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The highlight of our week was probably the same as yours: STAR WARS!!!
Well, maybe not. But we did go to see Star Wars again, since it will
be out of the theater and on to the black market in a matter of weeks.
(We were in the mall yesterday, and were approached dozens of times by
people trying to sell us unreleased DVD's. When we told them no, they
would scurry away and melt back into the crowd.)
This week we finally made it to the beach!!! We met Tennyson and Anne
at Church on Sunday, and they invited us to go to Anilao for the
weekend. Axa swam in the ocean for the first time, and enjoyed it.
Tennyson is a divemaster, so he took us scuba diving. It was amazing.
The water was a comfy 86 degrees, and we dove in our swimsuits. We
descended slowly into an underwater paradise, floating like huge
ungainly flightless birds. Above us, the warm tropical surface slowly
receded, and below we could see a busy fish city, teeming with active
residents. When we reached the reef we were introduced to moorish
idols, various gobies, angelfish, and butterflyfish. A ribbon-like
pipefish danced along, and a baby barracuda cruised past us. Poisonous
lionfish sulked in darker corners, and some of the bumps on the bottom
were deadly stonefish. Lurking in the darker corners were moray eels,
gaping in mock attack. A group of garden eels swayed halfway out of
the ocean floor, waiting for unsuspecting prey, and sank down into
their holes as we passed. We even saw a Lapu Lapu, the fish that
killed Magellan, which we had dined upon the night before at a
restaurant called Kamayan. Tennyson shined his flashlight into a
crevice and startled an octopus, who squished in deeper and then
reluctantly jetted away when he prodded it. We liked it so much that
we went on a combined total of seven dives in two days. Tony set off
on a shark-hunt (He's making a shark sign in the picture. That will be
the next sign we teach Axa after milk). He battled a current, sank to
a depth of 125 feet, and met with some of the larger denizons of the
deep, including blue spotted stingrays, barracuda (this time
full-grown) and a large school of tuna. No sharks yet, but he remains
hopeful.
On a more prosaic note, Tony's study is going well. On Tuesday we went
to an entrepreneur night at a local restaurant. For purchase of the
Filipino edition of Entrepreneur magazine, we got dinner and the
chance to mingle with entrepreneurs in Manila. As we arrived (late,
because we took the light rail transport system and then walked a long
way), they were announcing the end of the open-mike portion, where
people could promote their businesses. Tony jumped up on the stage and
announced the study, and all night he was assailed by interested
parties. He did one interview on the spot and set up some more. He has
already interviewed export-manufacturers of clothing, bedsheets,
bicycles, decorative
fountains, and more, and is beginning to put together some
conclusions. His business card collection is growing steadily.
While at the resort in Anilao, we had massages (again) and enjoyed the
delicious buffet meals. We stayed in a quaint little cottage a few
yards from the ocean. The second night we were there, we had a real
tropical storm. We left the doors and window of our cottage wide open
and watched a dramatic light show over the water as the thunder
crashed overhead. Axa slept right through it all. Luckily, she is not
afraid of thunder and lightning.
We do fear that Axa will experience some culture shock when she
returns to the U.S. She is quite the little celebrity here. Wherever
she goes, a crowd of people with no interest whatever in her parents
gather around cooing and talking to her, and taking pictures with the
ubiquitous camera phones. The other day we arrived at the mall in a
taxi. The security guard (malls here have security guards at every
entrance. They probably don't keep out anything but street kids, but
they do have an impressive assortment of guns and other accessories)
opened the door for me. I said thank you, and he said, "Hi, baby."
We've gotten used to everyone addressing our baby instead of us, and
speaking to us only to ask questions about the baby. She also recieves
various gifts. Tony was interviewing a textiles company last week and
they were so charmed with her that they gave her two cute dresses.
Yesterday we were at a mall shopping for souvenirs and a nice Muslim
lady gave her a little coral bracelet to ward off the evil eye.
Axa has been adding new skills to her repertoire. Whenever a stranger
looks at her, she puts her hands together and smiles a most adorable
smile. She rolls over when she wants, and she can get up on her hands
and look around. She's also already walking (see the picture if you
don't believe it!) When she wakes up in the morning, she talks and
smiles and makes all sorts of cute noises. She's very snuggly, and
sends her love to all her admirers in the United States.
With love,
Sarah, Tony, and Axa
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massages during a thunderstorm at Anilao |
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Cooking with the BYU interns (from left): Sachika, Jolene, Sarah, Margy, Jardan, Levi, and Tita Claire. |
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