Day One

Yes, we arrived in the Philippines safely and checked into our residence hall on UPLB’s campus-SEARCA dorm. Already there are many things that are quite different—little things that you don’t think about. For instance, there is no hot water, but who wants a hot shower when it’s 90+ outside anyway? Also, SEARCA is extremely open. As far as I can tell, they leave the doors and windows wide open without screens all the time. In this hot, humid climate strangely enough mosquitoes don’t seem to be a problem—I have probably seen three so far. What they do have though is plenty of lizards, as I discovered in the shower last night!

This morning, the sun woke me up and I had no idea what time it was since I don’t have a clock yet. I had gone to bed about 3:30AM and felt pretty rested, but to my surprise it was only 6:10AM! RJ and I went downstairs to eat breakfast and paid about $2 for a fried egg, 3 sausages, rice (of course!), and a glass of water which was a godsend since we have nothing to drink right now. After breakfast, we decided to do a bit of exploring on campus, which didn’t really last that long because of the heat. We saw the Thai Temple, some ginormous frogs, and the Maria Makiling Statue. 

 In front of the SEARCA Dormitory

 My room is pretty simple, but it has a ton of storage space and a private balcony!

 RJ in front of the Thai temple built by a princess that graduated from UPLB.  (This is where we saw the giant frogs, but I will spare you)

 One of the ornate woodcarvings that grace the ceiling of the Thai temple.

Me in front of the Maria Makiling statue on campus.

This afternoon, RJ's mom picked us up and took us out to lunch and shopping for the essentials.  Let's just say RJ and I have gained a new appreciation for water and toilet paper! The SM mall we went to was huge and there are customer service representatives everywhere! You barely pause and someone is right there asking if you need help. At the mall, RJ's mom bought us a box of bibingka, which is a baked rice cake. If you have ever had puto, it is similar except puto is steamed and bibingka is baked and more flavorful. 

After shopping, we went to RJ's aunt's house, and RJ and I both passed out for three hours on the couches- all that jet lag starting to kick in! RJ's aunt and uncle are both cardiologists, and at the dinner table they started talking about my light cough and asking me about it. By the end of dinner, I had been written two prescriptions and been examined with a stethoscope...definitely never had that done over a dinner table before!