Your man in Manila

 Oh dear readers, here I am scootching into the last few days of my 47th year and wondering where to start with this post. (Didn’t get this done for a few weeks, so I am now comfortably into my 48th year)

We made it to Manila with no real trouble. Early morning arrival, greeted by a fellow teacher and ferried to our new home...

Which is on the 20th floor of an apartment building overlooking the Manila Golf and Country Club. The view is pretty great, with the city skyline in the background, mountains and even a bit of the bay on a very clear day. At night we can watch the thunderstorms rolling over the water.

You’ll be pleased to know that I like this view so much I removed the door from my bathroom so I can take it all in while I do the business. I might be spending too much time sitting on the john…

The first couple of weeks were a real blur: furnishing our apartment, acclimatising to the daily rain, all while going through orientation at the new school. I also got pretty sick for about a week so there are a few days there I barely remember.

School is in a HUGE building about 20 minutes' walk from our place. I'm on the 5th floor and Rani's on the ground floor, at the opposite end of the building. I get a pretty nice view in the other direction from my classroom, which is all mine! After sharing a classroom for the last 6 years, it's nice to have my own space. 

The work is pretty standard high school math teaching; most of the challenges are just learning new people and systems. The vibe here is different than in Doha, maybe a little more open and relaxed. It feels a bit smoother to me than any of my previous transitions, but I'm sure that's also a function of my experience and comfort with the job. I also think therapy over the last few years has helped me know myself better and built a repertoire of tools that help me out in all kinds of situations. I'm slowly making some connections to a composting group, a disc golf club, and the week long service trip is coming up soon, so there are also interesting extracurricular opportunities.

I'm enjoying living in a walkable city. I leave early in the morning for work, walking through the commercial district with the other early risers, joggers, and sometimes partiers just finishing up their nights. Rani joins me for the walk home, where we sometimes stop by one of the yoga studios for an afternoon workout, then find a new restaurant to try for dinner. We've been eating out for most of our meals because the beginning of a new job is so busy, and our tiny kitchen is taking some getting used to. It's fun, and we've built up a list of regular spots that suit our needs. 

We spend weekends nesting, especially over the last month after our shipment from Doha arrived. We sort of had our apartment figured out, then we got 20 boxes of our stuff and had to do it all over again! It's feeling more and more like home. 

Special events:

Impromptu diving trip to Batangas. There's amazing diving that's just a 3 hour drive from our place. We went out to the coast for a long weekend and had some nice dives. The boats, the people, the water, the islands all bring back memories from the many dive trips we made here while we were living in China.

Off-Menu: Fancy hotel ballroom, twelve or so Manila-famous chefs matched up in pairs to create a new dish. Fun night with Kim and Jay, or friends from China who work here, too.

Whiskey Live: Same ballroom a couple of weeks later, lots of whiskey and rum tasting.

Sandwich Quest 2025: I got a hankering for a good sandwich, which turns out to be something sorely lacking in the restaurant scene here. A few mediocre attempts helped me find better grocery stores from which to source meat and bread. Sandwich achieved!

Fashion, bitches! There's this corner of the walking mall that all of the fashion kids use to pose and influence or do TikToks or whatever, so much so that this wall is actually worn down from where sultry brooding youths lean on it in their various poses. We decided to give it a try: tres chic, right?

October break in Hanoi

Spent the first night at Gia restaurant, where we were treated to a fun meal that was a celebration of fish sauce, like the rivers flowing through Vietnam. From the amuse bouche to the ice cream at desert, each dish had some element of this funky condiment in them. We got to visit with chef Sam Tran, and sample some of their fermented fruit juices, made from fruits I've never heard of, like mac-mat and dracontomellon.

Next night, Kim and I took off on the Hanoi Beer Tour, a motorbike tour of the beer culture of the city. Lots of plastic stools and off-the-tourist-path spots to enjoy a pint or two, along with some great local food. For the last leg, our guide told us it would be "gangster" to take a road beer, and we stopped at Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum to pay our respects.

The next day, we took a super interesting walking food tour of the French Quarter.

