My Failed SCUBA Attempt

Just got home from a long 3-day weekend spent in Batangas, in the Southern part of Luzon (the island Manila is on).  We’ll just cut right to the chase – YES, IT’S TRUE.  I FAILED AT SCUBA.  Seriously, if there’s one thing I hate, it’s failing.  It stings just writing it.  But I tell you, SCUBA and I just never clicked.  And it was not for lack of trying because I worked my butt off to get it and I still SUCKED.  How miserably depressing to admit defeat and disappoint my amazing partner who had dreams of us SCUBAing together off into the sunset.  Here’s a recap of how the weekend played out…

We took off from Manila at 6 AM on Saturday morning to beat traffic.  We stopped at a fabulous little breakfast place called Bag of Beans in Tagaytay on the way.  It was a beautiful morning and the farther we got from the city, the fresher the air got.  It was delightful!  We should have known that it was going too well – no traffic, a nice breakfast, good weather.  Far too perfect for Manila.  As we were nearing the final drive segment, the driver asked for directions to Balite (Bah-lee-tay) and we followed this windy road for about 30 minutes and arrived in a random town not at all near the ocean.  SURPRISE- wrong Balite!  We need the BalEte (Bah-lEE-tay) with an E!  Who names two cities near each other a same phonetically-sounding name???  That’s ludicrous!  So back we went down the windy road for 30 minutes, asking directions 10 more times until we finally reached our destination at 10 AM.  Now that’s more like what we’ve come to expect from Manila…. The result: we had to cancel our morning pool session and push it to the afternoon.  Fine with me, I always prefer to eat before working!

The resort was a 5 minute boat ride from the drop-off spot, only accessible via water.  The resort is owned by Carmela and Arnel, a couple that live in Manila.  Arnel is a full-time Dive Master, but Carmela still holds a traditional office job.  They come down each weekend to run the resort.  They started out wanting to own property that they could dive from frequently and it morphed into a resort from there.  It reminded me a lot of a bed and breakfast that focuses on diving.  We definitely felt like guests in their home – it was very intimate and all the guests were incredibly social.  Location was superb, resort had a cool vibe and the dive facilities and instructors were excellent.  If I was to ask for a few upgrades, it’d be a softer bed and better food (I’m done with rice for awhile).

Classes started right after lunch.  I started to freak out when I realized that they expected me to put the big, huge, heavy tank on my back and walk over to the pool and take a giant stride into the pool.  Problems with this scenario: I do not like lifting heavy things (I had convinced myself that tanks could always be put on in the water), I’m not coordinated enough to carry heavy things and gracefully land in the water AND what if I hit my head on the tank on the way in (which I could easily see myself doing).  Alas, this was only the first of many challenges.  Happily, I did manage to safely make it into the pool.  It went downhill from there – couldn’t remove my mask and put it back on (water kept flooding up my nose, causing me to choke).  Didn’t even attempt the skill after that because I was so water-logged.  It was not pretty.

I was wiped after 2 hours in the pool, but the instructor insisted that we go try an ocean dive.  I tried to delay it, but he insisted.  The low point of the day was being towed around the reef by the Dive Master because I couldn’t figure out the buoyancy thing.  I am not over-exaggerating: he pulled me around by my jacket!  And to top it off, my mask fogged the whole time, so I couldn’t enjoy the beautiful fish.  SIGH… Nick and I talked about it at dinner that night and I made the decision to stop.  It was obvious to both of us that this wasn’t meant to be.

Apparently the instructor agreed.  When I went to tell him my decision, his reply was, “Good choice.  It’s always better when the student comes to that decision themselves.”  Translation: I wasn’t going to pass you anyways.  Thanks for saving me the tough conversation.

Nick was obviously pretty disappointed but we had some great conversation around it and I felt fully supported in my choice.  I am grateful for having such a wonderful partner!  And so the search for our shared couple’s activity continues…. potential options we’re exploring are: Bird Watching, Ballroom Dancing, Badminton, Photography and Boating to name a few.  Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated on our progress.  We are realizing now that the tough thing about being opposites is that you don’t like the same activities!

We failed to get a picture of me in the equipment ( I promise I really did do it)!  I also have included a video of the boat unloading procedure that all guests go through- it was wild stuff!  Sorry this is so lengthy!  Part 2 will come tomorrow… Sad story over for today.

THE END.

Off to Batangas for a Diving Adventure!

Here we go… I’m off to get up close and personal with the marine life of the Philippines.  3 days of pool sessions and open-water ocean dives!  I have some serious concerns about my stamina but I’m holding out hope that my body will pleasantly surprise me!  We’re heading down to Batangas in Southern Luzon, the island that Manila is located on.  Even on a Saturday, we have to head out in the wee hours of the morning to avoid traffic (which would change it from a 2.5 hour drive to a 5+ hour drive!)  Rest assured that on Tuesday I’ll be back with a full recap of the resort and my experiences with diving!  Enjoy your weekends!

