We were late coming back to work after the trip. The flights are in the smallest airports, seating is limited, and often in just those plastic chairs that people use on their yard patios. Blind men in bands playing ukeleles are the airport entertainment, for money--it's quite hard for them to find a job. (Is it easy for anyone to find a job in Philippines?)
So the time in the Philippines after Boracay was a bit tense, work-wise. The time in the hotel was very boring.
All I can do is fast-forward through it--> so let's zoom ahead to Intramuros.
It's the oldest intact section of Manila. Originally a fort, the Spanish took over. They killed the national hero, Rizal, there--by just gunning him down one morning while he was imprisoned for the radical idea that being under Spanish colonial rule wasn't the best thing in the world.
We had the opportunity to ride a horse drawn carriage here, but it was too horrifying. The horses looked malnourished, again. It was hot, this day, and we used umbrellas to shield ourselves from the sun.
There were deep stone trenches dug as prisons and when the prisons were overcrowded, the "bad guys" (so many different people were in charge here) would either deliberately flood them (drawing a portcullis over the top), burn the prisoners alive, or normally, just let the elements of extreme sunlight kill the inmates.
All of Manila & the Philippines were destroyed in WWII. It's pretty horrible to just imagine rebuilding an entire country. Certainly it has happened there, but it's also hard to find locale with historical context. Intramuros is one of them, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have seen it, though even now, the memory of the trip is charged for me. I shouldn't have gone somewhere during the day, it took too much of our sleeping opportunity away and destroyed the circadian (adjusted) rhythm I tried hard to maintain.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Chicken Intestine
We bring you...ok, I bring you....this blog entry with the question we must all ask ourselves.
"How much of our lives do we waste rebroadcasting episodes of our lives that have happened in the past?"
But how much of the past do you lose if you don't remember?
So while on the beach in Boracay, trying to decide if we wanted giant shrimp or lobster or perch for dinner (Suddenly I am not even sure if Perch is a saltwater fish), we decided to have something that was not too expensive after all, and that was my choice. I regret it. Why didn't I choose the giant shrimp?
Anyway, we ate "normal" dinner and then we were offered chicken intestine. It's wrapped on a stick, threaded on it, really.
Oh god.
Even now, I don't know how I did it. But I psyched myself up and took a bite. I could barely swallow it. After that, I was double-done eating weird things like that.
It was rubbery. And you're eating another creature's digestive track. And you're eating it after it's wound around on a stick.
Good god.
"How much of our lives do we waste rebroadcasting episodes of our lives that have happened in the past?"
But how much of the past do you lose if you don't remember?
So while on the beach in Boracay, trying to decide if we wanted giant shrimp or lobster or perch for dinner (Suddenly I am not even sure if Perch is a saltwater fish), we decided to have something that was not too expensive after all, and that was my choice. I regret it. Why didn't I choose the giant shrimp?
Anyway, we ate "normal" dinner and then we were offered chicken intestine. It's wrapped on a stick, threaded on it, really.
Oh god.
Even now, I don't know how I did it. But I psyched myself up and took a bite. I could barely swallow it. After that, I was double-done eating weird things like that.
It was rubbery. And you're eating another creature's digestive track. And you're eating it after it's wound around on a stick.
Good god.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Boracay 2
Good lord. My last entry is incoherent. I should edit and proofread and try to form a narrative that isn't just a list of the things I can remember. But if I wait too long, I won't remember anything.
Lord knows, I've waited long enough.
So anyway, after staying awake until 1130 or something, I fell asleep. My room had a full sized bed that was rock hard and a single bed that was pretty soft. I can't remember which one I chose, but I know I was still scared that someone was going to break into the single American's room and rape me. I slept fitfully and woke up in the morning.
Man, I was crazy to be worried. Everything is different in daylight. I figured it was time to find M and her husband, we had been in touch on facebook, and met at the good buffet down by their hotel. The sun revealed a normal beach community. Nothing was hidden or nefarious. People were nice and I realized that everyone was pretty nice and like the rest of Philippines, there's wasn't a reason to be scared. I wasn't on Mindanao, the island where people get kidnapped relatively often. No one was going to break into my room. No one was going to rape me. We had a great breakfast at a flowing fountainy restaruant and stared into the sun at the beach.
We bought straw hats and $5 sunglasses and I went into the ocean like no one's business. It was pretty much the first thing I did in the morning. The water is so clear, even when you're up to your neck, you can see the bottom of the water. The white beach sparkles so much in the sun it hurts your eyes. We went parasailing--my first time--and M and her husband took an afternoon nap while I went back into the ocean and took a ton of photos of the sunset. I had about 40 offers to go on a sailing trip into the sunset for $25. To this day, I'm not sure why I didn't get on the little boats and cruise around in the sun. I guess I liked the view from the beach too much. It was seriously the best trip I've taken alone. I really, really wanted to play and snuggle and splash in the water with Dan, but I knew he was coming later and we'd do the same thing, just on a different beach.
