Introduction to the Philippines
You think that I'm above plagiarizing my own emails to friends and family and then backdating the results in order to post a quick blog entry or two? Watch me.
I arrived to Tagbilaran, Philippines this afternoon after three long, boring flights and a ferry ride. Did I mention that they started by flying me wrong way and then waiting in Heathrow for a few hours? I mean, imagine: I left Stockholm for London at 6 am yesterday and it wasn't until 4 pm that we flew back over southern Sweden on the way to Hong Kong. Bleh.
Generalizations: Russia is cloudy (we flew NORTH of St. Petersburg!) and China has at least one very big river. The flight to the Philippines was not as bad as the other two. It was nice to see all the different islands and land uses from the air.
When I got off the ferry all I was thinking about was Iria. I scanned the crowd, brushed off a few taxi drivers and then nearly stepped on her as she ambushed me from the right. Reunited and it feels so good! Other first impressions: It is warm here, but not unbearable. The humidity makes it worse, but it is really not as bad as I was expecting.
We are living in the upstairs area of the World Agroforestry Centre office in Totolan, which is sort of a region of Dauis, which is just across a bridge from Tagbilaran. Some of the neighbours are working for other NGOs and everyone I've met so far has been really nice. I think that I am going to have a great time here.
I arrived to Tagbilaran, Philippines this afternoon after three long, boring flights and a ferry ride. Did I mention that they started by flying me wrong way and then waiting in Heathrow for a few hours? I mean, imagine: I left Stockholm for London at 6 am yesterday and it wasn't until 4 pm that we flew back over southern Sweden on the way to Hong Kong. Bleh.
Generalizations: Russia is cloudy (we flew NORTH of St. Petersburg!) and China has at least one very big river. The flight to the Philippines was not as bad as the other two. It was nice to see all the different islands and land uses from the air.
When I got off the ferry all I was thinking about was Iria. I scanned the crowd, brushed off a few taxi drivers and then nearly stepped on her as she ambushed me from the right. Reunited and it feels so good! Other first impressions: It is warm here, but not unbearable. The humidity makes it worse, but it is really not as bad as I was expecting.
We are living in the upstairs area of the World Agroforestry Centre office in Totolan, which is sort of a region of Dauis, which is just across a bridge from Tagbilaran. Some of the neighbours are working for other NGOs and everyone I've met so far has been really nice. I think that I am going to have a great time here.