S.C.U.B.A. = Sarah Can’t Use a Breathing Apparatus

Who knew?  It turns out that I have breathing issues.  I go to the dentist and I get yelled at for being a “night mouth breather”  (which causes gum bleeding) and then I get in the pool for my first scuba session and can’t stop exhaling through my nose no matter how hard I try.  If they would have been giving grades last night for breathing underwater, I think I would have gotten a D-.  I consider an F dying, so at least I’m not there….

First, I’d like to give myself a big pat on the back.  This was a BIG stretch for me.  I was a nervous wreck all day, thinking about the many ways I could die while underwater (My list includes: sharks, stingrays, eels, lung embolisms, over-inflated lungs, not getting to a hyperbolic pressure chamber in time, etc).  Impressive list, no?!  In fact, I was pretty much nauseous all day.  Then, to top it off, we get to the outdoor pool and it starts to rain.  Awesome – now my day is perfect.

Let me just be crystal clear: Ladies and gentlemen, this was done out of pure and simple love.  There would have been no other reason that I’d put myself through so much anxiety…. but I adore my guy and he wants this to be our “couple activity”.  So gosh darn it, I am going to learn to inhale and exhale through my mouth and try to stay alive while we explore the ocean TOGETHER!

And wouldn’t you know it, Nick was a natural.  He passed each skill test on the first try and it’d take me 3 or 4 times (maybe with a quick break at the surface for a coughing spasm).  It was an intense, exhausting 3 hours for me.  But I did it.  I completed every last skill.  The breathing challenges really did me in.  It’s hard to layer on additional stuff when you don’t have the fundamental part down right away.  Thankfully, we had a wonderfully patient instructor and he just kept repeating the procedure over and over.  Guess that means I’m not a natural, huh??

After the skill session was the open swim time.  Sounds easy but somehow that eluded me too.  I could not get myself to sink.  I learned afterward that I was inhaling too rapidly and then not exhaling for a long enough period to match it.  Hence, I floated.  It just looked so much easier than it actually was… Again, I did manage to figure it out after a LONG time of getting it wrong.  Can’t say I was very proud of my first outing in the pool.

I would be celebrating my accomplishment if it weren’t for the fact that I have 4 pool sessions and 5 more ocean dives between Saturday and Monday.  I could barely make it through 1!  How the heck am I going to do 3 days of it???  Let’s hope for a miracle people.  It’s going to be a looooong weekend.  Expect a big review on Tuesday when we get back and thanks for all the supportive comments that helped get me through last night!

S & R Warehouse: My Costco away from Home

So for weeks and weeks I’ve been hearing about this S&R place.  People would RAVE on and on about it and I was getting a bit tired of not knowing what all the hype was about.  So last weekend we had an Embassy car and driver (they allow you two loan periods of 3 hours until your car arrives).  Nick and I decided that it was time  – we would venture in to S&R!  It felt like this big production… but boy oh boy did we have a blast during our 2 hours there.

It looked and felt just like a Costco.  Same layout, same types of products.  Even a concession stand serving cheap pizza and ice cream.  I was in heaven!  80% imported American products – the unfortunate part is that you’re going to pay to have them.  I’d say on average most things were 30% higher than what it’d be priced in the USA.  Blue Bunny ice cream was $6 for a half gallon (I bought 3!) and our ironing board was $50.  I think the consensus in the embassy community though is that it’s okay to spend a bit more once and awhile to get exactly what you want!  There is something wonderfully comforting about having YOUR brand product every once and awhile versus the local equivalent.

There were some nice upsides to this experience though – far less traffic than a typical warehouse store in the US.  And no wait in the check-out lines (thank goodness for an abundance of labor).  Also, in the clothing section they featured overruns of American brands that were produced in the Philippines.  Nick got a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt for $10 (it still had the manufacturer’s tag with $75 on it).  And in the food area, you don’t have to buy in bulk.  You’re allowed to break open cases and just buy small quantities – a very nice thing for our family unit of 2!

And so I’ve been introduced to yet another fabulous resource that makes my life in Manila more comfortable.  I am well aware of the fact that we are being spoiled ridiculously here and will never have so many Western conveniences at our future posts.  I plan on enjoying it while it lasts though!

Dinner Parties, Manila-style!

Nick and I hosted what I would consider our first Manila dinner party.  Well technically it was lunch but we served enough food for an army.  An Army of 12, that is!  We invited over our long-time friends (we met in January 2009) from Nick’s training class, along with their families.  I swear, all we did was eat for 3 hours straight…. Norma and I had worked long and hard on the menu.  We ended up doing a compilation of our favorite dishes from her first 3 weeks with us.  The menu was as follows:

Rice (of course – no meal is complete without rice)
Vegetable Balls (vegetarians in attendance)
A Vegetable Medley
Thai Basil Chicken Curry
Sweet and Sour Pork
Mango Chimichangas and Fruit Salad for Dessert

I know I’ve extolled the wonderful virtues of my helper beyond what I’m sure you wanted to hear.  Her performance today was again nothing short of spectacular. I stood at the kitchen in awe watching her stir one thing while cutting another and so on.  That level of cooking multi-tasking is just not in my genes…. I can’t lie, it was pretty fantastic to have the benefits of having people over without the downside of cooking and clean-up.  What I didn’t really think about though was how much my role as hostess would change.

