The Miracle that is Eyebrow Threading!

In the spirit of radical self-care, I decided to treat myself to an eyebrow make-over last night.  During my many, many visits to the Greenbelt Mall, I had happened across a shop entirely devoted to the art of eyebrow shaping.  Please, allow me to share my find: it’s called Browhaus!  Based out of Singapore, it’s an Asian chain devoted to all things brows.  It’s even got a little attitude that comes with it for free.  Take, for instance, the doors to the appointment rooms:

No, I was not in a submarine!  And just as an amusing aside, when I tried to take my own picture of the place, they told me that cameras were not allowed because everything they do is proprietary!  Darn those secret-stealing eyebrow competitors!!  So alas, no pictures of my own.  The Browhaus Brow Architects (their name, not mine) have a full menu of products to offer:

1. Brow construction – Shaping with tweezing or threading
2. ColorTweak – brow coloring (dying)
3. Lashgraphy – tinting your lashes a darker color
4. Lash Curl Up – A permanent curl for your lashes
5. Lash in Bloom – individual lashes are glued on to your existing ones
6. Brow Resurrection – A new brow is created and applied, strand by strand

Whoa, huh?  They tried to convince me not only to shape my lashes, but to color my brow and dye my lashes.  Next time, friends.  We’ve got plenty more visits in our future!  So I ended up choosing a Brow Construction, but the method I chose was THREADING.  Now what is threading, you ask?  I didn’t even know!  Watch this 2 minute video to see the process in action:

I have to tell you, I will never go back to waxing!  It was beyond incredible to take one of the most excruciating processes known to women and eliminate the pain.  CRAZY!  It’s hard to explain what it felt like, almost like someone took an itty bitty scissors and got right up against my skin and clipped out a few strands at a time.

My architect went insanely fast though.  I couldn’t see what was happening because one woman spread apart my eyebrow (holding my lid closed) and little pieces of hair were flying all over, so I wasn’t supposed to open the other eye.  Apparently this practice was developed in Asia, which is why it’s so common here.  Only $10 for the treatment!  Hard to believe that a little sewing thread can extract things so precisely.  It’s one of those life experiences that you’re unfortunately going to need to go through to understand.  I just can’t put my joy into words.  So I’ll use pictures instead:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Now, mind you – I have curly hair in my brows, so they’re a bit unruly to begin with.  In fact, we had to draft an entire “Brow Plan” for my beauties.  I was instructed to come back exactly 4 weeks from today and to UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES remove any hair underneath the brow.  We are working on regrowing some patches that I had apparently overplucked!  OOPS!  Well, thank goodness I now have a Brow Architect!  What a fabulously foreign experience!  Here are a few other shots worth sharing… But before I leave you, a short public service announcement: Overplucking hurts the environment and YOU!  Don’t do it… leave it to the professionals!

Adventures at the Grocery Store

I thought you’d all enjoy seeing me pick out my dinner for tonight.  This is definitely NOT the US of A!  I’m adjusting slow but sure.  Sorry for the poor video quality – I’m still getting the hang of it (plus I was trying to be convert since I was shooting a video in the grocery store)!

Pearls, pearls everywhere!

Flickr photo by: Massive Defeat

Oh the beautiful bobbles I saw today. Pearls as far as the eye could see… and like most things in Manila, very reasonably priced!  Today I participated in a group trip to Greenhills Pearl Market, featured in Vogue as one of the 10 best-kept shopping secrets in the world!  I was so over-stimulated that I couldn’t even buy one strand.  I just walked down row after row touching the beautiful strands in hundreds of colors.  Lucky for me, I went with a pearl expert that took our group to her favorite stands and taught us the in’s and out’s of pearl buying.  It’s all about color, shape and no blemishes.

I have never even worn pearls but now I have my eye on 3 sets (pink, classic ivory and tahitian).  I opted to hold off on buying because it was inevitable that I’d be back many, many times and I wanted to do some research first.  You see, you can select your strand (or multiple types) and have them fashioned into any style of pearl necklace you’d like.  Maybe you want spacing between the pearls or a few dangling from a chain or silver rings in between the pearls.  It’s all possible, my friends!  For those of you coming to visit, do some research in advance of what style and color you’d like and we’ll have it made!  Can you see why this was overwhelming???  I’ll be sure an update you when I get my first strand.  I think pearls and I are going to get along JUST FINE.  Oh, and Nick?  It’s better if you don’t come.  It’s hot and crowded and you’d hate it anyways… just leave the purchasing to me.  :)

Off to the Movies!

