The breakfast buffet at the hotel before we moved. I credit it with helping me learn a little about Filipino food. I was able to try a little bit of many things, and I now have more confidence in restaurants.
We have internet again! I didn't think I cared that much, but I'm using our Chromecast to stream Netflix, and I realized it's been far too long since I've seen all three boys sit completely still and silent at the same time. Far too long! Sweet Netflix, never leave me again. Even if you are Filipino Netflix, and I can't trick you with an American VPN because you're too smart for that, I will take you for what you are (despite our missing Pokemon shows.)
Sooo, we moved out on a Monday a couple of weeks ago? The embassy shuttle and movers came and got me and the kids and our 10 bags and 3 car seats and 5 carry ons and dragged it all over to our Little Home in the Sky. The usual madness that always ensues when you move happened, of course. Just about nothing in the kitchen or laundry room worked, all for different reasons, but 3 different sets of people from the building came up throughout the day, and we got it sorted out. I figured it would happen, so I was pretty resigned.
I'm learning that the Embassy community is a great thing. We get alerted when new people move into the building, and two families came over right away to meet us. One family brought muffins, and the other brought a book of paper airplanes. We've had multiple offers for playdates. Traffic is so bad in Manila that there is very little going on for kids after school hours or in the evenings, so kids wander these buildings, swimming, riding their scooters around the pool, kicking balls. It is it's own neighborhood, and I am really grateful that God provided this spot for us. The boys can make friends, even without being at the local international school.
We're eating out more than we usually do as a way to learn our local neighborhood and get used to the food. This area is very urban, but it's a newer part of Manila, and its been designed to be pretty walkable. We can walk to more than one mall, a ton of restaurants, and some little parks and trails. There are very few playgrounds, and I'm resigning myself to that. The only traditional playground we've seen is at a church we've attended.
Because so many people speak English here, and the signage is in English, it can be disorienting. I am almost more likely to get irritated because I will expect something to be the same, and it just isn't. The first day that we got here, I had accidentally left our lunch stuff at the hotel, so I decided to walk us around the corner to the local McDonalds. We got there, and I immediately realized I'd made a mistake. I was tired, and this was going to take more adjustment.
Thought a lot on the menu is the same, some of it is different. The prices are in Filipino pesos, and the kids could pick their happy meal toy from a selection of something like 10 toys. It was crowded, and I was overwhelmed, but at this moment, the boys came through. Seth found a seat for everyone, and Evan helped me carry things. I was reminded why we can do this in a way that would've been unthinkable even a year ago.
The boys are being troopers, and I'm so grateful for that. They are rising to the challenge, and sometimes they put me to shame with their flexibility and excitement. Other times, there are tears from all of us, and it's hard to get the day on track. But hey, one day at at time.
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