Mark My Words: Free Love Manila
Words by Tania Menzies, Philippines
[Manila, Philippines] After a tedious twelve hour flight halfway across the globe from Los Angeles to the city of Mania: Manila, Philippines – this multi-ethnic girl of twenty one breezed through comfortably in the midst of the humidity that envelops the city. These visits occur so often, it is like taking a daily stroll to the grocery stall. Same shit, different place. Starbucks and cigarettes, partying all night, sleeping less than one should, shopping like a Hilton, but sans the stress of school and driving in shitty Los Angeles traffic.
On the day that I arrived, I was immediately swarmed with overwhelming messages from my mobile phone incessantly beeping with invitations and demands.
“Go2 Cuisine 2nyt.. Happy Mondays!”
“Party @Embassy latR, VIP. Ur on d guest list.”
“Fluxxe 2nyt!”
“M djN @Fiamma, u betR pas by.”
“Wt u up2 2nyt? Ltz go out!”
“Meet @M Café @11pm!”
“My event @Piedra 2nyt. We wil b expectN u, it wil b ur welcme bak prty.”
The messages never stop while I’m here. Oh, Manila, the city of instant text messaging; we do it with our eyes closed.
My friends are all in the party scene; promoters of events and owners of clubs; DJs, musicians and singers; the regular party-goers and Manila socialites. They range from the ages of about sixteen to forty, but do not underestimate the energy of the elders; they party just as hard as the younger ones. Well, here’s to my first stop of the night.
Cuisine. Located in Fort Bonifacio (known to the locals as merely The Fort), their Monday nights are warmly dubbed as “Happy Mondays”. Tuesday nights at the club holds a more mature crowd and is essentially a night of house music. Set up by a group of three friends whom two of which are models in Asia - Ornusa Cadness and Borgy Manotoc, plus and the ever-lovely Malaya, this club changes its theme every week from sharpies, wigs, devils and angels, neon, doctors and nurses to anything that you could think of. The music is as eclectic and the crowd has never been disappointed.
Fridays at Piedra is organized by the same people as Cuisine Tuesdays, Kingpin Syndicate, it’s rather swanky in my opinion. The music is House, Trance, Bass beats and more throughout the week. Kingpin also does Satuday nights at the new club, Ascend, located in the new High Street area of Fort Bonifacio.
Another club worthy of mention and not to be missed is Embassy (which have expanded into a much bigger venue), located at The Fort. One of the rare places that comes with a cover charge, it could be a little dampening but you usually know someone or know someone that knows someone that will get you one of those lovely VIP stamps on your inner wrist. This club switches from House music to Hip Hop between the main hall and the VIP room. There is also a VVIP room (funny, I know) situated behind the DJ booth (which by the way, is always crowded as fuck.)
There are so many more clubs around the Metro Manila area, but I’ll refrain from rambling. It is 2008 and a plethora of new clubs have opened. Pretty much all you need to know is that the drinks are insanely cheap, the ladies are absolutely gorgeous (and the same goes for a few selected males), the food is delectable; the weather is exactly how I like it – hot as hell with humidity that chokes. Lovely, because it means I can wear next to nothing and get away with it.
I used to frequent live band shows a lot back in my high school days, but not so much lately. But, thankfully, my good musician friend, Dan Shepherd (singer/Weissenborn slide guitar player), just compiled a list of quality Filipino bands for me: Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Parokya ni Edgar, Yano, Pedicab, Duster, Cambio, Taken By Cars, Sandwich, Chicosci, Akasha, Salindiwa, Bamboo, and The Love Team.
Also please check out one of my true soul/hip hop musical idols, Artstrong. He is an amazing producer, singer, break dancer, and mentor. Nimbus Nine (not to be mistaken for Nimbus 9 from USA), is another Filipino hip hop artist to watch out for who just came out with a new album. Another breathtaking soulful jazzy voice worth listening to is one of my closest angels, Savannah Lee Lumen. She is in the midst of recording an album right now, so hold your horses.
And of course, I cannot forget to speak of illegalities. Drugs are offered to me left, right, centre, under, and above here in Manila. Bathroom stalls, credit cards, straws, keys, plastic baggies, pink pills, baby blue tablets, vials of another world, barely opened eyes, dilated pupils; the whole deal. As Marilyn Manson (a fucking genius) once said, “I don’t like the drugs but the drugs like me”. But, in my case, I must omit the ‘don’t’ and replace the ‘but’ with an ‘and’. Manila is my Wonderland; I see and feel things like never before. The parents know something’s up, but they wouldn’t dare say a word. My name is Tania, but here I often feel like Alice.
To me, Manila is a dream, it is not reality. I live an average life in Los Angeles, but here in Manila, I live like a Hollywood celebrity. But, like I said, it’s merely a dream. When I leave this city, reality (assuming it’s a female) bitch-slaps me like I just fucked her boyfriend. Though not even born here, Manila is home to me. Nothing can compare. And this will remain so for as long as I live.
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