Nick and I visited our first movie theater last week and like most things here, it spoiled us miserably.  A colleague of Nick’s organized a group gathering and rented out a 30 person theater at the Mall of Asia called the Director’s Club.  For a mere $7, each person got their own reclining laz-y-boy chair, a coke and a large popcorn.  Check out the grin on my husband’s face – he informed me afterward that he would never set foot in a “regular” movie theater again.

I wasn’t expecting movies to open here at the same time as in the US, but we have lucked out this far.  Last week we saw Harry Potter and today I’m off to My Sister’s Keeper for $4.  Another thing I like is that concessions are a fraction of the price here.  Just stay away from the salmon-flavored popcorn.  Disgusting!  Sound quality is similar as well, making theater-going another fabulous aspect of Manila life.

A Weekend at Coco Beach

Sorry for being absent for a few days – we had the opportunity to take our first weekend trip outside of Manila.  We ventured South to the island of Mindoro via a 4 hour car trip plus 1 hour boat ride.  Despite the long travel time, it was a much-needed break from the chaos of the city.  I now understand why Filipinos are so insistent that you get to the islands!  Check out this video we captured showing our villa and the Frog races we participated in:

We were invited by some friends to join them for the weekend at this resort they’d heard about.  The cost was incredibly reasonable and we were able to get in at the last moment (since it’s the low season), so off we went!  Here are some of the many highs, coupled with a few of the lows:

High points of Coco Beach Resort:

1. Beautiful scenery – no denying it.  Just stunning!  And great views from our room (see pictures below).
2. Good food and lots of activity choices at the resort.
3. Staying in an authentic bamboo hut.
4. Having a “service family” that took care of us.  There were 5 kids and a mom in our service family.  This was a very unique concept, I thought.  The family got to live there for free and have the opportunity to earn tips.  In turn, they were our go-to people; they cleaned our room, brought us towels and water, put up our hammock and hauled our luggage down the hill.  It made you feel more connected to the resort.  The other thing I liked about it was that all of the children played together and you’d see them around the resort.
5. Reasonably priced.  $40/night per person + food and transportation.
6. The massages.  They were even cheaper than Manila and they were out in the open air where you could listen to the sound of the waves crashing.  Impossible to pass up.  I had two firsts this weekend: My first Shiatsu massage, an Asian-style massage similar to the Thai style I described last week, minus the stretching.  Just lots and lots of pounding and pushing on pressure points.  I actually think I’m starting to like that style more than Swedish.  Who’d have thought?? The second day Nick and I both tried the Signature Massage – two glorious hours of massage for $22.  Unbelievable.  I’m glad I tried it, but the time period was actually a bit long for me.  I’ve decided that 75 minutes is my optimal length.
7. Participating in the frog races even though we lost!  Poor General MacArthur couldn’t get it done!

Low points:

1. The never-ending drive.  It’s really not that far distance-wise but the traffic just CRAWLS.
2. The snorkeling trip.  The current was too strong and we were hounded by locals in boats trying to sell us things.  It reminded me of the mexican beaches, except the peddlers came on boats.  There were about 10 of them surrounding our boat.  It got old fast and they didn’t go away the entire 2 hours we were there.
3. It was really rustic – I would have enjoyed a hot shower and a few less bugs.  Those are the trade-offs though, I guess.  It definitely felt authentic.

All in all, a great trip.  Make sure and check out the full set of photos on SMUGMUG.

Be Back soon….gone snorkeling for the weekend!

We had a fabulous turn of events today, Nick got Monday off and we had an unexpected 3 day weekend on our hands.  So, at 4 PM today we wired money (so bizarre) from a local bank and booked a weekend vacation on one of the Southern Islands.  It was hard to pass up when $100 a person gets you transportation (boat and van), breakfast and 2 nights’ lodging.  And so we’re off…Expect a recap on Tuesday!

