Dad's going to the Philippines in about a week. He's going there to pick up Mom, who's been there since
July and to visit his ailing brother. I don't think they've seen each other in decades. They only recently "found each other" sometime this year.
With that in mind, I gave Dad a few tips and suggestions on his trip to the "homeland":
*Don't bribe the Philippine customs officers. In my experience, they don't bother you unless you have loads of expensive luggage or like 10 balikbayan boxes. They especially don't bother you if you are traveling by yourself. I don't know if my being a young female adult as anything to do with it, but when I travel alone to the Philippines, I avoid "tipping" anybody, unless they helped me in some (legal:) way like helped with my baggage or something.
*Do NOT tip the guys who check your baggage claim ticket. They are a bunch of snakes! Everytime I have gone through NAIA, they have purposely hassled and made a fuss of matching the exact numbers on each baggage claim ticket, assuming I would pay them for the convenience of not being bothered by that. All you really have to do is be frank and say, (in Tagalog or English, either way has the same effect) "Look, I am not going to give you any money, okay?" Make sure you say it loud for the desired effect. My aunt has a similar solution. She asks for their manager, loudly. The point is to make some sort of commotion to embarrass them and they'll let you go. Works everytime.
Places Dad MUST go:
*North Park, the best Chinese restaurant I've ever been in. My fave dishes are their Special Salted Diced Fish Fried Rice and their Pinsec Frito, which are basically fried dumplings cooked to perfection. My mouth waters at the thought. Even Mom liked it their food, and she, being the ultimate food critic - she's a cook herself - actually LOVED it. They make great fresh lemonade too. I don't know why, I've never tasted it better.
*The Kween's farm in Calamba Hills, Laguna. Tita E. and the rest of the Looney family own this organic herbal farm near our hometown in Laguna. They have all the herbs and vegetables you can think of! Dad just has to have dinner their at least once. Tita E. made homemade pesto, with the oregano and basil leaves they grow there. They've started packaging it for their family business, but when she makes it fresh, she adds whatever herbs and spices that strike her fancy at the moment.
*Quiapo and Divisoria, cheap street markets with everything galore. Need I say more?
*Red Ribbon, to pick up my fave dessert that only they can make the way it should be made, Chocolate Mousse.
*sigh*
