Making a Game of it

I was a David Letterman fan, especially back in high school. Do you recall the segments he used to do on Late Show with the guy in the bear suit? "Can a Guy in Bear Suit get a Hug?" or "Can a Guy in Bear Suit Get a Cup of Coffee?"
Today, I realized I am the girl in the bear suit. I stand out, I get lots of strange looks, and it is uncertain each time I go looking for something whether or not I am going to get what I'm after. I also kinda feel like I'm on a tv show a lot of the time.

Today's segment was: Can a Pregnant Foreigner Lady Buy 2 Cases of San Miguel Light? One minor frustration we've had here has been the inability to buy items in bulk, mainly beverages. Too many times I've been in the grocery line behind someone buying what appears to be 100 little bottles of water, or cans of Coke, or boxes of juice. Each one pulled individually from the cart and placed on the counter, each one individually scanned and placed on the other side, each one individually placed in the grocery bags. Lots of beeping. Lots of time waiting.

A friend of ours asked once for a 12-pack of beer, and they came back to him with a grocery bag with 12 individual beers in it. He paid and left, accepting the defeat.



So today, my challenge was to buy beer in bulk. They looked at me strange, they hesitated, but then... they went to the back of the store and brought me 2 cases of beer! VICTORY!!

 

I hope T and his friends enjoy this while the kids and I are in the US- after all the nail-biting suspense!

 

 

The Birth Plan

I recall writing a birth plan when we were expecting D. I think it involved favorite music, a big exercise ball (which, it turned out, I absolutely hated), and a preference to labor at home for as long as possible. Of course, none of those things actually fit very well into how it all went down.

This time, the plan is even more complicated. It will begin weeks earlier, include 4 international flights, and God-willing, will wrap up in a comfy hospital room in Des Moines, surrounded by friends and family.

We've decided to return to the US for the birth of our third child. We weighed all kinds of options. There are remarkable hospitals and doctors in Manila, Singapore, and Bangkok. But with the scheduled C-Section, a strong desire to spend the summer in the US, and a new little person who will need a passport to journey around the globe, we discovered the best option was just to go home. It also appealed to me that I'd do that trans-oceanic flight with just 2 kids on the way out, instead of 3. That fact made a big difference!

So the kids and I are heading back to Iowa on April 23. Just 2 little weeks away! And we'll chill there, recover from the flight, meet my new doctors, see family and friends. T will join us shortly before the birth at the end of May, and stay for a couple of weeks before he has to return to Davao for work. We'll rejoin him in July, with the new babe.

D will miss several weeks of school but we'll continue her studies through May and into the summer. Her teacher is supportive and excited for our family. C and I do a lot of home school already, so we'll continue with that too.

The kids and I are usually very much on the go during our US visits, but this trip will call for a slower pace. I am sure the long trip home will take a heavier toll than usual, and recovering from the journey will take some time. As we are staying for 3 months this time, rather than 6 weeks, we should have time to make our usual stops, but I'm not making any promises this summer. Creston will be home base and you making the trip to see us would be so appreciated!

We're planning a fun summer, hoping to sign the kids up for some summer fun in Creston with tball, bible school, and maybe a few other fun activities. Please let me know if you hear of something the kids would enjoy!

We'll see you all stateside Midwest friends and family!

More Fun in the Philippines

A few years ago I started seeing advertisements on TV for tourism in the Philippines. From the comfort and safety of my Thailand home, I found them to be very clever and it really did make me want to come here- for vacation.

The ads feature a photo, a little play on words, and the slogan, "More Fun in the Philippines." I think I read that there was a contest for the best entries and they have lots of cute stuff posted all over the airports. Here are a couple.

Who wouldn't want to come here?! Well, we've been here a little over 3 months now and while I believe there to be many beautiful vacation spots in this country, I'm  not a huge fan of living here.

It occurred to me that "fun" isn't really the word I'd choose. I have yet to find something here that is more fun than anywhere else I've been. And I've been trying REALLY hard to think of something.

So, when the trials of this location get to be a little much, I've decided to write about it and mix in a little sarcasm with my occasional, "More Fun in the Philippines" blog entries.

Today's entry would have to be "Neighborhood Welcome- More Fun in the Philippines," as we've just found out that it was our neighbors across the street who smashed all the windows with landscape rock (prior to our occupation of the house).

 The security guard at the gate forgot about the cover-up and told Tess the truth the other day. I'm guessing the owners didn't want us to know the truth as it's a bit unsettling. They were upset that the owner never went to them with the investment opportunity and so they smashed windows. I'm guessing we won't be invited to any karaoke parties! Dang.