Typhoons and monsoons have been hitting the Philippines this past week. This leads to our backup indoor plans happening. We stayed in Makati and went to the local department store, the SM Store, and went to try some local street food. You may have noticed a pattern of visiting malls on the weekend. It is a big thing here, it is so popular that a new verb has come of it and it's called malling. Malling is a favorite Filipino pastime. I can understand why as so many of the malls are huge here with many stores, cinemas and restaurants, providing families with a lot to do. To be honest, I am about "malled" out but it is a great way to spend time with our new coworkers (and all of my paycheck).
Another thing we did this weekend was visit the Sunday Legazpi Market. It is held every Sunday (hence the name) in a parking lot right down the street from our apartments. It actually reminded me of home, but instead of apples they were selling dragonfruit and pineapples, just a little bit of a twist. We also got our first taste of some Filipino street food. (Earlier this week, I attempted to try Balut - you have to look it up to get the full effect. After I drank the 'juice', I saw the little duck and couldn't eat it.) At the farmer's market, we had BBQ'd chicken - thigh and leg, heart, and intestine. I also bought some local produce and a purse made from a recycled tire (the Sustainability major side of me kicked in on that purchase). Later on Sunday, we rode in a Jeepney (local transportation) and the MRT train (it's like their aboveground subway) to the University of Philippines - Dilman, where we tried mango and avocado ice cream and fish balls. Then, we had dinner at a local Filipino restaurant. It was a good weekend, but I am very excited for our next stop in Coron, Palawan. It is said to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I CANNOT WAIT!
Another thing we did this weekend was visit the Sunday Legazpi Market. It is held every Sunday (hence the name) in a parking lot right down the street from our apartments. It actually reminded me of home, but instead of apples they were selling dragonfruit and pineapples, just a little bit of a twist. We also got our first taste of some Filipino street food. (Earlier this week, I attempted to try Balut - you have to look it up to get the full effect. After I drank the 'juice', I saw the little duck and couldn't eat it.) At the farmer's market, we had BBQ'd chicken - thigh and leg, heart, and intestine. I also bought some local produce and a purse made from a recycled tire (the Sustainability major side of me kicked in on that purchase). Later on Sunday, we rode in a Jeepney (local transportation) and the MRT train (it's like their aboveground subway) to the University of Philippines - Dilman, where we tried mango and avocado ice cream and fish balls. Then, we had dinner at a local Filipino restaurant. It was a good weekend, but I am very excited for our next stop in Coron, Palawan. It is said to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I CANNOT WAIT!