Hey guys! Here are a bunch of pictures from my trip. Things are pretty hectic, but also fun. The work part of my trip was great and relaxing. The family part of my trip has hit some unexpected snags, but it’s super nice to see everyone. Here are some random thoughts.
– So my parents’ condo is in Bonifacio Global City. It’s a really modern town that’s full of new buildings. It also looks like America vomited on the place. If you take a 15-minute walk you’ll find Starbucks, Coffee Bean, KFC, McDonalds, Johnny Rockets, 7-Eleven, IHOP, TGI Friday’s, Krispy Kreme, and more. That’s not even counting the numerous retail stores that feature American brands. It’s like the Filipino version of the Irvine Spectrum.
– Yesterday I walked around for around seven hours. I wanted to see what was around, but I was also really tired of being in airplanes and cars. Half a kilometer from where I’m staying, things get much poorer. It was fun walking around a barrio-style neighborhood in Makati and watching the local kids play. With videogame consoles, portable electronics, and the Internet, you don’t see as many kids playing as you used to. The kids in this neighborhood had so little — many of them were playing with simple toys made from string and rocks — but they seemed so happy. One of my favorite things about traveling to third-world countries is getting some perspective.
– On another trip to another part of Manila, my brother and I watched three kids playing with a slab of concrete and a hammer. It was charming and innocent and sad all at the same time.
– For my stay in BGC, my parents rented the condo unit next to theirs. It’s owned by a very religious person. How do I know this? It’s because there are 87 pictures and/or statues of Jesus in the unit. I’m not really religious in a traditional sense, but I don’t look down on people that are religious. However, the numerous Christs in the apartment are scary.
– It looks like my cousin is going to take out one of my molars tomorrow. Yes, he’s a dentist. This was totally unplanned, but he took a quick look at my teeth and was concerned about the impacting going on. I totally appreciate that he’ll be doing this for me, but it’s totally going to throw a wrench in the filming that I had planned.
– So the night I flew from Cebu to Manila last week, my Dad checked into the hospital. Days before I went to visit my Dad in Hawaii last December, he checked into the hospital. I’m thinking of not visiting him for a while. It looks like I’m a danger to his health. Of course I know he didn’t plan on getting sick, but the a-hole in me can’t help but think that this has added a lot of stress to my last two attempts at relaxation. The non a-hole parts of me feel guilty for having those thoughts. There’s also a part of me that’s somewhat proud that I can be honest about my feelings…and also a part of me that’s unsure that I should be posting any thoughts on the matter. There seem to be a lot of parts of me. Schizophrenia?
– I’ve been posting my photos on Instagram, so feel free to follow me if you want them in real-time. I’ll post another batch of photos and more random thoughts soon. I miss you guys!
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