Back from Manila

We got back from our teaching trip to the Philippines on Tuesday and are mighty glad that we have a few days break before we're on the road again for 2 weeks - first to Malaysia and then to Cambodia. Our time in Manila was fruitful. We had our friend, Dave Geisler, to teach alongside us. Jun Diverte, a local apologist there, was also with us.

It was the first time for both Dave and Brian to be in the Philippines and from their reaction and feedback, I am guessing that they loved it. In fact, Brian says that he prefers Manila over Jakarta. Oh, and on the second day we were there, there was an attempted coup. Apparently it took place at the Peninsula Hotel in Manila. As we were working all day in our hotel room, we had no idea of that until we turned on the tv in the early evening. By that time, all the action was over.

With Christmas approaching and the Philippines a predominantly Catholic country, the city of Manila was all adorned in twinkling lights and other familiar seasonal ornaments. It is understandable that both Dave and Brian enjoy Manila as so much there reminds me of So. Cal. For one, we drive on the right-side of the road. Then, there's the unambiguous reminder of the country's Spanish past - street names, buildings, names of Philippinos, Tagalog (official language of the country), etc - all bear semblance to the Hispanic imprint in So. Cal. We wished there were similarities in the food but alas, rice takes precedence. In fact, KFC here serves rice instead of mash potatoes as the default side dish. Go figure!

Here are some pixs from the teaching trip...