At night, I got a henna tattoo and bought a bunch of pearl necklaces. I thought I was buying REAL pearls. I was very wrong. But it was only $1.00/necklace. There was a lot of panhandling on the beach, people who wanted me to buy everything, necklaces, pearls, henna, braids, a parasailing/underwater diving trip.
So anyway, after staying awake until 1130 or something, I fell asleep. My room had a full sized bed that was rock hard and a single bed that was pretty soft. I can't remember which one I chose, but I know I was still scared that someone was going to break into the single American's room and rape me. I slept fitfully and woke up in the morning.
Man, I was crazy to be worried. Everything is different in daylight. I figured it was time to find M and her husband, we had been in touch on facebook, and met at the good buffet down by their hotel. The sun revealed a normal beach community. Nothing was hidden or nefarious. People were nice and I realized that everyone was pretty nice and like the rest of Philippines, there's wasn't a reason to be scared. I wasn't on Mindanao, the island where people get kidnapped relatively often. No one was going to break into my room. No one was going to rape me. We had a great breakfast at a flowing fountainy restaruant and stared into the sun at the beach.
We bought straw hats and $5 sunglasses and I went into the ocean like no one's business. It was pretty much the first thing I did in the morning. The water is so clear, even when you're up to your neck, you can see the bottom of the water. The white beach sparkles so much in the sun it hurts your eyes. We went parasailing--my first time--and M and her husband took an afternoon nap while I went back into the ocean and took a ton of photos of the sunset. I had about 40 offers to go on a sailing trip into the sunset for $25. To this day, I'm not sure why I didn't get on the little boats and cruise around in the sun. I guess I liked the view from the beach too much. It was seriously the best trip I've taken alone. I really, really wanted to play and snuggle and splash in the water with Dan, but I knew he was coming later and we'd do the same thing, just on a different beach.
At night, I got a henna tattoo and bought a bunch of pearl necklaces. I thought I was buying REAL pearls. I was very wrong. But it was only $1.00/necklace. There was a lot of panhandling on the beach, people who wanted me to buy everything, necklaces, pearls, henna, braids, a parasailing/underwater diving trip.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Boracay
Boracay is an island that's pretty much the most famous beach place in Philippines---if I haven't mentioned that already. People tell me that it's getting more and more touristy and ruinous, but it's still a great Asian beach destination and the best you can get outside of Thailand.
I've never been to a top-rated beach. I've only been to Coco Beach, Venice Beach and a beach in Japan.
Boracay blew me away.
We flew in with Philippine Air, to the far side of the island. As I mentioned before, Michelle was flying back to Manila while I was flying to Boracay. M and her husband came with me--and we flew the weekend of 9/11/11--the 10 year anniversary of the attacks. CNN overseas was constantly running segments about it and our travel advisory service said to be cautious overseas on the anniversary.
It was also M & her husband's wedding anniversary--5 years. I knew Dan was coming to visit in a few months and we'd celebrate OUR anniversary, but it was still weird to be headed to a beach destination solo. Regardless, it was worth it to experience the trip.
So we flew, taxied and bussed and took a really small boat with rails to the beach. Then another person took us to our hotel on a golf cart type device, and then a young girl carried my luggage down a narrow alley to the hotel. I was so distracted by everything that I forgot to tip her and I still feel bad. I chose the Coconut Inn, because it was pretty cheap. And immediately, I was separated from M and her husband, who were staying at a much nicer hotel down the beach.
I had no idea where I was, though. I just followed the woman walking over packed sand for awhile, when everything was dark. I could see some normal houses, but I was a little scared: because it was dark, I was alone, and I still hadn't gotten my cellphone to work. And I had heard there were some wild, wild parties in Boracay. Was I going to be abducted?
I checked in to the Red Coconut Inn or something, and asked, naively, where the ocean was. The front desk employee looked at me like I was crazy. It's right there, ma'am. And I turned to the right and...BOOM. The ocean was only 40 feet away. I put my suitcases in my room and walked down to the beach. I waded in.
THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO THE BEACH IN 5 YEARS. I nearly started tearing up, I was so happy and felt so lucky.
But I also knew my hotel room was very vulnerable. I was on the first floor and all I had to protect myself and my belongings was a flimsy lock. I remember going into my room and feeling angry at the company that my phone didn't work. Eventually I got a wifi card from the hotel lobby and posted to some friends that I was going go for a walk on the beach and to send out a search party if I wasn't back in 2 hours. And then I added a password to my computer, hid it under 4000 things and decided I could leave the room and go for a drink.
