When we left the US for the Philippines in 2011, we had one way tickets. The only return date I ever had in mind was after Andrew graduated high school, five and a half years later. We had already moved the kids once, and didn’t want to shuffle them repeatedly throughout their high school years.… Read More New Seasons and All That Stuff.
With over 7000 islands, the Philippines contains hundreds of cultures, people groups, and languages. The languages have common threads, but they are far more diverse than expected. Since there is a need for a common baseline of communication, English is widely spoken throughout the country. Hey, that’s awesome news for us foreigners, right? We don’t… Read More Confessions of a Foreign Language Learner
They said it would happen. I was prepared. I was warned that visiting the United States after two and a half years would serve up a hefty dose of culture shock. And for the most part, they were wrong. There were a few glitches here and there, our first trip to Walmart was probably a… Read More Time-Release Culture Shock? Yep, It’s a Real Thing!
A man was stranded in the ocean. As he struggled to stay afloat, he knew he needed help, and fast. A large boat approached, and the captain yelled, “I’m here to help you!”. “What a relief!” thought the drowning man. The captain said, “Hold on, I have something to give you, it will help!” He… Read More How (Not) To Give After A Disaster
Well, we made it through Typhoon Haiyan (locally called Yolanda, not sure why it’s called something different locally, but that kind of sums up life here…it makes no sense sometimes!) We woke up to cloudy skies that slowly made way to the partly sunny skies we are more accustomed to this time of year. A… Read More Bittersweet Thankfulness
This morning, we woke up to cloudy skies, a light breeze, and cooler temperatures. All three of these things are rare here in Davao, and they are normally welcomed with open arms and celebration (“Yay! Only 80 degrees today!”), but it’s eerily reminiscent of almost one year ago. December 6, 2012, Typhoon Bopha roared onto Mindanao,… Read More Typhoon Haiyan
Election time has come to the Philippines! Next week, on May 13, people will flock to the polls for midterm elections, where a number of positions in the Senate, House of Representatives, and local governments will be decided. This is our first election experience here, and while we can’t vote, we have been part of the whole… Read More Elections…More Fun in the Philippines.
Beware the Comfort Zone! 