What to do with all these mangoes in Manila?
Tag: Expat Life
Christmas in the Philippines
Christmas this year came in between two long stretches of rain. While many friends and family back home were bundled up for a white Christmas, we were breaking out the umbrellas and boots. We didn’t let that dampen our spirits, though. This was the fourth year we’ve spent the holiday outside of the United States….
One Month in Manila
This Monday marks one month since we arrived in the Philippines. The last four weeks have flown by, but we’ve really only just begun exploring our new city. We finally decided to brave venturing out for a little through the streets of Makati. One of the main reasons we didn’t do this sooner is that…
Mabuhay to the Philippines!
In case you’ve been wondering, “Where in the world is Becky these days?” the answer is…Manila! Yes, we packed up our little family (now plus one new member) and left the lush coolness of the Pacific Northwest for the hot and humid Philippines. It’s been a summer of big changes for us. Baby Boy was…
A Little Update on Life
That title may be a bit misleading. I mean, we’ve had a lot of major changes in the past few months—and have more to come! First of all, we moved from Chengdu to Portland at the end of March. It was a literal breath of fresh air to come to a city so green and…
Life in China: Three Months in
Happy New Year! We’ve officially made it halfway through our assignment in Chengdu. I’ve been derelict in my duties to my blog, but for a couple of good reasons. The first is a super-secret project that I’ve been working on. One of my goals for 2017 was to finish my first book. With the help…
Happy Halloween from China!
Happy Halloween! For the third year in a row, we are celebrating Halloween in a foreign country. As far as we’ve seen, no one does Halloween like the U.S. (though I have heard Japan is hot on our heels). I mean they don’t even do pumpkin spice lattes here! Gasp! Our building hosted a Halloween…
Hello, Chengdu!
Nǐhǎo! There you have it. That’s just about the extent of my ability to speak Chinese. For the first time in our nearly three-year journey, I am completely out of my element when it comes to communicating in our current home country. It’s a challenge, for sure, but it really adds to the adventure. Let…
The Monarchs of Mexico
I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man? (Zhuangzi) As I sit here watching my little girl on our baby monitor all cocooned up in…
Our Next Destination is….Venice!
*Note: Photo above is actually from Destin, Florida but I don’t have any images from Ft. Lauderdale yet. Well, the Venice of the U.S. that is…Ft. Lauderdale! Yes, next week we will be trading in tacos and salsa for Target (woohoo!) and beaches. This will be our first time living in the U.S. for almost…
Eat, Drink, Move (Repeat) 