To be honest, I’ve been debating whether or not to update my blog, even though this is officially day.. 5 or something. I’ve already lost track, which is why I am forcing myself to post, because pretty soon I’m going to forget everything. So without further ado:

SUPER SUMMER FLAS 2012

Well… I’m here in the Philippines. I left the US on Wednesday after a tearful parting with all of my closest and dearest friends and family and a surprise $40 continental breakfast that tasted just as bad as all the free continental hotel breakfasts I’ve ever had in my life.

Cathay Pacific might be great compared to other US airlines, but I was sorely disappointed. It hardly compared to the comfort and service I experienced with EVA. Luckily, most of my flight was spent in a Xanax-induced coma (thanks Dr. G!).

I arrived at Hong Kong INTL Airport around 8 pm… my connection wouldn’t depart for another 12 hours. 12 hours in HK airport… what was I thinking? I’ll tell you… I was thinking I would pay a reasonable fee to use the airport lounge and relax with a little buffet and drink action, perhaps snooze in a reclining chair, and soon be on my way.

By now you’ve probably guessed that this isnot quite how things workedout. It would have cost me nearly $200 to stay there for the 12 hour layover. It was $50 just to hang out for 2 hours. I was in no mood to pay a bunch of money to sit in a crowded lounge. I slept across 3 seats on an airport bench for free.

My flight to the Philippines was unremarkable. I arrived in Manila, made a pit-stop at the immigration counter to get my extended visa (which cost me a pretty penny), gathered my checked luggage, met Philip (another FLAS student from NIU) outside, and grabbed a cab to Quezon City.

The last leg of a long journey is generally miserable. The cab ride was no exception. Heavy stop-and-go traffic and a heavy dose of anticipation had me feeling awfully car-sick.

I finally arrived at my hotel, checked into my room, took a shower, and passed out in a very comfortable hotel bed.

La Breza Hotel in QC has been a delight since the moment I arrived. The room is huge, clean, and the beds are covered in soft white linens. I’m going to be sad to leave here tomorrow morning.

Since I arrived, I’ve mostly been sleeping. I’m more jetlagged than I ever remember being on my other trips.

We checked out the school I’ll be attending, and while it’s a bit run-down there’s something quaint about it that left me feeling optimistic. School starts tomorrow, so we’ll just have to wait and see how things go there.

I have been stressed out since I arrived because we had no permanent residence for the duration of the program, but today we signed a sublease in a condo tower. Our apartment has two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchenette.. all of which I’m pretty sure I could fit into my single bedroom at home. But it’s luxury here, believe it or not. I’ll have pictures soon.

Sorry this post is sub-par. If you can’t tell, my heart isn’t quite into it. I’ve been feeling less-than-myself since I arrived. I don’t know if it’s just nerves or what, but hopefully things improve. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Seems to be the motto of my whole trip so far.

Anyway, hopefully next time I’ll have some photos and I won’t be feeling like such a crabby baby.

In true form, I couldn’t bring myself to put a cozy cap on the end of what was, as anyone could see, a rather amazing trip. I’m considering holding my pictures from the Philippines hostage until I get motivated.

Here’s a couple, just for now:

I hiked up a mountain and had a blast getting to know these kids.

early morning coffee and hanging with locals.

off to school! taken from inside a “tricycle” which is really a motorbike or bicycle with a sweet cart attached to it.

Posing with Ate Leizel on my last night in Southeast Asia.

That should work as a final update for now. Maybe more in the future?