A WOK on the BRIGHT SIDE

Immersing yourself in a new language is the best way to learn it. Though tagalog (the language of the Philippines) is not exactly new to me, I am certainly starting to learn it much better when I am living it. I’ve been surprising everyone more and more each day with how much I have been able to grasp.

Here is a list of the vocabulary I have learnt. Maybe you can try to learn it too :)

kain - eat

kanin - rice

puede - can I/allowed

nan dito - here

di pa - haven’t/not yete

kutsara - spoon

tinidor - fork

kutsilio - knife

plato - plate

pakwan - watermelon

kotse - car

palengke - fresh market

salamat - thank you

**Thank you Tita Ne & A.J. for help with the spelling :)

The newest slogan on our trip has been “only in the Philippines.” Trying to learn a new culture can be difficult, but you have to be optimistic and have an open mind. We’ve come across many things that are very different here from home and jokingly our only explanation has been “only in the Philippines.” Here’s a little list we have started so far of what we have learnt in San Jose…

There is no drinking age. Anyone of any age can purchase beer and liquor.

A case of beer (24 bottles) cost 532 pesos (including deposit) which works our to be about $12.70 CAD a case.

A drivers license is required to drive but not everyone has one. However passengers don’t use seatbelts, there aren’t any carseats for babies and you can put as many people in a vehicle as you can fit. We’ve seen as many as seven people in a tricycle at once and people sitting on the hoods of moving buses.

Coca Cola is bought in a glass bottle here. However the bottle is worth money. When you purchase the pop in a store, the retailer pours it into a narrow plastic bag and you drink it with a straw.

There are no road rules. No speed limits. No traffic lights or street signs.

Bodies are buried above ground in cemeteries and are put into cement. Many grave sites are housed to avoid obstruction of the sites and provide as shelter for family to visit their lost ones.

We wear “tsinelas” which are slippers or sandals in the home. I haven’t quite gotten used to this yet and out of habit I sometimes remove my flip flops at the door (because if I didn’t at home, pretty sure my Mom would have a fit…Hi Mom!)

A lot of Filipinos don’t want their skin to be dark and often wear long sleeves in the heat and use an umbrella in the sun. They attempt to stay out of the sun because they think that people with lighter skin are seen as being of a higher class. Whitening skin products are very popular here and are sold at all drug stores. We frequently see ads, commercials and posters for Olay Whitening Lotion. So while some Filipinos want to be lighter, my goal while I am here is to be darker and to get a good tan. It seems that no matter what country you’re in or where you’re from, we always seem to want what we don’t have.

Education here is not mandatory. There are public schools and private schools. Students always wear uniforms and parents pay tuition for every grade level. Because it is not mandatory some children go to school and some do not. For many families who have farms it is very common for their children to stay home and work on the farm as opposed to going to school.

The mosquitoes are like ninjas! We both seem to have been eaten alive in the last couple of days but we haven’t seen any bugs anywhere. So we’re constantly loading up on the mosquito repellent and the afterbite.

You can hire someone to do your laundry for you. Every week Nanay has a nice lady come into the house and handwash all of the dirty laundry and hang it in the back yard to dry. The next day she comes back to fold it. What a nice treat!

Always go to the bathroom before you leave home. You don’t know when the next time you will find a public washroom to use and if you do happen to find one, you likely won’t find any toilet paper in it.

We’ve been experiencing some technical difficulties here in the Philippines. What we call black outs at home, when the power goes out, we have been experiencing “brown outs” here.

Nanay has been back in San Jose since early December and she says that they have only had one in that time.

Since A.J. and I have been in town I think we have had 5. Today was the worst “brown out” of all. The power was out from 7:00am - 5:30pm and then again from 6:00pm - 7:00pm.

Thankfully it’s back on again and we have light.. and internet. LOL.

