Homesick?

I guess I should talk a little about the psychological side of living in a very different country.

It is a lot less scary here than when I was in Thailand in 1973.  Of course I am living with regular people now, not out looking for bar girls, like I was then.  The impact of not being able to understand what people are saying is pretty profound.  It was worse in Thailand because the language there has the same tonal characteristics as Chinese.  Tagalog (ta ga' low) is more like Spanish or other word based languages, so it doesn't sound so strange.  The fact that many people speak at least some English makes every day life easier, but I still need an interpreter if I need to get into detail about anything.  At major malls, and in stores for major brands like Apple or Nokia, most store employees speak excellent English and can help you choose the right cell phone or computer.  At the National Book Store (similar to Barns & Nobel) the clerks had to call the "expert" to talk with me, and she really didn't understand what I was asking.  Jackie and Joan were a lot more help picking books to supplement Rosetta Stone and help me learn Tagalog.

If you were traveling with a friend or spouse, I'm sure you wouldn't have the loneliness issues I have.  Still, I am not homesick.  My state here is a lot like it was in Concord, still hoping to meet the right girl.  If I had not come here thinking I already HAD met the right one, it might not seem like a big deal.

Someone set off a few strings of Black Cats about 10:30 last night.  That was the extent of the 4th in my little corner of Manila.  Since all the big military bases have closed, American presence here is very small.  That may be a good thing, because everyone seems to have a positive attitude toward Americans.  I do stand out, and when we go out, I sometimes think Jackie and Joan are walking their pet American,  (Joan says she has never thought of me as a pet) because people DO stare.  However no one ever seems hostile, just openly curious.