Just trying to get through this last week!

Sorry I haven't posted for so long. I just haven't had the desire to sit at the computer and write. I am in my last week here. I have 3 work days left. I leave here Friday morning at 11:15am. I will be back in SLC at 8PM Friday night. I am so excited to come home. I miss Melissa, my dog (Sydney), my cats (Sassy, Kato and Roxy), my bed, my family, my friends, real milk, American food and driving. I haven't drove in 6 weeks.

The day after I get back, I am playing in a softball tournament. I am excited for that. I didn't get to play fall ball at all since I have been in the Philippines since the fall season started.

While Melissa and Becky were here, we went to Boracay. Let me just say it was a journey. Besides the typhoon that was coming ashore, we got moved from Boracay island to Caticlan island in fear that we wouldn't be able to make our flight back to Cebu.

When we get to Caticlan island, we stay in this place called Torres Lodge. Let me just say, I think sleeping in my dogs house in my backyard would have been better. Besides the roaches and leaking roof, it was amazing! Not really. I wasn't really amused about this at the time. Therefore, I dont have any pictures to document the horrible place we stayed. I was so happy when we left there to go to the airport.

I have put more pictures up on my Flickr account. Check them out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckbeau/sets/

I may not blog again for a while since I am coming home! But, until I blog again, ROCK ON!

Trip to Bohol

Hello from the Philippines! So Melissa and Becky Brown made it here and we have been so busy I haven't even had time to upload my pictures. I did get a few uploaded. Check them out here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckbeau/

As soon as they arrived at the airport last Saturday, we picked them up there and went straight to Cebu Port to catch a ferry to Bohol. After 25 hours of travel, I am sure the girls were more than excited to go straight from the airport to the ferry for a 2 hour boat ride. Once we got to Bohol, we checked into our hotel and chilled for a while. The beach there was amazing. The sand was so soft. The tide was way way way low so we didn't snorkel much. So we decided to just wade out into the water. Well about 3 minutes into that I hear Melissa, "owie owie owie". As she is trying to get back to the beach I go over to her. She has stepped on a sea urchin and has 2 thorn like items in her foot. So, we sit down and send Tonya and Becky B to get something to try and get it out. The lifeguard came over and put ammonia on them. This didn't pull them out of her foot but made them soft so they would just dissolve. To this day (5 days later) they are still in there but not hurting anymore.
On Sunday we hired a driver to take us on the Bohol tour. Our first stop was Chocolate Hills. When we get there, we decide to rent some ATVs with a guide.

We had an amazing time. Here are a few pictures of what we saw.

Kid just playing in the tree.

More kids! They loved to see us and waved and were yelling hello!
Ox working hard. The ox stunk so bad.

Chocolate Hills

So we had a great time in the Chocolate Hills. I really liked seeing the rice fields and the locals just hanging out and working and playing. Our buggy broke down but you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful place to break down. We were broke down for about 30 minutes. It was amazing!

After Chocolate Hills, we got back in the van and went on a river tour for lunch. The food was pretty good and the scenery was amazing as well. After this we went to see the worlds smallest primate. They are called Tasiers. They are so tiny. Check out my Flickr account for pictures.

We are going to Boracay this weekend. It should be more chilling on the beach and just hanging out. I am sure I will have tons of pictures from there as well.

So, until the next time I blog, ROCK ON!

Melissa should be on her way shortly

So Melissa and Becky Brown will be on their way in about 7 hours or so. I can't wait to see them. We are doing some travelling this weekend so I will post the pictures Tuesday or Wednesday. They get here Saturday morning Philippines time at 11:30AM. We then have to catch a ocean jet to Bohol. We have to leave the hotel by noon to get to the port in time. It will be rush rush for them. I will get everyone updated on the trip once we get back!

Until I blog again, ROCK ON!

Snorkeling

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I have been busy working and snorkeling. The ocean here is amazing beautiful. If the video below is blurry, I apologize.

Check out my other videos on YouTube of snorkeling and wakeboarding and many other things. Simply click HERE!

I plan on going out and about this weekend to see more of the island. Now that my traveling buddy Tonya is here, I feel safer going out! Please watch for more videos and pictures.

Until I blog again, ROCK ON!!!

My Food

We get free breakfast every morning. The breakfast is pretty good. Although things here are a bit different. They do offer most American foods. They do offer sushi for breakfast. I have been taking advantage of this since technically breakfast is actually my dinner.

