Bangladesh

So I wasn't too good at keeping up with my blog on my previous trip but I will do better this time. I'm once again in Asia this time in South Asia visiting Dhaka, Bangladesh, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Madurai and Chennai India, Colombo Sri Lanka, Bangkok and Chiang Mai Thailand, Ho Chi Minh Vietnam and Jakarta Indonesia.

I have just arrived in Dhaka for my first stop.  This is my first time to Bangladesh and its turning out to be quite similar to India!  Bangladesh is a very small country but also one of the most densely populated in the world.  Dhaka is very similar to Indian cities, lots of traffic, overwhelming upon arrival.  The city is very spread out and there are hardly any buildings taller than 10 stories.  During the monsoon season Bangladesh is one of the hardest hit countries, with annual flooding and cyclone impacts.  Poverty is also very visable with many beggars approaching your car or following you on the street.  It is a vastly different experience than east Asia.

We will be in Dhaka for 2 days before heading on to Delhi, tomorrow we will be visiting two different schools and hopefully have some time to go out to dinner in the evening.  It hasn't been as hot as I was anticipating which is really nice as last time I was in south Asia the heat and humidity was unbearable.  I'll write again once we get to India.

The Phoenix Flyer returns

Well, its been a long time since my last post. As a matter of fact the last post I did was in Manila and I will be there shortly! I'm back in Asia for another exciting recruitment season. Trip 1 this year consists of Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Manila. I have already been through Singapore and Seoul and on to Tokyo (sushi here I come!). This trip is a short one, only two weeks and to designations I have been to a half dozen times, but all the same, its still exciting. I am traveling with some old and new friends from liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. The weather has been fabulous, I hope it holds!

My vow to you is to post more consistently this year. Starting tomorrow in Tokyo.

Manila, Philippines

Its long overdue but I wanted to update everyone on my first trip to the Philippines. For the past few trips everyone has been telling me I have to get to Manila and finally the opportunity has come and I am so grateful. Never having been in the Philippines I didn't know what to expect, but I was amazed with the friendliness of the people and the beauty of the country. Metro Manila is made up of 13 cities, which combined is what people think of when they think Manila. While in the country we visited, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Binan, Brentwood, Makati and Manila. More than any other place I have been to the counselors at schools in Manila are here to stay. Unlike other cities the counselors describe Manila as maybe not a fun place to visit but a wonderful place to live. While I disagree with the first statement the second one is obvious as most of the counselors and teachers at the schools visited have been here 8, 10, or 38 years! While there might not be a lot of cultural or historical things to do in Manila, the city is a wonderful place to explore. One of the most shocking things about the city to me was that everyone spoke English! I mean everyone from the hotel staff to the taxi drivers, police officers and beggars. I have never been in a country like this where english is more widely spoken without being the official language. This added to the ease of travel and the stress of explaining directions. While Manila may not have many cultural opportunities we were still able to have fun! On day one we were asked by one of the counselors at our first school visit to participate in a full 90 minute, 11 on 11 soccer match against the varsity team. Being an international school the teams don't play too many matches against other schools and to start out they work up their skill and training by playing an aging staff team (which I was thoroughly a part of). While it was literally breath-taking it was also a lot of fun.



Finally our last night in Manila, Tom and I did get to have a little fun, we were able to fit in a round of golf at one of the best courses I have ever played in. Club Intramuros is an 18 hole golf course built into the relics of the old Spanish fort on Manila harbor. The walls of the fort acted as the boundaries of many holes and certain buildings throughout the compound added to the "hazards" along the way. It was also a unique experience because for the first time ever I played with a caddie who carried my clubs and made suggestions on each of my shots. It definitely was a fun way to end our time in Manila, up until the 15th hole when the nightly downpours began and unfortunately I had forgotten my umbrella! Fun times in Manila and I can't wait to return!