Well I think I'm done posting about the trip.  Although after healing my feet in Manila, and meeting my friend from the states, we went onward to Boracay, there are few pictures and stories that I feel like posting.  Only thing I want to say about Boracay is you HAVE to try Paradise Grill there, especially the prawn soup... best food in the world.

Life back in Cebu has been fun for me.  I've been hanging out with a group of new friends, and its made things more fun than hacking it alone.  I also found a new place to live: an apartment with 2 tiny bedrooms for  the same rent cost as my current room.  Im trying to move now, but its hard.  Its the season for local elections, and everyone seems to be engaged in the process somehow.  I suppose we, Americans, would also be more engaged in local elections if they were truly LOCAL.  Here, the smallest unit of government, the Barangay, is composed of just 5-10 city blocks.  People usually know at least some of the candidates personally.  And of course the candidates do all they can to pull the unofficial strings of interpersonal relations to get elected.  Then again, good old fashioned vote buying is in the works also. In the neighborhood where I found the apartment, the candidate was giving away free donuts.  As I was sitting around with my new neighbors, I quickly turned the corny Bisaya joke "Donut, Bai?" which means, "Donut, dude?" but can also mean in english, "Do not buy!" into "Donut, Bai?  Vote!" or "Do not buy vote!".  My new neighbors laughed, some out of politeness.

On my way to post the remainder of my trip report, I passed by my favorite tapsilog place, and found it closed.  The sign on the door got me really confused, and here it is: