college town.

That's essentially what Dumaguete is. But it's one that goes to sleep pretty early, which is why I'm here blogging. While walking around earlier this evening, the main streets were super crowded, and getting from block to block was a dance of weaving and shimming through the dense herds of people. Then, as if there was a city-wide curfew, at 9pm everyone was gone. The disappearance of people happened so suddenly that I stood for a few minutes on a street corner, utterly confused & actually scratching the top of my head. I thought I'd walk around some more anyway, but after getting tailed by more than one creepy looking guy, I called it quits & here I am.

I like Dumaguete. It's another city that's completely walkable and there's a lively energy in the streets. My hostel is located near Silliman (I like calling it Silly-Man) University, and I walked through it to get to the main city center. I looked on as some boys tossed a frisbee in the quad and girls lounged in the grass, comparing notes. I was reminded again of my non-student status and I felt odd and kind of old, even though I graduated only a few months ago. I thought back to my awkward freshman days, cringing at memories of first college parties and interacting with upperclassmen, trying to act cool. Not that my awkward days are over. I'm still and will forever be awkward. I'm just becoming more functionally awkward.

I continued to walk down the main road, noting all the shops & malls. Christmas decorations were EVERYWHERE and I could hear Christmas carols floating out of open doors. Filipinos go craaaaazy for Christmas (& New Years- celebrating New Years here last year was ridiculous! There were so many fireworks and sparklers going off that it looked, smelled & sounded like a war zone. Just a very festive one with colored gun power). They get so pumped for it that they start with a few decorations and some carols in mid October. But once Halloween is over, anything goes- light up angels, manger scenes, neon baby Jesuses in swaddling clothes glowing bright yellow... It's really quite a sight. & I love the enthusiasm! I just wish they also celebrated Thanksgiving (not necessarily to that ferocity but at all) because that's my favorite holiday (Christmas does come in close second). While you Americans are devouring sweet potatoes & cranberry sauce and listening to skewed stories of settlers helping out brown people, I'll be eating chicken adobo, pretending with all my might that it's turkey in gravy. Anyway, back to Dumaguete.

Another great thing about this city: it's right near the ocean! I walked along the beach at sundown and it was awesome. The water was playful, and the sound of waves crashing was delightful. It was also breezy, which was refreshing after trekking around in the intense humidity & consequently sweating my face off. I really do smell like something died. Repeatedly. If only there were AC body suits. Or gigantic AC-ed hamster balls! Can you imagine human-sized hamster balls, rolling down streets and avenues? Call me childish and perhaps disoriented from walking in the heat & sun all day, but I think that sounds awesome. Okay. I need to rest. I'm talking crazy talk. Gnight, universe!