Our 1st Week in Subic

Well, it has definitely been interesting! Here's the rundown:

* I have already been pulled over... by a security guard, of all people! Thankfully, I was just a bit off track. I did nothing illegal & quickly realized my mistake, but not before the guard noticed me hesitate. I think he was just really bored & was looking for something to do. After telling me what I already knew (that I was going the wrong direction for my destination), he told me to "be careful" & sent me on my way. Nice start to my week.

* I went to the store to get some much needed groceries only to find the store closed at 5 pm. When I asked, I was told they were closed all day due to the company Christmas party... on JANUARY 14!!!!

* All 3 kids started at their new school on Tuesday & they love it! Thank goodness! Sydney adjusted MUCH MUCH easier than I anticipated! She absolutely adored her teacher in Manila & was sad to leave her, so I expected this transition to be rough on her, but she proved me wrong. She has done so well & is making new friends again. Samuel, of course, jumped right in & never looked back. They are both learning to adjust to new situations quite easily, which is so great for their shy personalities!

* The kids (and I) are THRILLED they finally get to be outside more often to ride their bikes & scooters! The condo life was great, but a bit stifling. We spend every afternoon & evening playing outside, enjoying the clean, fresh air of Subic Bay. It is a very nice change of scenery from the overly polluted Manila air.

* We are within walking distance of 2 great parks, so we have also spent our evenings swinging, sliding & see-sawing. The parks here are not like the ones we played at in Texas. The equipment is old & certainly would not pass the safety standards set by the parks departments in the states. But, the kids love it! The playground equipment reminds me of the parks I grew up playing at in my hometown. Everything is metal & there is a merry-go-round! I had not seen a merry-go-round in years, until we moved here last week. So, the kids have discovered the joy of that playground toy. They love going as fast as possible & watching me get dizzy after spinning them! Fun times!

* Yesterday, we had our first close encounter with the local wildlife... monkeys! We've seen them from a distance & from our car, but they actually came into the playground with us yesterday. (The kids thought it was pretty funny to see a monkey playing around the monkey bars!)

* I have become fascinated with all the beautiful sights & sounds of the numerous birds I can see & hear from my bedroom window. Beautiful Blue-naped Parrots (I had to look that one up!), small neon yellow birds & some other bird (atleast, we think it's a bird) that makes a VERY strange call all throughout the night & into the wee hours of the morning. I have searched online, but cannot find this particular bird sound anywhere! I am going to record it soon & post it, in the hopes that one of you can identify it for me. It is driving me crazy!

We will be in our temporary home here until we find a more long-term solution. Hopefully, very soon! We are all so ready to settle down... atleast for a little while longer.

If I ever locate the camera cable, I will post pictures of our tropical home. It really is beautiful!