The Philippines

In May of this year, I was lucky enough to travel to the Philippine Islands.  My significant other's grandmother passed away, so she needed to be transported back to her homeland.  She passed of old age in the beginning of May. Two weeks and a lot of stress later, I was on a 16-hour flight from San Francisco to the city of Manila in a country I knew relatively nothing about to pay homage to a woman I knew less about.  But I was honored to say the least.  My nerves would have gotten the best of me if I had not taken the recommended dosage of Dramamine-- I hate the idea of flying over an ocean, even more the idea of drowning.  The longest flight I was on previous to this one was the hour and 15-minute flight from Sacramento to San Diego, so this was a stretch.

Our flight ran smoothly; I realized I love airplane food and the bathrooms weren't as scary as I imagined, I learned I wasn't going to get sucked down with the waste.

It was surreal landing in a new country and the immediate lack of familiarity was overwhelming.  Stepping off the plane into what felt like a sauna with with wet air and beautiful jungle foliage was fascinating.  My hair went into an immediate frizz-ball and the smell of exhaust filled my nose.  Colorful "tricycles"and other public transportation vehicles called "Jeepneys" took up any and all roadspace, regardless of the lines that defined the lanes on the road.  I was in the Philippines!

The first and second week of the trip were completely opposite.  The first week was dedicated to honoring Grandma Eufrocina and praying daily for her safe passage to the afterlife.  The ceremonies were beautiful and not only shared the respects of the family, but of all the people in the village of Antipolo.  The night before her body was walked to the town's ceremony, the local band struck up music in celebration of her life and played in the village streets through the night while everyone, strangers and family alike ate and enjoyed each others' company. It was nothing like I'd ever seen before.

After that week's festivities, and after I got over a mean traveler's cold, the family took to shopping, sight seeing and more eating.  One of the most amazing experiences in that second week was the family booking a 60 person bus (that barely fit family members) and taking a drive to the Subic Bay to spend a day on the beach.  Yes, the water was clear and even though it rained, we were swimming in 90 degree weather.  It was paradise.

To those considering visiting the Philippine Islands; the time there passes slowly, don't bring a jacket and be prepared to be culture shocked!

Overall, the trip was life-changing.  Aside from new dresses, shoes, handbags and jewelry, I took home a new perspective of family values.  And that's like that credit card commercial says, priceless.