There's a hidden world of cafes, bars, restaurants, and coffee shops that you need a guide or a tip from a local or some patience to track down. No storefront on the street, just a narrow alley opening, and all of a sudden there you are. We started at this old coffeeshop, a beautiful little oasis in the old quarter. We, and all of these motorbikes, entered through a dress shop and had a relaxing cup of strong coffee while we discussed the Chinese antiques decorating the interior. 

Next, a delicious beef and papaya salad, prepared by our guide Joe.

Proper banh mi, with perfect crusty baguette. This place is famous for their unique tuna salad.

Tofu snacks in a back alley with the office lunch crowd.

Correct beef pho, no messin around.

Somebody said they wanted to try snails, thinking they’d be getting some delicate little escargot. This place don’t play! Big old mouthful of garden snail coming at you!

This is what regret looks like…

Good god, there was a lot of food on this tour! Here’s Joe and me recreating the famous Bourdain / Obama meeting over a yummy plate of bun cha.

Tea with Mr and Mrs Thien. He’s the community liaison for the communist party in a little neighborhood. Joe gave him a ride home one evening when he was a little tipsy, and started a friendship that ended up with him being a stop on the tour. We couldn’t speak directly to each other, but still learned a lot, particularly about the aim of the government the way he sees it: make as many people happy as possible. Imagine that!

Otherwise, Hanoi was absolutely lovely as a place to just be. We spent time cafe-surfing, strolling around the lake, and enjoying quiet corners full of fun and beauty. It’s a pretty special place.

Stumbled on a Harry Potter themed cafe with some interesting drinks. Lots of movie art around, but notably no images of the half-blood prince himself.

Phung hung street is lined with murals and other artwork, including this climbing wall made of motorbike parts. We ran into a tour group here led by a local woman who challenged me to climb the wall. I said I would if she did it first, and of course she scampered her 5 foot tall self right up to the top, so I had to give it a try. (This is about as far as I got)

Through an alley, up some stairs, and through someone’s laundry room, we found this gem of a cocktail bar with a deceptively lame name (Hanoi House). Delicious, special cocktails, some with fish sauce, some with peanut butter…

We are getting through the weeks until the winter break, when we’ll be heading to Tokyo for a week, then messing around in Dumaguete and surroundings on the islands of Negros and Siquijor.

Miss you all, happy holidays, more soon.

Peace and love,

Jon

Out of the frying pan and into the steamer

Bye, Doha!

 We began our summer with a small road trip through Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. From top left: First meal in America at Hog-It-Up BBQ in Winchester, VA (RIBS!); little roadside attraction (Farnham Colossi); Discin’ through the countryside; O’Betty’s Red Hot in Athens; And some sights in Cincinnati (Findlay Market, Roebling Bridge, artsy hotel, and a butterfly scavenger hunt at the Krohn Conservatory.

Then it was on to Columbus to meet up with my brother and sister-in-law for their occasional time with us without kids. We had a great time together, culminating in a magical afternoon/evening 

It all started with an impromptu visit to an escape room downtown. None of us had ever tried escape rooms, and all had varying levels of scorn for the idea. It turned out to be an absolute blast, surprisingly intricate, well-constructed, full of adventure (dungeons, hidden rooms, secret keys and codes), and challenging. We didn’t quite finish (even though someone couldn't figure out which side of the sign to show in this photo...), but everyone wants to try again .

Look at these two cuties!

Instead of Ubering back to the AirBnb, we decided to get a drink and a bite to eat, which turned into an epic, but very chill, bar crawl. The weather was absolutely beautiful, the city was gearing up for their pride weekend so there was a fun vibe going on everywhere, and we had so much catching up to do! It was wonderful and easy, and felt like a great way to switch gears into summer mode.

Our final stop kind of wrapped everything up in a beautifully weird, funky, butting-up-against-surreal visit to Hoof Hearted Brewery (say it out loud, please). I definitely had this one marked on the map, firstly because it was only a block away from the house, but then because of the art and attitude displayed on their website (hilarious artwork). The reality of the visit was so much more than I was expecting.

On our approach, we caught the tail end of a full-on barbecue and drag show at the LGBTQ thrift store across the street. Queens in full regalia, all the neighborhood out to watch and eat, warm fuzzy chaos. 

