Counting down

Hello again, Filippino fans, and welcome to another edition of the GSE Philippines Blog.
As the days remaining before we depart dwindle, we're furiously working to make sure all the paperwork, doctor's visits and other preparations are complete. We hit a little snag when we learned our visa applications had to be redone. But all seems well, and it looks like the trip will go forward as planned.
Last Saturday we met at Team Leader Doug's house to go over the cultural presentation which Laurie had put together. I for one was amazed with the quality job she did, and the rest of the team seemed impressed as well. She managed to take out notes (which were lengthy in my case) and combine them into a short, yet informative package. It won't be easy, trying to talk about education, industry, pop culture and family life in just 15 minutes, but with Laurie's help, the task has become much more managable.
We also got a look at our itinerary and where we'll be staying. We'll be arriving in Manila, then hopping a connecting flight to Zamboanga City, then taking a day off at the Jardin de Lavina Hotel. We'll be staying in the cities of Pagadian, Dipilog, Kabankalan, Bacolod, Antigue and many others. I'm sure each one will have a wealth of new experiences for us.
Last weekend I had an epiphany of sorts. I was walking through Boston when it hit me that pretty soon, the familiar sights and sounds would be gone. Not for good, mind you. Things like seeing the Boston nightscape or going to the pizza place near my apartment, catching a movie with my friends or making the morning drive to my office, all these experiences would be replaced by new ones. It's something I'm looking forward too. I traveled to Ireland in 2007, and since then I've had a great desire to see more of the world. Just three more weeks!

'Till next time, I remain your faithful Philippines correspondent,

Max B.