You see, in my past life, one of the things I most prided myself on was being a SUPERB HOSTESS (part of the Miller family etiquette training program).  Additionally, in the world according to Sarah, we believe: “A good hostess is a busy one.”  Translation: You should be running around throughout the entire party and if you’re not then you’ve failed at what you were socialized to do!  So imagine my surprise when I found myself paralyzed during the party.  What was I supposed to DO at the party if I wasn’t cooking, serving or busing dishes???  I’m sure all the guests thought I was a bit off my rocker, walking around straightening up decorations and refilling glasses when they were already quite full.  I even ran out to the grocery store quickly when Norma realized we were missing an ingredient (it made me feel very useful).  I know, I am seriously messed up!  It was far more difficult to just sit and enjoy the party – in fact, I found myself quite conflicted throughout the entire thing.  Please let this be one of those things that I adjust to over time…

The hit of the party was the new glass “flip-flops” that I debuted.  A perfect 3-in-1: Functional, Decorative and Buzz-worthy!  They were a birthday gift from my fabulous sister Beth.  There was much sadness when all 4 were claimed early on.  Thankfully the boys had some local San Mig beer which couldn’t use a flip-flop!  Check out the rest of the pictures from the party on SMUGMUG!

A Night on Cloud 9

We must be feeling comfortable here because we’re starting to venture out beyond a 3 block radius of our condo.  Last night we were offered the opportunity to join a group of people heading up to a restaurant/bar called Cloud 9 in the Manila suburb of Antipolo.  If I heard our host explain it correctly, this is the highest point from which to overlook the city.  As a budding photographer, you can imagine that I used this opportunity to bust out the tripod and shoot some night pictures at low shutter speeds.  And just in case you’re wondering, night photos don’t seem to be my thing, as they all turned out pretty blurry.

We had rented a van and driver for the evening since none of us have our vehicles yet.  And when I say we ventured far, remember that in Manila, that’s all relative.  This trip, for example, was 10 miles and took ONLY 40 minutes!  Our host said it usually takes 60 to 90 minutes so we were all thrilled.  Ah Manila traffic, how I love thee!

The view was well worth the drive.  I posted one of my better panoramic shots above.  It really gives you a sense of the magnitude of this 12 million person city, huh?  The evening went quickly as we enjoyed classic Filipino dishes and tipped back some drinks amidst good conversation.  Not much else to report, other than that I’m grateful for all the invites we’ve been getting along with the chance to make new friends.  The foreign service community is incredibly welcoming (just like Minnesotans).  Here are some pictures from the evening:

Week 7 Updates from Manila

I’m enjoying doing a random update every so often, as I have a few fun pieces of “news-worthy” stuff that don’t merit an entire post (unlike corn dogs!!).  As long as everyone’s okay with this bullet-oriented style of posting, then we’ll just keep doing it for awhile (until my life becomes boring and I run out of multitudes of news-worthy items).

Here goes….Just finshed week 7 and crossed the 50 day mark in Manila.  WHOA.  I have actually met quite a few people that are newer than us – not sure I like that – I was enjoying the attention of being the “newbies” in town.  Then there’s also the expectation from the “newer newbies” that you have some idea of resource suggestions.  That definitely adds some stress!  I just want to say in return when they inquire, “BUT I’M STILL NEW, THAT’S NOT FAIR TO ASK ME THAT YET!”  Am I seriously feeling pressure to have all the answers already?  Sadly, the answer is YES!  It comes with being a type A personality, I guess… Enough complaining and on to the updates:

• Wedding Bliss: Of course it was fantastic to marry my fabulous guy and have the day go off with out a hitch.  But my dreams really came true a week ago when Minnesota Bride Magazine emailed to tell me that they’d be featuring our wedding in their Spring 2010 issue (in stores January 15th).  Every event planner’s dream – to have their event showcased in a magazine!  The pictures have been selected (about 10) and I already did the interview, so now all we do is wait for it to come out… Nick said he would prefer to be cut out of all the shots but I was SURE he was just kidding.  Boys.
• Honeymoon Planning: I still feel a bit cheated out of a honeymoon because we had to report to DC the day after we got married.  I know, I know, the Philippines is like a honeymoon everyday…. it’s just that a real-deal honeymoon is part of a woman’s expectations.  Thankfully, Nick managed to get 10 days off over Thanksgiving and we are finally going to make it happen!  We’re hitting two highly touristed, hard-to-reach spots that we’ve always dreamed of visiting: Angkor Wat, Cambodia (home of the ancient temples) and Bali, Indonesia (home of the private plunge pool).  Stay tuned for pictures and a full review…
• The Military Ball: All the ladies are abuzz this week due to the fact that the date for this year’s Military Ball was announced for late October, only 2 months away!  I mean, you hear the word Ball and you know it’s a big deal, but having never experienced this annual post event, I had no idea just how BIG of a deal it is.   The top thing on everyone’s mind though is (of course) what you’re going to wear.  Apparently it is common practice to have a dress designed for you (around $150 for labor, design and material).  In fact, I was floored at lunch yesterday when a friend said she had already gone in and gotten measured…. holy crap, I need to get on the ball (no pun intended)!  So here’s my big debate: I DO technically have formal dresses I could wear that haven’t been seen at a Ball before, but DO I REALLY WANT TO wear something old when I could have a beautiful new gown of my dreams created for next-to-nothing????  These are tough decisions people!  :)  Rest assured that I will keep you in the know.  Feel free to weigh in on the decision if you’re so moved!