We followed the smell of the twenty-something’s smoking weed on the patio (Ohio recently legalized, and they are leaning into it), and opened the door of the brewery to a full-on EDM show, with a DJ station styled on the front end of a corvette, ear-blistering volume, and a handful of various dudes sitting or standing alone or in pairs. 

This makes it look way quieter than it really was...

The bartender was a tall black man, late twenties, with scruffy hair and a short beard. He was immediately friendly and engaging, and also very, very high. We all placed our orders and went out to secure an outside table, thereby saving our eardrums from the incredibly loud, but freakin’ awesome, music. When I went back in to get the rest of our drinks, he leaned across the bar and hugged me, nestling his head on my shoulder. I don’t know what we talked about, but it was calm and comfortable, funny, and weirdly intimate. I just don’t know how to describe the way this interaction filled me with joy, but it did. I hung back and listened to the music, watched a man dancing with his handkerchief, drank their delicious beer, and shared a few more words with the bartender, then hugged him goodbye when we left. 

I love that brewery, and I love that man, even though I never got his name.

I’ve written before about magical moments, and touched on my relationship with America, and this day felt like both of those things, and lots more. Fortunate to be alive, to be in this place at this time with these people.

A few days with D&K led into a flurry of family and friends that would define the middle portion of our summer.

Family reunion on my mother’s side in Bluffton, OH. Nice to see all of the cousins, some for the first time in 10 years or so (and some of their offspring, for the first time ever). Also a chance to see my siblings and niblings.

Lazy days in Michigan at The Land, puttering about with the ‘rents, cooking, napping.

Off to Cleveland (Ohio again!) to meet up with some good friends from our time in China. We slipped right back into it, lots of walking, card playing, food, and drink. It has been many years since we’ve seen these two, and we enjoyed getting to see where they came from.

Then it was back to Michigan to pick up the folks and head north to Traverse City, where we spent a lovely few days touring wineries and the Lake Michigan coast. It’s a pleasure every time I’m able to spend social time with my parents, getting to know them as they are now.

Then it was time to get less mid and more north: off to Tacoma, Washington! We immediately headed out on 6th avenue with good friends from our time in Doha, and had a great night with another international teaching couple. Over the next few days, we ended up spending what in retrospect seems like an imposing amount of time on their front porch in a beautiful little neighborhood, watching the world go by, basking in the gentle northwest summer, enjoying each others’ company.

After a quick stop in Lacy for lunch with Rani’s family and an introduction to the new addition, Coen, and a tour of her parents’ new home, we landed in a nice little duplex on a quiet street in Olympia. The lavender is riotously blooming, the poppies are poppin’, and we have some time to unplug and spread out and try not to get too nervous about our upcoming move. 

The places we take with us

I'm sitting in our living room in Doha on the last Sunday morning I'll spend here. It's the most peaceful time of day, when the sunlight is gently filtering through the acacia tree, too early for children or dogs or cars, but with an appropriate level of birdsong for my mood, and it's still early enough in summer for an early morning run in the cool breeze before sunrise followed by a strong cup of coffee. 

In a few minutes, Rani will join me and we'll work the crossword puzzle together as the morning light sweeps through the room. These hours are something I look forward to every day.

This is a place I will take with me.

Gratitude

Twoscore and six years ago, my mother drove herself to a small clinic in Umtata and brought me forth into this world; for that, and for many other things, I am grateful.

I'm grateful to the government of Qatar, who decided yesterday afternoon to call a school holiday for my birthday (it was actually for the local elections, but I'll take it).

I'm grateful to International School Manila, who will be welcoming us to our new job and home in July. We're excited for a new adventure in Southeast Asia, and hope to visit many new islands, beaches, and dive spots. We'll be living in Bonifacio Global City, which sounds like a bubble of western urbanity in the middle of the craziness of Manila. We're looking forward to walking to and from work, and to working with our good friends from our days in China, Kim and Jay, who started there this year. We're also very grateful to Kim for helping us through the application process, talking us up with the administration, and answering all of our questions about the school and life in Manila.

I'm grateful to the math team in Doha. It's taken six years, but we've finally built a group that respects each other and likes to have fun together. I am grateful for the diversity of this group: 5 different nationalities represented in this picture, and 7 in the complete department. All of these different kinds of experiences coming together is a big part of why I love this lifestyle.

