Missing Manila?

I spent the first year of my time in Manila resisting. I resisted the traffic, having a driver, the check out process, the stomach illnesses, and the polluted air. I was exhausted by the quest for groceries, atttempts to go out to dinner, and my wish to practice yoga in a studio. I was so mired in the difficulties that I could not apprecitate the postive aspects of life in Manila. When we returned from my OB MED evac to Florida with our eight week old baby, I mellowed. I wasn't going anywhere anyway, so the traffic didn't bother me as much. I fully appreciated having domestic employees to help with housework and allow me personal time. Tony the driver also became our dog walker, all around errand doer, and furniture-putter-togetherer, and I accepted that it really was nicer to chill in the backseat instead of battle with 20 million other people for space on Roxas, EDSA, and Buendia. I discovered that I could have clean, organic produce and other groceries delivered, and decided that if I wanted imported cheese I was going have to live with it being just a little bit, well, moldy. And now that I'm back in DC, I can't believe it, but I'm MISSING Manila. No, not the moldy cheese and the pollution and the Dengue fever, but I came to really like my life there, and I miss it. I imagine that as soon as I settle in to DC, we'll be off to Albania, and the process starts again. I'll be in Tirana reminiscing about the time I paid $15 for a beer. So what is consistent in life in the FS? Not your stuff: Delta might misplace it or it will arrive covered in mildew. Perhaps the most consistent aspect of a mobile life as a US Diplomat is the community. Having only been back for a month, we've already reunited with several friends from A-100, and many of our closest Manila friends, and everyone is the same. People have babies, live in exotic places, and change jobs, and they are still the core group of awesome people that make life in the FS something to miss.

Good morning, America!

Or is it evening? Don't ask me; I have a 9 mo old baby trying to adjust to a twelve hour time change. Baby jet lag: a reason to bid on the western hemisphere. -- 4/5 of the Mobile Home Family has repatriated into the US, waiting for one forlorn family member to meet the requirements of his TED and join us in DC, where we will spend a year in training at FSI. Brian will be learning Albanian, and Kyle and I will be taking advantage of everything NoVa and DC have to offer: Trader Joe's, fresh air, glorious, tree filled parks, and huge, shady off leash dog parks. Most of our closest Manila friends are also in DC for training, and we will be rejoining with friends from A-100. I'm looking forward to it. -- I am not thrilled about leaving my part time job at CLO, and my full time yaya behind in Manila. I love spending so much time with my baby, but I am not used to never having a break from baby care. Elmo turns out to be a miracle worker. When I really need 15 minutes to eat, use the restroom, or just stare at the wall, Best of Elmo 2 comes to my rescue. Kyle has never been an easy sleeper, and add a huge time change and a lot of home hopping into the mix and you have a baby who won't sleep in a crib. So far every nap has either been in arms or in the stroller. He's in the stroller right now, which is allowing me to write this post. -- The next few months will be an interesting identity shift for me. Before we had Kyle, no one EVER asked me if I were a housewife. Now that there's a baby, suddenly I'm a homemaker, even if I'm working part time. I guess before I was just a lucky duck, traveling the world with Paycheck (as my friend Nick affectionately refers to our spouses), and our dogs. Fine, I accept my role as a 24-7 caregiver, and my salary is the money we are saving by not bringing our yaya with us to DC. It was my decision to not bring our nanny with us--without a job I simply couldn't justify the cost, and hopefully we will find a good caregiver in Albania so I can work. -- And he's up, so off I go.

Honey, have you checked the sh*tter?

New Zealand's South Island, a fantastically gorgeous place like nowhere else on earth. Where you can gaze at crystal clear, tropical blue water set against snow capped mountains, and enjoy it at comfortable 65 degrees. Where you can drive from a rain forest to a semi-arid clime in a few hours. And where you can eat the best apples I've ever tasted.

the view from the road

A city park in Wanaka, and an unexpected delight when baby + mountain roads + campervan prevented us from making it to our intended destination.

Hanging with an airplane

The view from the road

 Simply stunning Milford Sound (which is not a sound, but a fjord).

Blue mist, and the view from Milford Sound Lodge/Holiday Park.

Wow.

Fiordland National Park

Still in Fiordland National Park

 Mt. Cook/Aoraki

Campervanning the South Island with a 7 mo old: where you can hit your knee on the same protrusion about a 1000 times, pull over about 2000 times to let everyone else pass (except the other 1000 campervans), and go on a search for a waste dump, because not all holiday parks provide them.

http://youtu.be/4fyS5CLBgyM

We had a great time, ate delicious, fresh food (although I'm back to not eating red meat again--I'm afraid I might have met my meal), witnessed the sedative effect of pure, fresh air on a baby, hiked a little, drove a lot, and rested our Manila-fatigued eyes on the beauty of the South Island.

Other than staying a week longer and not being harassed by officious Quantas flight attendants to use the incomprehensible baby seat belt, I wouldn't have changed our trip at all. And any R & R with a baby, sans yaya, is likely to be more Running than Resting.

United Airlines vs. Four-Legged Foreign Service Family Members

At best, United Airlines' decision to exclude Foreign Service employees from the pet transport waiver it granted the military is disrespectful, indicating a complete disregard for the work of the State Department and its employees deployed abroad. United's language is insulting, as they are granting the waiver to the DOD “in recognition of the commitment made by members of our military and the family members (including the four-legged ones) who share in their sacrifice." Because of course, diplomacy has no role whatsoever in the the US's relationship with the rest of the world.  

