My New City

It's a challenge for nomads to settle in a place.  Nomads has got many cities or none.

When I decided to move to Metro Manila, I was really uncomfortable.  I lived with a friend for 3 months and during those months my stuff are always in my luggage.  I was also always not in Metro Manila during that time.

Last year, I finally moved to Makati City.  A city I never thought I would learn to like.  It is somehow the cliche of the big cities --- tall buildings, busy streets, swarm of people.  Well, it is!

It is also, however, trying to be livable.  And it is successful in its attempts.

I live in a vibrant area, the old center of Makati - Barangay Poblacion.  I now have all what I need and want within reach.  There are weekend markets: Salcedo Saturday Market and Legaspi Sunday Market.  There's a food bazaar some meters away from my flat: Baga Manila at the A.Venue Parking Area.  There's a grocery nearby and a wet market a kilometer or 2 away.

Hanging out is no problem.  There's a hostel next to my street and people can bring their own beer: BYOB (Bring-Your-Own-Beer) at the MNL Boutique Hostel.  The owners are really cool and you will not have a lack of topics to talk about.

Some meters away is the "red light district".  And the cheapest beers are everywhere: Giligan's sells Pale Pilsen 3-for-100.  Food is also in every direction, from Asian to African.  Just take a little walk and you'll find something that you might want to try.

For sporty peeps, there are boxing gyms along Makati Avenue.  Hotels offer membership for their fitness gyms as well - a friend is enrolled in City Garden and pays Php2,000.00 for a month.

And for me, swimming!!!  I found out about it recently through a work colleague and it was great.  Makati City operates the Makati Aqua Sports Arena (MASA)  with a dimension of 21x50 meters in the Guadalupe area just across the University of Makati.  It is only Php50 for Makati-residents and Php150 for the others.

I am starting to LOVE MAKATI... and starting to really LIVE in the city!
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I hope I don't get in trouble by using the Makati logo... BUT Makati is really making it happen.  For more information on the happenings in my new city, check Make It Happen Website.