The Ultimate Showdown!

VS.

Well, I had a chance to visit the Mall of Asia this week.  As you know, Minnesotans are quite proud of the Mall of America, which we claim as the largest in the world.  Imagine my disbelief when another Embassy person told me that Mall of Asia was larger.  No!  How could that be??  And so I set out to decide for myself.  Here are the side-by-side comparisons:

Opening Dates- MOamerica 1992, MOasia 2006

Annual Traffic- MOamerica 40 million visits, MOasia 62 million visits

Size- MOamerica 390,000 square meters, MOasia 410,000 square meters

Location- MOamerica in the suburbs, MOasia sits on Manila Bay

The similarities: Both have bowling alleys, movie theaters, shops, restaurants

The differences:

• Central feature: MOamerica has the theme park inside, MOasia has an ice-skating rink
• Other features: MOamerica has Underwater World and Legoland and the American Girl Store.  MOasia has an IMAX, a science museum and an outdoor concert hall that faces the water.

The verdict: Although MOAsia wins on a pure stats basis, I didn’t find the complex very appealing.  Yes, the location is ideal.  It’s wonderful to be able to take a break from shopping and go look at the ocean.  And there were also far more sit-down restaurants, which I also saw as a plus.  The down side was that the store selection was poor and undifferentiated from anything else in Manila.  I’d much prefer to shop at Greenbelt and most likely won’t go back there unless I’m taking visitors.  And so there you have it folks, I’m sticking with the original MOA in Minnesota!

I know I promised…

not to write about massages anymore!  But then the internet went down yesterday….and I just felt like The Spa was calling to me….”Come visit Sarah, we miss you”….and I was feeling bold and adventurous….and so I tried my first THAI MASSAGE!  The pictures I found on the internet do it more justice than words:

I had no idea what to expect (but assumed that I wasn’t going to like it and this would be my only Thai Massage of my life).  I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG!  Wow, there was something so soothing about the Thai style.  It’s very different than a Swedish or relaxation massage where the strokes are long and fluid.  This style can best be described as a combination of assisted stretching and heavy, focused pressing across each part of your body.  I’ve never experienced anything like it – I was almost in a trance at certain points, the rhythmic pressing was so hypnotic.

The mechanics of it are this:  You are given shorts and a t-shirt to wear for the session.  You enter the small room and there’s a mattress laying on the floor.  I lay face-up to start and she covered me with 4 different small sheets.  All pressing takes place through the sheets, so there’s no skin-to-skin contact, nor is there any oil or lotion used.  Again, it’s VERY different than Swedish!  She worked each side of my body meticulously, working from top to bottom.  I felt like Gumby and the therapist reminded me of a little acrobat jumping all over the mat.  Each segment started with pressing and then progressed to stretching.

This was no passive massage!  There was one instance in which she had all her bodyweight on me and was kneeling on my bottom and walking her hands up and down my back.  At another point I had locked my hands behind my head and she had lifted my torso (by hooking through my outstretched elbows) and was tilting me from side to side.  Head, Elbow, Legs, Foot, Hands – you name it, she used it!  I’ve never had such a cool relaxation experience.  It was so different than anything I’ve ever partaken in.  And at $28 for 75 minutes, the price matches the quality of the experience – which means that I’ll be rotating a Thai in every other week between the Swedish types.  Makes for a little better variety – I mean who wants to get tired of getting massages??  Next up: A Volcanic Rock Massage.  Stay tuned…

And so I apologize for talking massage again, but I just had to share this experience with you!  I hope you’ll forgive me…

The Washing Machine Incident

Nick and I were having the most delightful day yesterday.  We had just returned home from a dinner of Spanish Tapas and I thought I’d do a quick load of laundry.  All was seemingly fine until I went to move it to the dryer and realized that the washing machine had discharged the water all over the floor instead of draining properly.  There was water everywhere!  We were storing lots of things in the room as well because we’re not having our helper live there…

We learned pretty quickly that tile floor + soapy water = slip ‘n slide.  Nick had the great idea of slipping on our scuba booties that had just arrived.  With the rubber traction on the bottom, they ended up being a very creative solution.  Then there was the question of how to clean it up.  We rummaged around and found a mop (but nothing to wring it out) and a dustpan in our welcome kit.  I scooped water with the dustpan and Nick did his best to mop.  It was a pretty funny sight… we did manage to get it cleaned up in time, but what I wouldn’t have given for a helper at that moment!