Camera Club is SERIOUS Business!

When our photography class wrapped up at the beginning of the month, there was widespread interest in creating a camera club to maintain our new friendships and keep improving our skills.  This past Sunday was our first meeting and photo shoot in Fort Santiago, Intramuros (the site of the original Spanish walled settlement).  The location in itself is stunning – a beautiful stone and brick retreat set within the skyscrapers of Manila.  It’s a popular photography spot and I was able to get a number of good shots because the rain held out!  Check out SMUGMUG to see my Fort Santiago gallery.  Here are a few of my faves:

The plan is to meet 2 times each month.  One for a general meeting (and to do critiques, I believe) and once to do a group shoot with each other.  One member is even hosting an overnight down at his place in Southern Luzon!  The commitment from my Filipino peers is superb – there are officers, by-laws, the whole works!  I’m pretty pumped to be in such a sophisticated club- although I must confess that I had not shot ONE PHOTO in the two weeks since class had ended.  How horible is that?!  Perhaps being in the club will give me the accountability I need to go exploring with my camera each week… I’ll be sure and post more galleries from our group shoots – plenty of beautiful images to capture in and around Manila!

Oh Manila, You Continue to Delight Me!

On Saturday the unimaginable happened.  I FOUND CORN DOGS!  And not just any corn dogs, I found MY BRAND of corn dogs.  How is that possible???  I do not know.  I am still trying to wrap my mind around this fabulous new twist.  Here I was, certain that I’d have to go two years without my other favorite food and Manila has surprised and delighted me once more!  I know some of you will never believe this but I had made peace with the fact that I wasn’t going to eat one for quite some time – and now, just like that, it’s part of my diet again (although relegated to lunch now that we have such a fabulous cook).  I’ll end this post with a few joyous pictures from my very first Corn Dog Lunch today.  I can’t resist sharing!  Remember: it’s the little things in life that make it so great!

A Perfect Trifecta - Coke, Ketchup and Corn Dogs

Now tell me that doesn't look appetizing!

Reunited with my beloved corn dogs!

Round One of Household Effects Arrive

As of Friday, we are officially 3500 pounds heavier.  Round 1 of our “stuff” arrived on Friday.  In case you hadn’t already guessed, this is a BIG DEAL.  My chance to set up shop had finally arrived and boy was I ready!  First, the bad news: it was NOT the shipment I was expecting!  No ravioli or Diet Coke for me.  It ended up being all of our furniture and miscellaneous books, etc from storage.  To be fair, this was probably a better shipment to get first, as it’s more of the foundational stuff but I was SOOO looking forward to that first bite and sip!  Alas…

The emotions were high.  I was having a bit of an overwhelming week to begin with, so I was counting on the arrival of our stuff to bring me back to equilibrium.  Let me take you through the emotions of they day: It began with anticipation – knowing they were set to arrive at 9 AM.  Euphoria set in when I went down to the loading dock and saw them break the metal bands off the containers and open the crate.  I’ve never been so excited to see boxes before… I went back up to the apartment to wait for arrival and found myself getting irritated.  Why was it noon and we still didn’t have any boxes up here yet?

Turns out I didn’t really have a good handle on just how much stuff we had shipped.  As the boxes arrived and the workers unpacked box after box, my delight morphed into shame.  How could I seriously have accumulated 50+ wine glasses?  Did I really think we needed 3 sets of dishes?  I had no idea I would feel that way but I was very embarassed by the quantity of things we had.  What we had stood in such stark contrast to the amount I know that most Filipinos make do with everyday.  Wow – nothing like a little perspective.

A little about the day.  We had a crew of 8 doing the job.  They opened the crates and hauled the boxes up the elevator from 9 AM until 12:30 PM.  Once all the goods were inside, we began opening.  Nick directed traffic, I dealt with the back bedrooms and Norma was in charge of the kitchen.  It was quite overwhelming to open every box at once and just set the things out randomly.  On the other hand, I did like it that they broke down all the boxes and took the garbage with them!  Our air conditioner chose this day to malfunction, so it was an 85 degree sauna in our living room.  We did manage to get the crew out by 4 PM, which I thought was pretty reasonable.

