Tagalog, to explain the title of this blog, is the official language of the Philippines.
On 8/9, I'm leaving Chicago en route for the capital city, Manila. To be honest, it's a bit overwhelming. I've lived abroad before, but this is the first time I'll be in a country where, although English is spoken, I have little-to-no knowledge of the official language. It's also a country that has a standard of living below what I've been accustomed to all my life. I lived on my family farm in Korea (limited plumbing, no a/c, slept on mats on the floor), but it was only for a few days. And I wanted to leave ASAP.
I'm not implying that Manila will be unlivable, but it will certainly be different from my house in Cambridge. (I never had the chance to meet the police there--I always had my keys on me). Not to mention the mosquitoes, humidity, average daily temperatures in the high 80's to low 90's... and I'll have to walk uphill both ways to school.
Nonetheless, I've waited for this day to arrive for over two years, when I began considering graduate programs. I originally applied to volunteer for the Peace Corps and their Master's International program. However, long story short, I'm no longer active in the Peace Corps and on my way to Manila with BU. I'll be taking classes at the University of the Philippines Manila and doing an internship.
I'm looking forward to seeing this from the plane:
