Taking a break in The Phillipines

We are now back in the Philippines after 3 years and a lot has changed, some for the good and some for the not so good. Even though i have a lot of hangups about Manila, its pollution and the opportunists that abound in it, i couldnt help but feel a little happy to be back. My chubby hubby who is a born and bred ‘probinsyano’ (someone who has grown up in the province) has only been to Manila a few times so i was his navigator as we drove around the city’s narrow streets. We passed by my university campus several times and i proudly showed him the places where i use to waste my time between (or during?!) classes…
So much has changed…. The malls are bigger and so many news ones have gone up, the streets are narrower, the air filthier, the buildings older and more dilapitated, internet connection is slower and we are enjoying every minute of it.
We are however, spending more time in Alaminos, Pangasinan which is the province where the chubby hubby is from. It is a 4 hour drive (without traffic) from Manila. I actually love this place with the 100 islands a few minutes away by tricycle and the air a whole lot fresher. The people are simpler and there are actually no shopping malls. So no shopping for me.
We’re a week into our stay here and weve already done a lot. I still wont be able to post as often since i dont have a pc and we dont have great internet… But God’s been good and the mosquito bites havent infested our skin yet. Here’s to hoping they don’t.