This morning I woke up with new resolve- we were not going to get stuck without the necessary tools for “accidents” anymore.  I marched over to Landmark Department store which is a clothing store/toy store/electronics store/housewares store/grocery store and hardware store all in one.  It’s massive and I honestly think it has 2 employees for each shopper.

Landmark Department Store

Undeterred by the fact that I didn’t know where to buy quality mops or brooms or rags, I picked the first friendly employee that I saw (not hard in Manila) and inquired if she could assist me.  And assist she did.  I had about 10 random household things on my list and she accompanied me all over the 3 levels of the store to find what I needed.  Who knew you could get a personal shopper for free here?  If we were stopped long enough in one stop, additional employees would inevitably show up and offer their perspective on favorite mop, dishcloth, etc.  I think I’ll have to do that more often, as I truly enjoyed all the attention.  Never lacking for attention here, that’s for sure.  Thank you Manila for continuing to surpass my shopping expectations!

Addicted to The Spa

Photo from Flickr: Daniel_isBored

Hello all, please indulge me for a moment and allow me to gush about my most recent pleasure, The Spa.  I know that I’ve written about this before, but I haven’t really given you a run-down on the entire experience.  I’m sure you think my attendance is a bit excessive (and perhaps it is) but our insurance covers 30 massages at $30 a piece each year as a wellness benefit.  So if you do the math, I still have 27 to get in before the end of this year!

So here goes…I’ve been to the spa 4 times since July 1st.  1 Pedicure, 1 Aromatherapy Massage and 2 Hilot Massages.  The Hilot is the most memorable, so I’ll walk you through that experience.  Nick and I did a couple’s massage last night.  When we arrive, we pay our $25 per person at the front door and then ascend the steps you see above to the prep area.  Men to the left, ladies to the right.  Inside, you are handed a robe and invited to strip down.  They Filipino attendants point you in the direction of the Steam room to start which is then followed up by a shower.  Next is another waiting room in which you’re given ginger tea until being taken to your suite.

My name was called and I was led to my room, where Nick was already getting positioned on the massage table.  The room evoked that fabulous Thai feel – dark wood, candles, aromatic perfumes, light linens.  Just stunning – I didn’t want to close my eyes.  The Hilot is a traditional Filipino massage.  There are 2 aspects that make it quite unique:

1. The massage therapists use coconut oil on your body (which smells fantastic, by the way).  In addition though, before they put in on your body they warm their hands over a square configuration of 12 tea-light candles, so that each time they rub a body part moving heat sensations tickle your skin.  I can’t even tell you how grand this is!
2. When they are doing your arms and legs, they place a coconut oil-soaked banana leaf across your back and then top it with warm volcanic stones so that your middle is soothed and warm while they’re working on your arms and legs.

Can you see why I’m such a fan??  And it just goes on and on… for 75 minutes.  Perhaps the only adjustment is that they’re a bit more open with touch here than in America spas.  Bellies, Behinds and Chests are all fair game here, although they will ask you if it’s okay first.  For those coming to visit, this is a must-do experience….And it will give me another reason to go that week!  I promise, no more mentions of the spa for at least two more posts!

Meet Norma: A new addition to our household

As I wrote yesterday, we have a household helper starting on Monday, August 3rd.  Her name is Norma and she’s a Filipino in her mid-30′s.  She was the first person we interviewed, but she seemed like such a perfect fit that we didn’t look any farther.  We are going to do a 60 day trial period, but I am fairly confident that it’ll last past then.  Here are a few of the many reasons why we selected her:

• She cooks Asian and Western cuisine and follows recipes very well.
• She speaks great English, which should help minimize misunderstandings.
• She got rave reviews from the last couple that she was with for 2 years.
• She prefers to wear a uniform, which I think is fun and classy.
• She was very polite and takes pride in her work.
• She prefers to live-out.
• She is willing to be an all-around helper, doing more than just clean.

