Something always has to go wrong

I left the Philippines again this morning, greeted by the still dark sky and streets that are only clear for those few hours while everyone is sleeping. It was a time to see all the people that fill the streets when they are otherwise unable to. There were cyclists and runners and a surprising amount of pedestrians, a different view of the city streets than I usually get. It was a good way to say goodbye to one of my favorite places, though having to say goodbye at all is definitely not ideal, especially when you're leaving 26 C weather for 8 C weather and a whole lot of wonderful relatives.

And as always, something had to go wrong as I left. Now, 4 out of the 5 times I've visited I've had something annoying happen and I've had to pay someone money. The first time probably only worked cause I was with my mom (the former Philippine national). This time, I had to pay up $56 because my bag was supposedly 4 kilos overweight (I looked it up on the website later, my bag was in fact only 1 kilo overweight, which they should have let slide). Regardless, I had to pay someone money for something silly. With all of my love for flying and the Philippines, something always goes wrong.

10 days in the Philippines was full of seeing relatives, partying, getting asked to dance by 2 guys in 1 night, seeing new houses (each with rooms for me!), and just enjoying the weather. I drank a lot of beer, watched a lot of tv, and helped move my Grandmother's aparador (like a cabinet that holds all your clothes). Once I move to the Philippines, it's going to be mine. And I leave now, with no intended date of return, possibly the saddest part of all.

Now I'm back in Japan for 3 days, to take some last pictures, see Jazmin for the last time in a long time, and do some last minute gift shopping. So far, I don't feel differently about the place, and I'm glad I'll be home soon, but it was definitely worth the trip. I'll be back stateside early on the 26th and want to see people before I head back to Oberlin for the last time.