Norma prepares PB sandwiches for the crew

First, a little background.  The stuff that arrived was packed up in MN back in December.  With this being our first move, we didn’t do a very good job of labeling the boxes at the time.  So unfortunately, when we were handed a list of our 100 items and boxes and asked to put an X next to the items we wanted to go to Manila, we had very little idea what we would end up with.  With choices like “Black bag” and “Box with knick-knacks”, we opted for a strategy of bring too much rather than end up with too little.  I’m not sure that was the best choice….

Here are some of the random things we ended up with that we have entirely NO USE FOR here:

• My box of momentos from my dead grandmother
• A bike pump (the bike isn’t coming)
• Nick’s graduation cap and gown
• My box of childhood artwork from K-8.
• A vacuum cleaner that runs on 110 volts (we don’t have a powerful enough transformer to use it)
• Jumper cables for those cold winter nights

In summary, I give us a 7.5 out of 10 on our first move.  Granted, there is nothing that I would say we are missing.  We just have WAY MORE STUFF than we know what to do with in our 2 BR apartment.  Perhaps this is our invitation to simplify our life and get rid of some stuff.  The process was pretty slick and I liked having all the help.  I sure wish we still didn’t have another 2000 pounds coming, as I haven’t even dealt with the first 3500 pounds!  Good thing we have 7 days until that shipment arrives…

The top 3 things I’m thankful for from this shipment:

1. My pillowtop mattress, bed and bamboo sheets
2. My cookbooks and never-used kitchen gadgets (Norma was beyond delighted)
3. My entertaining stuff (glasses, dishes, wine charms, etc)

Missing the Familiar

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I know that 2000 pounds of my favorite things are arriving tomorrow morning.  Or maybe I’m just having my first hiccup.  But today, for some reason or another, I am longing for the familiar.  I’ve been stepping out and stretching myself in so many new directions that everyday things seem more new than familiar.  In fact, my brain hurts a little bit.  Whether it’s my new hobbies (photography, scuba) or my new clubs (AWCP, Toastmaster’s) or my new business pursuits (teleclasses, twitter, group coaching) or new cultural experiences or getting to a new place – everything is requiring massive amounts of energy.  And I am feeling quite drained!

To clarify, I’m not feeling bored or lonely.  Just overstimulated and a bit exhausted.  The day is over before it begins lately and I can’t seem to figure out what I did with all those hours.  And I’m not really sure how to remedy this problem.  It just doesn’t really make sense that I’m exhausted when I have a helper and I set my own hours and I have no children and very little is expected of me!  Hmmm…. it appears to be a problem of structuring and getting into some semblance of a routine.  Maybe that’s where I’ll focus for the time being.  It’s easy to fall into paralysis and do NOTHING when there are so many option on your plate.  A good problem to have, I know – just not sure how to deal with it.

To end this post, I’m going to make a tribute to the fabulous simple things I miss today – don’t take them for granted!  Here goes: Speed boats, cabins, 75 degree weather, campfires, s’mores, back to school shopping at Target, fall leaves, reasonable traffic, long walks in nature, St. Ben’s, hugs from long-time friends, family game nights, diet coke, Chef Boyardee, good ice cream and knowing how to get somewhere!

Make sure to check back tomorrow and see all the chaos as the first half of our stuff arrives!

My First AWCP Bazaar

It’s a big week, activity-wise.  In typical Sarah fashion, I’ve decided to plunge right in.  Be sure and check back in a month – I’m sure I’ll be totally overwhelmed.  On Wednesday I  have my first meeting for the American Women’s Club of the Philippines.  I’m so pumped!  They’re all about 3 things – Charitable projects, Networking and Socializing.  Lucky for me that those are 3 of my favorite things too!

Each month the American Women’s Club of the Philipppines (AWCP) puts on a charitable bazaar, showcasing products from local merchants.  My new friend Beth convinced me to go this morning, suggesting that I get an idea of the kinds of goods sold (for holiday presents) and meet some members of AWCP in advance of the meeting.  Let me tell you, this is THE EXPAT spot to be.  Not just Americans either, but expats from all over.  Even though shopping was the main draw, you could tell that the event was just as much about socializing with the person you hadn’t seen in 30 days.  Suffice to say, I fit right in.  Beth brought me around and introduced me to other Embassy folk while we perused the wares.  I wasn’t feeling ready to buy things yet, so I just scouted everything out to see what I want to get next month.  Good stuff…

The Bazaar took place in the Trade Center, a large convention-center facility.  The vendors were primarily selling jewelry, food, clothing and housewares.  What amused me most is that many of the clothing vendors were selling over-runs of US brands that are produced in the Philippines.  In my brief time looking through the racks I saw BCBG, MaxMara, Macy’s brand Alfani and Abercrombie.  Kind of fun to see because I’m assuming that they are this season’s clothes.  Prices were a bit higher than average but since it supports charity that didn’t seem to bother people.  There’s also a $2 admission fee, so that keeps the pick-pockets out.  For those of you planning to visit, you may want to make sure your trip falls on a week when there is a Bazaar.  This is definitely the way to shop!