(writing this now, walking seems perilously painful and a drink is out of the question)
Ventured down the beach. It was insane with hotels and beach stores and henna and airbrushing I found an ATM. There were tiki fires everywhere and people offering a lot of deals and there were a lot of bars and people. I had never seen anything like it, in the cover of night. I went back to Dan and told him on facebook that I hadn't seen anything like this yet. There were large plastic walls that each resort placed in order to prevent the sand from blowing in and ruining everyone's dinner.
And DINNER!
If you like seafood, this is the place to go. GIANT lobsters, GIANT shrimp, fresh, fresh, fresh.
THere's so much more to write about--but I will do it tomorrow.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Rushing back to Manila
We left for Manila around 10 PM and got to the hotel around midnight. I was, of course, exhausted--and left my passport in the taxi. The taxi brought it back and I was relieved--though I received it at 1230 while in my pajamas in the new hotel. They rang my doorbell at the hotel and the guy at the room next to me tried to answer the door, if that tells you how easily sound traveled in the rooms.
I spent the next day resting and regrettably sat out on the tour that the other two Americans took with the other vendor. I was just too tired and spending 4 hours in the van just wouldn't work. Plus I was spending the day in the room to keep sleeping in, with a mango milkshake and breakfast in bed. I guess that was one of the few times I ordered room service. It was labor day weekend--so we had Monday off--and I was waiting to pick up my friend Michelle from the airport. Michelle and I hadn't seen each other in about 3 years, but she was willing to travel to Manila and I was willing to have a visitor from the states. She crashed in my hotel room and I sent her to Boracay for a few days because there's more to do there than in Manila. Michelle and I went to Greenhills--or maybe she went there alone. I can't remember. I remember that I failed at giving her any type of official tour because I was focused on getting ready for work and sleeping--and our schedules were backwards. The work week flew by and when I was awake, Michelle and I tried to catch up. Our lives are different--single girl living in Seattle/married girl in Minneapolis.
I spent the next day resting and regrettably sat out on the tour that the other two Americans took with the other vendor. I was just too tired and spending 4 hours in the van just wouldn't work. Plus I was spending the day in the room to keep sleeping in, with a mango milkshake and breakfast in bed. I guess that was one of the few times I ordered room service. It was labor day weekend--so we had Monday off--and I was waiting to pick up my friend Michelle from the airport. Michelle and I hadn't seen each other in about 3 years, but she was willing to travel to Manila and I was willing to have a visitor from the states. She crashed in my hotel room and I sent her to Boracay for a few days because there's more to do there than in Manila. Michelle and I went to Greenhills--or maybe she went there alone. I can't remember. I remember that I failed at giving her any type of official tour because I was focused on getting ready for work and sleeping--and our schedules were backwards. The work week flew by and when I was awake, Michelle and I tried to catch up. Our lives are different--single girl living in Seattle/married girl in Minneapolis.
Misc Cebu
The misceallenous things about Cebu :
1) it seemed far less developed than Manila. Hardly any skyscrapers--though I didn't get to go to downtown Cebu
2)The town is a port city and developed because the port there is deep enough for large vessels to go
3)The hotel is/was hands-down better--and a lot of people from the UAE airlines fly through Cebu & stay at the Marriott Cebu.
4)while there were a lot of wild chickens in Manila, there are far more in Cebu
5) I visited the apartment of one of our employees. I wanted to see what it's like for a young employee in a third world country. The apartment was just a room facing a common atrium, where ppl hang their laundry and raise chicken. No AC. No water. One small fridge. A couple of beds, because she shares it with her sister.
So now I know.
In Cebu, I felt guilty for using the rep's videogame card and for not having anything to reciprocate when they gave me the Tshirt to say goodbye.
I was happy because people were finally asking questions about me in a non-competitive environment and seemed genuinely interested. And I felt like there was a good bonding moments and food-adventure time, even though I choked the squid down and didn't try the blood stew.
1) it seemed far less developed than Manila. Hardly any skyscrapers--though I didn't get to go to downtown Cebu
2)The town is a port city and developed because the port there is deep enough for large vessels to go
3)The hotel is/was hands-down better--and a lot of people from the UAE airlines fly through Cebu & stay at the Marriott Cebu.
4)while there were a lot of wild chickens in Manila, there are far more in Cebu
5) I visited the apartment of one of our employees. I wanted to see what it's like for a young employee in a third world country. The apartment was just a room facing a common atrium, where ppl hang their laundry and raise chicken. No AC. No water. One small fridge. A couple of beds, because she shares it with her sister.
So now I know.
In Cebu, I felt guilty for using the rep's videogame card and for not having anything to reciprocate when they gave me the Tshirt to say goodbye.
I was happy because people were finally asking questions about me in a non-competitive environment and seemed genuinely interested. And I felt like there was a good bonding moments and food-adventure time, even though I choked the squid down and didn't try the blood stew.
