Holy 6 Months ago... I'm a terrible person!

So I made a promise to post every single day of my adventures here in the wonderful Philippines. I failed. I got caught up in work and living in a far away place that I never made time to update my blog. EPIC FAIL! Well today I read my little sisters blog and got inspired again. She is the one I originally got my inspiration to create a blog.

I have taken tons of photos and have a million stories. I think the best way to go about this catch up is one blog post at a time.


May 2013
Seattle
We had a layover in Seattle. We took pictures, had an amazing seafood meal and then bought some trinkets.

South Korea

We landed in South Korea with a few hours layover so we just walked around and took pictures. This airport is fantastic! It was more of a mall. I wish I was not so tired. I hope to enjoy it more on the trip home.












Our first week here in this country was a very loud and crazy experience. The first night we arrived we were so tired all we saw was Starbucks and the office.

The next morning we thought we would be adventurous and walk down the street to the mall.

SM Mall aka the one stop (literally) shopping center.

I will end this one now. I would continue it but there are plenty more stories and pictures to add and this post is already pretty long.
Until next time.


Stay dry,warm and happy  
Love always 
Whitney Hoku Germaine

The longest post ever!

So I have had no time at all to write a blog. But I will go day by day the events of the past week.

Tuesday April 30th 2013
Today we packed! and packed and cried and packed!! It really hit Phillip and I hard today that we were leaving our comfort zone! Our babies and our family. We got up early and got cleaning. Uhi came over to help and spend our last day with us. We went to Red Lobster and had a great last meal ( didn't know at the time it was the last) We took Uhi to work and picked up LC who spend the evening with us. I was great to spend some last minute time with her! We dropped her off with a load of dog items and headed back to get another load ready. After many loads we were no where near finished. We packed and cleaned and hauled into the night. Finally at 1:00 Am we took the dogs to Uhis and said our very sad goodbyes.

By the time we headed over to Moms where we were going to sleep it was 3:30 AM and we needed to be up and off to the airport by 5:45 AM. I tried to sleep as much as I could but the trama/excitement ahead of us kept me up lost in thought.


Wednesday May 1st 2013
Today is the day. We are leaving and wont be back for a long time! I have not been on an airplane in 15 years so the butterflies are out of control today!
We woke up with only a few hours of sleep. It didn't seem like enough but it was ok. I am told I can sleep on the plane, haha I am not counting on that. I am so nervous. I ran upstairs and woke Remi up to say my goodbyes. It was going to be a long journey without my sisters! I don't know if it is possible they have always been my support. Now I will have Phillip and myself!

My mom took us to the airport. If I had gotten more sleep I may have been way more sad. Zombie me is not as much of a baby as the normal me!
At the airport mom helped us out of the car, said our goodbyes and watched her drive away. I wanted to cry so bad but didn't. I was nervous going through security but I watched the other people go through and with Phillip always traveling he knew the routine. It was a breeze. We went straight to our gate and then off into the wild we went.

The next day and a half is a huge blur because we time traveled. haha not really but kind of.
We landed in Seattle and had enough time to go get some food and a few souvenirs. We had a great seafood meal. Phillip had no idea that would be the last familiar meal for a year.

We boarded our flight at 4:00 PM and headed off to Korea.

Korean Air is the best airline ever!! The flight attendants, attend! and are cute Asian girls. The flight was 13 hours and we had requested kosher meals. I didn't know that we would be fed 3 times!!!! No one needs to be fed 3 times! The flight was so long and my butt got tired and I wanted to sleep in a proper bed. We landed in Korea sometime in the future and walked around. Their airport is just like a mall with terminal gates here and there!
We boarded our flight and I went right to sleep, only to be woken up by drum roll please...... ANOTHER MEAL!! I was so tired I couldn't eat. but I felt really bad I just sent it right back. poor ladies worked so hard and I just sent it back. As we closely arrived to Cebu I had to fill out customs forms. I had not slept in a day and a half and now I had to fill out very important papers that could possibly decline me into the country! Crazy!!

We arrived in Cebu at midnight Friday May 3rd 2013.
When you walk off the plane it was like night and day to Korea. The airport was hot and stuffy and there were lots of people and a strange smell of smoked pork.

We walked through a hall and into an immigration line. We had to provide our passports and get our first stamp. I was nervous because I was afraid I would not know what they were saying if I was asked a question. But everything went smooth and we were standing at the baggage claim in no time.

Phillip located all 4 large suitcases and I stood and watched people!! After we got our luggage we had to stand in another line. This line was customs. fortunately there was a Korean man with all his fishing gear and customs was way interested in pulling all of his stuff out to investigate. So they rushed us through the gates! Once we "entered" Cebu we went straight to the exchange counter and changed some cash so we would have some money. Then we stepped out the door and there were hundreds of people pilled in waiting for their loved ones. I had no idea how I was going to locate Andrew in all of the masses. As soon as I stopped to look around there he was. It was perfect timing!! Ryan the accountant and his cousin were there as well with their suv and we loaded in and headed off into the night.

First night in the Philippines.
We landed and within the hour we were headed off on our Cebu adventure. We headed to the hotel first. Even though we had to wait until later that day to check in  Andrew went in and "talked" to the desk clerk and just like magic we could check in early.
After we unloaded our bags we headed into the office to meet the crews.

The call center is so awesome! The building is 16 stories minus the 13th floor because 13 is unlucky! haha. Phillip and all his 13 tattoos get a lot of looks! We have 60 employees with 2 shifts. The people are so awesome! I love the people. I love this country!

