May 15, 2003
In Which I Wake Up and Find Myself 9,255 Miles From Home

After 28 or so hours flying and 3 stopovers, I finally arrived in the West Palm Beach International Airport at around 11:50 pm, May 15 Florida time. I groggily walked into the cool night air outside the airport and stepped into…uh, Cebu? The weather and the scenery was so like my island home that I was jolted awake. A cocktail mix of denial, jet lag, homesickness and culture shock is definitely stronger than caffeine.

June 15, 2003
In Which I Make New Friends and Discover American-style Hospitality

The past few days I’ve had the pleasure of…

…meeting cool Pinoys and Pinays who are living/working thousands of miles from home…
…making the acquaintance of a real Marine on the bus (and he’d been to Angeles and Olongapo too)…
…speaking broken Spanish to a real Spaniard, listening to French being spoken by a couple from Quebec, and being praised effusively by an Italian woman who waved her hands around when she talked …

I’ve also had the amusement of…
…being denied admittance to a disco because I didn’t have the proper ID…
…being asked by two complete strangers if I had a boyfriend (told them I had a husband )
…walking several miles to a McDonald’s to try the new McGriddles (didn’t have a ride that day, and I missed the bus!)…

July 27, 2003
In Which I Discover What Makes America the Capitalist Capital of the World

Two words…OUTLET STORES. Wheee!

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And so the adventure continues….

Posted under Navel-Gazing