Life in Manila: Chess Games, Crushes, and Constant Stares

We’ve been in the Philippines for just over a week and continue to look out of place and feel out of place. When we get off the elevator there are often people waiting to get on. As the doors open and we prepare to exit the scenario is often the same. The locals eyes get bigger as they take in the foreigners that don’t belong. Their eyes then follow us as we exit, and I wish so much that I knew what they were thinking. Life in Manila lately has been a mix of chess games, crushes, and constant stares.

The Kids Are Thriving (Even If We Stand Out)

Although we are out of place, socially the kids are thriving here. Braxton said he misses a place that has seasons, but there is almost always someone for him to play with outside. As we approach the playground, there are often several boys that run towards us yelling “Brixton!” They struggle to pronounce his name correctly and as a result he’s acquired some great nicknames like “Brick” and “Tricky”. They high five each other and immediately start to play. It warms my heart every time!

Alexis has been turning heads since we got here. With her long blonde hair, she definitely gets the most attention. A local boy that has been smiling and waving at her all week worked up the courage to ask for her phone number recently. I got some serious mom points for discretely capturing this picture so she could show her friends back home how cute he is!

Excuse Me, Po – Why Are You Here?

Dave and I had a gentleman in the elevator the other day ask us if we had just moved here. When we explained that we were just visiting, his facial expression said “Um – Why?”. He inquired if we had family here and when we said no, he looked even more confused. He then asked if we were Australian or American. When we said American, I think he was even more perplexed.

I get their confusion. This is not a vacation destination and America is extremely far away. Unless you know our entire story, it makes no sense that we are here. However, we have stopped telling people our full story. It’s rarely received well, because the affordability of our trip is not obvious. In those quick exchanges there’s no time to explain that this trip is more affordable than our frugal lifestyle in Colorado. As an example, a gentleman in Guam responded to our adventure with “Must be nice to be rich!”. This solidified that we should not be sharing our story with strangers.

Part of what we wanted during our gap year was to immerse ourselves in the culture. We are definitely doing that here, but that doesn’t mean we fit in. A young girl almost wrecked her bike from craning her head to look at us. A woman walked directly into a bench as she stared at Dave and I the other day coming out of Alphamart (the convenience store here). I had a young kid ask if I was a YouTuber. When I said no, he said “Well who are you, and why are you here?” I’ve come to realize we will stand out until the day we leave.

Growth Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone

We wanted to be challenged this year, and we are definitely being challenged this month. Dave was cutting his hair today and there is no outlet in the bathroom. He had to take a break between each setting on the clippers to let it charge. A task that typically takes 20 minutes took much longer. We are waiting until Vietnam to cut Braxton’s hair again.

I found a piece of his hair in the yogurt bowl I made for lunch and it didn’t even phase me. Past me would have been super disgusted by this, but we’ve experienced far worse this year. We ordered Pizza Hut for dinner tonight. Their menu was different, but the pizza tasted pretty familiar and we all enjoyed it. Lesson learned in Manila – when you need comfort, pizza is the answer!

Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now

Dave and I were walking laps tonight while Braxton played. I was tired and my eyes burned from the smog. I haven’t slept well and my stomach has been a mess. Almost everything feels hard. The weekend food bazaar is going on tonight and there’s a stall that always plays music. The song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship came on over the speaker.

I held Dave’s hand as the lyrics played and it felt so timely. Nothing’s going to stop us – not bad food, a small condo, stares from locals, food fails, or the paparazzi. We can do hard things!