Hellewwww...
It's been 36 hours since I arrived in the
Philippines,30 hours since I arrived in Davao (which
is in Mindanao). A quick rundown...

Things I have learned...
-My family is a Filipino version of both "Goodfellas"
and "Copland" mixed together...in a good way.

-All my relatives look like my brother...they are
stocky, dark and curly-haired. I look like no one.
This must be how Michael Jackson feels at a reunion.

-I have eschewed english, since A) my relatives tell
me that speaking entirely in english would make me
difficult to understand, and B) speaking only english
would make me a target for scammers, scumbags,
thieves, etc. Because of B, there has been a
directive to the family that everyone must speak
Visayan to me (to make me appear local). I'm not even
speaking english to my parents. I am only speaking
english to my Austrailian cousin, and even then only
in private (his accent is rubbing off on me...I now
refer to my mother as "me mum"). I have surprised
myself with the ease at which I am communicating with
everyone. I am speaking a combination of
Tagalog/Visayan/English (I call it Tagayanlish), which
has been understood quite well by everyone.

-Davao's population is said to be about 1 million, but
after driving through traffic and trying to walk
through a mall, it feels like 20 gajillion.

-Our family reunion spot is being kept a secret. Over
100 people are expected, and since many people in the
family are very influential people in this city, it is
being kept under wraps.

-Since I have been here, an article my dad wrote made
the front page of the local paper, I have swum on a
very nice, very clear beach, gotten drunk and sung
karaoke, witnessed a drunken fight in the middle of
the street, went to a strip-type club which, at one
point, had an act where a man in clown makeup and
rubber penis (calling Dr. Freud!! Hello?!) lip-synched
to a song while a transvestite danced in a g-string
(by the way, don't ever tell that to my parents).

I am loving Davao. THis place is wonderful.