Catching up

Internet connections aren't as easy to come by here and I've been kind of busy, so here's what we've been doing the past few days.

Now I know that none of my colleagues are reading this during work hours, but just in case there are a few bad apples out there, remember to clear your history!!

5/12/2007

700 pm (EDT)

"A 15-hour trip by air" is just so many words until you actually do it. We left LA at 11:50pm (PDT) and arrived in Hong Kong at 540 am local time. What was weird was that we didn't see the sun once during the flight. The kids were really great, too. Another of my worries that proved unfounded. I had an aisle seat which made all the difference. You'd be surprised how many times two bathrooms on a 747 full of people can be occupied, though.

1100 am local 1100 pm (EDT)

Mabuhay! We are finally here in Cebu. My hopes for careers in the State Department for the boys were dashed as soon as we left the plane. Jason said, "It's like an oven in here!" Which was followed by Kyle's observation that "It smells like sweat!" Maybe Henry Kissinger said things like that as a child, but I doubt it.

Fe's family met us at the airport in a rented jeepney. I could tell that her parents were really excited to see their grandsons. There were hugs and kisses and handshakes all around. I think the boys were a bit overwhelmed by it, especially when we were riding the jeepney to her parents' house. We're not in Pennsylvania anymore!

Kids at Work

A Future Dinner

5/13/2007

400 pm local 400 am (EDT)

Went to mass today at San Rocque chapel. Fe said it would be in English and for the most part it was, but about midway through the homily the priest started speaking Cebuano. It was like all of a sudden the dubbing tape broke!

5/17/2007

800 am local 800 pm (EDT)

We are spending two days on a neighboring island, Bohol. It takes about two hours to get there from Cebu on an Oceanjet. I have only spent time in the more built-up areas of Cebu, so it's probably not fair to compare the two, but I find Bohol to be more what I first imagined the Philippines would be like. I've been told that they are purposefully developing Bohol for tourists, so that may be why. It's certainly less congested and I've noticed that the roads and signs are better. Can you tell I work for the DOT?

Loboc River

Jason & Tarsier

Kyle & Tarsier

Chocolate Hills

100pm local 100 am (EDT)

Dumaluan is the name of the resort we're staying at which is about 30 minutes from Tagbilaran (the capital of Bohol). It's on Panglao island, which is part of Bohol Province. At this rate, I'll reach all 7,107 islands in no time.

Dumaluan Resort

Boats off Shore

The big news in the country is the 2007 nationwide elections for Senators and mayors. I wanted to see a working voting or polling place, but we didn't get a chance to. Anyway, while we were riding through Tagbilaran, I saw people still tallying the votes on a huge chalkboard. Fe said that there are no electronic or automatic voting machines, so everything is hand counted and it takes a while. At least I haven't heard anything about hanging chads...

5/19/2007

730 am local 730pm (EDT)

This is the last day of the fiesta here in Lilo-an. The day started at 445 am when the local band came through to wake the town up. It worked. More of Fe's relatives are coming in, so we'll be staying close to her house today. But we'll make a quick trip into town to pick up our tickets to Singapore. I can't wait. Me in SE Asia is like Rush Limbaugh on Oxycontin!

It's 90 F (32 C) in Lilo-an, Cebu...