My Crazy Way to the Imperial Palace
No I was not in Tokyo, remember that! I was still in Cebu and the Imperial Palace that I want to tell you is this big hotel / resort (the biggest in fact) on the island of Mactan, Lapu-lapu City. Clear? Okay, fine hehe!
“Anyongaseo”! That is what the grinning driver said when I sat on front seat. And my equally grinning reply was “mayng buntag” (take note, I omitted one “a” and the “o” in “maayo” for that’s how most Cebuanos pronounce it). “Aha, you speak Bisaya!” so he said, and I retorted with “nganong dili diay kay bisdak man ko?” He was not probably getting it yet… when he said “really?”. I topped that with “ayaw ko englisa ‘nong oy, bisdak ko. Don’t English me, I’m not school”!! Yep, that sentence of a joke has already stuck with me, and that’s what I always say when joking with people who mistake me for the “K” or the “J” crowd. He laughed mighty hard but not ready to believe yet as he even told me he has already encountered a lot of foreigners who already speak fluent Bisaya. So I left him at that.
That was my 7-peso ride going to Imperial Palace from the Mactan Parish. Who needs a cab anyway, right? Its just about 3 or 4 kms away. I noticed though, that the manong driver had many English words when he spoke even with other passengers. I asked about that and he told me that drivers in this area have to speak English most of the time as there are always (at the very least, a few, each day) foreigners who ride their jeeps. He told me that some drivers even already have quite a collection of Korean and Japanese words – if only to be able to communicate well with their passengers. Lovely! Alright, I arrived in no time.
Manong driver, eager to be of assistance, told me to just get off at a corner and walk the little road towards the side entrance of Imperial Palace. He was proud to tell me that I could avoid walking the long driveway from the hotel’s main gate to building entrance. He further told me he always sees a lot of people going in the direction of the side entrance. So I did. Only to find out that said entrance is for employees ONLY. Ack!
Still, I knocked on the gate and a guard opened up. As I started to proceed inside, he was a bit hesitating and finally was able to speak saying “sir, for employees entrance only”. I knew that hehe, there was a sign outside the gate hehehe. Then I turned back to face him and mumbled a “haaah, soo desuka” (in the tone and body language of how the native speakers of that phrase say it hehe). Next, Mr. Guard told me “you have to enter at main entrance, over there” (pointing a bit upwards and in the location of their main entrance). So I said “haaah, very far… I pass here just now… okay?”. In my mind I was saying... "jusko, that's about 300 meters if I have to circle back to that main entrance". Oops, guard was not yet about ready to concede, so he called out to a “sir” – probably his supervisor in that guardhouse – and they conferred quickly.
The “sir” came and asked me if I was a guest of the hotel. My answer? Listen to this... I said “guess? haahhh…” then looking up as if trying to recall what the word means “yes yes, guess guess” Those words with very quick bowing of my head and body. Then the man finally said “okay, you can pass now, but next time you pass by main entrance, okay?”. I said “okay, main enturans, okay, okay, thank you”. That with more quick bows. Then I proceeded up to the hotel lobby. In my mind I was laughing. I am so… whatever hehe!
Now you can start reflecting with me… why do I anyway hate being mistaken for a “K” or “J” person when I can make use of it sometimes, right?! Yeah, right hehe! I still don’t like it. Pinoy ako! Asuuuu!!!
Let’s go to the hotel, shall we?!
“Anyongaseo”! That is what the grinning driver said when I sat on front seat. And my equally grinning reply was “mayng buntag” (take note, I omitted one “a” and the “o” in “maayo” for that’s how most Cebuanos pronounce it). “Aha, you speak Bisaya!” so he said, and I retorted with “nganong dili diay kay bisdak man ko?” He was not probably getting it yet… when he said “really?”. I topped that with “ayaw ko englisa ‘nong oy, bisdak ko. Don’t English me, I’m not school”!! Yep, that sentence of a joke has already stuck with me, and that’s what I always say when joking with people who mistake me for the “K” or the “J” crowd. He laughed mighty hard but not ready to believe yet as he even told me he has already encountered a lot of foreigners who already speak fluent Bisaya. So I left him at that.
That was my 7-peso ride going to Imperial Palace from the Mactan Parish. Who needs a cab anyway, right? Its just about 3 or 4 kms away. I noticed though, that the manong driver had many English words when he spoke even with other passengers. I asked about that and he told me that drivers in this area have to speak English most of the time as there are always (at the very least, a few, each day) foreigners who ride their jeeps. He told me that some drivers even already have quite a collection of Korean and Japanese words – if only to be able to communicate well with their passengers. Lovely! Alright, I arrived in no time.
Manong driver, eager to be of assistance, told me to just get off at a corner and walk the little road towards the side entrance of Imperial Palace. He was proud to tell me that I could avoid walking the long driveway from the hotel’s main gate to building entrance. He further told me he always sees a lot of people going in the direction of the side entrance. So I did. Only to find out that said entrance is for employees ONLY. Ack!
Still, I knocked on the gate and a guard opened up. As I started to proceed inside, he was a bit hesitating and finally was able to speak saying “sir, for employees entrance only”. I knew that hehe, there was a sign outside the gate hehehe. Then I turned back to face him and mumbled a “haaah, soo desuka” (in the tone and body language of how the native speakers of that phrase say it hehe). Next, Mr. Guard told me “you have to enter at main entrance, over there” (pointing a bit upwards and in the location of their main entrance). So I said “haaah, very far… I pass here just now… okay?”. In my mind I was saying... "jusko, that's about 300 meters if I have to circle back to that main entrance". Oops, guard was not yet about ready to concede, so he called out to a “sir” – probably his supervisor in that guardhouse – and they conferred quickly.
The “sir” came and asked me if I was a guest of the hotel. My answer? Listen to this... I said “guess? haahhh…” then looking up as if trying to recall what the word means “yes yes, guess guess” Those words with very quick bowing of my head and body. Then the man finally said “okay, you can pass now, but next time you pass by main entrance, okay?”. I said “okay, main enturans, okay, okay, thank you”. That with more quick bows. Then I proceeded up to the hotel lobby. In my mind I was laughing. I am so… whatever hehe!Now you can start reflecting with me… why do I anyway hate being mistaken for a “K” or “J” person when I can make use of it sometimes, right?! Yeah, right hehe! I still don’t like it. Pinoy ako! Asuuuu!!!
Let’s go to the hotel, shall we?!
It is looks like a great place.
ReplyDeletehaha. nice experience! thanks for coming over to IP-Cebu!
ReplyDeletehahaha bugoya nimo sir ui!
ReplyDeleteLingawa uy :)
ReplyDeleteUpdate for newcomers to this blog: things change and change is the only constant in life :)
ReplyDeleteThis story was from 2011. What was then the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa - the topic above, is now called the Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark.
Please don't send emails to this blog asking where Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa is. It is still there, but in the new name of Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark :)