Friends and Festivities.

I met friends J and A yesterday to attend the Philippine Fiesta event held at Banpo Hanggang Park in Seoul. The journey to go there was already an adventure itself. We crossed where we're not supposed to, walked for hours in a desert-like condition, asked directions from clueless taxi drivers, walkie-talkie carrying police officer, and even a stranger on the street carrying a crying baby. No one seemed to know where that place is. We met a couple of interesting people along the way like the pinoy guy who stopped to ask directions from us and as a result, he too lost his way. There's also the weirdest taxi driver we met who kept on singing "bibidi bobidi boo", who stopped while the meter is running to buy some popsicles, and fulfilled his life-long dream to act as a traffic enforcer while sucking on his chocolate-flavored popsicles (half of which he gave to my friend A). At some point I thought it wouldn't be so bad to miss all the fun at the fiesta if we got to experience those things.

After the long and painful walk, we finally arrived and met my good friend T and her husband. The first part of the program just ended so it was the perfect time take pictures and stuff. Here's how the fiesta looked like.


This is the stage where the pinoy performers did their thing. There were singers singing traditional songs, there were acrobats and contortionists, and a couple different bands who played songs we didn't know.




This group represents the Igorot community.




I'm not sure if these guys were from the Penagbenga group, let's just pretend they are.




Whenever we think of fiesta, there should always be a Santacruzan right?




I've never been to a Santacruzan in my life, so I wanted to know how it feels like to be standing right next to a hunky, umbrella-holding "consorte" (is that word even right?).




With friends A and J.




After all the waiting and walking, we all grew hungry so went some place to eat. What's better to celebrate newfound friendships and rekindling old ones, than to hangout over dinner while drinking good old Hite!





This may not be related to the occasion, but I'd like to thank you guys for cheering me up, and for thinking that I'm cool, energetic, perky, and fun despite all my bitter-sweet hangups. You guys are the most unassuming, unpretentious, down to earth people I've known. My life in Korea will never be the same without you!