Blessed in Baguio

I had a nice weekend in Baguio.  I went up to celebrate the first birthday (and dedication) of Erwin’s daughter since I’m a ninong.*  I also spoke to the youth group at GCF Baguio Sunday afternoon.

I love this city!  The weather is cool due to the high elevation–you realize you’re in the mountains when you see clouds descending around you (as pictured above).  It’s a generally relaxing city to visit–just doesn’t seem as fast-paced and busy as Manila. 

*Ninong is best translated “godfather” in this context.

Musings in Manila

Completely random thoughts my first day back in Manila: 

*“You’ve been all around the world,” said the woman who inspected my passport in Birmingham. It reminded me of how blessed I am–God has given me some awesome travel opportunities these past few years.

*I’m frustrated with what is happening to my country.  To quote a radio show host, “The problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

*I was able to upgrade to business class due to all the frequent flyer miles I’ve earned.  You have your own personal little movie screen in business class, so I took advantage of it.  Here’s what I watched:

Taken
Very nice action flick.
Yes Man
Carpe diem to the extreme.  Funny.
Slumdog Millionare
A great story and a fascinating look at life in India’s slums.

*I’m inspired by the number of my old college friends who are involved in some form of ministry.  It’s just amazing to see what God has done in their lives.  I hope some of the students we reach will follow this same path.

*I stayed in the gym while I was in the States, but my diet was pretty awful.  My weight really hasn’t changed much, but I am ready for a well-deserved fat report. 

*I went grocery shopping today.  Someone was wearing a t-shirt with this written on the front: don’t worry, may mas panget sayo (translation: don’t worry, there’s someone out there uglier than you).  I laughed.

*Being an uncle rocks.