Day 1!

After a very long journey, I've finally arrived in Manila!

I had heard mixed reviews about Saudi Arabian Airlines but I ended up liking them just fine! It helped that I got mysteriously bumped to an XXL business class seat for the second leg of the trip :)  It was like flying in a Lazy-Boy recliner!

Once I arrived & got my bags, Nathan, Sister Marygold (his uncle's caregiver) and his uncle's driver picked me up and whisked us off to Alabang village where we will stay for a couple days. The community is really beautiful, with lots of palm trees and gorgeous homes. It's nice to know that it will be here if ever we need to take a break from the rest of the city- it really feels like we're on a resort!

Tomorrow we'll seize the day, we have to buy cell phones, exchange currency, figure out our apartment- but for now I think I could sleep indefinitely. Of the 28 hour trip, I had only about 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I wasn't tired enough during the first flight and was way too excited during the second flight. It was beautiful to see some of the lush, mountainous islands of the Philippines as the plane was landing, followed quickly by my first taste of the insane driving that takes place in Manila! The initial adrenaline rush is beginning to die down and the sleepiness is hitting hard.

I'll post again once we're settled in our apartment and hopefully I'll have a better idea of what projects we'll be working on! We're planning on stopping into the office tomorrow or Tuesday.

Nathan, Kobe and Mr. Dadap at JFK before we left!

On the ground in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia Runs on Dunkin

Lunchbox for my layover! They came around and gave out dinner boxes too, which for veg was the same as the lunch. Luckily it was delicious!

Nathan's Lolo's house in Ayala Alabang, where we're staying for now