Hope you’re having An AMaZiNg TiMe! :)

Greetings from around the world. We have finally made our arrival to San Jose, Mindoro We made a few stops along the way. Our flight from Ottawa brought us to Detroit, Michigan, just a small aircraft seating about 40-50 passengers. We had a very short lay-over in Detroit, just enough time for a Big Mac and some Chicken McNuggets. Once we got ourselves seated at our gate, we knew instantly that we were in the right place. The seating area was full of anxious Filipinos looking forward to going home and seeing there family. It was a very welcoming and encouraging feeling. BIG. This word can’t even describe the size of the plane we board in Detroit to Nagoya, Japan. I have never seen or been on such a large aircraft in my life. I have family in small small towns such as Parry Sound and Blind River, and I’m pretty sure you could fit both of them inside of it. We flew on a B747-400. Seated about 600 passengers, some of which were fancy and got to recline in first and business class. There was also an upper deck. As I waiting to use the 2’x2’ washroom in the front of the cabin, I was told that upstairs was prohibited and that there were some special guests on board. Hmm, I wonder who it would have been? Obama? Lady Gaga? I guess we’ll never know. The flight to Nagoya, Japan was great. We endlessly ate and drank. It seemed that the flight attendants were constantly situated at the end of our aisle, asking us if there was anything else they could offer us. For those that know my boyfriend well, know that that meant the beers kept flowing. Luckily, wine and beer were complimentary. So we both indulged in a few Sapporo and Miller Lites. To pass the time we played many games of Scrabble. A.J. of course whipped my butt at that (he gets this trait from his mother), but I wasn’t worried, we were having a blast. Playing our travel-sized version of Scrabble definitely caught peoples attention. Those passing by our seats, and those across the aisle. We had some really great flight attendants also, however they kept telling A.J to watch out for me so I don’t cheat. I’m pretty sure if I was sitting in the aisle seat they would have told me the same thing. LOL. We spent time playing Rummy 500 as well. And for those that know me well, know that I would have whipped A.J’s butt. Haha, but not in this case. Seems the more Millers Lites we indulged in, the worse my game got. I think that was his strategy all along. There were some films on the plane. Not too much to brag about though. We watched “Money Ball” when we first got on the plane. It was pretty good. Slightly different from what I had imagined it to be, as it was slow in the beginning and took a while for it to catch my real attention. It was done very well though and really portrayed the business side of the sport and really how dirty it can be. We also caught about the first 12 minutes of “Smurfs.” I was anxious to watch this, however we both fell asleep. The other 2 movies we didn’t even know what they were. Like those Hallmark TV movies or something. We were able to catch some sleep on the plane. Off and on mostly. I think that we were both just too excited and anxious for where we were heading. Our flight from Detroit to Nagoya, Japan ended up being and hour shorter than expected. The total duration just a little more than 12 hours. Once we arrived in Nagoya, we had to exit the plane and take with us all of our belongings. The attendants were to clean the plane and prepare for us to re-board. They also did a maintenance check and re-fueled at the same time. Getting off the plan in Japan was quite the experience though. We definitely knew at this point that we were far from home. Everything looked different, felt different and even smelt different. The bathrooms were our first surprise. I opened up the first stall to see a large hole on the floor, lined with porcelain and surrounded with buttons for different settings (I didn’t know that a floor in the ground would have so many settings). Luckily I kept walking as I wasn’t prepared to engage in this cultural experience. The other toilets had many setting as well, from spraying water, to music, bidet, etc. I’m okay with just a regular toilet, thank you. The airport was very clean and very well kept. The people that worked in the airport all looked very authoritative. All dressed in a military-style uniform. They all looked very professional and attractive. Most people in the airport from security to check-in spoke some English and were all very helpful. We re-boarded the plane a little more than 2 hours later. The plane was nice and clean and we were ready to make our trek to Manila, Philippines. I forgot to mention that our dear from Jon Jon hooked us up with some pretty good seats. On the B747-400, we sat in the middle of the cabin, one row behind the emergency exit. I had the windo seat with no seat infront of me, which provided for great leg room. A.J. sat beside me and was lucky to have no passenger in the aisle seat. This gave his extra room for his big muscles. Just kidding! On the plane to Manila we had another guest sit beside us. That was okay. He was nice, spoke very little and was headed back home to the Philippines. This flight was around 3 hours and 40 minutes. We slept for the majority of this flight. The jetlag was starting to kick in and we were both exhausted, struggling to keep our eyes open. We arrived in Manila around midnight and were greeted by A.J’s aunt, Tita Yen and her husband. They brought us from the airport we landed at, to the domestic airport a short ways away. The airport wasn’t opening until 2:00am, so this gave us some time to stretch our legs, get some fresh air and catch up with family. The domestic airport was nothing like the international airport we arrived at. This airport was significantly smaller and there were only Filipinos inside. I knew now that I was no longer at home. I stood out like a sore thumb, catching everyone’s attention that I walked by. This was tough for me at first. I had a little bit of a hard time at the airport waiting for our final flight to San Jose, Mindoro. Not to mention I was tired and jetlagged, so my mood was a little off. Nonetheless, I didn’t know how to react. I was also the only person in the entire airport wearing yoga pants. If there is one thing I know, it’s that Filipinos like to dress up and look good, and they certainly love their designer brands. We had one last short flight until we were “home.” The flight was close to an hour long, about the length of Ottawa to Toronto. A.J. and I were both wiped by this point and slept the entire time. I don’t even remember seeing/feeling take-off. Once we landed in San Jose, we were lovingly greeted by Nanay and Tita Ne. They were both so happy to see us. I haven’t seen Nanay since the end of October since I moved back to Sudbury, so I was very anxious to see her. She gave us a great big hug and didn’t want to let go. She held my hand and was showing us off right away to all the people around it. This made me feel very welcomed. I knew that we were going to taxi from the airport to Nanay’s house but what I didn’t know is what a taxi looks like here. In the Philippines, the most popular mode of transportation as most people don’t have vehicles is by taxi. The taxi here though is called a tricycle, and it looks like a dirt bike with a side carriage and a roof. You can fit 3 passengers along with the driver if one passenger sits on the back of the bike. This was really cool. The size of the plane from Detroit and both the tricycle really made me think of my sister. I know she would have loved to experience this. She has a love of plane and other transportation. I really wish that we could have shared this together. Nanay has a really nice house. It has two floors, no basement and four bedrooms. The house is all made of cement and tiled floors. We have a bedroom upstairs with a double bed and window on adjacent walls, allowing for good air flow. Everyone in the house is extremely welcoming and hospitable. We had breakfast as soon as we got in: mangoes, rice, shrimp, fish and coffee. Delicious! We took a walk down the main street here and got an internet stick which has proved itself to be very slow. We checked out a couple of shops too and stopped for some halo halo, a Filipino treat made with ice, condensed milk, fresh coconut, ube, garbonzo beans and tapioca jelly. We got home and Nanay had prepared a nice lunch for us. We had been up all morning and by this point, after having a little sun and lunch we were exhausted. We took a 3 hour sleep and this just ruined the rest of our day. We managed to stay awake until about 5:45pm last night and slept all the way through until 6:30am today. Some much needed sleep, I would say.

