after a quick dip in the pool where daddyloo and ram “taught” aeva how to swim, which was mostly an exercise of carrying her around while she happily barked orders to her elders (“let’s go this way!”), pointing her cute little index finger in the direction opposite to where i was standing holding open a towel so i could get her out already, we all trooped to the van and had dinner and then…

the people’s park.

what can i say? the 4-hectare park was amazing! it was culturally enriching too, what with all these wonderful concrete artworks by kublai millan, a celebrated local artist, showcasing the indigenous people of davao.

i could only wish we went there during daytime so i could have taken better shots of some of the sculptures but i guess these will do:

my favorite, of course, was that of a woman and her two children holding balloons. simply because i’m a sucker for balloons. because you cannot not look at balloons and not smile. impossible.

while waiting for ram’s friend whom he was meeting with later that evening, ram and i sat on one of the park’s many wooden benches looking like an awkward couple on an eyeball. most of the time (like most of the time), i did the talking, commenting about how clean and safe the park was, and how it served as a melting pot for people of all walks of life to rest and enjoy.

speaking of safe, the guards stationed at the entrance gates sure meant business when they inspected bags and pockets. much, much better and much, much more thorough than the kind of security inspection you get upon entering malls with the guards merely poking their sticks in your bag and absentmindedly shooing you in.

but there? not even a single lighter escapes their careful scrutiny. they confiscate lighters, for crying out loud! and the way they checked my bag almost made me want to offer to pour all the contents on to the table so they wouldn’t miss anything. empty out even the little pockets.

i liked that kind of security check. sure, it’s time-consuming with the line getting longer behind you but hey, if it’s meant to make the park a safer place to chill in, then i’m all for it!

but what i secretly loved, loved, loved about the park?

the strict enforcement of the NO SMOKING law. anyone caught smoking within the vicinity will be fined and/or imprisoned. same applies to anyone caught selling cigarettes.

because if there’s one thing i despise, it’s smoking. i.just.can’t.stand.it.