The famous nights of Manila

NIGHTS OF MANILA


As I landed in the Manila airport on 18 th July(2003) night by Royal Brunei airlines, I was asked a lot of questions( by the Taxi driver) about my country of origin , My intention of coming to this island nation, about the president of Philippines ( Gloria Macapagal arroyo), and other things. In short this was my first visit to Philippines ( and in any country in Eastern Asia) and I was amazed to see the airport and response from the Taxi drivers.(Manila is the chief city and the capital of the archipelago nation of Philippines ) I must say I was a bit amazed to see the airconditioned taxis in the airport in which I boarded.I have not seen anything like this in India.

Manila has everything, and is the heart of the Philippines. It is the "National Capital Region", consisting not only of the city of Manila, per se, but the contiguous cities around it. Manila is a very big, exciting city, hard for some to deal with and not reflective of the Philippines as whole. If you have only been in Manila you have not been to the Philippines. There are many places to live, save with amenities. Check the links.Some are very inexpensive, remarkably so. On a $1,000 a month in some places you will feel like a millionaire and be treated as one, a strange experience for some, certainly for me.

At ten past nine ‘clock I reached AIM (Asian Institute Of Management) for the first time when my taxi reached the entrance of the Institute
(on 18 the july,2003).I forced upon the gate to face upon the janitor who was sitting near to the front gate.I enquired about the dorm room for the first year MBA 2005 students to which she said something which I found Greek and somehow I proceeded towards the right direction. I was accompanied by two janitors ,who helped me to get to the right route towards the dorm rooms by escorting me in the lift which was going upwards.
Now when I was talking with a janitor there was someone ( my batchmate ) whom I later identified as Venky Booba , remarked "yeh ek din ke liye aaya hai"
I still don't know why he uttered a statement like this after looking at me.
Probably he thought that I have come for short time visit to manila as a tourist.
Nevertheless I was accompanied by two janitors who took me to the room no. 606 where the kolkatta based students where staying with a Cambodian one.
The janitors enquired whether there is a scope for me to accommodate in the room .She found a negative response.Then I was taken to room no. 505 and there I was allowed to stay. My room mates in room number 505 were Sachin bajaj, Sunil bansali, and Vedant dube.To be more precise I was staying in the cubicle shared by Sachin Bajaj.
All of them were seniors and they got acquainted with me and asked my flight journey and the city. I was told to be careful about smoking as the room was having firealarm. After some time ,I took out food from the luggage and ate something , it was eleven thirty at night. The city of manila was looking bright at night from the window pane and then suddenly my kolkatta batchmate named Manish came to my room and told me to present downstairs for the birth day party (at 12 O’clock night) of Rahul singh.
I said that Iam too exhausted for the party and I said sorry for not able to make myself available for the birthday party bash. I had nice sleep on the good quality bed present in the room and woke up quite late the next day ie 19 th july,2003 which was Saturday.
I ate my breakfast food taken out from the luggage and went to room no. 606 to meet Manish Goyal and Kaushik De to ask about something, but I was too late. They were leaving for the markets situated near the institute.After that I met a Cambodian named Sophie chia who took me to the cafeteria for the lunch and we had some rather good eating time. He was the ADB(Asian Development Bank ) scholar from Cambodia and was the lone representative from that country.