So here we are, a little more than two weeks later after booking our flights to the Philippines. A profound action in our lives that would forever change everything. We’ve spent the last couple of weeks now preparing to leave - getting our international drivers licenses, final vaccinations, doctors appointments and perscriptions, finalizing banking, bickering with cell phone companies, and the packing (did I mention that A.J is still packing right now).

The goodbye’s have likely been my least favourite part of this experience. Yet I still have one group of amazing people to bid farewell to in the morning. However, it’s in these tough times and sad times that you’re able to put what is real and what is true in your life into perspective. You define what is most important and what shapes you. During these times you let go of any negetivity and bitterness and you focus on the positive side of everything, you cherish your moments together, you hold onto them tight and you already look forward to your next meeting.

I have alot of extremely wonderful people in my life. I am surrounded by my loving and supportive family, whom right from the very beginning had complete faith in me that this was something I could do and that I would achieve, just because I put my mind to it. Even when I got nervous or scared about this experience, they have been behind me the entire time, cheering me on. This faith is what has driven me this far. Without a strong family I wouldn’t have been able to get here. I wouldn’t have the courage or the will. Luckily I have the best of parents, the most inspiring sister, and a wonderful entourage of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…and dare I say “in-laws.” I love you all so very much and I hope that you stay connected and share in this journey with us because I wouldn’t want it any other way.

And to my incredible friends… My friends I cherish and value so much (you know who you are). I feel fortunate to have had this extra time up north for that past couple with you all. It was a window of opportunity. Thank you for the wonderful send-offs, the endless draught beer, and yes… the comical relief inside my “First Time Asia” travel guide.

So here we are. It’s nearing 1:00am and we will be at the airport in less than 9 hours. We are scheduled for a 12:30pm departure tomorrow and will lovingly be sent off by A.J’s parents, Tita Rosaly & Tito Sean, Tita Malou & Tito Lito, his brother Akie, aunt Tita Linda, cousin Ate Beverley and friend/colleague Neumann.