[I keep misspelling grateful as greatful; I'm going to just let that slide from now on, as I'm not sure that the word shouldn't be spelled that way anyway.]

I'm greatful to Wendy and Jesse and Laneka and Tyce and Ross and Julie and Libby and Nate and Alice for an excellent Kenyan safari trip this past month. Up close with big cats, beautiful new birds, and Rani's seething hatred of hippos... It was nice to share the experience with family.

Learning about the transition to Manila so early in the recruiting season has left me feeling a little adrift, as transitions often do. The unexpected blessing of a day off in the middle of the week opened me up to these feelings of great-full-ness, so I'll sign off by hoping that the US elections go the way any rational person would expect them to, and that I'm greatful to any of you who are still reading this! 

Peace and love, 

Jon

Col Ceathracha!

Picked up Rani's cousin Heather and her son Graham in Dublin, did not let them rest, and immediately took them to the oldest thing we could find: the Brownshill Portal Tomb, just around 5000 years old.

It was a little off-centered, so I had to adjust the 150 ton capstone (largest of any in Europe) before we took the photo.

Old shit!

Lots of other old things to see: abbeys, priories, castles, ancient stone circles, and chalets.

16th century Irish warriors went barefoot and bare-legged!

Cute, colorful seaside town of Kinsale.

The courtyard of our hotel in Cork, featuring a natural waterfall!

Ancient bog elk from Kilkenny Castle, with antlers spanning over 3 meters.

Ridiculously large toilet, made for a royal visit before they really knew what to do with toilets.

Boats, jaunts, cable cars!

Some of the many alternative forms of transportation we sampled. Cruised by the Cliffs of Moher, around Lough Leane in Killarney, sea safari around the Blasket Islands. Also took a jaunt, which is a horse-drawn cart (they do not have a good reason for calling it a jaunt, according to our teenaged driver) around Killarney national park. The Ballaghboy Cable Car, Ireland's only cable car, connects the mainland to Dursey Island, and it's one of the only cable cars in the world that connects two landmasses over the ocean. Seems like a great idea, but the cable car only carries 6 people at a time, and takes about 20 minutes for a round trip. We got right on and out to the island, only to be greeted by a long line of people waiting to get back. We had to wait there for about two hours (and most of us forgot to bring jackets)!

Wildlife!

Dolphins!

Seal colony on Blasket Island

Whiskey!

Super fun visit to the Jameson distillery in Midleton. Huge water mill, giant copper stills, the angel's share, and a really interesting tour. We also did the premium tasting, which was informative and engaging. I love the smell of whiskey barrels in the afternoon...

Pubs!

Good food, good drink, good music, and good craic! Taught the youngster to play hearts, and visited Sean's bar, the oldest bar in Ireland, and maybe the whole world after they finish the archaeology. 

Epic Battles!

Paid a visit to Linen Mill Studios, where Game of Thrones was filmed. Got to see real sets and costumes from the show, Rani was entered into the hall of faces, and I even turned into the Night King for a second. This was a lot of fun.

White walker attack! I held him off for a bit...

Then milady came in to finish him off.

And we claimed the Iron Throne for our very own!

Miscellaneous! 

We really thought we found my dad at in the backyard of this hostel...

Climbed to the top of the Guinness Storehouse. Not as cool as the whiskey tour, but fun.

Yeah, we did this, too...

Told you it was hobbits! One thing that stuck out to us from the moment we set foot on this island, and that I will always remember about the Irish people, is how polite and helpful everyone was. I think that fits.

Epilogue

The cousins took off, and we moved to a sort of dingy (but huge) suite and lived it up for our last few days of summer. By lived it up, I mean we got some massages; spent some time in the spa's "thermal suite", which had themed showers and water jets I won't soon forget; got some room service; moseyed around Dublin a bit; Rani got a new tattoo... 

Then, travel-weary and yearning for their own beds, showers, and toilets, your intrepid adventurers boarded the morning plane back to the land of toil, dust, and heat. We're ready for what is probably our last year here, and excited to start writing the next chapter. 

Peace and love,

Jon