It\u2019s the same thing every year: while everybody is heading out of the city for some much needed holiday during Holy Week, I willingly (sort of) opt to stay in Manila. It\u2019s more like I have no choice \u2013 I work for an American client and we follow the US holidays. Though it pains me to see all my friends\u2019 updates about how much fun they\u2019re having at the beach, I relish the nearly empty metropolis. No traffic, no hoards of humanity\u2026 bliss.<\/p>\n

$\"UP$ <\/a>
\nEvery time I go to UP, I take a picture of this road.<\/em><\/div>\n

\nThe streets were practically deserted. The cab ride that usually takes 30 minutes was cut in half, and I found myself in UP Diliman earlier than expected (even if I was already late). Though I\u2019m not an alumnus, the campus is one of my favorite places in Quezon City. The sunflowers that warmly welcome you, the tree lined oval that pulls you to walk its length and the crunch of the dry grass as you sit down or lie down has a calming effect. I don\u2019t need to travel far to feel relaxed.<\/p>\n
$\"UP$ <\/a>
\nPeople watching at the Sunken Garden<\/em><\/div>\n
Two friends who have always spent Holy Week out of town suddenly found themselves stuck in the city with me. It\u2019s been a while since we last hanged out together and though we always see each other online, there\u2019s just no match for the bonds that form when you hold your conversations offline. <\/p>\n
$\"UP$ <\/a>
\nNothing beats the feel and the crunch of dry grass on your back<\/em><\/div>\n
We sit on the grass, sharing the new developments in our lives as we watch the sporty-type people playing in the Sunken Garden. Sometimes we\u2019d talk a mile a minute, followed by a cackle of laughter and there a times when we\u2019d lapse into comfortable silence. We\u2019re happy with just being there and being with each other.<\/p>\n
$\"McDonald's$ <\/a>
\nThe more things change, the more they stay the same.<\/em><\/div>\n
It was Good Friday and most places are closed. We ended up at the most obvious choice: McDonald\u2019s Katipunan. It was the natural choice \u2013 the three of us all studied in the area; UP, Miriam and Ateneo \u2013 this branch played a huge part in our college life. <\/p>\n
Over Quarter Pounders with Cheese, Chicken McNuggets and French fries, we reminisced about the thing we\u2019ve done, the people we\u2019ve known. In between sips of Coke and McFloats, we discussed our plans for the future. It was like being back in college, except this time we\u2019re more realistic than idealistic. <\/p>\n
$\"McDonald's$ <\/a>
\nA McDonald’s meal is never complete without French fries<\/em><\/div>\n
Old habits die hard. It was as if we are on auto pilot as soon as we sit down in our booth. Anna opens the packets of ketchup and squeezes it unto her napkin. Mela makes sure her food never touch each other. I start the meal with a couple fries dipped in the vanilla soft serve ice cream topping my watermelon Sprite McFloat.<\/p>\n
$\"McDonald's$ <\/a>
\nPerfect for cooling down<\/em><\/div>\n
When we travel, we\u2019re encouraged to try the local cuisine. It\u2019s a gastronomic experience; a great way to immerse yourself with the native culture. Though this is an unwritten rule that I try to follow, I also believe in comfort food. There comes a time when you can\u2019t stand to see another bowl of noodles and yearn for something familiar. The golden arches is almost always a sight for sore eyes for weary travelers who just got off the 4th minivan that they had to take to get from one end of the country to another, no matter how much the hardiest of travelers protest. At least it is for me. It\u2019s as welcomed as the knowledge that the nearby McDonald\u2019s branch is already open 24-hours, so I can have my McChicken Sandwich when hunger strikes as I work in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n
$\"McDonald's$ <\/a>
\nComfort food, friends and conversations about anything and everything under the sun — just what the doctor ordered.<\/em><\/div>\n
As always, Mela finished last. She was still cradling a half-eaten burger as Anna and I polish off our nuggets and fries. I looked around the restaurant, marveling at how different it looked from the one we frequented years ago. Yet no matter how different the branch looks now, at its core it\u2019s still the same McDonald\u2019s Katipunan we grew up with.<\/p>\n
A smile begins to tug at my lips. This may not be the grand vacation experience that others do during Holy Week, but the staycation is exactly what I needed.<\/p>\n
How about you, which McDonald\u2019s do you visit the most? Find out which McDonald\u2019s store is nearest you here<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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