Week One

I feel a little bit like I am in an alternate reality. A place where everything seems similar, but everything is just a little bit different.

I haven’t put my finger on exactly why everything is so different, but I know why everything feels the same. They are the staff of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines. When I have been tired, they have already cleared my obligations to give me time to rest. When I have needed to learn more about how engineering is done in the Philippines, I was able to follow an experienced engineer Johnny around and pick his brain the whole day. Finally, I just needed a steady internet connection so I could Skype with my family and write my blog, and here I am.

Now to the differences. I have spent quite a bit of time writing and deleting, as I try to adequately communicate what exactly I mean by alternate reality. But I think it can best be described by telling you that on Thursday morning I had breakfast at a Kenny Rodgers Roasters, and for dinner I was treated to field mice. That is what the Philippines is for me so far. It is a place that will drop you jaw with the unexpected in the greatest way possible, and it is a country that is filled with some of the most caring people I have ever met.

Pictures from week 1