The Church Hunt Begins!

The church hunting process in Manila has begun.  May I first begin by saying that I HATE church shopping.  I find it all quite arduous.  So much time is often spent at the “wrong fits” before you find “THE ONE”.  Enough complaining…..This weekend I tried Santuario di San Antonio.  It is located in nearby Forbes Park, about a 15 minute cab ride away.  Both the interior and exterior are quite lovely, a benefit I always appreciate (even if it’s not the main reason I’m there).  Nick and I have committed to finding a place we both like but I’m doing some of the initial scoping out before dragging him along since my number one priority is finding a good choir I can join.

This church seemed like a pretty good fit for us.  There was only a soloist singing, so I went up and talked to her afterward and learned that the contemporary, younger choir sings at 4:30 on Saturdays.  So that’s what’s on the agenda for next week.  The music was mostly in English and made up of recognizable tunes.  The acclaimations were all in Tagalog, so I just did my best and tried to get the pronounciations!  After mass the guy next to me suggested that I should join the choir, so it must not have been that off…

Some things that were unique about mass here:

• When receiving communion, there was a second person holding what I’m calling the “Eucharist Catcher”.  It was a very bizarre thing I’d never seen before that I imagine is to prevent the Eucharist from ever touching the ground.  Let me know if you’ve ever seen one in use before!
• All of the collection ushers who gathered donations wore a special uniform jacket.  My only guess was that they don’t want someone stepping in pretending to be an usher and then running off with the collection.  Or maybe it’s just for decoration.  Who knows??
• My favorite part was at the end of mass.  The procession went down the aisle but Father stayed at the front of the church and all the kids ran forward to be blessed.  Some parents even brought their babies up.  It was a really beautiful practice – the kids looked so intent on getting their blessing.

Few more places to try, but hopefully we’ll get one picked by the end of September!  I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

A Weekend Update

My, how quickly the days are passing!  I think that’s a good sign, right??  Pretty normal week here but it seems worthy of a posting.

The Helper-  We finished our first week and are gelling already.  I am amazed at how fast I adjusted to having her around.  I honestly missed her presence on Wednesday when she was off for the Cory Aquino Holiday!  Managing a helper requires a lot of pre-planning so that you can use their time well and keep them busy.  Norma is especially efficient, so I’m really going to have to be on the ball.  Her cooking was what blew us away though – she is an exceptional cook of Asian and Western cuisine.  It’s impossible not to appreciate her talents – I am realizing how poor my output is compared to hers (food, ironing, sparkle of the floors, etc).  Maybe she’ll give me lessons before we head out!

The Rice Cooker- We got one!  This seems momentuous since I always thought this was a worthless appliance and now we seemingly can’t live without it.  I feel like we’re real Asian expats now that we own one!  What I expected to be an easy decision was actually quite complex – they do so much more than cook rice!  There was the 4 in 1, the 5 in 1 and the 6 in 1.  We started with the 4 in 1 and will work our way up…

The Cabbies- I am having the most fun, interesting experiences with Manila cabbies.  Nick always ends up in a fare fight or getting cheated but I, on the other hand, get lessons in Tagalog or lectures on the history of the Philippines or stories about their families.  It’s such an unexpected delight and since you’re in the cab for a minimum of 30 minutes usually no matter where you go, it’s nice to have it be time well spent.  Granted, there have been the ones that spit out the door or hack up a storm but my good experiences far outweigh the bad.

Our First Dinner Guests- We were at a party Friday night and I was just dying to have some people over for a late dinner when it was done.  We had a lasagna in the oven, so I knew we had something to serve.  We invited one couple from Nick’s training that are Minnesotans.  Then, just as we are leaving a woman named Kristie came up to me and said that so-and-so told her she had to meet me because we are soul-mates.  Well, this seemed like a good reason to invite she and her husband to dinner, so that’s exactly what I did.  Nick was fine with the fact that I’d added more people (although 6 was the supposed limit!) but he found it disturbing that I couldn’t remember their names or tell him which section they were in.  But we were soul mates, so what did it matter?  They made it over just fine and ended up being Minnesotans too!  How great is that???!  Thank goodness it’s easy to make new friends here.  I enjoy it so much that I could probably do it for my profession!

That’s it for now.  I’m working on keeping posts at a reasonable length!  Have a fantastic week…

Virtual Business Cards: Do You Have One Yet?

Have you noticed that business cards don’t seem to fit very well in this new technological age?  Granted, they’re obviously a valuable tool, there’s just no forward button that you can use with them!  And have you ever noticed that when you really need to hand one out you don’t seem to have any on you??

