Manila, Manila. I Keep Coming Back to Manila.

Manila, Manila / I keep coming back to Manila / Simply no place like Manila / Manila, I'm coming home
--Hotdog

Hotdog was a rock n' roll band that brought Filipino songwriting to another level during the 1970s. The song Manila is about the vibrant spirit of the capital of the Philippines. Even though the singer has "walked the streets of San Francisco" and "dated a million girls in Sydney," he sings he'll always come back to the place he calls home.

I grew up in Manila and look forward to every return trip to the Philippines. After opting for Mexico and Cuba to spend the last two holidays, it was time to celebrate again with family and old friends.

To my heartbreak this year, I realized that Manila is not my home anymore.

As I walked in the nhe super-mega-mall in less than a week, I saw myself living far away from Manila as much as possible. There are too many cars, too many jeepneys, buses, and cabs, but not enough room in the streets. It was very comforting to be with friends and family on the beach and in the mountains, but the time I did not spend with the people I love meant I was in a car stuck in traffic or killing time inside a mall to avoid traffic or drinking another cup of coffee at Starbuck's, waiting for traffic to ease.

It's not all that bad in Manila, however. This journal is about the different refuges I discovered to kill time away from the concrete jungle.

Quick Tips:

City temperature hovers around 80 degrees without humidity. It was perfect tropical weather. I was there around Christmastime, and it was cooler at night, so it's a good idea to carry a light sweater, especially if you know you're going to be inside a mall all day.

Carry a lot of the country's currency, pesos, as you're bound to spend a lot of it. You are expected to pay for everyone else since you are the balikbayan—literally translates to "return" and "country," a term used to refer to someone like me, returning to the motherland.

Use Manila as a transfer point to and from the many beaches and mountain ranges of the Philippines. Get away from the big city as much as possible.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are plenty of jeepneys to the Alabang Town Center. You can also take an SUV-cab (commonly known as the FX) or a tricycle. Your own air-conditioned car is preferrable, as is having your own driver so you can be dropped off and picked up at the nearest Starbuck's while someone else worries about finding a parking spot.

When in the Philippines, eat Filipino food. And that means eating a lot of pork. We Filipinos love our "other white meat," and we add it in almost everything, from sautéed dishes to saucy stews to hot broths.

It was only a few years ago that eating Filipino food outside your home became cool. Thankfully, it did, and Filipinos and tourists alike finally have the chance to eat even the most laborious Filipino dish imaginable.

Gerry's is one of those restaurants that can boast delicious home-cooked Filipino meals without lying. As much as I tried to crave other cuisines while I was in Manila, I always ended up at Gerry's to eat lunch or dinner. Perhaps it is because Filipino food is what I miss most when I'm in New York City, but I think it's really just because Gerry's never failed to deliver.

One of my favorites is their kilawin, the Filipino version of the Japanese's tatake, when fresh fish are filleted and soaked in brine without cooking. I love their sisig, the entire face of a pig, including ears and mouth, chopped and boiled until tender and roasted in fish sauce (patis) and vinegar. I also never visited without ordering comfort dishes like their adobo, sinigang, bulalo, tuna belly, and their fried rice. You want lechon? No need to roast a whole pig for 10 hours! Gerry's has succulent pork. Craving crispy pata (pork thigh)? Forget about Thanksgiving turkey—Gerry's knows "crispy."

Everything they have is, of course, good with the local beer, San Miguel. If beer is not your thing, there's always the oh-so-tropical watermelon smoothie or the green mango shake.

I'm salivating just thinking about all this.

In New York City, I can only dream of getting a massage once in a blue moon because prices are so steep. After a peso-to-dollar conversion, a 1-hour deep-tissue massage at The Spa for non-members set me back $15! Believe me, I was paying for a massage every chance I had. I've also made appointments for several manicures and pedicures. My friend signed up for a head and neck massage and a foot spa—your feet spoiled and pampered in a basin of water with tropical flowers, stones, and oils, which helps even the most hardcore marathoners.

The Spa is inside the Town Center mall in Alabang, but don't fret, almost everything in Manila is inside a mall. Once you walk in, however, you're taken away from the hustle-and-bustle of the shopping crowd and hypnotized by the cascading water, ethereal-blue tiles, soothing smells, and lighting of their space.

Male and female customers are separated—a good chance for girlfriends to get pampered together while their partners get their own alone time. You can opt to get a massage in the common area, or you can get a private massage in your own room.

Once you have an appointment, you are free to use the showers, the sauna, the Jacuzzi, and the ice bath. I have spent more than 3 hours at The Spa during one of my appointments and took advantage of all their facilities.

Tipping is, of course, appreciated. Your masseuse will give you an envelope with their name on it after your session and all you have to do is put whatever peso amount you think they deserve and drop it in the native basket at the front desk.

I spent many of my dollars tipping in appreciation.