I haven’t quite decided yet if I anticipate on sleeping much tonight. It’s a little bit of me not sure if I will be able to sleep and the other part feeling like maybe I should tire myself out so that I can snore my way through the 22 hour flight I have tomorrow.

Regardless, I know that I am going to bed tonight with a person I love like no other. The person that I want to share my life, hopes and dreams with. This journey is going to be an experience of a lifetime and I am so fortunate to be sharing this with him. To his parents: I promise to take incredible care of him, to watch out for him, and to keep him safe and healthy. Thank you for bringing this wonderful person into my life. I love you.

Exiting times are upon us, but frankly all that means right now is difficulty sleeping. Once the lights go dim, all I see are endless to-do lists in my head, thoughts of packing, preparation for interviews, good-bye gift ideas… what to say, what not to say, thoughts of the sand, palm trees and beaches.. The visions don’t stop. They keeping rolling in.

But I’ve realized my greatest mistake… Yes, this may sound corny but I always call A.J. before I go to bed to say goodnight. Once we get a talkin’ I get all hyper and excited and that’s when the ideas, the anticipation and the lists grow. Enough!

I usually read before I go to bed. Right now the book of choice is “Finding Myself in Fashion” by Jeanne Beker. My Canadian hero - a true legend! After a few chapters each night I find my head beginning to get heavy and then I place the call to Mr. Man.

Okay something’s wrong here. You see it too? Okay.. so if I could change the order to my habits, the method to the madness if you will, maybe I would get a little sleep once and a while. This likely isn’t THE solution, but I believe it could help.

If all else fails, I can always count sheep… 1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep, Zzzzz…

Some would say “Another day, another dollar.” For me, another day means another vaccine, another item packed, another dress bought, and likely another thing added to the “honey-do” list.

Today has certainly been one of those days. Beginning at the crack of dawn I scratched items one-by-one off of the haunting to-do list. Nonetheless, I’m feeling pretty awesome about it, and felt I was fully deserving of a shot of Baileys in my afternoon coffee. Nothing like patting yourself on the back!

As a result… I now have an international driver’s permit, emergency medical insurance, a slightly darker complexion (thanks to a 20-minute tanning session), two bandaids on my left arm from one excruciating vaccine and the other not so bad (oh, and thank you japanese encephalitis for that), and one new hot mama of a dress!

Another few things added to the suitcase this afternoon and things certainly look like they’re coming along.

Tomorrow will bring along another busy day with a regular check-up at the dentist followed by a visit to the Sudbury Regional Police for a background check… No biggy… PIECE OF CAKE!

If you ask us, it’s been a pretty wild ride since the early fall. Together A.J. and I have decided that ESL teaching is what was next in store for us. Both working and living happily in our new apartment in Ottawa we took the leap. We started this rollercoaster ride by first enrolling in Oxford Seminar’s English as a Second Language Certification Program. This program was hands on and dirty. Having only a few short weeks to master this art, we took the bull by the horns and embraced everything we needed to know in order to be successful at teaching English overseas. The course came to an end and we passed it with flying colours…Of course! This brought us to our next challenge - leaving our new apartment and the life we built together in Ottawa behind only to pack up and prepare my solo move back to good old Sudbury. We got all of our chickens in line so that should the right opportunity present itself, we would be able to catch the next red eye overseas. The holidays consumed us for the next couple of weeks, especially after starting my latest gig catering and serving for a great local establishment… Definately helped stash some coin too for our upcoming plans! Regardless, we have put alot of effort into perfecting the resumes, shooting some headshots (a variety of professional shots, and some not so much) and applying to endless help-wanted ads. To date, we haven’t scored our dream job, but are confident that it is just around the corner. This positive attitude steered us slightly off path and we suddenly found ourselves booking one-way tickets to Manila, Philippines. We’ve made an executive decision that we can either wait for our future to happen while we sit in the freezing cold weather, or we soak up a little sunshine and spend time with extended family in a tropical climate. Why yes Alex Trebek, I would like to take Tropical Climate for $900. Ding. Ding. Ding. So here it is…19 days until departure and all we have to look forward to is the future together. For those who know me well, know that I am a little OCD at times and constantly have the urge to plan every tiniest detail of my life. Well it’s time I loosen those reigns a little and see what life has in store for me. No matter where this adventure takes me, I am absolutely positive it will be the best time of my life. And what could go wrong with the love of my life right beside me the entire time… I’m in!