United's decision will certainly result in many Foreign Service pets finding themselves without a home. Most families can't afford the $3000+ it costs to ship a pet as cargo on a federal employee's salary. If you use a top quality pet shipper and fly your pets on KLM (which treats animals humanely), add another $2000 to the bill.

At worst, it will result in many medium and large sized dogs being abandoned in foreign countries or spending more than two days in transit, being cared for by people who may or may not bother to let the dogs out of their crates in the course of these two days. At absolute worst, it may result in the deaths of pets who are not handled properly, are delayed, or are misdirected while in transit. A dog-loving friend of mine swore she'd never ship her dogs as cargo again after she arrived at the airport to find someone else's German Shepherd waiting for her. By some miracle, she knew the Shepherd's owner, who had received her dogs.

When pets fly as baggage, they follow the same flight plan as their humans, which is, at most, around 25 hours of travel when flying to Asia, and it only costs between $200-300 per pet, a reasonable expense for most families. You can ask a flight attendant to confirm your pet is on board, and they are waiting for you at customs, where you can take them out of their crates for a potty break.

The following is a video created by a family whose husband and father has volunteered to serve in a war zone, and who, when reunited with his wife and children in a year, will be forced to separate from his canine family member if United is the only American carrier available at their next post. According to United, a Foreign Service tour in Yemen/Islamabad/Kabul/Cuidad Juarez is a sweet deal. 



You might think that having a baby has distanced me from my dogs, and although I won't deny that it has changed my relationship with them, Kyle's relationship with Julie has only strengthened my desire to have dogs always be a part of our family. Kyle laughs out loud at the sight of Julie--how could I ever deny him this pleasure? In addition, having a pet teaches children compassion, responsibility, and to be comfortable with animals. When we leave Manila we will not be affected by United's new policy, but getting the dogs in to Albania may be more difficult.

Whether or not you care about Foreign Service families, if you care about animals, please advocate for our dogs by speaking out against United's discriminatory policy. You can contact AFSA, AAFSW, or even your local animal rights group. If you have any doubts about how much Foreign Service families love their pets, check out Foreign Service Tails.

Gotta love the yaya

Nine months later, I finally drag myself back to the computer (or rather, an iPad) and decide it's time to write a blog. A lot has happened in nine months. Six months ago, the mobile home family welcomed a beautiful baby boy! We chose to go home to have the baby and were in Florida for 4 months over the summer and early fall.
Having a baby has significantly changed by perspective on Manila: love our yaya. In addition to loving the fact that I can work part time knowing that my baby is safe and happy at home with his wonderful caregiver, Filipinos welcome babies everywhere! On the plane home from Hong Kong two weeks ago' my 6 month old was active and fussy, but I had plenty of volunteers in the surrounding seats taking turns entertaining the baby. Awesome.
Having a baby has also helped me learn to let go of the little things, a mandatory skill for a life in the foreign service. I just don't have the energy to fret about little things. Maybe that will change when he's older and I'm getting more sleep-
Our next post is Albania. Another 20% hardship, but hopefully one that is hard in different ways from this one. I've learned how to cope with many things about life in Manila that used to irritate me endlessly. For example, traffic is always bad here. How to cope? Don't go anywhere. Seriously. Or rather, be content with going to the one restaurant that's close to you frequently, and make do with whatever the one nearby grocery store is selling. Or even better, order it online at the thegreengrocermanila.com and go to the grocery store as little as possible.
Anyone reading this in the US or at a non hardship post probably thinks I'm nuts, but this is what works for us.
In Albania, the air will be cleaner, there will be mountain views and parks, and the population will be 500,000 instead of 11,553,427. I will still have trouble getting to the grocery store, and when I get there, won't find anything I need. I do not look forward to our next post with rose colored glasses, or beer goggles, depending on your preference, but I hope that I will keep my skill of letting the little things go.

Organic Vegetable Delivery in Manila!

Dear MPF Clients,

My Personal Farmer is proud to announce and share the wonderful news we received. We just received the water analysis report from the Philippine Pesticide Control stating that our water irrigation up and downstream have no trace of chemicals (report attached). "ND" on the results portion means there are no pesticide residues.


Organic farming isn't just about chemical-free pesticides and using chemical-free fertilizers.  To achieve 100% Organic Farming is also about having access to a water source that is chemical-free.  Having clean and safe water irrigation is VITAL as it has the power to fight disease and save lives. My Personal Farmer has safe water irrigation for its crops and sustenance of its livestock.  With us you can guarantee that you and your family's health are in good hands.

Photo:  My Personal Farmer's Reservoir, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

My Personal Farmer sticks true to its claim- we grow 100% ORGANIC and CHEMICAL-FREE vegetables.  From our pesticides to our fertilizer and to our water source.

Share this good news with your friends and family.  At My Personal Farmer your health is our priority.

Note: For more newsletters, you may visit:  My Personal Farmer - Farmer's Notes - Letters from Renee

--
Donna N. Asistio

My Personal Farmer
Mobile:  +63 (918) 914 3759
Office/Fax: + 632 894 2243
Website: www.mypersonalfarmer.net
Email: donna@mypersonalfarmer.net                                    
  "Heal the Land, its Farmers, and You"
    

The No Fear Approach to Manila

If you are interested in reading more about Manila, I encourage you to visit Here and There, a blog written by friends of ours who aren't afraid of polluted air and little things like flood waters. Enjoy!