Twenty three hours, three flights and two screaming babies later, I walked off of the plane and was greeted with the wall of humidity that blankets the Philippines. For an accurate representation, stop by Florida around 2:00PM in the middle of July. It’s exactly like that, just year round. I must admit, the heat is not as intense as it was the last time I was here (April/May 2009) but like we say in Florida – it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. Once I made it through customs and got all of my luggage together, I headed outside to the “Greeting” area as they refer to it or the “zoo” as I have coined it. I waited (and melted) for the arrival of my friend Edwin under the sign clearly marked with an “E” for Ellis. Edwin picked me up along with his girlfriend Joyce and they drove me over to the condo building that I rented which is about an hour and a half/two hours away from the airport. One thing about Manila is the traffic – if there was no traffic, you could get anywhere in a very short period of time but the congestion here is unbelievable – even at two in the morning it is bumper to bumper!
When we got to my condo building (Avida Towers, New Manila) I told Edwin not to unload my luggage from the car and just make sure everything was set. Of course, my gut instinct on that was correct because when I got inside, they told me there were no keys for me because move in time was between the hours of 8AM and 5PM. Previously, I had verified with the leasing agent and the owner of the unit as to whether or not it would be ok that I arrived at 2AM and they assured me that as long as the paperwork was done and money was paid that it would be no problem. Sure enough, I spent my first night in the Philippines in the Eurotel Apartels on the 12-hour rental. I mean come on…who in the hell rents a hotel room for 12 hours (other than hookers at the Prince Frog hotel in Tallahassee?).
By the time we made it to the apartel, I just wanted to lay down – I was exhausted! So I did just that, turned on the TV and drifted to sleep. There’s one thing I despise about all the traveling I do. Jet Lag. My body has been in a whirlwind of confusion for the last 4 1/2 years because it doesn’t know what time zone it’s supposed to be in. At 5:40AM I was wide awake. I tried and tried to go back to sleep because I knew I would be exhausted with settling in and running around throughout the day. Unsuccessful, I got out of bed and gave myself a facial (I had one of those packets in my luggage), took a shower and watched Ellen and Oprah (yes, of all things, these are what I watch!)
Edwin had told me to call him when I woke up. I knew that 5:40AM was not appropriate, so at 10:00AM I made my first phone call I chatted with one of the ladies that worked for his family and she said he was asleep. This routine repeated from 10:00AM until 12:00NN. Around 11AM, I decided that I needed to venture out on my own and get my money exchanged and last night I saw a money changer right next to the apartel. For anyone who has not traveled –it’s a bit nerve wrecking to go out in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language (and look like an Amazonian!) and do tasks that seem so simple. Yes, I have traveled a lot and been to many places but I still have a huge fear of (for lack of a better way of saying it) looking stupid or standing out. I went out and walked around the corner, exchanged my money and headed back to the room to try and call Edwin a couple more times. I knew time was coming to a close on the 12 hour room rental, so at 12:15 I tried again. This time, he wasn’t asleep but not there!
At 12:40, I got a phone call basically telling me that my rental was up (weird!), so challenge number two was to get a cab and head over to the condo building myself. I managed to make it there safe and sound (got ripped off and I knew it – Tip #1 for foreigners…always have them turn the meter on!) but it was alright – I was happy to be there and was still only a $6.00US cab ride so I can’t complain! Once I got all checked in and signed an updated contract, I was handed the keys to my “very own” place (ok, at least for a month!) and I don’t think I was in the door 5 minutes before I had unpacked my backpack and begun to dissect my three other suitcases! It was nice to unpack for longer than a day or two since I had literally packed and unpacked my suitcases 4 times in the last 12 days – I was ready to settle for a bit. One downside to this condo (other than a 12 hour hotel stay) was that my “fully furnished condo” was not fully furnished as in lacking everything like pots, pans, dishes, silverware, towels, pillows etc. Immediately, I begin to make a list (if you know me, you know that chronic list making is an ailment I have yet to cure) of things I need from the grocery store to get by. Initially, I was supposed to be here for three months – so I would be more willing to purchase things I needed but being that it’s only a month now, I just needed some basics to get me by. The condo is awesome…it’s just got nothing in it but furniture :)
When my list was complied, I took my next challenge – getting a cab from here to the Greenhills Mall/Shopping Center where I could get everything I needed. Now, when you go to a “Mall” here in the Philippines – you don’t go to a mall like we have in the US. These malls are MASSIVE (let’s just say I got lost…a few times) and include multiple buildings with 100’s of stores including a grocery store and it is divided into sections, i.e. the technology section has 3 floors and it’s own area alone! I took a cab to the mall and began the search for the two most important things: a cell phone and internet access! I found a cell phone and got everything I needed for that and then purchased a broadband stick (it goes into the USB port on your computer and has prepaid minutes that you can use anywhere).
Next, it was off to the grocery store where I gathered plates, plastic utensils, towels and some groceries to get me by…the typical American staples of bread, peanut butter, jelly and cereal. I think my biggest disappointment is the inability to cook anything for myself. Lucky for me, Edwin brought me a pan. I bought eggs and realized I had no way to cook them (since my utensils are plastic), so I boiled eggs in a pan…I was impressed! Once all my loot was together, I headed back to my condo to relax!
Before heading to bed, I wanted to jump in the shower and rinse off. Hot showers are not something that is standard here – most people take cold showers or use a bucket and a scoop to wash. But – one luxury that is hard to give up is a nice hot shower. So – I turn on the hot water heater (you have to manually turn the dial in the shower before turning the water on) and turn on the water to find out it’s not working. I rinsed off and took a cold shower and immediately emailed the owner once I was out to find out how to get it fixed. She sent an email back just saying I had to flip the breaker since it hadn’t been used in awhile. Once I did that, I tested it and it worked fine. Well, the next day when I get in the shower – it isn’t working again. I tried EVERYTHING before emailing the owner again. She sent an electrician and it turns out the entire thing needs to be replaced!! Now I’m just waiting on when…ugh.
I will post pictures of the condo soon! :)
Quote of the day: “The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you, but to have another with whom you might share your completeness.”
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