Safety. Sleep. SD Card.

First - the Canadian thing to do: talk about the weather. On Tuesday, I scraped the snow off Jaime's car, it had been snowing for two days, and it was -2. When I arrived in Manila it was approximately 35 degrees celsius.

Safety
The trip itself, was like any good trip - uneventful. That doesn't mean it was spectacular - Not moving out of my seat for 13 hours was a challenge, and the food was bad even for airline food. That and I didn't understand too many of the announcements. Even when they were in "English" I didn't know whether to put on my seatbelt or get ready to put on a parachute. The plane ride did serve to remind me that I had to put on my travel mind, or what some have called your "Asia Head". i.e. being cautious, watching your passport, remembering not to drink water, being careful who you talk to and who you tell what etc. - just being safe.


I was pleasantly suprised upon arrival in the capital of the Philippines - Manila - to learn that I didn't have to bargain for my taxi. Yes it is fun, but you always, always get swindled on the first taxi ride that you bargain for in a new country.


I made it to my hotel without incident. Two observations of many on the way: First, at least the capital appears to be quite clean, and well developed and second, for Monday's election here, the people are not too worried about who wins, but as long as someone clearly does, and that it goes off without a glitch. The hotel's bellhop was astonished when I told him that in Canada we usually know the results of an election the same day as the election.

Sleep
I was again pleasantly surprised upon arrival at my room. It was clean, quite, and secure. I then did something very uncharacteristic for my arrival in a new city- I slept for 8.5 out of the next 10 hours from noon until 10.

SD
This morning I'm eating a full "American" breakfast for 195 pesos or about $4.44 Canadian while waiting for my new employer to take me to my apartment. Before leaving I look in the safe in my room. I find an SD Card. Should I open it? Thoughts of Will Smith finding secret gov't documents go through my mind, yet I decide to look at it anyway. In addition to the random photos of a children's musical concert, and a crazy frog, I find a picture from my hotel window. I know this is a bit creepy, but I post it at the start of the blog anyway. My moral justification is that perhaps the owner of the SD will read my blog and know where they left the card. That and I am currently without my own Camera.

My next blog might be a few days since I won't have internet right away. I'm out for now. Stay tuned.

Luke