Cebu Day 2 – Training

On my second day in Cebu, I woke up at 6am despite having slept so late last night. My lecture was scheduled to start at 9am so I just did “work from home” starting 7:30am. It was the time for me to answer calls, emails, SMS, and take care of other work-related things.
I arrived at the training area (Lapu-Lapu Branch) at 9am. Then we waited for the last trainee to arrive before I started my lecture. While waiting, the trainees and I got to know each other first. I gave a lecture on 2 topics the whole day. After which, they had a graded recitation on some of the topics they learned. So far, so good. Yey! 🙂
After the lecture, I observed them during their store training. In fairness, they are good. During a break from the rush of customers, I decided to take some pictures with them together with the current staff of Lapu-Lapu Branch.

Mam Bel and I left the branch to meet with the franchisee of Colon Cebu. It was such an adventure going to our meeting place. We walked a lot and almost got lost. But at least, we were able to traverse new places. While commuting, I learned the following things:

• Jeepneys have numbers to identify their routes.
• When you ride a taxi, the drivers will give you the exact change and will always give a receipt. Not like in Manila where taxi drivers usually ask outright for additional 20 to 50 pesos and will never give you a receipt voluntarily.
• When crossing the street, you have to brace yourself. Drivers do not show mercy nor respect for those on the pedestrian lanes. They would act as if they do not see you (Eek, scary!).
• They have traffic too, like in Manila, but not that bad. Besides, you can always take the ferry if you want to go to the other side.
• In the jeepney, when giving your payment to the driver, we say “Bayad po” in Tagalog. In Cebuano, they say “Palihog,” which means “Please.”
• And when you’re going to alight, instead of saying “Para po” in Tagalog, say “Lugar lang.”
• “Naa” means “meron” in Tagalog or “present” in English.

All that and more on my next entries. Anyway, we met at Banilad Town Center (BTC) and had dinner at Royal Krua Thai. I was not able to take pictures during the dinner-slash-meeting. Though I must say that I never knew Thai food tasted so good until I was able to try it for the first time tonight.
I was able to finally get a taste of Tom Yum soup. It was so delicious! It has the taste of coconut milk and it’s a little bit spicy and sour at the same time. It is indeed yummy and one of a kind. We also had  Thai Sotanghon, Crispy Pata, Binagoongan Rice, and Crispy Chili Prawns. I just wish I was able to take pictures for posterity’s sake.
What I really like about this restaurant is their good service. The staff are really attentive to the needs of the customers though it takes a while for the food to be served. I also like their pricing of the dishes on their menu. They are way cheaper than most Thai restaurants in Manila. And of course, they have really great tasting dishes on their menu. Plus, the ambiance is perfect! I really felt like I was having dinner in Thailand.
I am also surprised by the fact that their “hot” dishes were not so spicy after all. I was so hesitant to try Thai food before mainly because I was afraid that I might not appreciate it’s being hot and I might get an allergy attack from eating too many chilis. Surprisingly, the taste is great and the hotness of the chili is tolerable. I’m definitely going to try more Thai food later on.
If ever you’re going to Cebu, this place is definitely a must try. 🙂