The first place that made an impression on me in Davao was the airport. In particular, the arrival area at the airport. More specifically, the curb of the driveway at the arrival area of the airport where we - UP Creative Writing Center Director Cristina Hidalgo, workshop panelists Gemino Abad and Pete Lacaba, staff Ralph Galan, Lara Saguisag, and myself - spent the first 45 minutes of our stay having been left behind by the hotel van. Finally, after some phone calls, a second vehicle arrived and we were on our way to the Grand Men Seng Hotel, site of the 39th UP National Writers Workshop.
    The hotel lobby restaurant, Le Grandeur, was an oasis and the warm welcome given by workshop director UP Mindanao Chancellor Ricardo de Ungria and writer Aida Rivera-Ford did much to soothe our frayed nerves. Not as warm, however, was the lunch kept for us by the hotel kitchen composed of food left over from the buffet; but nobody really minded, being in a rather advanced state of hunger.
    For seven days, the Grand Men Seng was home. All of us - workshop fellows, panelists and staff - would make our way from our rooms to Le Grandeur for the meals, then it was off to the d'Azure function room for the sessions.
    Saturday, October 20, saw us scurrying to different parts of the hotel: the Serenade function room where the lectures on teaching Philippine literature organized by UP Mindanao, and the book launching of Alfred Yuson's "The Word on Paradise" were held; and, the Body Gym (yes, you read right, the gym) where the seminar-workshop on the writing craft in journalism - also organized by UP Mindanao - were conducted. But most of the time we were firmly planted in d'Azure.

    (For future reference, please note the pronunciation lest you be connected to the wrong room or repeatedly corrected. You must enunciate each syllable clearly: dee azyoor).
    Dee Azyoor was a good place for the workshop sessions. It was neither cramped nor cavernous and everybody could sit or move around with ease. The sound system, Lara said, was one of the best she had ever encountered during the workshops. Except for that 30-second incident when a little boy burst into the room, pulled down the phone and rushed out slamming the door behind him, the sessions went on with almost no distubance.
    My fondness for Le Grandeur, however, ended abruptly with the second meal. I discovered that everybody felt the same way - though some tried to stretch the romance for one or two more meals before giving up - and that led us to some good restaurants and meals. I thank my Davao friends for recommending Colasa's which had excellent barbecue. The food was so good I didn't mind looking like an idiot asking for a knife and fork, nor did I mind washing my hands afterwards with what appeared to be Mr. Clean Calamansi. Another good meal was at Nanay Bebeng's and I can still clearly see the buffet laid out in front of me. And, of course, Claude's where we had the staff dinner. I can't write about that particular meal, I can only applaud.
    These restaurants, though memorable, were only a few of the places that held the different experiences of the workshop. On our third night there, we were graciously invited by artist Anna Fer to hold our poetry reading in her home. A few nights later we were off to Ponce Suites for Fellow's Night.