to manila

so i flew to manila(capital of the PI) yesterday. every new experience just astounds me even more. so i go to the airport in iloilo yesterday around 12:00 for my 2:20 flight out. i walked to the mall to get some cash and then i took a cab to the airport, everyone gave me different directions -- so i figured a cab would be easiest. filipino's are notorious for their bad directions. everyone knows how to get there, but the art of giving directions has been lost on the people here. they just pucker their lips, toss their head and say "der, it's over der". But where is "der" and what does that mean????? So taking a cab was definately the best option. we drive for about 15-20 minutes and the cabbie stops and says "air philippines", i say "yes, go to air philippines". he says "this is air philippines" -- WHAT? WHERE? he points to a little building behind a yellow gate, and i knew this was going to be interesting. i went into the office, 2 hours early for my flight. i didn't realize that being 2 hours early here is like being 2 days early in the US. so i sat there for an hour until they opened. they took my bag immediately -- what, no bag check, i guess that's ok. what, no id check -- i guess they think i look safe. oh, and hmmm, my ticket is written in pencil -- i guess people here don't know about erasers, so it must be fool proof. so now as i walk down this empty hallway to the departure waiting area, i encounter the real safety check -- the metal detector, not 1, but 2. oh, and guards with machine guns. so as i walk through the 1st detector it goes off, so of course i stand there waiting further instructions, but noone even glances up at me -- so i just walk on. as i am entering the departure area i go through the 2nd metal detector and it goes off. this time a woman comes up to me and asks "do you have any firearms you wish to declare?" i say "no", so she shakes her head and lets me pass. wow, i think to myself, the US must have it all wrong doing body searches and x-raying bags. here in the philippines, all you have to do is ask about firearms, and the bad guys just turn them over. wow, what a safe country. i sure am glad to be here. as philipine time dictates, the plane must be atleast 30 minutes late -- and right on shcedule it was. it's just a 45 minute flight to manila, so i was there in no time. it was a pretty pleasant flight, only 10-12 babies screaming. we land and i head out to the pension house(like a hostile) in a cab. i love cabs. i get to the pension and am sitting outside in the courtyard, reading my lonley planet philippines, when i hear a hillbilly voice say "where you from"? i look over and there is an old man in a cowboy hat, wranglers and boots -- i think yay, an american, i'll talk to him. i go sit with him and chat a while, he tells me how he shot and killed 2 filipino men who were throwing rocks at him, that he's been here 19 years, doesn't speak a work of tagolog, and is looking for girls. well that is when i excused myself and ran up to my room. finally a couple of hours later, i found some other volunteers and we hung out. we walked around the city for a while and found a starbucks. YAY!!! 4 months, no starbucks -- it was truly amazing. it was like i was in america for 30 minutes, drinking my nonfat iced caramel machiato. some other volunteers came down from other regions to hang out -- and more will be here tonight, so should be good times.