REM

I promised to write about Manila, one year later. It's not quite a year, but last night we were walking over to the pizza place where Zac was having his 40th Birthday.  I saw some familiar faces in one corner and walked to see our friends...and there was an extra soul. REM.

Rem was one of the WNS leaders, a manager who helped me buy the wrong phone cards, not entirely his fault, of course--and who walked all over the clear blue sky helping us find an apartment (which we never ended up leasing because it turns out it's against corporate policies to lease an apartment in a foreign country). At any rate, for the 4 weeks we did the WNS program, Rem was partially in charge, always around and indefatigable. He wore a Bruno Mars hat and was generally an OK (if not a bit socially awkward employee)

"Hi Rem, what the heck are you doing on this side of the Pacific ocean?"

He's working for Wells Fargo. After an unexpected series of events led him to a new job opportunity: Wells Fargo is expanding their back office in Manila and he's helping to run the show. We shared stores of Philippines, since we parted ways about 4 weeks into the 6 of the trip to Manila. The Wells Fargo program he's working on is also here in downtown Minneapolis, so he called up one of the managers here and she invited him to the party and on and on. I gave him my Mall of America ride pass and sent him a message saying we'd drive him anywhere.  Hopefully he has fun here for 2 weeks. Next Friday, they're taking him to the strip club.

Lulz.