Here are  the tasks she will manage in our household (for those of you creating a contract as well, be sure and list things out specifically – this is our list):

• Wash, Fold, Iron and put away Laundry
• Wash and put away dishes
• Take out the garbage
• Clean the bathrooms/showers
• Sweep and Vacuum and Mop the floors
• Dust and Polish the furniture and windows
• Run errands as needed
• Pay bills as needed
• Shop for groceries
• Cook lunch and dinner using a recipe
• Make the beds
• Assist with visitors/prepare for their arrival
• Assist with parties as needed
• Be available to take deliveries

We feel so fortunate to have found Norma and can’t wait to get to know her better!  Stay tuned for more updates along the way…

200 Posts and still going strong!

Today is the day that I’m celebrating my 200th post!  Who knew I’d love blogging so much!  It wouldn’t be nearly as fun without all you fabulous, devoted readers out there – the blog is averaging 125-150 views a day.  Thanks so much for following our adventures…..I’d LOVE to hit 200 a day to celebrate this landmark, so if you know someone else who’d enjoy the blog then pass it along!  Here’s a beautiful shot I captured last week that I wanted to share on this momentous occasion!

The Low-down on Hiring Household Help

Photo by Greenery (Flickr Creative Commons)

I am proud to say that I successfully hired my first household helper.  In the US we would commonly refer to this as a maid, but she’s going to do so much more than just clean that it isn’t a sufficient name (nor do they have an equivalent for maid in Tagalog).  And so we use the term Katulong, which means helper in Tagalog.  The idea of having a helper seems very glamorous indeed, but there’s also a lot of management involved with having household staff.  I was a bit overwhelmed as I dove into learning about it these last few weeks, but now I feel like I have a handle on it.  Here’s a bit of what I’ve learned for those of  you out there that are also new to this.

First decision: Live in or Live out Help.  Most condos/apartments/houses here have a built-in maid’s quarters, but you still need to factor in your comfort level with having someone in your home all the time (except Saturday evening and Sunday).  Nick and I wanted to ease into this, so we’re doing a live out.  She’ll arrive at 9 AM and leave after the dinner dishes are cleaned up.  Helpers typically work 6 days a week, with Sunday off.  With live-in, you provide toiletries and a food allowance.  With live-out, you provide transportation fees and a food allowance.  In addition, the law mandates that you must pay the employer portion of Social Security and provide either insurance or agree to pay for doctor’s visits.  It sounds expensive, but it’s actually a very small amount here.  There’s also a 13 month bonus which most people provide.  That being said your total cost for employing the helper is usually between $150-250 (with all the above-mentioned items).

I struggled with this at first because of the concept we have around household help in the US, as well as the dramatic differential between a full-time wage for a Filipino vs. Nick or I.  After sharing my concerns with other mission members, I realized that it’s a way for us to help the local economy by providing a job.  It’s also one of the most coveted jobs out there.  And so I’m setting aside my judgments about having help and embracing the Filipino culture in which most middle and upper class homes have a helper.

Prior to their first day of work, it’s important to do a few things.  The helper needs to have a physical and chest scan to check for tuberculosis (which is quite common).  You also need to write up a contract of employment for them to sign, stating payment terms, expected responsibilities, time off, provisions for overtime and termination procedures (on good terms or bad).  Most people do a probationary period of 60-90 days in which either party can terminate the relationship.  We’re going to do a 60 day trial.

Some of the challenges of having help include:

• Planning enough in advance to have things for them to do
• Respecting cultural differences by avoiding shaming, blaming or yelling, which can dramatically hurt your employer/employee relationship
• Training your employee to tell you the truth rather than what they think you want to hear (From what I’ve been told, Filipinos prefer to please generally and will avoid giving bad news at any cost)
• Making sure that your instructions were understood (Another cultural difference – in a desire to avoid the shame of saying they don’t understand, they nod yes and go off to try it, perhaps with disastrous results.  As the employer, it’s recommended that you have them repeat back the instructions to make sure they picked it all up.  The language barrier can also complicate that, as English understanding can vary)
• Determining your stance on giving loans.  It is quite common that an employee may ask for a loan, as the financial challenges are so great here.  As employers, you need to decide what your policy is, as it can complicate the relationship.