Papa Kits
I've officially failed in my goal to document the trip to Philippines before my 1 year period was over. A year ago, I was back in the states. Whoops. You don't mind, right?
We'll pretend you don't mind.
Anyways, when I left off, I'd just gotten back to Cebu Marriot for rest. We woke up, met downstairs, and I had Starbucks in the mall for Breakfast. The Starbucks employees knew who I was and knew we were traveling with other Americans. It was kind of cool--and the nice thing is that Starbucks tastes the same the whole world over. I still felt weird from lack of sleep, but was determined to get through it. The vendor van picked us up and then I met.....EVERYONE FROM CEBU. It was another crazy moment where I tried to remember everyone's name after just reading a list of them from the past year and also catch the Cebuanos up on the Minnesotans who visited the year before. The Cebuanos had started dating the other people in their class, so it was also confusing to remember who was dating who, but I did. There are a few power couples--they met in training, still date now, and just had the cutest baby in the world, named Kobe. Wish I could go visit and see him, but I am sure I'd be jealous b/c I really want to have an Asian baby and it's just not going to happen.
The van circled and we talked about work and who was who back home and which person I liked and how they related. It turned out that none of the leaders from my team could make it, so it was just the reps and me, in a little fishing hut. We fished in a tiny stocked pond and everyone ate them later. The food for the day was rice and boiled squid. I ate mine after psyching myself up for it big time and taking one gulp of sprite. It seems like a miracle--Anthony Bourdain I am not. (though I thought I was an adventourous eater, I am really not, in the end)
It was hard to convince everyone that I didn't have the special talent of Andrew or the humor of Pete, the people who had visited the year before. I can't play guitar and I am really too somber for many occassions.
So we went fishing and then walked around Papa Kits. They have horseback riding, swimming and....ZIPLINING OVER THE OCEAN. We looked at the horses, but they looked sick and sad and definitely not ready to ride by our standards. I tried to spend some time with the horse and pet it-and it whinnied after me for awhile when I walked away. There were also wild chickens running around for awhile and I saw a chicken eating chicken, really. Someone dropped a piece of fried chicken on the ground and a live chicken ate it. Cannibalism!
We decided to go ziplining. I'd never done that before and ended up using my last few pesos to pay for everyone's ride. We put on our helmets and attached to the line after climbing to the top and getting buckeled into our harness by the safety people. And then....WOOOSH. Out over the ocean, to a tower across from us on a little sandbar. If you look down, you can see starfish and real fish swimming in the coral reefs. I squealed and laughed and took a few photos. My coworker, Al, went across with me and I was so heavy compared to him. Yes, Americans are fat and Filipinos are skinny.
We ziplined back and I tried to count the starfish, but it was too fast for me.
We ate dinner somehow ( I think everyone else ate the fish, but me) and went over by van to the mall and took our photos in front of TGI Fridays. It was tempting to eat there, but the lines are long and it's expensive. Instead we walked the mall and played arcade games. Some weirdo was creeping on me, so we left and went to a movie. It's the one where Zoe Saldana is an assassain getting revenge on her murdered parents...
And then it was time to say goodbye. They bought me an I heart Cebu Tshirt and I tried to say goodbye to people that I'd only be lucky to see one more time but would still talk to a bunch of times via phone. I promised to visit Cebu again. Everyone was way helpful and kind and wonderful.
We'll pretend you don't mind.
Anyways, when I left off, I'd just gotten back to Cebu Marriot for rest. We woke up, met downstairs, and I had Starbucks in the mall for Breakfast. The Starbucks employees knew who I was and knew we were traveling with other Americans. It was kind of cool--and the nice thing is that Starbucks tastes the same the whole world over. I still felt weird from lack of sleep, but was determined to get through it. The vendor van picked us up and then I met.....EVERYONE FROM CEBU. It was another crazy moment where I tried to remember everyone's name after just reading a list of them from the past year and also catch the Cebuanos up on the Minnesotans who visited the year before. The Cebuanos had started dating the other people in their class, so it was also confusing to remember who was dating who, but I did. There are a few power couples--they met in training, still date now, and just had the cutest baby in the world, named Kobe. Wish I could go visit and see him, but I am sure I'd be jealous b/c I really want to have an Asian baby and it's just not going to happen.
The van circled and we talked about work and who was who back home and which person I liked and how they related. It turned out that none of the leaders from my team could make it, so it was just the reps and me, in a little fishing hut. We fished in a tiny stocked pond and everyone ate them later. The food for the day was rice and boiled squid. I ate mine after psyching myself up for it big time and taking one gulp of sprite. It seems like a miracle--Anthony Bourdain I am not. (though I thought I was an adventourous eater, I am really not, in the end)
It was hard to convince everyone that I didn't have the special talent of Andrew or the humor of Pete, the people who had visited the year before. I can't play guitar and I am really too somber for many occassions.
