Hello everyone! Nothing too exciting is going on right now. I have become addicted to Mangos. The yellow ones... mmmm yummie!! In fact, I have mango with my breakfast and dinner... Pam says I have a problem. There is even a bowl of fruit that is left on the coffee table with mango in it... mmmm housekeeping just refilled it!!!
Sunday (which was the 6th) Pam & I ventured out. Across from our hotel is this massive mall (imagine that) called Green Belt - there are 5 of them. Stores ranging from drug store and Ross/TJ Max type places to Prada & Kenneth Cole. You name it, that place has it. We were on a mission - to buy shoes for Pam's older son. He wears a size 13 shoe and the looks everyone has given us has been hilarious. Well, let me back up - Pam is already being looked at. As you have seen by the pictures she has her hair braided and we have learned that is not a normal thing around here. As we walk, or even drive anywhere people watch her go by. We have both started to laugh about it and I keep telling her they are jealous that she is so exotic! HAHA So now when we walk into the stores for shoes as she asks for a size 13, they immediately shake their head no and look right at her feet! Crazy woman with crazy hair and HUGE feet! HAHAHA So, it's been amusing. She even noticed when our driver was taking us around Sunday that stopped at a light, the passenger in the van next to us stared at her, turned to the backseat said something to them and suddenly 2 people were staring at her. We just keep laughing. It's been really nice to have someone to venture out with and Pam is super nice! I hope to get to work with her on other projects.
So after our getting lost in the big mall, we walked back to the hotel and opted to have a car take us around for a couple hours. Our driver was great - he took us to Intramuros, which is the historic part of Manila. We drove through here past the San Agustin church. (I'd like to go back to it and walk through - it was completed in 1607!!) He took us to Fort Santiago and we got out and walked through that. I will say it is nicer than Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine with some crazy history attached to it. Though it is missing the story of dad telling us about him marching around and in that corner (pointing to it as we walk in the square) he was almost hit with a bayonet while doing some Navy thing. sorry Daddy!! Walking through there was kind of surreal. We both had a grandfather serve in WWII and knowing that location had been with General MacArthur and the stories those walls could tell was eerie. There appears to be an labyrinth that was used to house and torture prisoners. Cannot even imagine what it must have been like. Today the steps leading to those areas is all grown over with moss and the walls are cracked and have vines creeping through. All kinds of flowers and blooming trees surround the exterior walls making it seem much friendlier than its past.
After leaving Fort Santiago, he drove us through China town. And Pam said it best - "Poverty has no face." Wow... those images you see in National Geographic and on Discovery Channel are real. We drove over one small bridge, which I am guessing was an off shoot of the Pasig River and the shacks/tarps held up with bamboo posts lined the banks. Clothes were hanging all over and there was garbage floating in the water. We saw families bathing in the streets where puddles remained from afternoon thundershowers. I felt guilty knowing that I was in an air conditioned car being driven around a city which eventually would take me back to a 5 star hotel when only a few kilometers away were people living like this. In fact, this area was probably no more than 2 miles from the U.S. Embassy. Sights like this are indescribable and truly make you appreciate what you have at home. I really think the hardest part is seeing the little ones running around. But like all communities, there are make shift basketball courts and kids are playing street ball having fun.
Monday I relaxed and did homework. Unfortunately, that has not gone away. So much fun dragging text books across the globe. I have really neglected my leadership course (isn't that ironic) yet I have an A in my stats class. So... here's keeping my fingers crossed. I am excited for this coming weekend! Our trip to Hong Kong!! Pam will be leaving us Saturday morning to head back to the US. But Melissa, Russell and I will head to HKG and my cousin Ryan is going to meet me out there! So our whirl-wind tour will begin early Saturday morning. No need to fear - there will be LOTS of pictures as I have so far. And yes, Mr. Clark - the Cow will be traveling to China! I'll be sure they don't attempt to eat him. Real beef is hard to come by! ;-)
It was back to work Monday evening and it was not an easy night for me. I was sitting and observing the trainer Cha all night. I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Not sure if it was content, the warm room, working overnight shift... who knows. But I had to stand up a good 6 or 7 times to stay awake. I felt horrible! But I had feedback for her on some things to improve and work on. Especially if Melissa was the one going to be observing her! She taught most of the class from behind the computer -- yeeaaahhh that's not going to fly in our training department. So I hope I was able to give her some good advice and that she will work that in for her class tonight. We came back from work, had "breakfast" and I went to the fitness center and spent some time with the treadmill. I miss doing that!!! So I will be headed down there more. I feel kind of awkward because housekeeping is in here while I am typing. She just asked if I work nights, I guess they have gotten used to the "do not disturb" light being on during the morning/afternoon. So she will do my room about 730am from here on out. How sweet is that!!! :)
Well, I am off.. need to shower and head to bed. Here is the link to the pictures from Intramuros and around Manila.
http://picasaweb.google.com.ph/dnole2/TourOfIntramurosFortSantiagoAndManila
Sleep tight!!
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