Stay dry,warm and happy 
Love always
Whitney Hoku Germaine

Last Tomorrow

Officially today has been the longest day ever! I  am so tired and sadly writing my Monday blog at 12:42 Am Tuesday because right now is the first time I have had to breath and sit down. We borrowed my dads truck and moved all of the large things. Bed, Shelves, couch and giant TV. My legs are Jello. I am so tired I can not even think of what to write right now so I will leave it at this. Good night.

Stay warm, dry and happy
Love always
Whitney Hoku Germaine

Mostly Lazy Sundays

Today was pretty mellow as far as Sundays go. We woke up this morning and did some packing. We loaded up the dogs and took them over to Anney and Jeremy's house. The 28th of each month is when the dogs get their monthly medications. We wanted Jeremy to give it to the pups, even though we are leaving the dogs with Frank and Uhi, I know Frank will be to scared to put his hand in Hercules mouth. Jeremy was awesome at it! Bosco gave him a little bit of a hard time but Hercules was awesome.
After we returned home to pack more boxes and to watch something funny. After a few hours of packing we took down the kennel and the dogs blankets and loaded their food and extras into the car and headed over to Uhi's. We took the dogs into her house and started to unload the car. Hercules stood at the door and howled. I think he knows that he is being left behind. He is very concerned that it was going to happen at that very moment.

After we got everything unloaded we headed to my moms for dinner. They were having leftovers and a smoked turkey. I started eating and I could hear Hercules barking outside. Phillip went outside to stop him and realized that the dog had gone up the balcony stairs and was afraid of heights. Phillip headed up the stairs when all of a sudden BOOM!! Hercules got scared and jumped at Phillip and caught himself with his face. He fell about 10 feet and hit his face, he split his lip open and busted up under his chin. Needless to say he is ok, a little sore but ok. I finished my dinner and we headed home. I put ointment on Hercules face and all seems pretty good. We will know more in the morning.

Today has been tiring!

House packed 86%
Suitcases 0%
Still 100% Stoked

Stay warm, dry and happy
Love always
Whitney Hoku Germaine

Farewells And Weenie Roasts

Today has been an very interesting day. This morning we woke up and loaded the dogs into the car a headed off to the pet store. We wanted to make sure that our vet knew we were leaving and that my sister was on the account so if something happened while we were gone she could take them to vet.
While we were there the very bubbly gal working the check in counter said very loudly that she would make a pop up note so when our dogs were brought in that a notice would pop up stating we had left our pets for a year and my sister had temporary custody. We left the store and got in the car and I lost it! I started crying because the way she said we left our pets just felt so wrong. It was heart breaking and I felt like the worst dog owner in the world. I have always wanted the best for my babies and now I was abandoning them. What kind of mother abandons her children. I guess I do :(

Later this evening we loaded in the car and headed over to my moms house for what was originally just a birthday BBQ for the twins and a family farewell thingy for Phillip and I. Well that is not the case. So my cousin Blake and his wife Kim have just taken jobs in San Francisco so they were leaving in the morning. And then my aunt and uncle and their son Ryan were leaving on Wednesday as well to Europe. So my mom got the great idea of having everyone over for a giant goodbye, farewell, Bon voyage get together. It was way too much fun, Dogs family and great food. My sister brought the largest hotdogs we have all ever seen. So of course all of us being mature adults had to make large weenie jokes all night! Needless to say it was a great evening with great people. I sure am going to miss everyone! All of the little kids (Jaxon and Elayna) will be a year older and may forget me #sadface.

Over all the leaving date is creeping up on us.
Apt is 85% cleaned out
Suitcases 0% packed
still 100% stoked to be traveling!!!


Stay warm, dry and happy
Love always
Whitney Hoku Germaine

Last Work Day

Today is the last day at work for me. Its a very bittersweet situation. Our boss reformatted the whole call floor and I just sat in the meeting and listened. Part of me is terrified that there will not be a place for me when I come back. I am a plan for the future kind of gal and leaving with such unknown possibilities scares the living hell out of me.

So I cleaned my desk out and everything I have known for the past 8 years of my work life fit in two boxes. 2 BOXES!! to be packed away in storage. My favorite pen. My good luck charms. And my coffee mug! Its a huge reality check as far as how fast and in a blink of an eye everything you knew can change.

Today is a very short entry but I needed to share.

Stay warm, dry and happy
Love always
Whitney Hoku Germaine

Reading the fine print

Today I booked our hotel for the first two weeks. I already made a huge mistake. So yesterday I logged onto the interwebs and searched for hotels in Cebu near the building we will be working in. I researched all the locations and shopped for the best prices, free wifi, maybe a continental breakfast, AC and hot water.
I had found the best place. It looked clean and safe. I clicked book it! and then I was informed that I could not proceed because that hotel had been booked up. So I went with option 2. Of course being me I had a backup plan!! Well guess what? Same thing already booked. So immediately I panic and start stressing out. You might as well have set my shoes on fire. I was pretty worked up. So Phillip told me to close the computer and step away and we would deal with it later and to go take a walk.

Today I came into the office and started my search again. I was able to find one I was looking for. I hurried through the process and forgot to look at the fine details!!! Rookie mistake! I had booked a room for a hotel that had two locations. I booked the one on another island. A 2 hour walk to work each day. I quickly cancelled my reservations and that was successful only I will get the $400's back in 5-7 business days!!! Oh my what had I done!! I quickly logged back on found the right hotel on the correct island and booked that one too. So now I have $800 dollars tied up in hotel rooms. Money was already a little tight so I made a financially critical mistake. In the end I will get the $400 back but we could have really used it now!! Oops. Needless to say the room is booked (twice) and that just adds comfort to my mind knowing that the plane and the room are booked. Now to wrap up everything here at home. We are still not packed and our apartment is still about 80% done. 6 days to finish it all up!

Stay warm, dry and happy
Love always
Whitney Hoku Germaine