Sr. Keller's Adventures in the Philippines: May 2013

Sr. Keller’s Adventures in the Philippines—Post 2

19 May 2013

A Few Last Minute Favorites from the MTC

I was able to see my grandson Elder Kirby on my last day at the MTC. He arrived on Wednesday, but I was training in Salt Lake City Thursday and Friday.

We were also able to say “Until we meet again” to Sr. Karen Lillywhite and her fiancé Andreas.

The spring flowers in Provo and Salt Lake were incredible.

I was invited to a lovely Philipino going away party for the Kear and Comer families who were moving to the Philippines. It was very special and a great chance to practice my Cebuano.

On Our Way to Cebu

We first flew out to Los Angeles on the evening of Monday, May 2, 2013, accompanied by 16 wonderful youth missionaries also headed to different parts of the Philippines. They escorted us to our flight which left about midnight. We next flew to Hong Kong and lost a day over the ocean.

The airport in Hong Kong was very large and very modern with a few tasteful cultural heritage displays, but not looking significantly different from any other modern airport.

Our arrival in Cebu was to a very crowded customs room after which we were met by a member from the ERC office who brought us to the office to meet everyone and then home to our apartment.

The apartment was a lovely surprise: it was older, but very spacious and lovely with very adequate room air conditioners in the living area and both bedrooms.

At the front of our apartments, we are met by the very friendly security guards who open and close the gates and help us upstairs with our luggage and packages.

The living room is very spacious and has very high ceilings. I suspect it is as big as the entire home of some of the families we meet here.

The dining area is on one wall of the living room and the kitchen is quite spacious and open to the living room.

My bedroom.

The stove -- and we have a microwave oven, too.

The washing machine is quite ingenious with one basket for agitate and one for spin. The dryer is a drip-dry rack, but it seems to be quite adequate for one load from the washing machine and they seem to dry overnight.

From the TOPPS of the mountains

Another senior missionary couple, Elder and Sr. Johns have been helping us with shopping, transportation, and all of the minute details of settling into a new place.

We arrived in time for elections which is a national holiday so they took us up to a developed view point (called TOPPS) up on the mountain where we were able to get some pictures of the city. While there a small rain storm came up and right at us within minutes; it was very interesting to watch and quite a bit of rain fell, but it didn’t last very long.

Cebu City -- First Impressions.

Cebu is a city of contrasts – lots of new and old, rich and poor. The people all seem to be amazingly happy and quick to help. There do not appear to be a lot of private cars, but there are many taxis and many jeepneys – an open-air bus, usually very crowded, with the fare collector hanging from the back and, during busy times, people perched on top.

This is a small sample of business areas scattered throughout the city -- often right next door to each other.

There do not appear to be many private cars, but the streets are full of taxis and jeepneys -- a small open-arir bus, usually very crowded with a fare collector hanging on the back and during busy times with people perched on top also.

They also have "tricycle taxis" which may be bicycle or small motorcycle powered.

I believe this would be considered a middle class neighborhood.

Low income delivery/ moving van.

Low income housing is generally built in clusters with many small houses made of tin, pieces of wood, or whatever building materials they can scrounge.