After I eat some sushi and egg and a little ham, I head back to get a homemade waffle. I think they may be the best waffles I have ever had. There is this cute guy that makes them for me every morning. His name is Mark and unfortunately, he leaves as of tomorrow to go to night shift. So, this morning I had eaten my sushi and egg and was starting to get up from my table to go get me a waffle. As I start to stand this is what I see.

But, he has a plated waffle for me. He had cut up a fresh mango and banana and put it on the plate along with a little bit of butter and syrup. I am going to miss Mark in the morning.

I also went to the grocery store over the weekend.

I didn't have much time as I had to catch the shuttle back to the hotel after shopping. I did get the essentials though. Stuff to make PB&J's, candy, Coke and Redbull. What more does one need to survive here? I wish I would have bought some sort of salty treat though. I crave it and do not have it. I am going back to the store in the morning though.

I have been snorkeling more. The pictures I have taken are mostly the same as I already have on file with Flickr. However, there are a few more on there of the local area and the way it looks. The "real" side of Cebu Philippines. Where the locals hang out and live. Check them out!

I miss home. I miss Melissa and our animals. I miss all my family, friends and hanging out. I will miss NFL football this next weekend. We do get the Sunday night game on TV over here and it is actually "live". So, at least I get to watch some American sports. I have also been watching all of the US Open. It is on live when I am awake for work. Since I haven't worked the last 2 nights due to it being the weekend, that is all I have watched.

I am having fun and getting lots of rest on the beach.

Until I blog again, ROCK ON!

My Class

Here is a picture of the class I am teaching. The gentleman sitting to the left of me in the white shirt is Reg. He is the other trainer here with me. The class is very polite and courteous. I am enjoying the time I get to spend with them.

I don't have anything planned after work today. I think I may try to hit the gym an try to work out. Other than eating McDonalds everyday for lunch, I have not been eating much junk food. Since I don't have Beans & Brews, I am not drinking the huge coffees I drink 2 times a day when I am back home. I think this is helping me lose a few pounds. At least I feel like I have lost some weight. It is probably all in my head though. Well, not much more to say at this point.

Until my next blog, ROCK ON!

Lunch

So it is 3AM here and we just went to lunch. We went to JolliBee which is the equivalent to McDonalds. So I ordered a burger, fries and drink. The burger wasn't all that good so I decided to purchase the 5 shangai roll meal. It comes with rice and 5 spring rolls. As we are walking out of the place there is a kid that can't be all but 13 years old, possibly younger. He was going table to table picking up scraps of chicken bones and eating what he could get off of them. He was picking up the left over cups and glasses and drinking what was in the cups. He was really dirty and didn't have any shoes. Remind you, it is 3AM here. What is a 13 year old kid doing in the streets at this time of day? I asked him if he was hungry and he said yes. I felt so bad for him. I gave him my to go order of spring rolls and rice. It brought a tears to my eyes to see this little kid going through such hardship. I know most of you don't think I have feelings like this. I am a tough girl!!!

One of my co-workers (Tony) served his LDS mission here. He was with me. He told me that this is very normal here and there are many "street kids" like this. They do not have parents to take care of them. I don't know why these children don't have parents. They could have died in some war over here or simply couldn't afford to have the child living at home. All I do know is it makes me appreciate the great family I have at home. I am grateful for my parents (Mom and John) for taking care of me so well as I grew to be an adult. For the guidance they gave me to make the right choices in my life. I may not have made all the right choices but I am not in prison or dead.

I am grateful for all my siblings (full, step and half). We may not all see eye to eye but I know I love them for their open minds and for taking me as I am.

I am also very grateful for my girlfriend Melissa. I do not know what I would do without her and I am so excited for her to come visit me here in Cebu. The last 7 years of my life with her have been wonderful. I can't wait to see what the next 7 brings and the next 7 after that.

The next time I am home and I get upset that I do not have a Coke or a gallon of milk to drink, I will be grateful that I can hop in my truck and drive about 1 mile to Harmons and get whatever it is I need. That I have the money to feed myself and buy the items I need to live. I wont get upset with Melissa for not mowing the lawn. At least I have a lawn to mow.

I think that is the most open I have been about my feelings on just about anything on the internet. It was very touching to me and made me realize just how much I have in my life.

Until next blog, ROCK ON!