Manila for a Month
Oh Manila!! What a beautiful, chaotic, wonderful place to get to experience. For me, this trip to the Philippines was far different than the last. 6 years ago, I got to experience life on an island in the Philippines. This trip, I got to experience the craziness, the noise, the rain, the smells, and the bustle that is Manila. It was certainly challenging to adapt, but once I began to find my daily habits and rhythms, I began to fall in love with my days there. There is something so special about going to live in a new place. I found quickly that I clung tightly to the bits of familiarity that brought me joy. The two women at the laundromat that always remembered my name, the fruit stand, and of course my beloved mango man. It was the taste of four seasons juice in the morning with sips of black coffee in between. While everything feels foreign at first, it is a refreshing and wonderful experience to live somewhere new, even if for a small period of time. You settle into new rhythms and routines quickly enough. This summer in the Philippines was an experience I truly will always remember and hold dear. Here are some other ramblings about the trip…
The Difficult
There are many reasons life in Manila is complex and complicated. Traffic, traffic and more traffic combined with a crazy rainy season makes for an absolute adventure (or headache) depending on how you look at it. A lot of days, I certainly looked at the traffic and rain as a headache but for people who live there, it is simply just a part of their daily life. Every glimpse of blue sky became cherished and appreciated. Every not so jam packed commute was absolutely delightful. And one other plus to the crazy traffic is the unique and fun solutions for getting around that they have in the Philippines. Jeepneys, trikes and my new favorite—the motorcycle taxi! They are all exciting and fun to get to experience. I recommend telling your parents/husband/and cautious siblings AFTER you successfully ride the motorcycle or they will likely all try to get you to change your mind.
The Interesting
Something that I thoroughly enjoyed was seeing how mall culture thrives in Manila. I love a good mall and I am saddened by the decline of malls in the US. It is absolutely amazing to see how malls dominate and thrive in Manila and it blows my mind at the sheer amount of stores that they have. In the mall closest to where we lived, they had not one but two Levi’s store as well as two Adidas stores. Back home, I don’t even know where to find the closest Adidas store? As a mall lover, I had a blast just browsing and (okay maybe shopping from time to time).
The Joys
Another thing that really just made me so happy was the sheer variety of mangos that exist in this world. I mean WOW!! Who would have thought that there are just so many mangos in this world and especially in one country. Absolutely love the mangos… and the bananas and papaya too! Oh and I haven’t even mentioned our trip to Mount Pinatubo yet but it was absolutely breath taking! I will write a singular post on that because it deserves itself one!
The Universal
Lastly, the people of the Philippines will always leave you with a smile on your face. They go out of their way to show kindness and hospitality. They are truly some of the kindest people you will encounter and they are always happy to greet you with a “hello mam”! Or a “Hi mam, Georgia!”. As I walked home on a street with a dead phone in my pocket and a sense of determination to make it home by myself, I looked around and had no recollection of which direction was home. A man and his young daughter passed by on his bicycle and offered a smile and I couldn’t help but think of the beautiful fact that smiles are universal. What a joyous reminder. Oh and I did make it home for the record.
On a spiritual note—it is aways encouraging to see God working around the globe. We went on this trip with my husband’s job as he works for a college ministry and we had the wonderful opportunity to get to spend time with many filipino college students while we were there. It was beautiful to see not only the students having such a passion and love for the Lord, but also to see a church that is equally passionate about Christ. It is truly wonderful to see how borders, language, and obstacles cannot possibly deter the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, I guess that will be all for now! I am off to a new adventure. One which should be fun but challenging in its own ways. I will be sure to write down my thoughts as I go along!!