Thank goodness for Card.ly who has thankfully solved this conundrum.  Card.ly allows you to have your own mini business card profile online without needing any design or programming skills to make it happen.  You simply go to the site, type in your personal information, add the links to your social media profiles and Voila!  You have an online card.  Card.ly produces an HTML code that you can then include with an email signature or on a blog page.  This is my new card:

I just updated my email to include my card at the end of all my emails.  In order to do this, just copy the code from card.ly and head to your email program.  Find the place where you can customize your signature.  It’s often under the options tab.  I use hotmail and there’s a drop down menu that lets me switch from text to HTML code.  I select HTML code, paste in my code from card.ly and then switch it back to Rich Text and press save!  It is now automatically included at the end of all my emails.

With blogs, you need to have a blog that allows you to download plug-ins.  I can’t do it on this blog because it’s a free wordpress-hosted blog and they don’t give you plug-in functionality.  If you do have plug-in capabilities, just search the available ones and look for an HTML box that you can insert in your sidebar.  Then just paste your code in, activate the widget and place it in the appropriate spot you’d like it on your sidebar.  It really is quite simple and oh-so-cool to be on the front end of adoption – we’ll see if this trend sticks!

Greenbelt Mall, my beloved second home…

Since my posting got a bit wordy yesterday, I’ll keep it more succinct today.  Just wanted to introduce you to my second home (AND NO, it’s not Starbucks)!  I am priveledged enough to live right next to a fantastic mall called Greenbelt.  Being that I visit her religiously EVERY DAY, I thought it’s about time that you met.  I’ll just highlight her best features and leave the SMUGMUG gallery to show the rest!

There are 5 parts to Greenbelt (GB 1, 2,3, 4, and 5 – very creative, I know!).  The Ayala mall is adjacent and has 100′s more stores but I never venture there because Greenbelt has met all of my needs thus far.  GB 1 has a movie theater, a regular perfomance theatre, a hardware store, internet cafe, grocery store, spa and drug store.  It’s main focus is on household and electronic goods.  It’s my practical go-to stop.  GB2 is all clothes and since I stocked up so much before coming, I’ve spent hardly any time there.  Same with GB4, which features all of the high-end places like Louis Vuitton and Burberry.  Too expensive, even for Manila… GB3 is the main restaurant hub, with equal numbers indoors and out.  It also has a brand new movie theater and 30-40 stores.  Finally, GB5 is the most recent addition.  This one is the most like a traditional mall, with equal amounts of food places and retail outlets.  It’s organized by floor, so clothes are on 1st and 2nd, Kids and electronics on 3rd and beauty places on 4th floor.  This is my second-most visited one, next to GB1.  All 3 pictures are in Greenbelt 5.

Here’s a summation of my favorite things about Greenbelt (besides the fact that it’s in my backyard):

• There are easily 75-100 restaurant choices
• At the center of the 5 complexes is a nicely wooded park
• The customary Catholic church is also located in the middle of the park and offers 5 masses a day (makes it much easier to do the church/shopping combo date)
• You can find anything you’re looking for due to the wide variety of types of shops available: hardware, electronics, drug store, clothes, etc.
• Most of the restaurants have outdoor seating.  Each has a really unique look with cute furniture and nice place settings.  There are very few chains other than American ones.  The picture below is from a restaurant in GB5.
• It gives me an excuse to get out of the house!

The Legacy of Cory Aquino

Cory flashing the "Fight" sign that was associated with her campaign

Today, as many of you know, is the funeral and burial of Corazon Aquino, President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992.  It is impossible to ignore the impact of her life on Filipinos – yellow ribbons adorn cars and poles, hundreds of thousands have turned out to wait in line to say their good-byes and today was declared a National Filipino Holiday so that people could watch the proceedings.  There is great pride in the city today as Filipinos say their good-byes to their Mother of Democracy.  I thought I’d share a few things that I’ve learned about her life and it’s legacy.

Corazon Aquino was born in 1933 and later married Benito (Ninoy) Aquino, a leading figure in the political opposition of President-turned-Dictator, Ferdinand Marcos.   Her husband was arrested when Marcos announced Martial Law in 1972.  He remained in jail until 1980 when US President Jimmy Carter intervened and helped arrange for him to be brought to the US for medical care.  The real trouble began when Ninoy returned to Manila on August 21st, 1983.  He was shot and killed while walking down the airplane staircase onto the tarmac at Manila’s international airport (now named after him). The murder was never solved, but the Marcos government is widely believed to have been responsible.   Nearly 2 million people attended his funeral a few days later, the largest funeral attendance in Filipino history.

Ninoy’s death was a turning point – Filipinos were no longer willing to live under Marcos’ martial law.  The opposition convinced Cory to run against President Marcos in a snap election he called on February 15th, 1986.  Despite Cory’s overwhelming popularity at the time, Marcos was declared the winner amidst widespread allegations of election-rigging.  One week later the People Power Revolution or EDSA (named for the highway it took place on) was set into motion.  Nearly two million people mobilized in the streets and demanded that Marcos resign.

Marcos’ defense minister, Juan Ponce Enrile (now president of the Philippino Senate) broke ranks with the Dictator, and along with his deputy Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan (also a future Senator), led a faction of the army against Marcos. When it became clear they wouldn’t be able to topple the government, the rebel soldiers fled to a local military camp.   As Marcos’ troops moved in to destroy them, the common people, on orders from Cory and Catholic Cardinal Jaime Sin,  surrounded the advancing government soldiers in an effort to protect the rebels.