So we went fishing and then walked around Papa Kits. They have horseback riding, swimming and....ZIPLINING OVER THE OCEAN. We looked at the horses, but they looked sick and sad and definitely not ready to ride by our standards. I tried to spend some time with the horse and pet it-and it whinnied after me for awhile when I walked away. There were also wild chickens running around for awhile and I saw a chicken eating chicken, really. Someone dropped a piece of fried chicken on the ground and a live chicken ate it. Cannibalism!
We decided to go ziplining. I'd never done that before and ended up using my last few pesos to pay for everyone's ride. We put on our helmets and attached to the line after climbing to the top and getting buckeled into our harness by the safety people. And then....WOOOSH. Out over the ocean, to a tower across from us on a little sandbar. If you look down, you can see starfish and real fish swimming in the coral reefs. I squealed and laughed and took a few photos. My coworker, Al, went across with me and I was so heavy compared to him. Yes, Americans are fat and Filipinos are skinny.
We ziplined back and I tried to count the starfish, but it was too fast for me.
We ate dinner somehow ( I think everyone else ate the fish, but me) and went over by van to the mall and took our photos in front of TGI Fridays. It was tempting to eat there, but the lines are long and it's expensive. Instead we walked the mall and played arcade games. Some weirdo was creeping on me, so we left and went to a movie. It's the one where Zoe Saldana is an assassain getting revenge on her murdered parents...
And then it was time to say goodbye. They bought me an I heart Cebu Tshirt and I tried to say goodbye to people that I'd only be lucky to see one more time but would still talk to a bunch of times via phone. I promised to visit Cebu again. Everyone was way helpful and kind and wonderful.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
We interrupt this message....
We interrupt this Cebu broadcast to flip forward a year in time. The year where I got back and got myself all pregnant with this baby girl and decided that she needs to find a really good daycare that will keep her safe, happy and healthy.
And maybe let me use cloth diapers and my own breast milk and will hold her and love her (almost) as much as I do.
A friend from work sent me the link to her back-up daycare. Wait! Back-up daycare? This was not a term I was familiar with, but it makes sense if you do in-home care and your provider gets sick or goes on vacation. When I was little, if *I* got sick, I went to the hospital daycare, where they watch you all day and be sure you get better. My parents would both visit on their lunch hour and I would be all excited about hospital food, even when I had a fever. I can't remember what my bro and sis did--probably someone stayed home with them, but by then my mom only worked part time.
I am still exploring my options. Option 1 was going to a center on the opposite end of my downtown. It's a nice little walk (15 minutes?) to it but I did it in no time. Their hours are 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM, which is pretty flexible and nice. I could still get to a happy hour, have a beer, and get the baby after work. I know that sounds like my priorities are misguided, but I am just thinking ahead. Mommy needs happy hour sometimes.
Option 1 is New Horizons daycare. They let you use cloth diapers, breast milk, provide all food and formula, have a daily curriculum and list of naps & diaper changes and dispositions daily. And even their 3 month olds have all of the baby stuff, like mirror time and baby sign. I laughed a bit at this point. My 3 month old will be hoping to hold her head up, she has no chance of learning baby sign at this age. But it's cool that they do it.
Option 1 was completely certified, has a 4-to-1 ratio and the baby would be in a room with only 7 other babies, ages 6 weeks to 16 months. Surprisingly, they would have one opening in May---but it goes quickly. They also provide low-income daycare for people on county assistance, so it is diverse, but it comes at the cost of....
Brace yourselves.
$345 a week.
You read that right. That says week, not month or biweekly.
So yeah, that's how they stay in business, because people like me also have to pay for the other people who receive subsidized daycare. I sound like a bitter Republican there & I don't mean to. But $345 is a LOT of money weekly, though the rates do go down once the baby gets older.
Option 2 is another day care down the street from me that looks ghetto but is so close that I could walk there and probably isn't ghetto on the inside.
Option 3 is finding a good in-home care provider, but I am not sure I am comfortable with this yet unless it's someone I know--and let's face it, I only know one person that I would trust with my baby like that. There have been a lot of newspaper stories about uncertified and unsafe in-home care providers *WHO HAVE KILLED BABIES BY ACCIDENTAL SUFFOCATION* in their care. Putting the baby on an adult bed, face down, to sleep is not ok. Putting the baby on a thick blanket, face down, is not ok.
I just don't trust anyone not to do stupid stuff with my child. I know this is a common fear.
Option 4 is finding a good in-home nanny for the first few years. I like option 4, but I know I would have to pay the nanny vacation time and it might be just as expensive as option 1.
Anyway, I am sure we'll find something, but now is the time to do it because spots in May are filling QUICKLY and it's still 7 months away. Of course, living in the city is a perk, because every suburban center has a waiting list a mile long.
