SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15th

The last two times I was in the Philippines, 1983 and 1984, I was sick with fever etc on the flight home, making me wary of returning. But it appears that this trip was different. Our return flight is this evening and so far no health issues (other than the headache the night I tried the Tanduay.) A key factor is probably the awareness to only drink beverages from bottles, especially avoiding drinks with ice.

Around noon we took a cab to SM Megamall so that Tess could meet some more of her friends. We found a great restaurant in the mall "Tong Yang Hot Pot." It's like a "mongolian barbeque" in that you select "all you can eat" from fresh meats and vegetables.

The difference is that you grill or drop in boiling water, cook it yourself at your table. They had a large selection of fresh fish, exotic mushrooms, and vegetables. They also had a "make it yourself Halo-Halo bar." At $7 it was not cheap. But it was packed with locals.

We then caught a cab to TriNoMa mall for the 3pm - 7pm karaoke party a Red Box that Tess has set up.

The large private room included a pool table, and many of Tess' friends came.

Unlike in the USA, the malls here have many armed security guards, and they search bags and have metal detectors at the doors. But once inside there are no "baggy pants mtv-wanna-be gang members" and the other undesirables that are in most California malls.