Christmas Miracle

What can I say about the miracle that is being in the Philippines right now?
I can start by saying that Kelly and I are definitely having the culture shock we couldn’t register in China. I guess culture shock has more to do with your expectations than the culture you’re actually experiencing. The city of Beijing, with its buildings and traffic, stores and restaurants, did not feel so different from NYC. I think that’s why we slipped into living there, month after month, adjusting to menu-pointing and the art of mime.

It’s hard to explain, but walking around the Philippines is both completely different and welcomingly homelike. The English is the first incredible difference. I feel like I’ve been given super powers. I’m amazed just walking around and reading store signs, or leering out windows and catching billboards as they fly by. I know what that means! That’s saying something…to me! I feel invincible, like I can wander around somewhere and not have to worry about getting lost…because I could ask for directions! Beautiful!

Unfortunately, Kelly and I have been interacting with English –speaking strangers like we’ve been recently released from the wild. We’re so used to mime and pointing that we’re confusing words and our tone and deliverance needs some serious work. I’m still talking about people like they can’t hear me, which is a very dangerous game in a crowd. By habit I’m still gesturing wildly with my hands and arms to waitresses that must be thinking, “I’m not an idiot, you spoiled American.” But actually, the other amazing culture “shock” here is how incredibly nice everyone is. Those waitresses are probably thinking, “wow, this person talks expressively” and keeps a smile on herher (At first I was put off by the “ma ‘am” thing, which I’ve been getting from everyone here, but now I realize it’s a respectful greeting, and not an indication that I’ve gotten seriously older since I left for China.)

There’s the shock of the weather, of course, that is so warm Kel and I had to buy dresses upon arrival. I had a serious cold in Beijing, and was up to a pack a day – of tissues. Here I can finally breathe again. (What’s so interesting and ironic is that this is the Philippine cold season, and the family we stayed with actually had coughing colds.)

The other major shock is just the color. I feel like I’ve been in Kansas and have finally stepped out into the Technicolor world. The greens are greener than I ever remember. The flowers, pink, yellow, orange, purple, just vibrant against the lush green. I’m sitting on our balcony overlooking the ocean, and there are more shades of blue and green in the water than I remember from my many memories of the sea.
This is not an advertisement for the Philippines (because I’m not yet getting paid for this), nor is this meant as a dig on China, or discrediting my time there. I’m just really amazed at how, regardless of time zones, this feels like the other side of the world.