Tonight is my last night in Manila until I swear in, provided nothing need bring me here sooner. We leave for the airport at 4:30 am (!!!) and should be arriving at our hub site in Bicol mid-morning. We’ll stay there for a few days before heading out to our smaller sites with our host families. After that, we’ll go back and forth between the two- most time being spent at our cluster sites with our families and language trainers.
I’m excited to get going, but I’m sad I have to leave everyone else. I’ve made friends with many people, but especially Caty who’s my present roommate as well as in Detroit. She’s going to the region just north of mine, but it’s pretty widespread and there’s no guarantee we’ll be near each other. I’m sad I have to leave her, and other people that I’ve gotten to know the last week, but I figure it’s a good excuse to travel the country to visit or “collaborate”.
Not much new to report here. I went to the US Embassy on Tuesday and we met the brand new US Amabassador as well as some other department heads. It rained on me today when I went to the mini-zoo at our hotel/resort. There was a monkey that escaped monkey island in the zoo and it hissed at me and another guy who were trying to get a little bit closer (not too close, we were still a got 15 feet away) for a photo opportunity. Then he turned and started walkingÂin the other direction. Sassy monkey! Caty and I also went and got massages at the hotel spa for about $12. Oh man. I know I’m not going to be able to do that often, but it was really nice. Now I smell like a cough drop, since she used eucalyptus scented oil. Mmm.
I’ve got some great pictures that I need to upload to my laptop from my camera, and hopefully I’ll take care of that in the next few days. Anyway, I must be off. I’ve got a few more errands to run here before a movie. I can smell the popcorn and it’s calling me…