Sometimes timing and effort works out so well that you end up with a reunion every day for the first leg of your trip. For all of our days in Manila so far, we've been able to meet up with some friends. Each encounter was appropriately over delicious food, life updates, and celebrations of past and future adventures.
Ibig is the root word of Kaibig, which is admiration. Ka is a prefix that indicates unity.
Kaibigan is the action of unifying admiration or friend.
Here's to international friendships, mutual admiration, and until we meet agains.
Mele has known Christina for about 5 years and I met her when she performed/played for USF Kasamahan's Barrio Fiesta. She's been living in the Philippines for about a year now as a Community Coordinator for the Casa Bayanihan Program at Ateneo de Manila. We caught her on her last week in the Philippines and met over food at Crisp on 28th in Makati.
Armand was an exchange student when he and I met at USF in 2009 as students taking classes with the University of San Francisco's Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program. We reconnected when I did a summer program at Ateneo de Manila in 2010 and have watched each other grow from afar since. He recently completed his J.D. at Ateneo Law and was president of the Ateneo Law Council. Where our hotel was happened to be his backyard while in law school, so we went to his regular spots – El Chupacabra for street tacos and Z Hostel rooftop bar for drinks.
These are the crafty titas of Manila. Last year I had the fortunate opportunity to work with bloggers in the Philippines. Mikko of I Try DIY, Macy of Macysfields, and Mansy of Hey Kessy. Thanks to Mikko's love for driving and having a car out here, we all got to carpool and it worked out that Mikko could take us to our next hotel near UP Diliman. After a whole car ride of laughs, poking at Mansy's broken finger, Macy sharing her 'hiking' through a cave, Mikko's highway, and Dina's 26th birthday, I felt the similar energy of hanging out with high school friends I've known for years! Oh, and these girls were punstoppable talaga.
Noell and I met when he was my Tagalog 101 tutor during my freshman year. Learning verb conjugations, turned to kick its at the 510 Parker house, jam sessions at the chapel, and press passes to interview Manny Pacquiao (proof). Last time we met was also in the Philippines when I studied abroad and he's still the chill, modest, and down-to-earth homie I've known for almost 8 years.
Last but certainly not least, we wrapped up our Manila meet-up marathon with this koo kat, Tim, who used to run the show for the Ateneo exchange program – aka how we met! He showed us around, what is basically his backyard, Rizal Park which is near Intramuros and National Museum. Because his office was conveniently near this area, he let us leave our big backpacks there while we explored. Tim also used to be a tour guide, which was more than we could ask for, and he gave us a good run down of that area, which is what we appreciated the most. In good-hearted, kapwa fashion he also made sure we got to our Ohayami terminal safely and stayed with us until close to our boarding time at 10pm.
— evelyn, stranger turned friend