald's and boday in airport...LOL

Makati Area

There's so much to do around this city. Lots of shops, restaurants, clubs, bars, coffee shops and of course PEOPLE! It is crowded almost everywhere we go. Most people are very friendly but I thought there would be more English speakers here. Maybe they just pretend so they don't have to talk to us...LOL. I've met some of the people I'm going to be working with including Angelo, Cheese, Mary and Lou. They made me dance in the lobby for channel 9. Thats the channel where you can watch the lobby...weird huh?

Everything is very inexpensive. Chips, a drink and coke at the store is about $2. A nice pasta meal is about $5 including soda and the tip. A bottle of liquor will set you back $2 and cab rides are about $1 or $2 anywhere within the area. There's a small connivence store across the street and they sell everything a gas station would carry. I totally have my fridge stocked with grape soda! :)

I do not have a cell phone or calling card yet but hopefully within the next few days.

More info on the, thanks for following The Illa In Manila! I promise to post pics very soon!

Questions and Picture Requests.

If you have any questions or picture requests please post a comment to this.

The Illa In Manila!

I arrived safely here in the Philippines. Makati is amazing, I will post some of my pictures when I get a chance. I have a photobucket account but I've heard Flicker is the best. I'm also going to set up a Skype account ASAP. We arrived in Manila last night at 11:30pm. Some lady was in such a hurry she grabbed my bag. The baggage claim was chaos! I'll post a pic later.

We went out last night and checked out some of the dance clubs around here. It was really late so there wasn't much action but I will keep you posted because looks like they have an incredible nightlife here.

I will find out my work schedule tomorrow but I think I will be working 9pm-6am Manila time. The USA is 14 hours behind. Here's a quick chart to help with the time conversion.

Philippines United States
6:30 AM 4:30 PM
7:00 AM 5:00 PM
7:30 AM 5:30 PM
8:00 AM 6:00 PM
8:30 AM 6:30 PM
9:00 AM 7:00 PM

Big Up Mittens!

Big up to MIttens, the latest follower.

Monday was a busy day! I did all the last minute things I needed to do. It was overwhelming because I kept buying things I thought I would need. I’m an entertainment freak so I felt like I needed to be stocked up with music, movies etc. Thanks to Ashlynn for helping me run errands. Even though I woke up at 9am and started running errands, by the time I finished errands and finished packing I realized I got to sleep for one our before my flight leaves.

Thanks to my mom, I made it to the airport with time to spare. I’m flying business class the entire trip and let me tell you, it’s AWESOME! So much room and comfort. Although the customer service is not really any better it’s really nice to fly like this. I was really impressed with the business class on the international flight. If your gonna be on a plane for 11 hours might as well be able to recline. They had two menus on the flight, Western and Japanese. Even though the flight attendant advised me I should order from the Western menu, I went against her suggestion. I ordered “A Selection of Japanese Fair.” This included sashimi, aemono, kobachi, and an entrée of yellowtail misoyaki, tamago and burdock.

Business Class Seats:

I'd like to welcome some new followers!

Thanks to Nate (my brother), An (my sister), and Joe & Norma (my dad & step-mom) for following this blog! Love you guys!

Shots!

I got my shots yesterday. I got pneumonia, flu, typhoid and tetanus vaccines. The only one that hurt a little bit was the flu shot. Wierd huh? Anyway, my arm hurt a little bit yesterday but feels much better today.

I also made pizza and spent time with my brother and my mom and brother. It was cool because a few of closest friends came over. You can't beat pizza and swimming! I leave in 4 days! Yikes!

6 Days!

I had a mini going away party last night at Blackbird it was fun, got to see a bunch of my friends before I go. I'm having an official going away party on Friday check back here on Friday afternoon for more details. I found out the company will be paying for calling cards but I think I will register a Skype account later tonight. So, if anyone wants to chat early in the morning or late at night when I get there lemme know. Big up Venter and my Mom, they are my first followers!

One Week!

OK, so I got my flight confirmation and itinerary! I have a passport and a ticket. The reality of moving over seas in finally starting to kick in. Glayven! I've never lived outside of Albuquerque or on my own without roommates. This a new exciting chapter in my life. I'm a little bit nervous but mostly excited. One week til I leave!

One Week & One Day Until I Leave!

I'm leaving for the Philipines the morning of September 15th. I will be back early December. I love Albuquerque and I will miss all of my family and friends. My brother and a few of my friends think I will return with a Filipino wife...ha ha. I guess anything can happen! I will be living in Makati city. Makati is considered "The Wall Street" of Manila.

"Manila is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western portion of the National Capital Region, in the western side of Luzon. Manila is one of the central hubs of a thriving metropolitan area home to over 19 million people..." - Wikipedia

Here's some more interesting facts about the Philippines:

The Philippines has 7,107 islands.

The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country, with an estimated population of about 92 million.

The Philippines is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world.