The most inspiring part of this entire process was that it was all done peacefully.  One cab driver I rode with told me that when the tanks rolled up and were about to begin crushing the people, many Filipinos began walking up to them and handing them rosaries. The government soldiers quickly acquiesced. Marcos turned to his old ally, the United States, for help (the largest naval base outside the US was at Subic Bay, Philippines). American Senator Dick Lugar got on the phone with the Dictator and told him to “Cut, and cut clean.”  Marcos was finished.

The result of EDSA was that Cory Aquino assumed the Presidency on the morning of February 25th, 1986.  Marcos “voluntarily” exiled himself to Hawaii along with his wife Imelda.  All the shoes were left behind.  He would never see the Philippines again.  The peaceful way through which she assumed the Presidency made Cory Aquino an icon of democracy around the world and “people power” served as a model for the non-violent “color” demonstrations that ended communism in Eastern Europe.  I’d like to share a 5 minute video that best captures the Filipino spirit surrounding this event.  It was aired on TV following Cory’s Appointment as President and really attests to the courage it took to fight for democracy.

Accomplishments:

• The first woman President of Asia and the Philippines, paving the way for other women Presidents to follow her
• Time Magazine’s Woman of the Year in 1986
• Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

In closing, Bob Simon, an anchorman at CBS said, “We Americans like to think we taught the Filipinos democracy. Well, tonight they are teaching the world.”

Hooked on S’mores Sundaes

Since I haven’t written about ice cream in quite some time, I thought I’d use a post to share my latest indulgence with you.  Doesn’t it look good!?  And let me tell you, it’s DELICIOUS!  Here’s the simple recipe:  Just buy your favorite flavor of vanilla ice cream.  Top with hand-crumbled graham crackers, mini marshmallows and Hershey’s chocoalte sauce.  For those of you looking to lighten it, get a light ice cream and light syrup!  Make sure and let me know what you think!  I’ve had one everyday for the last week… I may have hit the saturation point.  I’m going to take a 2 day break and see if I feel like them anymore!

Proud Graduate of Photography 101!

Sadly, my 5 week photography class came to an end yesterday.  Hard to believe that it’s over already!  The good news is that we formed a Photography club and have our first meeting already set up for mid-August!  It is hard to articulate how meaningful this experience has been for me.  Not only was it an information-rich learning environment, but I took away a great many friendships with new Filipino friends.  I can’t express enough how welcoming Filipinos are – it’s such a gift to get to know them on a personal level.  Happily, everyone seems keen on staying connected, so I offered to host a dinner party with my group of 8 to get a tradition going.  I hope my new friends like Hot Dish!  :)

Just to refresh you, our various sessions focused on the following :

Class 1: Camera operation (exposure, shutter speed)
Class 2: Photo Composition
Class 3: The history of photography/Learning to critique a photo
Class 4: Posing and Lighting of subjects
Class 5: Processing the image/Graduation

The basics (exposure, aperature, shutter speed) and composition really stuck with me the most.  Posing and lighting still seem a bit beyond where I’m at yet.  I’m perfectly content with shooting still objects and landscapes.  I’ll work my way up to portraiture eventually.  With portaiture I feel too on the spot – there’s no time to play with settings and lighting with someone waiting for you to shoot.

On to the graduation recap!  What a delightful ceremony it was.  The day began with our photo submissions: one 8×10 portrait and one 8×10 still-life of glass.  Each entry was critiqued by 6 professional photographer judges and given a final score.  The top 5 received medals and trophies.  I have a feeling you’re dying to know, so I’ll skip right to it: I didn’t win.  And that’s just fine.  I had taken session 4 on lighting/posing the day before (because we went to Coco Beach the previous weekend), so I had to shoot my 8×10′s the week before, without having the lecture.  Not that I’m making excuses, I just wasn’t expecting to place anyways.  The winner’s all deserved their medals – they were fantastic!  Here were my 2 submissions:

PORTRAITURE:

STILL-LIFE:

After the photo critique, the actual graduation ceremony began.  There was a surprise guest, John K. Chua, the top advertising photographer in the Philippines!  CLICK HERE to see his shots for Honda, Mountain Dew and many more.  After he spoke, there was the singing of the Philippine National Anthem, a prayer, a dance performance, and then 2 speeches.  I was selected as one of the speakers, a very kind honor indeed!  Then each of us received our certificates and headed out to join the barbeque.  It was a grand afternoon, full of laughing and celebration.  Best of all, I realized that I’m far from being a pro and I’ve settled into being OKAY with my amateur beginner status.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that photography is an art learned over time through thousands and thousands of practice shots.  Can’t wait to look back on these shots in a few years and see how far I’ve come!  I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from graduation….

PS – LOADS MORE PHOTOS ON SMUGMUG!

With my Professors