And maybe let me use cloth diapers and my own breast milk and will hold her and love her (almost) as much as I do.
A friend from work sent me the link to her back-up daycare. Wait! Back-up daycare? This was not a term I was familiar with, but it makes sense if you do in-home care and your provider gets sick or goes on vacation. When I was little, if *I* got sick, I went to the hospital daycare, where they watch you all day and be sure you get better. My parents would both visit on their lunch hour and I would be all excited about hospital food, even when I had a fever. I can't remember what my bro and sis did--probably someone stayed home with them, but by then my mom only worked part time.
I am still exploring my options. Option 1 was going to a center on the opposite end of my downtown. It's a nice little walk (15 minutes?) to it but I did it in no time. Their hours are 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM, which is pretty flexible and nice. I could still get to a happy hour, have a beer, and get the baby after work. I know that sounds like my priorities are misguided, but I am just thinking ahead. Mommy needs happy hour sometimes.
Option 1 is New Horizons daycare. They let you use cloth diapers, breast milk, provide all food and formula, have a daily curriculum and list of naps & diaper changes and dispositions daily. And even their 3 month olds have all of the baby stuff, like mirror time and baby sign. I laughed a bit at this point. My 3 month old will be hoping to hold her head up, she has no chance of learning baby sign at this age. But it's cool that they do it.
Option 1 was completely certified, has a 4-to-1 ratio and the baby would be in a room with only 7 other babies, ages 6 weeks to 16 months. Surprisingly, they would have one opening in May---but it goes quickly. They also provide low-income daycare for people on county assistance, so it is diverse, but it comes at the cost of....
Brace yourselves.
$345 a week.
You read that right. That says week, not month or biweekly.
So yeah, that's how they stay in business, because people like me also have to pay for the other people who receive subsidized daycare. I sound like a bitter Republican there & I don't mean to. But $345 is a LOT of money weekly, though the rates do go down once the baby gets older.
Option 2 is another day care down the street from me that looks ghetto but is so close that I could walk there and probably isn't ghetto on the inside.
Option 3 is finding a good in-home care provider, but I am not sure I am comfortable with this yet unless it's someone I know--and let's face it, I only know one person that I would trust with my baby like that. There have been a lot of newspaper stories about uncertified and unsafe in-home care providers *WHO HAVE KILLED BABIES BY ACCIDENTAL SUFFOCATION* in their care. Putting the baby on an adult bed, face down, to sleep is not ok. Putting the baby on a thick blanket, face down, is not ok.
I just don't trust anyone not to do stupid stuff with my child. I know this is a common fear.
Option 4 is finding a good in-home nanny for the first few years. I like option 4, but I know I would have to pay the nanny vacation time and it might be just as expensive as option 1.
Anyway, I am sure we'll find something, but now is the time to do it because spots in May are filling QUICKLY and it's still 7 months away. Of course, living in the city is a perk, because every suburban center has a waiting list a mile long.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Lechon--you know you want it
So after TOPS, we went out for something I'd been waiting for the whole time. Sort of.
It's LECHON!
Lechon is a pig, roasted, and it's the Filipino specialty. They deep fry the skin, so it's extra crunchy like a potato chip. An apple goes in the pig's mouth. For real! There's a side of dipping sauce made out of the pig's blood. I am a wuss. I couldn't do it with the blood sauce.
I also am a jerk, because I ordered a mango smoothie, but the vendor was paying for it, which meant I was costing them more than I should have cost them. I thought I was paying for it and felt bad. Everyone else fought over the pig's skin, but I couldn't manage it. I am tempted to go find a photo of this. I also saved my napkin from the restaurant but after about 9 months, I finally tossed it.
After our Lechon dinner, we went to a karaoke bar. All of us said that we'd like to have something like this back home. Floor one was a pool table lounge with beer. I had some Red Horse, which you can really only find in Cebu and central Philippines. Everwhere else is San Miguel. After a few sips of the red horse, we went upstairs to the second floor, which was KARAOKE!
And we sang.
And sang.
and sang. (side note: I sang Personal Jesus, Depreche Mode version, and people asked me if it was a church song. LULZ)
By now, it was about 830-9 PM and I was operating on 3 hours of sleep for the prior 36+ hours. Some people can do this just fine, but I am not one of them. I guess I am broken in that regard, because I'd love to be one of those people who can do tons of shit on no sleep. Many of my fellow singers would randomly collapse for about 10 minutes on the shared sofas, and come back to life after a cat nap. I should have done this--but instead, at 1030 PM, I said I could last for 10 more songs and went to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, I realized that 10 more songs was not a possibility for me. My eyes looked more bloodshot than I've ever seen them. I was swaying on my feet. So the vendor drove me and another American back to the Cebu Marriot, where I was so tired that I didn't think I could actually sleep and took some benadryl to really seal the deal.
