I Made it Here!!

Hello All,

Well I finally made it here to the Philippines! I have been here for over a week now, and have been enjoying this country and people. Cecil and I are getting to know each other in person now!

I will post pictures soon, but at least found a few off the internet to show you for now. Here is my last week:


Thursday, April 2 -- I did not sleep, but waited up for my 330am taxi ride to Tulsa airport. Flew from Tulsa to Chicago. Ohare airport in very large and exciting. After reading in a restaurant for a 4 hour layover, I flew 13 hours to Tokyo, Japan! I did not realize we would actually fly over Canada and Alaska to get there! Tokyo airport is very nice and organized. You get Japanese feel with the language, food, and pampering stewardesses. Japan Airlines put me on Business Class!!

I arrived in Manila, Philippines Friday evening for an 8 hour layover. The airport was very hot and jam packed. I dared to jump on the free shuttle which took people across town to Manila's other airport (very nice) where I attempted some shut-eye, and for breakfast I had what is called a Soapo (show-paw)--large Chinese cake full of gravy and pork (mmm).

Saturday, April 4th -- flew to Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Stepping off the plane, I really felt a blast of heat and humidity. Finally met Cecil in person and rode to her house for a Filipino breakfast, and to meet her relatives.

A typical breakfast is fish, pork, rice, fruit, and juice, all very fresh, local, and organic, and very tasty!

I ate my first Chicken's Feet! Different but good. Their family butchered a pig for a dinner at a local resort in the evening--to celebrate Cecil's neice Abigail's high school graduation. Roasted pig skin really tastes like candy!


Sunday, April 5th Off to the beach, located on some family land near Cecil's childhood town of Guildaman, 2 hours east. We saw her "ancestral home," very old and in the family for generations and made of bamboo. Later, we attended the Latin Mass chapel in Daragay. Roosters kept crowing all around the chapel during Mass, I joked later it sounded like they were the choir.

Monday, April 6th We went to Abigail's high school graduation ceremony after doing some necessary shopping for sandals, sunscreen, etc. Abigail graduated # 11 in her class, which is high!
Later, we were invited to another celebratory dinner at a nicer resort/restaurant. Mr and Mrs Ghani (very traditional, well-mannered Filipinos, and well off) attended as well. They are close friends, like an uncle and aunt. I ate prawns and drank coconut juice from a coconut for the first time! Another first!

Tuesday, April 7th I went with Cecil to work, for what is called Visitation. Physical therapists travel into the country side and inner city to go to the home's of patients who have not been attending the clinic. Another first--seeing up close the poverty of people living in huts without utilities. When I gave them a dollar, they really smiled! It was very moving to see Cecil with the crippled children.

Wednesday, April 8th A rest day! I slept in, napped, and read, trying to recharge from my plane trip and 3 nights without sleep! More great filipino food at the family table--fish soup, noodles, egg white cakes, jelly rolls, pineapple and mango juice, grilled pork and squid...

At 630pm Cecil and I departed for Cebu, a city on a nearby island, to attend Holy Week services and a mini-vacation. While boarding the "fast craft," like a mini-cruise ship, tourists threw coins out into the ocean, and boys on primitive boats dove with mask and snorkel to retrieve them from the ocean floor. We enjoyed Business class, a cheap dinner and movie for our two hour boat ride.

Thursday, April 9th Today we attended a pilgrimage to a local shrine called Mama Mary, where a miraculous statue of Mary cries tears and is instrumental in many healings and conversions of pilgrim devotees. We stood in line for two hours, climbing to the top of a hill where the shrine/church/monastery was located. After taking off our sandals for respect, we entered the sanctuary of the holy statue and venerated the Blessed Virgin's image. Later we bought some souvenires to bring home to America!

Also, I was able to give a booklet on the traditional Latin Mass to the brother superior there at the monastery, though he was on retreat.

For lunch, the Ghani's, now back at their very refined, traditional filipino home in Cebu, treated us for a seafood lunch at an outdoor, covered diner just feet from the beach.

In the evening, we attended early choir practice and Holy Thursday Mass at Cecil's old parish, with prayers going into the early morning. Filipinos really pray long hours!

Each night I stayed in a "pension house" a cheap hotel. For just $50, I had a single bed room, well decorated, AC, cable TV, with contental breakfast, for 3 nights! Cecil stayed with her friend.


Friday, April 10th We did the traditional filipino holy week devotion called the Seven Churches, visiting seven consecutive churches as a kind of pilgrimage and penance. We saw some very beautiful churches, spanish style mostly. We saw a short show put on by two Augustinian brothers explaining the miracle of the Shroud of Turin (Jesus' burial clothe with his image and face on it).

Shared a fish sandwich at McDonalds between churches, and arrived back at church for Stations of the Cross, Veneration of the Cross ceremony, followed by Liturgy of Good Friday. Later we at in a tiny, hol-in the wall diner on the side of the road. For $3 we had a meal of fish, rice, veggetables, squid, water, and pop.


Saturday, April 11th Went shopping in the morning. Got 7 very good dvds and 1 Cd for under $20! For lunch we ate at Pizza Hut which is really fancy here with wine on the table! In the afternoon, we visited the famous Taoist temple. You climb several levels up a hill, 81 steps total, to different shrines to Chinese gods. The art, architecture, and colores were really beaultiful, but I could really feel the paganness of the place.

We arrived at 830 pm back at the Church of St. Pius V, for choir practice, Blessing of the Easter candle, Midnight Easter Mass, and a solemn procession lasting until 3am! Later, I slept like a baby.

Sunday, April 12th Cecil and I, Cecil's friend Felmar, and her brother and sister-in-law went to a very nice Chinese-style Filipino restaurant to eat scallops on the half shell, blood soup (made with pieces of solidified blood--tastey!), fish, fried pork but, and plenty of tropical fruit drinks.

In the afternoon we window shopped in the mall, and left on the fast craft at 430 pm to go back to Cecil's home island of Bohol.

That evening we ate at her house for a quiet evening, as some had gone out of town for a birthday party.

Finally, I settled into the house where I will stay for 7 more weeks!! Mrs. Lobod, a well off woman, owns this home even though she lives in Manila. Father Ghela, missionary priest, stays here when he comes to say Mass. There is a very nice private chapel I can use to pray, nice room, AC, refrigerator, and my own key!

I will post pics soon!

God bless,

Chris