Philippines

I've only been here a little over a week and so far its been great. Its been tiresome, exhausting, interesting, and heartwarming at the same time. I've seen family I haven't seen in 18 years and its really humbling to find out I've been missed all these years. I've seen places that I only know as distant memory flashes and I stayed in places that I used to call home but bare no recollection.
From the moment I stepped off the plane everything has been a strange trip. A jeepney owned by my uncle came to pick us up. I've only seen them in pictures and I could swear I rode them when I was a kid but to have it was the first thing to pick me up was awesome. The first few minutes were a culture shock. There were so many cars and motorcycles on the road all fighting for space and no one gives a shit about lines on the road or traffic laws.
The culture shock came when I saw the conditions that people lived in the first few minutes outside of the airport. Small shanty towns by the river, shanty towns along the road. This is Manila this is the middle of the city. Out here poor is poor and when you think its rock bottom you take a drive down the road and well its gets even poorer. Still I'm amazed how people stay self reliant and improvise, and just how they get along their day to day lives.
Anyway I'm getting off into a tangent. Basically living here has been pretty comfortable save for the bathroom situation ahah. Bathing consists of using bucket of water and small basin. If my relatives weren't so nice I'd have to use straight up cold water like they do here but they've been nice enough to boil water for me.



The bathrooms are okay although most places I've stayed dont usually have toilet paper and no working plumbing to flush. You just gotta get creative sometimes and use your imagination. I haven't even used a public restroom. Be fucking thankful for what we have in the US. Just picture the worst bathroom you've seen then take away toilet paper and a flushing mechanism. Welcome to Philippines.

So far the people have been great, the food has been awesome.

Except I've gotten a couple fevers and well I ate something that demolished my stomach. Im still having a great time.

In the meantime check out my flickr. I got some goodies up for everyone.
Flickr