I guess everyone else (whomever remained---many people crashed before me and many lasted after me) went out to the strip club after this, but that's not really my speed, so I didn't make it.
It's LECHON!
Lechon is a pig, roasted, and it's the Filipino specialty. They deep fry the skin, so it's extra crunchy like a potato chip. An apple goes in the pig's mouth. For real! There's a side of dipping sauce made out of the pig's blood. I am a wuss. I couldn't do it with the blood sauce.
I also am a jerk, because I ordered a mango smoothie, but the vendor was paying for it, which meant I was costing them more than I should have cost them. I thought I was paying for it and felt bad. Everyone else fought over the pig's skin, but I couldn't manage it. I am tempted to go find a photo of this. I also saved my napkin from the restaurant but after about 9 months, I finally tossed it.
After our Lechon dinner, we went to a karaoke bar. All of us said that we'd like to have something like this back home. Floor one was a pool table lounge with beer. I had some Red Horse, which you can really only find in Cebu and central Philippines. Everwhere else is San Miguel. After a few sips of the red horse, we went upstairs to the second floor, which was KARAOKE!
And we sang.
And sang.
and sang. (side note: I sang Personal Jesus, Depreche Mode version, and people asked me if it was a church song. LULZ)
By now, it was about 830-9 PM and I was operating on 3 hours of sleep for the prior 36+ hours. Some people can do this just fine, but I am not one of them. I guess I am broken in that regard, because I'd love to be one of those people who can do tons of shit on no sleep. Many of my fellow singers would randomly collapse for about 10 minutes on the shared sofas, and come back to life after a cat nap. I should have done this--but instead, at 1030 PM, I said I could last for 10 more songs and went to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, I realized that 10 more songs was not a possibility for me. My eyes looked more bloodshot than I've ever seen them. I was swaying on my feet. So the vendor drove me and another American back to the Cebu Marriot, where I was so tired that I didn't think I could actually sleep and took some benadryl to really seal the deal.
I guess everyone else (whomever remained---many people crashed before me and many lasted after me) went out to the strip club after this, but that's not really my speed, so I didn't make it.
Rip Van Winkle
Wow, I was asleep for a long time before completing this blog. I must have aged 100 years, right?
Well, I haven't aged 100 years, but I've gained 100 lbs. Not really, of course, but it feels like it. I want to get back to pre-pregnancy weight right away. Like...within a month. Am I crazy? Yes.
I think the topic of this was Cebu--I was going to blather on about how I met everyone from our other vendor--we'd talked over the phone but we were finally meeting for the first time. The whole name-to-face thing was a little weird, but I was so happy to meet everyone that I didn't mind. There wasn't much time to hang out, though, because we had to catch our flight to Cebu.
Tim and Kaili said I should only bring a carryon, so I stuffed my clothes into the smallest suitcase I could find (read: not small) and hoped for the best. We got in and through the massive lines at the airport and on our Cebu Air airline plane and after about 4 seconds, I fell asleep.
While I was sleeping, the flight attendants play games with you, like "Show me!" They announce: Who can find a red pen? and the first person to come up with a red pen from their belongings wins a stuffed animal or a packet of pretzels.
So, on the trip to Cebu, let's note that there was no sleep the night before, because we were working. There was no sleep in the morning because we were flying (though the 45 minute nap on the plane counts). Then we landed in Cebu, got picked up by a bunch of people from the Cebu vendor that I had never met. These people were mostly friends with the other two Americans I was traveling with, since they work in the same department, just across the globe from each other. They took us to our hotel and we were given from about 11 AM to 2 PM to sleep.
Yep. 3 hours.
So I took my 3 hours of nap and tried to enjoy the Cebu hotel. I didn't have to try hard at all---this hotel was just hands-down, a LOT nicer. It was the Cebu Marriot, attached to a shopping mall & movie theatre.
The pool was like a tropical paradise, with on-deck bar and it felt like I was in Hawaii. There were deck chairs and plush towels. There were about 10 US channels and the room service menu was way better. We had bathrobes and sandals and in-room massage options.
I should note that all of the in-room massage options are a fraction of the cost of any US hotel. Ie: $15 dollars for 30 minute massage all the time.
I took my precious hours of sleep, showered, and went down to starbucks and met the other two Americans. "I don't feel well," I said. "I just feel ....funny. Like dizzy or something."
"Just keep going and tell yourself that everything is going to be fine." They said.
Ok.
So we took the Vendor van full of employees and drove up a long series of steep cliffs until we made it to "Tops".
TOPS is pretty much the top of Cebu. When you get there, you can look out over the city and it's quite peaceful, pretty and you can see the ocean. The sidewalks are all in octogonal form with grass growing between the cracks. I was enthralled. It took about an hour to get to the top, but the drive was worth it. This was a real "third world" country experience, driving through the city and seeing how people really live. It's a new level of poverty that I obviously had never seen in the US (duh)--everything seemed like the worst run-down parts of KC. It almost looked like Troost, and it would be hilarious to go back to my fellow Hyde Parkers and say that, of course.
