All three of us arrived safely in Baguio after 32 hours of moving over three days of traveling. Emily Jane didn’t get motion sickness until the last 3 hours of the trek.
We are all doing well. Jet lag put us in a fog, but we feel it lifting.
Everyone from PBTS is very helpful. We have taken several trips to the SM Mall to shop and to eat. We have also visited a few local grocery stores.
The books say, and some of you also gave us a heads up, that doing things takes much longer here. This is true. Yesterday we did some shopping for things like larger cups and an alarm clock. We also got cell phones. We probably should have planned for just one stop. Yesterday our trip was our first taxi ride to the bank to set up a checking account. Successful, though, we could not remember the name of the street the seminary is actually on. The street address we have is technically up the hill a ways. Luckily, we were able to get a hold of someone at the seminary with the right street name and make it home.
We are eating well. The food is very good in the canteen (cafeteria). It is the end of the term here so students are getting ready to leave campus. Ryan “set up” his office, which with all the books he brought took about three minutes.
This morning we are heading to a meeting at the Department of Health regarding ministry in the red light district.
As we move around Baguio, we’ve noticed everything is pretty much the same, just slightly different.
Traffic Signs
“Keep right except to take over” – clearly, “take over” means pass, but I couldn’t help thinking of us as a military coup the entire time we were driving out of Manila.
“Vertical Clearance 12.5m” – OK, teacher friends…I think we should have this just so our students might learn the difference between vertical and horizontal!
“U-turn slot” – sure enough, it’s a slot in the median for making u-turns
“Stay on your lane”
Finally, while not a traffic sign, there was a sign in the mall outside of the movie theater… “No Outside Food Allowed – Fried Chicken and Gravy, Noodles Pasta and Soup, Rice Meals, Bottled or Canned Drinks”
Coffee
There’s tons of it everywhere, but it’s all instant! Thankfully, they have instant perfected more than we do…it’s a real fine grind like the new via at Starbucks, as opposed to big granules. We haven’t had any luck finding a regular (large) sized coffee pot, either. We found one of the little ones you might have for one person at work. Those of you that have spent any time in or around Clarkland know that would never be enough for us.
Humidity
It’s humid, but it’s not hot. As a result, we’re not uncomfortable, but everything is damp. Our books were warped in less than 24 hours – they look like they’ve spent the week at the beach minus the sand. Dishes don’t dry in the drying rack. Dry towels? Not so much.
Department Stores
They sell everything you might imagine, including marching band drums! I kid you not, the store we went to yesterday had 3 sets of tri-toms and a set of quads.
the more drums you have in your life the better. i’ve heard
Thankful for your safe arrival! The comments on the humidity reminds me of my two weeks there. I could never keep my guitar in tune. I know you’ve received a royal welcome and pray for your efforts to get settled and engaged in your work there.
We thank God for you, Scott and Vickie Willis
Don’t forget to open or close your lights. That one always made me giggle. I don’t know how it is where you are but I remember trying to find bread quite challenging. And the fried chicken at McDonalds was quite a treat. Your photos and videos have really made me miss that place. I’m sure you’ve experienced the red ants that are everywhere and the lizards on the ceilings.
Praying for you!