romancing baguio deux: random thoughts

at five o clock, baguio is full of energy. students spill out from the schools and universities. session road is awash with people. the vivaciousness of young people warms the chilly air of baguio. young couples holding hands while strolling to SM (couples never walk, they stroll). girl friends, in a faster pace, chat about terror teachers and cute classmates. a young artist capped with his tam in jamaican colors hums bob marley under his breath. i, in my brown suede jacket and laptop bag slung over my shoulder watch them all.

after my movie, i set out for the supermarket to buy water. it's been days since i've had water outside meals due to the distance of convenience stores from teacher's camp. while i was walking the aisles, "junk food!" zipped past my mind. but i push the thought away. this is baguio! buy fruits. buy strawberries. and now that i write this, i should have gotten myself condensed milk to dip into. mmmmm....

session road seemed to have been invaded by things you'd find anywhere. kfc, mcdo, greenwich, jollibee. and yet... baguio stores refuse to be beaten. i take more notice of pizza volante, zola cafe, swiss baker, gobi mongolian. baguio will always insist upon itself. it knows its special.

even at eleven, i have been adamant with the presence of the american bases, especially since i used to live near one in angeles city. but one thing that i give these joes credit for, they do great city planning. while our taxi ferried through the road to camp john hay, i was suddenly thankful that they stayed in baguio. if not for the americans, baguio would just look like bukidnon. don't take it wrongly. i looooove bukidnon. but part of baguio's charm is that it makes you feel like somewhere not in the philippines.

(date is here. bye!)