That’s enough today.  Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about our helper and how we’re going to utilize her in our household!

Pictures of our New Home

Great news – we have internet!  I can’t tell you how much I missed it.  I do believe I’ve developed something of an addiction, as it’s my primary means of communication now.  I practically hugged the internet guy when he came today.  I stopped myself just in time… I am quite backlogged on all of my picture postings, so I thought I’d start with a few pictures of our new place (and one of our spectacular view).  There are also several new galleries I posted at our SMUGMUG site.  Check it out!

Random Musings on Week 2 in Manila

Greetings all – Hello from hot, sticky Manila.  I have lots of little updates to give, so I’m just going to fill this post with various subjects of my interest (and hopefully yours).  Where to start…

• I had a fabulous 29th birthday.  I indulged in a massage, took a nap, had my favorite California Pizza Kitchen salad, went shopping, ate out at a Thai restaurant and devoured a buttercream cake that Nick got me.
• I am now certain of the fact that I do not (nor will I ever) blend in.  Several people in my photography class came up to me on our second day and said they saw me walking around Makati.  Honestly, do you think it’s coincidental that MULTIPLE people saw me out and about in a city of 12 million???  I’m starting to wonder if I’m the only blond in the city.  I think I’ll start keeping a tally of how many blonds I see!
• Michael Jackson has achieved God-like status here.  His music plays non-stop in the department stores, on the radio, on the phone hold music.  You get the picture… I mean, I’m a fan too, but let’s just give it a rest.  You can’t appreciate it if you’re never missing it!
• Our air freight arrived (all 449 pounds).  Nothing was broken or missing.  So delightful!  I am enjoying rediscovering all our treasured possessions.
• Today is hopefully my last day of cleaning.  Interviews for our household helper start tomorrow.  More details about that in a future post.  I’ve been doing quite a bit of research around contracts and what people do and don’t include.
• INTERNET COMES TOMORROW.  Maybe.  We have a scheduled appointment between the window of 8 AM and 8 PM.  But there’s always the possibility that they won’t show or won’t have the right parts… we’ve heard stories of both from other foreign service friends.  Cross your fingers that we’ll be back on the grid soon with VOIP and constant internet access!
• There was a small incident, a casualty some would say.  My beautiful desktop accidentally got fried yesterday.  The computer indicated that it was 110/220 compatible, but there was apparently this tiny little switch that had to be flipped to use 220.  There were sparks and a burning smell.  Not good.  Nick thinks he can fix it by replacing the power supply, since the computer wasn’t actually even on yet.  I will be VERY SAD if it’s gone.  I loved that computer…
• There is so much rain.  It comes every day and usually in a massive downpour (think tropical monsoon), but then it’s over within an hour typically.  It just sucks when you’re caught in it.  They have these great covered walkways in our area that remind me of skyways (except open-air) and they come in very handy in the rain.  I’ve also noticed that establishments set piles of umbrellas outside when it starts raining.  It appears like you’re just allowed to take them and return them in good faith later.  I’m not 100% sure on that and need to keep observing.

THE END.  That’s all I’ve got for today.  Have a great week!  Lots of back-logged pictures now posted from our first 2 weeks: CLICK HERE.

I found Bodypump!!

I never thought it would be possible, but I managed to find a gym that has Bodypump classes in Manila (and it’s within walking distance of our place!)  A little background on Bodypump… it’s a fabulous weight routine where you do 10 tracks in one hour, each of which is coreographed to music.  Each track focuses on a different muscle – abs, chest, gluts, bicep, tricep, shoulder, etc.

In order to go to Bodypump, I first had to join a gym.  As usual, this was a bit of a process.  I went over at 7 AM on wednesday to check out the gym.  I got the usual tour and an overview of the rates, etc.  What I wasn’t expecting was that Filipino salespeople are a bit more aggressive than I’m used to.  I was planning to wait until next week to join, but my salesperson called me at 6:30 AM on both Thursday and Friday to inquire if I was coming in that day.  I decided that I did not want to be woken up at 6:30 again on Saturday and finally turned in my application on Friday.

