My Earth Hour 2010 in Manila

Yesterday, Saturday, I had to do some physical work which sucks given that I wanted to relax before my trip to Singapore next week which is always tiring. So I decided that for the rest of the weekend, I was going to do whatever I felt like and relaxed. By the time I got home, there was a Godfather marathon on TV. I just could not walk away especially when the movie came on, it was at my favourite line ("Leave the gun, take the Cannoli"). I even cooked dinner so that I could catch the end of part II.

So by the time nightfall came about I was in the mood to get out and get some air. But the streets was really crowded and when the lights started to get turned off, I realised that it was Earth Hour. Not wanting to face crowds and in line with spirit of saving energy, I headed back to my apartment.

I live in a big apartment complex with a number of buildings and a big garden with trees in the middle. With all the lights turned off, it was so peaceful although there was heavy traffic outside and big crowd at the malls and restaurants nearby. You could even see the stars in the skies.

The weather was also perfect. It was cool and dry with a light breeze. It was so nice, I bought some refreshment at a nearby convenience store and just sat in the veranda area of the garden and just relaxed for the entire Earth Hour. It felt like sitting at a porch in a great country house - right in the middle of one of the largest city in the world. I even had flashback to visiting one of those old great houses of the British-runned rubber estates that my father took me to when I was a boy.

I don't have a great apartment but the surroundings is pretty amazing. Of all the things I enjoy more than anything else in this city is to be able to walk to work every morning in as fantastic a neigbourhood as anywhere in as great weather as it can get anywhere. No commute, no crowds, no traffic snarl, AND never late...