I love Iloilo

Wow, it's been more than seven weeks since my last blog entry. Again, my apologies that I've been delinquent for this long.

Well, I had a really wonderful two-week vacation/ homecoming last month (May 9 to May 24) to my most fave place in the world - Iloilo City. I wish I had longer time. Now, I miss home already. (Finally, after six years or so, the homesickness is sinking in...)

I actually have a mental list of what I would miss if I leave Manila or Makati for good. And right now, I think the list is down to two bullets: PowerBooks and Via Venetto (Starbucks, maybe, but not so; I just discovered that there's Figaro in SM City Iloilo, and a lot more cool coffee shops at 'hometown' prices). So there, I don't have that much hang-ups anymore. I realized lately that I'm ready, MORE THAN EVER, to go home. All I need is a decent breadwinner's job, and all the rest will follow.

And compared to my "What I Would Miss 'Bout Manila/Makati" List, the 'What I Love About Iloilo" list could go on till forever:
- the less polluted breeze that air-dries my hair (duration: about 5 minutes, from the time I leave home up to the subdivision's main gate, while aboard the tricycle -- sweet ;)
- the more pleasant disposition of tricycle and jeepney drivers and (much much) less stressful traffic during my commute
- the time it takes to get a ride (trike, jeepney or cab): not more than 5 minutes -- Well, isn't that glorious? In sluggish Makati, it could take you 30 minutes at the minimum just waiting for that heaven-sent FX making the miraculous choice of "Ayala", instead of oh-not-again-for-the-nth-time "Landmark"
- the simple life, which could translate to a thousand/million beautiful things, like being with your family -- all the stress and pains of work life vanishes when you come home to your Mom's home cooking and five crazy-sweet doggies (my five fur balls seem to always miss me every time I vanish and arrive from somewhere), having the luxury of "healthy meals" right from your own backyard, not needing to have the "fully made-up face" when coming to work, the priceless and easy smiles, the commonplace sincerity, so much less malls to choose from (and that's an advantage to your shopping health), the free seating SM cinemas, the familiarity of old and well-loved places (old churches and plazas, take-home goodness from good old Roberto's, UP Visayas, the neighborhood "tiange"/sari-sari store with the nice saleslady/grocer who never forgets your face), the Ilonggo definition of fine dining (anything and anywhere, as long as you have your family, that's fine =) and I could indeed go on and on.

There's peace of mind and so many things less to worry about in Iloilo City...in the best and worst times - e.g., Christmas doesn't mean a potential snatcher in every imaginable corner, and floods don't mean being forced to pay more than twice the normal fare to public utility drivers just to get home.

My hometown is not perfect. There are ills and abuses here and there, but not as rampant as in Metro Manila. A lot of things have gone urbanized, but the Ilonggo hospitality remains. The downtown and commercial areas may not be as upscale but there's much simplified novelties that are only truly Ilonggo. Lately, I've realized that there's more variety to blouses and bags in my hometown's malls (like Citi Square and Lucyl's), which I don't find here in Makati's Glorietta and SM (Greenbelt, ofcourse is not a fair comparison; and I only buy from maybe less than 5% of its shops). In fact, I have more shopping bags in tow in my normal Iloilo shopping day, than my clearance sale hunt in Makati. Or most probably, Mama's second opinion helped a great deal.

I love Iloilo! No doubt. I'm just finding the perfect timing and opportunity to make the BIG MOVE. Soon.

And while I'm at it, I'm trimming down the first list, too. Or will try finding workaround solutions-slash-substitutes.

Like...there's definitely at least one National Bookstore in Iloilo(there's one in SM City and another in Robinsons Place), which is from the same chain as Powerbooks...that may be good enough for a simplified lifestyle?

And my Via Venetto shoes will most probably last for a really really long time =) So maybe, all I need is a reliable shoe repair shop - something I could easily find in Iloilo.

Or if I really miss shopping for shoes and whatnots, a short trip to Manila for maybe a two-day mall raid would be completely feasible and harmless (haha)...

Hah! Everything's possible! Just keep the faith in HIM.Ciao, till next entry :)