So, it's been a long time since we updated the blog, and that's because we've been very busy- having a lot of fun! We got some work done too... We were excited to participate in graduation even though we are technically summer graduates. It was fun pretending to graduate, and we were able to finish our thesis a few days after graduation, which left us with a couple weeks free to have fun and spend time with our friends. This will be a picture heavy post as we walk you through our last days in the Philippines. We're sitting in the airport getting ready to board our flight to Taiwan and then onto California, and it was fun to look through these pictures- they made us smile!
This was taken after the Baccalaureate chapel. This is group are all Community Development students. They're a great group of people, and we have thoroughly enjoyed learning together with these people.
The evening after chapel we went out with our friends who live in our building. We were all graduating, so it was a real celebration! Taco Bell!
This was at the banquet they had before graduation. It was fun to see everyone dressed up. Sitting next to Sarah is a great friend of ours. It's not fun to leave these great people who we have gotten to know the past year and a half.
The big day! This was taken as we lined up to walk into the church.
The graduates! We were hooded by our program director (the hood sits on top of the robe) as they read a short biography about us.
The day after graduation we had a party up on our roof to spend some time with our friends who were graduating and leaving Manila in the days following graduation. No party in the Philippines is complete without some karaoke- so we gave the neighborhood a nice concert! :)
The week after graduation was Holy Week, and because this is a Catholic country this is a very special week. The Thursday and Friday before Easter everything shuts down- the malls close, the roads are empty and people head out of Manila. We joined some friends from church and spent a couple days at the ocean. We did a little snorkeling as you can see from this picture!
The tide was low the first evening we headed to the beach. Here's a couple starfish doing something... get a room already!
Uche with a totally different starfish than the loving couple seen above!
The next week we were taken on a short trip to a place in the mountains outside of Manila. It's much cooler in this area, so it's a popular place to visit. Our friend took us to a wonderful hotel for an evening. It was a great place! If you look closely, you can see Sarah in the background. She's actually in the bathroom! There's a window above the jacuzzi tub, so you can sit in the tub and watch tv! The bed had a down comforter and feather pillows- luxury!!
This is the front of the hotel. It was so beautiful.
Here's our group in the lobby. It's kind of weird to see a fireplace in the Philippines, but it's much much cooler here than Manila, so it may even be used during the cooler months! If nothing else it makes a nice place to take a picture.
This was the view from our room! It looked very European to us with the pine trees, mountains and hotel in the background. It was a very refreshing trip, and we enjoyed the company of our great friends!
This was taken after the Baccalaureate chapel. This is group are all Community Development students. They're a great group of people, and we have thoroughly enjoyed learning together with these people.
The evening after chapel we went out with our friends who live in our building. We were all graduating, so it was a real celebration! Taco Bell!
This was at the banquet they had before graduation. It was fun to see everyone dressed up. Sitting next to Sarah is a great friend of ours. It's not fun to leave these great people who we have gotten to know the past year and a half.
The big day! This was taken as we lined up to walk into the church.
The graduates! We were hooded by our program director (the hood sits on top of the robe) as they read a short biography about us.
The day after graduation we had a party up on our roof to spend some time with our friends who were graduating and leaving Manila in the days following graduation. No party in the Philippines is complete without some karaoke- so we gave the neighborhood a nice concert! :)
The week after graduation was Holy Week, and because this is a Catholic country this is a very special week. The Thursday and Friday before Easter everything shuts down- the malls close, the roads are empty and people head out of Manila. We joined some friends from church and spent a couple days at the ocean. We did a little snorkeling as you can see from this picture!
The tide was low the first evening we headed to the beach. Here's a couple starfish doing something... get a room already!
Uche with a totally different starfish than the loving couple seen above!
The next week we were taken on a short trip to a place in the mountains outside of Manila. It's much cooler in this area, so it's a popular place to visit. Our friend took us to a wonderful hotel for an evening. It was a great place! If you look closely, you can see Sarah in the background. She's actually in the bathroom! There's a window above the jacuzzi tub, so you can sit in the tub and watch tv! The bed had a down comforter and feather pillows- luxury!!
This is the front of the hotel. It was so beautiful.
Here's our group in the lobby. It's kind of weird to see a fireplace in the Philippines, but it's much much cooler here than Manila, so it may even be used during the cooler months! If nothing else it makes a nice place to take a picture.
This was the view from our room! It looked very European to us with the pine trees, mountains and hotel in the background. It was a very refreshing trip, and we enjoyed the company of our great friends!
