January 27

[Cue background music: The Cab - Endlessly]

No one in this household really wants to leave. Yes, prior preparations were made but nobody bothered to pack -still in denial of leaving the Philippines, which resulted to having our living room jam-packed with balikbayan boxes, clothes, and all our other things we will bring to the other side of the world. I, for one, am having a hard time jamming 18 years of my life in two 23kg balikbayan boxes so I just ended up bringing winter clothes, my high school books, shoes, some letters, and a few of my beloved bags [I badly want to bring my ice skates but it weighs 2kgs. I cannot afford 2kgs]. 9 and a half-hours before we leave our Rizal home, I am still haven’t finished packing up my life. This will definitely be an all-nighter, and I think I might just witness the Manila sunrise for the last time.

I made sure to visit Meghan at Medical City since it would probably be the last time I’ll be seeing her. A few of my close friends came to visit Meghan too and to wish me good bye as well. It was a very heartwarming mini-despedida/get-together. 

Meghan and Cru gave me a going-away gift, a photo of the three of us wearing matching “Escalate” shirts which was taken last summer during a frisbee game. I teared up upon seeing their gift.

Eunika gave me a bunch of her old winter clothes plus a pair of boots. 

I ate dinner with the Granados clan at Eastwood. Mama Darling bought my mom and I bedroom slippers which are lined with fleece and are very soft and comfy! I can’t wait to try them on the cold weather.

Ramon gave me a Krispy Kreme doughnut holder which I requested from him. :) We were strolling around Greenbelt 5 when we saw the Krispy Kreme stall and I specifically told him to get me one so I could eat a doughnut on the plane to Vancouver… and he really did get me one. How cute. 

We headed to my mom’s best friend’s house before going home. Gave them a surprise visit and obviously, the both of them cried.

So it’s 3:30 AM, I have less than 24 hours to feel the Manila heat (suddenly, “Manila” by Hotdog played inside my head). I will definitely miss everything about the Philippines -the jeepneys, no matter how smokey and how unruly my hair can get after riding one; LRTs and the MRT, no matter how “unsafe” and how crowded it might get; the polluted Taft Avenue; Recto; La Salle; One Archers; Assumption; the glorious street food; ukay-ukay and Greenhills… just everything. Tito Joel, my mom’s best friend’s husband, gave me a hundred bucks. That will be my capital for my airfare back to the Philippines. I’ll try to be back by April, just in time for Bora ‘12…

Until then, Manila. See you soon.