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Japanirific
Sitting in Narita International Airport waiting for my flight in three hours to San Fran. I’m saddened that there won’t be a return trip to appreciate the amazing beauty of the Japanese women.
It was very hard walking out of work today. I nearly cried. I was an emotional wreck. I tried to say goodbye to everyone, but that didn’t work out. I still have an empty feeling in my stomach although that may be connected to my hunger. Just kiddin’.
Farewell Manila…
This is the final post of the Leaving Las Manila series in which I talk about things I’ve missed, things I’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as I reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005. This is a fictional recreation of what my goodbye looks like. Some truth is found here but there is also pieces of invention in this. Hence, “Fiction”. This is the last post I’ll probably do until I land in Denver. Until then, enjoy.
The silence of the moment surprised him. The hours had passed quickly at a breakneck pace. The sun was nearing the horizon as the darkness anxiously waited in the wings. The room was empty and cleansed of the memories from the past year. The room was at it had been when he had walked in the door that warm day in March. Hot and sticky with sweat on his brow he had found relief in what he saw.
Now he looks around feeling the pang of emptiness gnawing at the corners of his heart. The clothes have been neatly arranged in the bags and stuffed in preparation for the long flight across the globe. The belongings, reminders and personal affects are all zipped up in the luggage he stares at now.
This and That
This is just a meandering post that has so much random stuff in it…
As the countdown continues towards departure I’m nearly complete in my packing, cleaning and readying for leaving. I’ve said goodbye to my young adults group (it was just about as hard as saying goodbye to my kids in Children’s Ministry) and made my final trip out of Makati back home. It was a small moment for me driving out of the city knowing I wouldn’t be back.
Walk with me
This is a part of the Leaving Las Manila series in which I talk about things I’ve missed, things I’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as I reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005. Take this opinions for a grain of salt. They are not fact or statements of any kind of position of a company or call center. It’s just my brain trying to process ideas. Capiche?
There are days where I wonder if I’m really human anymore. Like if my muscles and nerves have suddenly transformed into a cybernetic robotic machine that drones through the workday, eyes glowing red with maniacal focus. Working the graveyard can do this to you.
The Long Goodbye
This is a part of the Leaving Las Manila series in which we talk about things we’ve missed, things we’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as we reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005. Take this opinions for a grain of salt. They are not fact or statements of any kind of position of a company or call center. It’s just my brain trying to process ideas. Capiche?
It’s time to come home. With four days left (and one of those is today, Sunday) I’m starting to really feel the feelings of leaving and never coming back. It’s a bittersweet feeling that has been with me for the last few days. Today was the hardest so far and it’s not going to get easier I get on the plane and soar above the ocean on the way home. You see, today I had to say goodbye to my kids.
I’ve been working at children’s ministry for ten years now and have loved every minute of it. When I came out here I had to say goodbye to my kids at my old church and that was hard. I had been there for ten years doing God’s work and loving the kids. To leave them for a year and a half was hard.
The Fellowship of the Call Center
This is a part of the Leaving Las Manila series in which we talk about things we’ve missed, things we’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as we reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005. Take this opinions for a grain of salt. They are not fact or statements of any kind of position of a company or call center. It’s just my brain trying to process ideas. Capiche?
The Outsourcing world can be a unforgiving mistress at times. She doesn’t give much of an inch and usually shoves back with the strength of a few rhinos. To say she is tempestuous is understating the simple facts of the case. She can (and usually does) exact a terrible toll on both your mind and body in the time you spend at her side.
It’s not unusual to have a case of flashing vertigo. It comes around usually every hour and lasts for fifteen seconds bursts. It doesn’t send you to your knees but it does make your world wobble a bit to the side. It’s not unusual to gain weight. The stress, the emotional pieces it exacts from your heart and the general fun that goes along with working outside your home country can lead you to stress eat to relieve the giant monkey on your back.
The reality of goodbye
This is a part of the Leaving Las Manila series in which we talk about things we’ve missed, things we’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as we reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005. Take this opinions for a grain of salt. They are not fact or statements of any kind of position of a company or call center. It’s just my brain trying to process ideas. Capiche?
With just over a week left before I say goodbye to this country I’m in between emotions of celebration and mourning. I’m filled with sadness at having to walk away from some good friends and amazing people. The bittersweet taste of knowing I may never see Manila or the Philippines again fills my mouth every day as I walk through my normal frenetic rhythm.
You can’t save everyone
This is a part of the Leaving Las Manila series in which we talk about things we’ve missed, things we’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as we reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005. Take this opinions for a grain of salt. They are not fact or statements of any kind of position of a company or call center. It’s just my brain trying to process ideas. Capiche?
Living in Manila (aka living in Quezon City, a city in “Metro Manila”) you have to deal with something you experience in the United States. Beggers. Children who say, “sir, sir money please.” and simply give you the most heartbreaking looks any small child could find deep in the skin they live in. But the difference is that here in this place it’s much more prevalent and at times overwhelming you simply have to adopt the unfortunate stance of “No” to everyone asking you for money. It’s hard, but you can’t save everyone.
Honor
This is a part of the Leaving Las Manila series in which we talk about things we’ve missed, things we’ll miss and whatever else comes to mind as we reflect on heading home since arriving here in the Philippines in October of 2005.
I don’t think I’ve honestly talked enough about my cousin Seth and how cool he is. Seth was born twenty days after me (same year and everything) and we grew up as cousins. There is an incident that I will never be able to forget. I don’t actually totally remember it, but my mom and his mom remind us every so often.
We were like six or some young age in the car on our way to something. We passed a river (or was it a lake, heck if I remember) and I (or Seth) remarked, “It’s a lake!”. Then Seth (or I) said, “No, it’s a river!”. The arguement continued all the way up to wherever we were going. On the way back we once more took up the issue only this time we argued opposite of our original position on the ride up.
Wide Open Weekend
This is part of a ongoing series as I countdown the last few days until I depart this dream of a place, Manila. I’m talking about my experiences both good and bad.
The weekends are like heaven. They are the lagoon in the parched desert. They offer a small window to shuffle off the sand and mud of the work week and breath the fresh (yet heavily polluted) air of those Manila Nights. It is in those two days I find myself at peace.
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- @ElisabethRappe which is still pretty frackin' sweet if you ask me...;)
- End of my night. Good night - RT @bandgirlcg522 http://twitpic.com/17epnw - I think it is safe to say that this is totally awesome.
- @T_LaRue Colorado FTW - http://bit.ly/cXujKv 7 The Boulder Event - http://bit.ly/9igYZx
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Live from the 303 by Aaron DeLay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. -