SIDE NOTE: Apparently this pestering thing is a very common Filipino characteristic.  Saying that you’ll do something doesn’t actually mean you will.  For example, if a Filipino says they’re coming to your dinner party, you’re supposed to follow-up the day of to remind them/confirm that they really meant it.  This is all in an effort to “save face” and avoid saying no.  It’s better to say yes and then just not show apparently… I am not a fan of this cultural aspect yet.

And so now I’m a proud holder of a gym membership!  I did my first BodyPump class this morning with 30 Filipinos.  Where are all the other foreigners??  I swear I read that there was a large Expat community here.  How come I don’t seem to be coming across any of them??  Alas, I’m getting used to being the one that stands out.  Good thing I enjoy attention!  I suppose if I was really trying to blend in then I wouldn’t have walked in late, taken a place at the front of the room and promptly started belting out the lyrics…. I still have quite a bit of work to do around the blending thing!  All I can say is that it felt SOOO good to pick up this old favorite of mine.  Be sure and look for my toned muscles in upcoming swimsuit photos!

Pixie cuts and Manila…

apparently do not mix.  I ventured into my first salon on Monday to get a much-needed trim.  As I previously mentioned, I already stick out horribly amongst the dark-haired, dark-skinned Filipinos.  What I had failed to notice was that no women have short hair cuts.  The most racy look is a chin-length bob!

And so the story begins…I set off on my adventure to get my hair cut and didn’t have to travel but a few steps into the neighboring shopping mall.  I picked a swanky salon because, why not?  My cut with the Senior Stylist was still only $17!  (Have I mentioned that I’m never leaving here??)  So I’m seated in the chair and the stylist comes over and does a double take when he realizes that I have short hair already and I’m there to get a pixie cut.  He reminded me of a kid in a candy store, ready to go to town on my hair….

But wait!  In the Philippines, the senior stylist cannot be bothered to do anything but cut!  So the assistant was called over to wash my hair and massage my back.  He wrapped my head in a fancy little turban and left me to await the Senior Stylist.  Can I just begin by saying that I’ve never had such a thorough haircut?

So he clipped and razored and shaved and chipped and did this whole process over and over again.  He had this fancy thing he did where he’d swing the scissors around his index finger from a “resting” to “cutting” position.  My hair has never received so much attention!  When he was done with the preliminary cut he beckoned over the assistant to wash my hair AGAIN and blow dry it.  By the time I was dry he was back to put the finishing touches on it.

My favorite part was at the end when he said, “We’re having a fashion show today and the show is you!” He was referring to the fact that all the staff kept parading by because they never see women getting short hair cuts.  So funny… what an experience to remember!  For those of you planning to visit – save a haircut for while you’re here!  You won’t regret it… there’s nothing comparable to the Filipino service industry.  Here’s a picture of my new cut:

Adventures in Photography

Yesterday was the BIG DAY – Photography class started!  Just to refresh your memories, this was the class that I had found online and registered for back in June.  It takes place over 5 Sundays for a total of 40 hours of fun-filled learning about digital SLR photography.  Let’s just start by saying that I have a LOT of studying to do.  My head was stuffed so full of information that I’m not sure I can tell you accurately what the difference between aperature, shutter speed and ISO are!  What a fantastic day though.  Here’s are some highlights from my experience:

I walk into the classroom, which happens to look very cave-like.  I tried very hard to blend, but somehow the short-haired, fair-skinned, blond girl did not assimilate into the pack of 40 other Filipinos.  I was immediately called out by a teacher, who already knew my name since we’d emailed before-hand.  Again, I couldn’t help feeling like a celebrity.  I was escorted to the front of the classroom and seated right in front.  Since the professor knew my name too, I managed to get called on for every other question (none of which I knew the right answer too).  It was such a bizarre experience and I realized later when looking at the pictures of graduating classes that I was the only Caucasian to take the class in 2009 thus far.  WHOA.  No wonder I was like a circus spectacle.  I don’t think the short hair helps, as I haven’t seen a Filipino yet with anything shorter than a chin-length bob!  How am I supposed to blend when I stand out like a sore thumb???

