Sunday, February 26, 2017

Why is it Still Winter?

Probably the thing that has surprised me the most about Nanning is just how cold it does get in the winter. I was told subtropical and figured 8 months of 32 degrees and four of 22 degrees. I was wrong. Nanning gets downright cold.

Relatively.

Today is 11-14 degrees, but very overcast and humid. It actually reminds me a bit of a Vancouver winter. Sure Vancouver is usually colder in February, but last year when I was there it was warmer than Nanning now. I know this year is different, and 8 degrees is as cold as it will ever get here. Still, with the humidity it does feel cold. So much so that I brought my big winter jacket from Daegu out of storage when I was in Manila and brought it here. I've needed it since I got back and will for another month or so.

It also makes me a little homesick. A damp, chilly winter without getting really cold.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

The Second Semester

Our second semester is about to start here at Guangxi Uni and, personally, I am ready to get it over and done with. That sounds negative but I don't mean it that way. After this semester Yen and I are together and married and have a long break. That being said I am happy to be back at work and in a routine. The job itself if good, and we seem WAY more organised this semester. I am also looking forward to hearing about the kids break.

The negatives this semester are the schedule, which absolutely sucks (evening classes, 7am classes etc) and the lack of teachers. While one is back a month late due to an injury, which is very understandable, two others are gone. One I know was sacked and the other chose to leave for personal reasons, and made the right choice IMO. That does mean that we are down teachers with no replacements until April.

The positives are that I have a semester under my belt and know what is going on. No nerves or anything this week. I have a couple of friends here now, and feel more comfortable with what I am doing here personally. My apartment is getting professionally cleaned next week, so that will be nice. Yen can apply for her visa on March 3rd. The new semester is looking good, and I know my students quite well now, which will make for a more fun first week.

I also have my contract for next year already. My goal was always to get the minimum two years work experience here and then assess where I am personally and professionally. I am already leaning towards two years, and certainly three, being enough. I would rather go back to B.C or even Korea after that, or else do something entirely new. Now that looks like a reality.

For now though I am happy to start the next 18 week semester.

Panglao

Yen and I spent four days on this island just west of Bohol. It is an island famous for beaches and diving. While diving sounds fun, we were mostly there for the relaxing.

Our first night we checked in to a place that was, well, horrible. Filthy, incomplete construction, just a dive. Though they were not charging a dive's fee. Those first couple of days were stressful, and we were wondering why we hadn't just stayed in Cebu City.

However, once we got out of there, we ended up having a good time, or at least good second half of the trip.

The first night in the dive was near the main drag, a place called Alona Beach. It was a backpacker area to be sure. There were a few nice places, but overall it was crowded and stressful. I said to Yen that if I had been there with buddies five or ten years ago it would have been fun, but I did wonder what the few families I saw there were thinking.... unless they were at one of the two big resorts.

We moved to a place called Panglao Palms, which was much better. Clean, but also more removed and near a resort called Flushing Meadows, which allowed non guests in for a fee. Panglao Palms was an amazing stay, and the owner Liza was a fantastic woman to get to know. It was a nice way spend the last three nights.

We spent the last day, Valentine's Day, at Flushing Meadows. My overall opinion of Panglao island is that, unless you are a backpacker or are there exclusively to dive (which many people were), spend the money to stay at the big beachfront resorts. The island itself is very rural outside Alona, which is great for restaurants, but otherwise kind of a dump.

Anyway, I enjoyed it but not sure if I would go back, unless I was staying at a place like Flushing Meadows. There are enough resorts and beaches in the Philippines that you don't need to hang out in a backpacker ghetto if you don't want to. However, if you do decide to go, do yourself a favour and stay east of Alona. Panglao Palms was a great choice, and it is walking distance to a great resort, but far enough out to be quiet without resort prices. Plus I met a few other people there who were interesting to get to know, which I certainly did not on Alona.

view from my patio at Panglao Palms

The coast from Flushing Meadows

looking back at the resort

again, looking east


Yen 

relaxing by the ocean


bad selfie

Sunday, February 12, 2017

A Great Trip to Cebu

Well maybe it is the bad airbnb that has me remembering last week's so fondly, but I doubt it. We had a great week in Cebu.

I really enjoy the city. It is what I like about Manila without all the dirt, pollution, or crime. It is very much a developing city, but it is well on its way to being a major regional hub. It is also just a fun place to hang out.

We arrived on Saturday and met with Yen's older brother and her cousins. We had a great dinner and got caught up.

I also turned 35 there (gulp). On my last day in my early 30's I walked from our place to Fort San Pedro, and Magellan's Cross. Both relics of the Spanish period, and both are very cool.

Magellan's Cross

Fort San Pedro

again

That night I went to a small brewery called Turning Wheels, which makes some amazing beers that I may have to get for August. On my actual birthday we slept in and had a lazyish day before Yen's brother and cousins came by to pick us up, and we went out for dinner and drinks.

We stayed in Cebu until Saturday, when we left for Panglao (we should have stayed in Cebu, but lesson learned - we had such a great trip in Bohol in 2015).

I'll be back this summer, so hardly a long time away, but I wish I could spend more time there than I will this spring.

My First Really Bad Airbnb

Well it finally happened.

I have been using airbnb for about 4 years now. I know that it gets a lot of criticism from renters and hotel owners, but for the most part it is people renting rooms in their house, or even an apartment they own when they are away. Some build mini hotels in resort places and use airbnb. A few people buy up apartment blocks and rent them out, but I am not sure that is a majority at all. Overall I like the fact that I can rent a condo in Manila for a week for $200USD.

This trip has been no different. We had a great place in Manila, and just a good a place in Cebu. Then we arrived in Panglao.

Bugs, and not the tropical bugs that you have to put up with, but spiders nests and huge worms in the shower. The place was half finished, and huge parts of our room were still being built. The owner also wanted a deposit, in cash, which is expressly forbidden by airbnb.

Needless to say we did not stay.

The problem is that because we are cancelling, we are not guaranteed our money back. Now this is true with a hotel as well, but with hotels there is a greater chance that they'll refund.... and less chance that that will ever happen in the first place.

Anyway, we moved to a place which is okay, but not where we'd have gone if we had had more time to choose a place. It has also been a small blow to our finances which we don't need with wedding this August.

Ah well.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Birthdaaaaay!


Well it is official, at 35 I am halfway through my 30's and barrelling down towards middle age. D'oh!

So what better place to spend that birthday than in Cebu, one of my favourite cities in Asia.

We came down here a few days ago to meet our wedding coordinator and visit friends and family. We are here until Saturday before we head down to Panglao for a few days by the ocean. My actual birthday has been good so far. Yesterday I went down to see Magellan's Cross and Fort San Pedro. Then to Ayala Centre for dinner and to a brewery making a very decent ale.

My actual birthday is going to be a bit low key. Food at the apartment, and dinner and KTV this evening. Tomorrow is our last day in Cebu City. We were supposed to go to White Sands, but we will see what happens.

Anyway, 35.