Travel offers an opportunity for us to connect. We have the opportunity to connect with other travelers, connect with our travel buddies, and most of all connect with other cultures. When BRN traveled to Manila for our first trip, we were excited to have the opportunity to meet and connect with Filipino people but we could have never expected to build a bond that would shape the path the Nomads would have in the coming years.
Camilla is a skate dancer in Manila, Philippines. She began her journey into rollerskating during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. This international crisis would bring Camila, who was at the time a visual artist in China, back home with family. She watched videos of American roller skaters and decided to give it a try. She stumbled and fell but continued to learn eventually sharing her journey on social media as @skatingfairyrolls. As she grew her skills in rollerskating so would her following on Instagram. Within a few years, she amassed over 65,000 followers and grew a brand as a rollerskating instructor in Manila.
Dorien Harris (2022 Cohort) browsed through social media trying to find local artists to connect with before departing to Manila. As a film maker, he searched up studios and videographers in Manila but he also had an interest into rollerskating having found the love for it during the pandemic as well. He decided to also see if he could spot any roller skaters in Manila, thinking it could be a lost cause. He would stumble onto Camilla IG page and scroll through her videos. Seeing how they both shared a love for rollerskating, he reached out and they quickly connected making plans to meet up at a rollerskating rink in the mall. I tagged along with my son, eager to see what the rollerskating scene would be like in Manila. I knew the popularity the skate scene was in America having spent my childhood in the rinks every Saturday in WOW skating rink but could it possibly be similar in the Philippines?
When we arrived to the mall after a long journey on the Carousel bus ride and hopping on a jeepyney, we got lost immediately. Malls in Asian countries are a different beast, if you think King of Prussia or any of the luxury malls in your state are big then you haven’t seen anything. The mall served as a home for a movie theatre, a carnival style arcade with rides, a small race track for young children to drive small cars, and on the top floor, a rollerskating rink. It lit up with flashing lights and young skaters flying through the relatively small rink. Dressed up in the 70s theme, they laughed as they held hands and tried to balance staying up. I could immediately spot Camilla as she skated backwards with graceful flow. She was different than the other skaters, she was further along on her journey and she danced as she circled the rink. Dorien waved to get her attention and she immediately skated over. Even wearing a mask, I could see her bright smile as her personality shone through the dark venue.
Dorien and Camilla began to skate together. Dorien would show her different skate moves he had learned from home. Camilla would carefully watch and try each trick taking in any suggestions Dorien made. I tried to learn some of the moves as well but found myself more engaged with the task of preventing my son from falling. I decided to observe and I could soon see a friendship brewing between Dorien and Camilla. The rink was soon closing and we decided to leave out together. Camilla encouraged us all to return another day because her other rollerskating friends would be there and she knew we would love them. We accepted the invite and decided to come back on the weekend.
When the weekend arrived, we tracked back up to the mall and began to skate again. This time, I was able to meet six other people who skated with Camilla. Sophia, Hazel, Zion, Romero, and a few others were around to connect with us. We skated together as a unit with Dorien showing them fun group skate tricks like a skate chain. He also showed some skate dance combos for them to try. I continued to watch Dorien bond with the Filipino skaters and learn more about their culture as they discussed how they were looked down upon because of the cropped shirts they wore and how they skated in the streets at night. It was a generational gap that Dorien and I were familiar with back in the US. Youth being out and engaging in fun activities that older generations couldn’t understand were always up for criticism. Even the way youth dress are scoffed at by older generations who desire for teens (and even young adults) to be more conservative. This group rejected the conservative ways of the Filipino people and decided to chart their own path. I soon departed to let Dorien continue connecting with the others. They were so hospitable, they took Dorien out that night to go skating in the streets and treated him to dinner. I had always heard Filipinos were rated high in the field of hospitality because of their culture but to experience it showed me why.
For the duration of the trip, our Filipino friends assisted us in any way they could. They would make suggestions on places to go, they planned outings for us including experiencing night life. If they weren’t physically present due to work, they would reach out to their networks to offer us help. When we spontaneously decided to fly to Boracay Island to explore one of the beaches people raved about, they gave us a contact to do excursions like scuba diving and taking a boat trip to other islands. If there were a day I couldn’t go out, Dorien would be in great hands as they would provide him with a ride and any resources he needed. In the end of the trip, we grew close to where we showed up to support our friend Hazel in opening up a roller skate shop.
On the last night we spent in Manila, we went out to dinner to celebrate and say good bye to our dear friends. I had my share of meeting people on vacations and losing touch but I knew this would be different. Since 2022, we have all remained in touch and even hosted our family during the 2023 trip creating more memories. Each time we come together, we learn more about each other and we grow within our journeys as artist. Who knew family could be found across the ocean on an island that is often overlooked. Filipino people are friendly, kind, and passionate. We were so lucky to have found a group of dynamic people who could help us grow within ourselves.
Hopefully next year will bring more family to the Nomads.