that surprise i was talking about?
it was us flying to cebu to shock the hell out of my folks, although i have to say they handled the whole affair coolly. they were pretty chill about it.
my family would make great card players, for the poker face alone.
seriously, it felt so good to see the people and the dishes i love after a very long flight. on that night, we had grilled everything — fish, squid, and pork. my older sister, who arrived a week before us, already had the food and the distraction tactics arranged. el2’s friends picked us up at the airport.
jeff was right. cebu does have a distinct smell to it in a way that i can’t quite explain. just that it does.
and all that whingeing about the traffic that i read on social media? they were right too. it seems as if cebu has become even more congested the last time i was here, which was 2 years ago. all these developments and buildings sprouting like mushrooms and yet the roads are still as narrow as when kalesas were still the norm. it feels like cebu is becoming so much like manila. and i hate that.
on the bright side, THE WEATHER!!!
p.s. big thank you to el2’s friend, lelil, for taking this video. 🙂
the pauses between 
Haha!!! Murag kamo ang mas na-surprise nga wala na surprised iyang expression. 😀 Welcome home!
lagi. poker face kaayo akong mga ginikanan! hahaha.
thanks, it is good to be home. 🙂
This is so cool, going back to the Philippines after a looong while! No surprise the first thing you did was eat…I think that is what a typical Asian family does when they get together, eat and talk at the same time! Haha, Cebu has a kind of smell to it. Thinking back, whenever I go back to Malaysia and Singapore, I notice these places have a different smell from Australia…it is hard to explain, lol. But I guess a different country is a different sensory experience. Pity the traffic, but yesss the weather! Enjoy the warm weather and soak up every moment of it. It is freezing here in Melbourne and perfect timing for you to go back 😀
oh, i am happy to escape melbourne’s winter, alright. lol. jeff said today was incredibly windy, not to mention cold. i can’t say i’m jealous. hahaha.
rag up. rest assured summer is on its way. although knowing melbourne, summer is no guarantee for nice, warm weather. but boiling hot, yes. lol.
Correct. It was hideously windy yesterday and today it actually rained in the afternoon. I spent the whole day in the shops in the city today, wanting to buy skinny black pants but nothing fit lol. At least I stayed dry. I also wanted to buy a winter jacket but a lot of shops have put their winter stuff away
Haha, really cannot wait for summer and I wouldn’t mind boiling hot right now. Enjoy Cebu 😀
thanks, mabel. goodluck with finding the best pair of jeans! i understand how difficult it is, with our asian size and all. hehehe.
I actually found two pairs of jeans today after work in the city. Bye bye money 😀 That said, if I were back in Asia, I’d probably find even more 😀
Hey, as long as it’s the perfect fit, it’s money well spent. 😉
I’m actually on the lookout for jeans here as well. We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully I’ll get lucky too.
I am sure you’ll have lots of shopping luck in Cebu 🙂 Winter sales here are coming to an end…so shop up a storm over there 😀
Ahhh glad you get to visit home! Miss the food in the Philippines!
Omg, I’m just basically stuffing myself with food over here. Lol.
Just out of curiosity, what’s your favorite filo food?
Sinigang, haha! Sucker for anything sour lol
omg, sinigang is the best!!! as for everything else sour, there’s also hilaw na mangga with bagoong! drool
kasweet ani uy. i thought tita susan was about to cry.
really? murag kevs ra jud sha sa akong panan-aw ai. lol. knowing mommy, she is not the type to wear her heart on her sleeve. but in fairness, she did say later that it was nice to have us all together under one roof. mostly because of the kids. mao ra juy importante. lol.
Hahaha. I really think she is about to cry. She’s trying to put on a brave face.
I really think she is about to. And that she’s just trying to put on a brave face!