The fireworks began at approximately 9:30 pm in Makati and are still beeing shot off sporadically at 2am. From 11pm through 1am, it was a massive symphony of light and sound. Across the horizon, it appeared as if the fireworks were being shot off every 2 – 3 feet. I know my perception of the distance is way off, but that’s why it’s called perception and not fact 😉 The hotel held a massive party in the lobby and everyone was decked out to the nines. I even saw a few fellow countrymen wearing kilts! The party was winding down around 2am, but on the bright side I think I might finally get a good day’s sleep (I sleep during the late morning and mid-afternoon and work all night) for once.

The Pinoy celebrate Rizal day on the 30th of December. Jose Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines. Translated poems and selected letters are available at the Austrian-Philippine website.

Wednesday was the first day we had to tour the city and see the sights. Timing couldn’t have been better, since Paul heads home on Thursday morning. Checkout the online tour of Intramuros at the official Philippine Tourism website.

Christmas morning began with a 1:30 am phone call from mom & dad and was followed a few hours later by a call from Drew. It was nice to hear everyone’s voices. When you’re busy at work and trying to sightsee in the off-hours, you don’t always have time to miss everone. I’ve tried to keep in touch with Drew in IM and email, but it’s not the same as talking to him – even with the few second delay on the line.

I will be in town for Rizal Day (30th of December), so I will need to try and find out more about it before then.

Traffic is nowhere near as nuts here as it was in India – there are no cows or oxen in the middle of the roads and far fewer mopeds and motorcycles, pedestrian seems to stay on the sidewalks rather than sitting in the middle of streets, etc. However, driving in Manila is definitely an experience unfamiliar to most Westerner’s. Paul had obtained his international driver’s license prior to arriving, but after a few taxi rides around the city decided it would be a good idea to avoid driving here. Drivers don’t tend to stay in their own lanes (on the bright side, at least there are lanes painted on the roads and all the roads I’ve seen so far are paved) and all take part in a complex dance of weaving and bobbing between other vehicles. Like a FedEx Hub, drivers are continually honking their horns to advise others of their locations and intentions. Despite all of this, driving is less wild in Manila than it was in Bangalore. Cars don’t tend to drive at excessive speeds – we’d be lucky to get over 40km/h here – and I’ve yet to see a serious accident or read about on in the newspaper.

Note: I owe a huge thank you to Coi A., a co-worker in the Philippines, who took the time to correct my understanding of how the car licensing system works in Manila.

To reduce traffic congestion, cars are not allowed to be on the road at all times. The traffic scheme is fondly called the “color-coding” scheme, why it’s called color-coding is beyond me. License plates which END with particular numbers are off-limits on the roads from 7am-7pm on their assigned days. Thus, vehicles with license plates ending in:

1-2 – off limits on the roads on a Monday
3-4 – off limits on the roads on a Tuesday
5-6 – off limits on the roads on a Wednesday
7-8 – off limits on the roads on a Thursday
9-0 – off limits on the roads on a Friday
Saturday and Sunday are free-for-all days.