After staying for 3 weeks in the US, which was amazing, I spent one day in Thailand before going to the Philippines. It wasn't an ordinary day, however, because it was the end of the biggest holiday in Thailand. Songkran Festival, which is the Thai New Year and water throwing festival, is April 13-15. I went to a pottery village with some friends that day, but I got soaked coming and going when I was in the bus. As you can see from the picture, you're not really safe anywhere you go. People stand on the sides of the streets with buckets of water and Super Soakers poised to spray everyone who passes by. They also throw water in open bus windows and sometimes put a tan-colored powdery mud-like substance on people's faces. It's a really fun holiday and throwing water is very appropriate because April is the hottest month of the year, with temperatures in the 100s.
After my one day of celebration, I went to the Philippines for my friend's wedding. Her father and brother are officers in the military and they stay on a military base in Manila. I stayed on the base with their family. The wedding was beautiful. After the wedding, we went to their house in another province and then went to a beautiful mountainous area called Baguio City. I decided to take a souvenir photo in a traditional costume because the proceeds benefited a senior citizens' group in the area. Not wanting to take the picture by myself, I asked the older women (who were also dressed up) to join me in the picture. I had to pay for that too, but the total price was less than a dollar and it went to a good cause, so I decided it was a good idea. I've never seen a souvenir photo for that cheap in the US (I did use my own camera for the picture, which I think contributed to the low price:).
I spent a few more days in Manila with a different friend from my church in Thailand after that. We had a great time and visited another beautiful mountainous area outside Manila. I managed to escape eating the Filipino delicacy "balot" yet again, which I consider a big accomplishment. Balot is a fertilized egg in which the chick is about ready to hatch. They enjoy eating the baby chick. I think I'll pass. I did eat ube jam, which is made from purple sweet potatoes. Although I wouldn't usually put potatoes in jam, it was very good.
I'm back in Bangkok now and preparing for my first day of a new school year tomorrow. Back to the classroom!
