Day 11 on dry land.

I guess I could post everything on FB, but then again, my Mom and Dad don't have an account. (Thankfully, they can stay true to just living in 'oblivion' and remaining sane... not to say that I wouldn't love if they would just add a txting plan to their phones ((sorry, MnD, I know you are reading)).)
I'm having a thuroughly grand time here. Truly. Yes there have been hiccups, but who doesn't have those!
My daily plan looks something like.... (well this is hard, since a typical day doesn't start in the 'morning' - like a typical morning of waking up. I feel like there is not start and no end, since I work nights.) Um, I guess I would consider Now as my beginning. It's when I leave work. I officially end my shift around 5AM, and usually hang for another hour cleaning up my papers and prepping for the next day. I put my Nike's on and while the other 2 agents with me take the van back to the hotel, about 3/4 mi. away, I walk. Past the lingering dogs, down the hill, hoping that the river has still receeded from up and over the bridge. Today I walked out of the air conditioning and looked at the sky and thought.... 'I think it's going to rain today.' and then I had to laugh cause my next thought was, 'But it rains everyday.' Welcome to the rainy season of the Philippines! (This is the 'cool' season, where it's only 80-90 degrees every day, and moisture lingers in the air like a damp sheet on the clothesline.) I've not heard anyone utter the word humidity, but me. It's just how it is.
Yesterday as I walked home there were some gangly looking kids climbing on what I found to be a Lime Tree, the branch hung low, and I honestly wondered two things.... 'should I offer them some money for a lime' (or do they want/ need it for themselves) and 'how can I climb up there and get the limes they missed?' Problem with stuff here is I never know how much it costs. The cost of living is so much cheaper- a bottle of beer is 45 pesos (which is about $1.10) and a lunch at work is around 65 pesos ($1.80 or so), but that's really cheap, or should I say 'reasonable.' The hotel food is about 30% more. We did find out why the taxi drivers liked us so much in Manilla, where we stayed during an 8 hour layover.... it's cause we tipped on an American scale... BIIIIIIIG mistake.
Where I stay, it's kinda like a resort for folks. There are little huts (probably twice the size of the picture you have in your mind, right now) with an open room in the front, and then around the wall that the bed is against straight in front of the door, there is a place to hang clothes and three built in shelves. next to that is a sink with an open space under it, and then next to that a bathroom with just a toilet and a shower. (It's nice, made of marble) When I walk home I pass a long building that is a vocational school, and where the hotel is, it's actually on a 'compound.' but the biggest one I've ever seen. So there are several fields interspersed with some random and rather large buildings. (oh, and yes, cows just wondering around in the fields, it's really rural where we are.) (and yes, I did think," Jeannine, you're never supposed to END a sentence with a verb!")
There's a beautiful high ceiling lobby that is made of wood and has flowing curtains, and fans that look like whimsical, white, flower petals, and we are NOT allowed to use the swimming pool on the other side, cause it's for people to rent out the Villas. Which just means you have more 'space' to breath. Right now? I'm headed home to the 'other' pool. Which costs $1.50 to swim in everyday, but it's well worth it. (especially cause it comes with with a Pool Guy who brings me breakfast every morning, and his name is Ronnie.)
I'll be updating more often, and sharing pics. as soon as I figure out how to upload them.
Miss the whole lot of you.