That being said, I had an amazingly positive experience.  I felt comfortable right off the bat and had 15-20 conversations with various classmates over the course of the day.  People would just come up and start talking – the Filipino hospitality is unlike anything I’ve ever seen!  I was invited to lunch at a Fast Food restaurant and a friend ordered for me in Tagalog.  Someone else escorted me to a 7-11 to find a Coca-cola light, since I couldn’t have ice or anything with local water.  Another friend got me a taxi at the end of the day…. and on and on.  So amazing!

At the end of our class, I popped my head into the adjacent classroom that was doing a graduation ceremony and giving out awards.  I just wanted to get a glimpse of what I may be able to do in 5 weeks.  I should have known that I couldn’t just quietly stand in the back…. the instructor in that class of 40 stops what he’s doing and yells to me in the back of the classroom, “Hello Ms. Sarah, what do you think of their work?  Won’t you please come in!”  I gave a thumbs up and all of a sudden another instructor was escorting me inside to sit down.  There was no choice, it all happened so fast… what a day!  I wonder what next week’s class will hold??  I better stop writing and get shooting because I have to bring in my best shot for judging already next week!

My professor

Nothing like a little 2 AM scare…

Hi folks – Still in the internet cafe, so I apologize, but it’s not a good environment to write in.  Here’s a little highlight from the last 24 hours:

Nick and I are woken up at 2 AM by a shrieking fire alarm in the building.  He peeks out the door and sees mild smoke near the ceiling.  We assume the worst, grab our shoes and the escape bag (who thought we’d need it so soon?) and make our way to the door.  We decide to make a quick call down to the concierge to make sure they know that something is happening.  Here’s how that conversation went:

Sarah: The fire alarm is going off.
Concierge: Yes miss.
Sarah: Is there a fire?
Concierge: No miss.
Sarah: But the alarm is going off and we see smoke.
Concierge: Sorry, miss.  We are just fogging the parking garage.  It sets off the fire alarm.  Do not worry.
Sarah (thinks to herself): SERIOUSLY?  Who does that in the middle of the night with no warning??!  (The smoke we saw was apparently vapors that wafted up through the elevator shaft.)
Concierge: Go back to bed.  Goodnight mum.

A few antecdotes from life in Manila

Hi all-  We’ve safely landed in Manila and are adjusting rapidly to our new life.  It’s exhaustingly hot, but the people are so kind that you just forget about the heat.  I have been going nonstop and Nick has been trying his darndest to get me to sit down.  I just can’t!  There’s so much to explore… so I just started ditching him 2 days ago.  He mentioned something about pacing himself.  How boring!  I plan to keel over from exhaustion first!  So, here are a few of my favorite things so far!

Favorites:

• Being called “mum” by everyone I pass.  “Hello mum”.  Good-day mum.  This way mum.  I feel like a freakin’ celebrity.  Kindest people ever, those Filipinos!
• When purchasing my blow dryer, they plugged it in for me to show me that it worked prior to purchase.  Huh?  Same with the light bulb I got.  They showed me that it lit up.  Then, “Okay, mum?”
• When I asked the concierge for a Barong store (the Filipino men’s shirt we need to get for Nick) and he thought I said Thong.  Nick and I went on this goose chase to find the store we thought was going to sell barongs, only to find out it was basically Victoria’s Secret… oops!
• A 75 minute massage for $25 at the nicest spa I’ve ever visited.
• McDonald’s delivers.  On mopeds!
• There are 12 malls within walking distance of my door!
• Customer service is incredible.  I have never seen so many people assigned to assist.  For example, at the grocery store, there was one person assigned to each aisle to answer questions.  At the department store, I counted 14 attendants in the minuscule “Men’s Underclothes” department.  One person rings things up, then next puts it in the bag, etc.  Shopping is fantasticly fun here!

Okay, that’s all for now.  More to come.  I can’t put up pictures until our computer arrives in 1.5 weeks.  Stay tuned… I’m off to go take a tour of the city!