Chaps, give Manila a chance and you may slowly discover its friendliness and charm. 2.5 weeks in Manila wasn't really a long stay, I won't claim that I have seen and know it all, but I do hope you listen to this piece of advice, especially to those who only thought of Manila as a stopover to its beautiful islands. By the way ladies, Manila has the largest shopping mall in South East Asia. My American colleagues often say, "Live in PH the American way. Have Wendy's Burger for lunch, Krispy Kreme as sweet, and Starbucks for afternoon break." It did take me a while to realize that I was actually in Manila, not the States.

1063, my room in Manila, came with a fantastic view of the world famous Manila Bay and its golden sunset.           What a sight to behold! The greedy me had it 14 days for myself. Alright, you can have this one.           Magnificent view of the bustling Manila city at 6pm. Nightfall is early in the Philippines.           One of the historical buildings housed in the 'walled city' of Intramuros, a Spanish colonial city. I woke up at the wee hour of 5:30am for photography hunting.           Intramuros, a well-preserved medieval city that resembles the old Melaka town in Malaysia, offers visitors a glimpse to the past.           Kuala Lumpur named it the Petaling Street, Manila named it the Ongpin Street. A Chinatown it is.           Pinoy creativity is even expressed on the public transport - the popular Philippines Jeepneys.           The grand Manila Cathedral, a tall and magnificent architecture one will not miss when entering Intramuros.           Notice anything wrong in this photo? It's an East-meets-West religion, one may not agree with such a practice.           The act of slam-dunk.