End of Second Week

Well, we have survived our first two weeks here in Quezon City!  Some of my thoughts:
Things I don't think I will ever get used to:

• burning garbage at 3:00 a.m.
• low kitchen sink - I thought I was short, but oh my back.
• jets flying over at 12:30, 1:00 and 1:30 a.m.
• Philipinos who say I have magadang (beautiful) blue eyes.  I guess I am a novelty!  One brother even tells me I look like Jane Fonda-  haha.  I kid him and tell him he looks like Jack Palance!
• five armed security guards around the ATM & bank by our apartment.
• crazy drivers 
• not being able to "go around the block" if you are heading the wrong direction (you will end up in a completely different part of town.  You just signal and turn into on coming traffic then pull in front of the building you want!
• if you are waiting at a stoplight, a car will pull in behind you and honk.  Where do they think we can go?  Guess it makes them feel in control or something!
• having to wash all fruits and veggies in Clorox water before we eat them.
• the loud music and people in the malls on Saturday.
• twelve hours of dark and light.

Things I am loving:

• all the fresh fruit.  Everyone says to "wait until the pineapple comes on!"
• the people!  Even nonmembers when they see our name tags, will smile and say hello.
• how humble and grateful the people are.  Some have had to start over numerous times because of disasters but they still have strong testimonies and a desire to serve others and share what they have.  They are hard-working people with very little material things but they are happy.
• the breezes that blow each late afternoon/early evening.
• the beautiful flowers and amazing trees/shrubs
• teaching piano to those who want to be able to play in their wards so they will have music on the Sabbath.
• being a temple missionary!
• being on this adventure with Edward and not being alone!

Interesting purchases:

Tic Tacs with eight in each box!

Banana Ketchup

Very finely shredded coconut that is delicious!

California raisins - yum

Calamansi - sweet limes to eat on rice or whatever

Green Pear

Guava - better than papayas!

Going Shopping

One never knows what will happen or what you will see on a shopping adventure.  Of course there are the seven lanes of traffic on a three lane road, but there were a few new sights today.  One taxi driver needed to use the bathroom so he pulls off to the side of the road, puts on his flashers and goes to the wall by the sidewalk and relieves himself.  Kind of reminded me of Hunter at Jack and Jane's peeing on their fence.  Oops! maybe I shouldn't have said that!  Oh well.  We saw the "squatters row," an armed security guard on the side of the road, as well as a man just sitting on the sidewalk, doing nothing.  These pictures are on the way to Market Market which is a huge, I mean really huge mall.  It is said that three of the world's largest ten malls are in Manila!

Arriving at Market Market - all parking is underground with four or five levels.  We separate and go our own ways to do our various shopping.  Elder England and I found a Dairy Queen!!!!!  I had a mango cheesecake blizzard that was heavenly.  I am sure this will become our first stop each week.  This mall has at least five levels on top of the parking with every store imaginable.  Everything from hair care to Ace Hardware to fashion clothing stores like Old Navy.  We end up shopping in a large supermarket that has maybe 15 checkout stands.  It also has a pharmacy where you can by medicines without a prescription.

I wouldn't want to be this guy dress like he is on any day!

Around this mall there are brand new condos.  They are a sight to see.  They seem to reach to the sky.     This area is called Global City and it is quite the upscale place.  The traffic is chaos and if you happen to miss a left turn, you can spend 60+ minutes trying to get back where you need to be.  Speaking from experience, this happened to us.  We were riding with Elder Dial, who was a great driver.  This was his first day to solo our shopping trip.  We thought we were following our other van, but found out it wasn't.  We went for quite a ways and wondered why Elder Nicholson was going the wrong way, then pulled off for him to get petro and it still wasn't the right van.  Needless to say, with Edward as copilot, he managed to get us back on the right road.  We were almost to the point of me getting in a taxi and having them follow us home.  A rule of thumb if we are ever lost, is to tell the taxi driver Greenmeadows, Mormon Temple and they know where to go.  Anyway, we saw some different country.  We found the British Embassy and the WWII Memorial Cemetery, which we plan to visit again.

Not all graffiti is bad.

Interesting way to say "Yield."

Don't let the traffic light fool you!
Sometimes it means go, but most
times it means "watch out!!"

On the way back to the apartment we once again saw much poverty.  It is hard to believe that with in just a short ways, you go from elite to squatter.  Here, wherever there is a small space, houses are constructed of tin, cardboard or made out of empty, hollow, abandoned buildings.  

I think this Savior is pretty sad about the living conditions also!

Well, that ended our exciting shopping trip for the week.  With our small fridge, we are finding that we can't store things for longer than a few days, and it is easier to go to the market across the street.

Sunday Walk & Gawk

So, we journeyed under the road through a tunnel that connects the Temple grounds with the MTC.  Here we met several missionaries.

The Sister on the right is the
first missionary from the
United Arab Emirates

Back at the Temple grounds:

Elder England at the gate to the Temple

We aren't sure, but we think
Angel Moroni is pointing west
not east.  We will have to
find out.

More interesting food & "stuff":

These napkins are regular size,
but they are cut in half!

Here we have milk & melk haha!
Not sure which is which, but the one from
New Zealand is really creamy & rich,
while the one from California is watery!

Sticky rice with coconut which is really, really good

An interesting ham sandwich which is baked into the bun!  Yummy

A very small bottle of vanilla

Banana, mango (yummy) and a papaya  ( not our favorite)

Our best friend!!!! This is a UV water filter.
Our apartment water is filtered for washing
hands, brushing teeth etc., but this makes
it safe for drinking.