At the top, we rang a friendship bell and I bought some touristy Philippine items back for everyone in my familia. Also, I met the other employee with my name, which was kind of cool.
THERE IS MORE THAT WE DID IN CEBU, WILL WRITE ABOUT IT IN A SECOND.
Well, I haven't aged 100 years, but I've gained 100 lbs. Not really, of course, but it feels like it. I want to get back to pre-pregnancy weight right away. Like...within a month. Am I crazy? Yes.
I think the topic of this was Cebu--I was going to blather on about how I met everyone from our other vendor--we'd talked over the phone but we were finally meeting for the first time. The whole name-to-face thing was a little weird, but I was so happy to meet everyone that I didn't mind. There wasn't much time to hang out, though, because we had to catch our flight to Cebu.
Tim and Kaili said I should only bring a carryon, so I stuffed my clothes into the smallest suitcase I could find (read: not small) and hoped for the best. We got in and through the massive lines at the airport and on our Cebu Air airline plane and after about 4 seconds, I fell asleep.
While I was sleeping, the flight attendants play games with you, like "Show me!" They announce: Who can find a red pen? and the first person to come up with a red pen from their belongings wins a stuffed animal or a packet of pretzels.
So, on the trip to Cebu, let's note that there was no sleep the night before, because we were working. There was no sleep in the morning because we were flying (though the 45 minute nap on the plane counts). Then we landed in Cebu, got picked up by a bunch of people from the Cebu vendor that I had never met. These people were mostly friends with the other two Americans I was traveling with, since they work in the same department, just across the globe from each other. They took us to our hotel and we were given from about 11 AM to 2 PM to sleep.
Yep. 3 hours.
So I took my 3 hours of nap and tried to enjoy the Cebu hotel. I didn't have to try hard at all---this hotel was just hands-down, a LOT nicer. It was the Cebu Marriot, attached to a shopping mall & movie theatre.
The pool was like a tropical paradise, with on-deck bar and it felt like I was in Hawaii. There were deck chairs and plush towels. There were about 10 US channels and the room service menu was way better. We had bathrobes and sandals and in-room massage options.
I should note that all of the in-room massage options are a fraction of the cost of any US hotel. Ie: $15 dollars for 30 minute massage all the time.
I took my precious hours of sleep, showered, and went down to starbucks and met the other two Americans. "I don't feel well," I said. "I just feel ....funny. Like dizzy or something."
"Just keep going and tell yourself that everything is going to be fine." They said.
Ok.
So we took the Vendor van full of employees and drove up a long series of steep cliffs until we made it to "Tops".
TOPS is pretty much the top of Cebu. When you get there, you can look out over the city and it's quite peaceful, pretty and you can see the ocean. The sidewalks are all in octogonal form with grass growing between the cracks. I was enthralled. It took about an hour to get to the top, but the drive was worth it. This was a real "third world" country experience, driving through the city and seeing how people really live. It's a new level of poverty that I obviously had never seen in the US (duh)--everything seemed like the worst run-down parts of KC. It almost looked like Troost, and it would be hilarious to go back to my fellow Hyde Parkers and say that, of course.
At the top, we rang a friendship bell and I bought some touristy Philippine items back for everyone in my familia. Also, I met the other employee with my name, which was kind of cool.
THERE IS MORE THAT WE DID IN CEBU, WILL WRITE ABOUT IT IN A SECOND.
Monday, October 1, 2012
What about all of the GOOD things?
I really do hate to sound like a whiner, talking about the bad things first.
The good things: A TRIP TO CEBU!
Cebu is the second largest city in the Philippines and is also home to another vendor site. It's where some of my coworkers were stationed about a year before me and promised to be good. I was told Cebuanos are nicer than Manila residents (undetermined?) but mostly I was promised that the hotel in Cebu is a LOT nicer than the one we stayed in.
The trip there was on my own $$$, of course, since no one told us to visit.
Ahh, crap. I am a little sleepy. I want to finish this blog, but I might also doze off for awhile and then finish it.
I know you won't mind!
The good things: A TRIP TO CEBU!
Cebu is the second largest city in the Philippines and is also home to another vendor site. It's where some of my coworkers were stationed about a year before me and promised to be good. I was told Cebuanos are nicer than Manila residents (undetermined?) but mostly I was promised that the hotel in Cebu is a LOT nicer than the one we stayed in.
The trip there was on my own $$$, of course, since no one told us to visit.
Ahh, crap. I am a little sleepy. I want to finish this blog, but I might also doze off for awhile and then finish it.
I know you won't mind!
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