What we've been doing for the past ??? days...

It's really only 2 full days since we arrived--but it feels much longer than that! Here's my take on everything that's happened since our arrival--done in my particular, wordy storytelling style. I'll keep going as long as I can--but it's already quarter to 11, I just got back from our first Rotary meeting and presentation, and I was up at 5:30 this morning...so I might stop midway and say "tune in tomorrow!"

We landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 12:20 am--a half hour later than scheduled, which is not bad at all considering the crazy 2.5-hour video system replacement delay on the tarmac in Detroit. Breezed through all the things that usually hold folks up--passport check, baggage claim, customs declarations--and were met by the 3830 delegation. After the requisite photo op (see Cliff's post) we were driven through Manila into the Makati section where we'll be spending a LOT of time over the next month, and arrived at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center (one of the foremost management schools in Asia) at around 1:30 am. Of course, we were welcomed warmly, and offered a late dinner. I can honestly say I've never before eaten spaghetti with meat sauce that late at night...Thus we lost the entire day of March 8th - we left Philly on the 7th, and landed in Manila on the 9th.

Despite the obviously disjointed nature of our relationship to Time, we still got up around 8:30 for breakfast at the AIM. We had the "Filipino Breakfast" (as opposed to the American one) - I've never had rice for breakfast before...certainly not garlic rice! And I would not have guessed that garlic rice and eggs would go well together.

After breakfast, we were at our liberty to wander around Makati. We were very close to the Greenbelt Mall complex - a series of 5 interconnected buildings filled with pretty much every store imaginable. The most intriguing aspect was the annoucement that came over the mall PA system at the official start of the day and the opening of the mall: no kidding, it was a prayer asking for Heaven's blessing upon all the consumers and merchants in the mall that day.

We spent a few hours in the Ayala Museum, part of the same Greenbelt complex - they had exhibits on the Philippines' porcelain trade relationships with other Asian civilizations, a display of gold artifacts recovered through a variety of archaeological digs, Filipino painting and sculpture, and over 50 dioramas of key moments in the Philippines' history.

Had Thai for lunch (still within the Greenbelt)--I had a marvelous extra-spicy seafood stew with noodles. We continued to wander through Makati for a couple more hours, then returned to AIM to regroup before our first official dinner, hosted by the District 3830 Governor Sid Garcia at Kirin, a trendy new Chinese restaurant. We had a 10-course meal that featured just about everything - beef, pork, duck, chicken, prawns, broccoli, rice, and an amazing spinach soup accented with black vinegar.

After dinner, we were each introduced to our respective host families for the week, and drove home with them. I'm staying with Orly Salientes and his family in Paranaque; ironically, his two kids are both living in Hoboken, NJ! His grandson lives here with them in the Philippines, attending International School (poor kid, he had to give up his room to me for the week--I'll have to give him something nice).

Today (March 10th, if you've already lost track, as I have) I was up at 5:30, ate breakfast with Orly and his wife at 6--magnificent! corned beef, strawberries and coconut milk, drinkable (not hot) chocolate, and papaya--and got to call home and talk to Sharon and the kids through the miracle of a little computer device called the Magic Jack, before my ride arrived just before 7 to get the day started.

We met (where else?) at a Starbucks, and from there set off for an Integrated School--basically, a public school with classes running through all grades, primary to secondary. The kids were wonderful--first off, there's a lot to be said for the respect accorded teachers here--you walk into the room, and the entire class jumps to their feet and greets you in unison. However, the weather is brutally hot, and the school buildings are not air-conditioned. This means the windows must stay open; however, the school is directly on the street, and the traffic roaring by beneath creates a large amount of interference for the teacher trying to instruct. We met with an assistant principal, talked with the equivalent of a freshman English class, took a look at their single science lab room, their brand-new language lab and computer lab (a result of the "beneficence" of a political candidate in what is an election year here), then went across the central square to the lower building to visit with one of the 6th grade classes (the freshmen were eager to have their pictures taken with me--but the 6th graders, the cheeky monkeys they were, were very interested in whether I was on Facebook...I politely declined their offers of "friendship.") There's so much more to say, but I'm just going for the broad overview--I have photos and videos of the experience to post as well, but that'll wait for another day.

From the school we went to the MegaMall--no kidding, real name...and it lived up to its billing--for lunch at a Filipino buffet. Of course, I had to try a little bit of everything--which is how I ended up eating a dish called "bopis," which was surprisingly (and excruciatingly) spicy, but delicious--"lechon" (roasted pig), "kuhol" (snails), and kare kare (ox tripe)--the last I could definitely have done without.

We had time to kill after lunch, since our next appointment was not until 3:30 so we wandered around the MegaMall to see the sights. Lucky me--found a comics shop! And a bookstore! (picked up the sequel to Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, entitled El Filibusterismo.

Even more unusual was the event being held in one of the larger open areas--a fire-prevention quiz show, featuring an all-fireman wind ensemble; when we arrived, they were playing a medley of Barry Manilow hits. You cannot make up this stuff, people.

From the MegaMall, we drove to Quezon City Memorial Park, where we were given an introduction to one of Rotary's projects here--vermicomposting (that's using earthworms to convert biodegradable waste into rich fertilizer). The folks here are making a big effort to prove its worth, ease, sustainability, and long-term environmental benefits--and doing it convincingly, too. The basic equation: 1 kilo of worms will convert on kilo of waste into 1 kilo of fertilizer, without creating any foul odors or attracting any flies. It's worth looking into.

From QC we stopped briefly at the University of the Philippines just for some photo ops at the Rizal monument on the grounds, then hurried off to our first Rotary Club meeting. We had a lovely dinner, played a fun game called "Hip Hip Hooray" (I won--got me a laser pointer/flashlight as a prize!) and did our presentations for the first time (very well received, I think).

There are more details to be had, but it's now quarter to 12, and things are starting to look a little blurry...so I'll save the details, perhaps for tomorrow, since I don't have to meet up with the rest of the team until 9:30.

Good night! (or good morning...)

Lew