How This Place Moves Me

After a few days here, these things have made me smile:

- seeing a driver trying to parallel park in the city. The space was too tight, and afer a few attempts of trying to squeeze in, a couple of his friends went to the car parked behind the space and lifted it up to move it back a few feet, giving the driver enough space to park; imagine doing this in America.
- listening to all the 80's music (esp. the sappy ballads) blasted in public places (malls, internet cafes, taxi radios). Filipinos love Air Supply! And ABBA, too!
- talking to my parents on Skype and hearing my mother after seeing me on the videocam say "You're fat!"
- hearing my co-workers talk about their love for Christ; hearing my co-workers laugh and joke with each other
- imagining how much Megumi and our kids will enjoy our time here
- hearing Filipinos sing; many of whom could win American Idol competition, others whom shouldn't sing, but still do because singing is about joy.
- seeing the runners of the Milo Marathon (21 K actually, or Half-Marathon) run the streets of Cebu last Sunday trying to dodge the jeepneys and taxis in the streets as they breathe in their exhaust; this is courage!
- hearing Megumi's voice and the laughter of the kids over (Skype) telephone
- seeing the magnificent view of Cebu from a mountain top and thinking "I was born down there 38 years ago!"
- seeing interesting signs, including the one below about Filipino humor, which sometimes knows little limits

These things have made me cry (tears of joy or sadness):
- hearing some of the stories of some of IJM's rescued victims and the brokeness they have experienced in their home lives
- seeing homeless kids, many of them quite young, sleep on the sidewalk here in the city
- reading my prayer journal entries from the past months and seeing God's prove himself faithful each and every time
- thinking about my two grandfathers (Lolo Bermejo and Lolo Layon); both of whom I would imagine would have been pleased to know about my return here to the Philippines. I miss them so much.
- seeing a Coffee & Tea Leaf and ordering an iced coffee only to have it taste and smell like the water coming out my shower; this was so disappointing
- reading about political corruption in the newspapers; another example of injustice here.
- hearing John Lennon's "Imagine" on the radio while looking out the window in the backseat of a taxi.