Takeoffs and Landings

After countless hours of sitting and sleeping and being fed I arrived here in Manila. Somehow I lost a day on the way over here. Hope I get to reclaim it on the return trip. It's rainy season in the 'peens. Kids get naked and play in the rivers that rush the streets. I forgot how real and in-your-face life can be. The smell of sweetness and stink fill my nostrils; scenes of suffering and joy crowd my eyes. It is intense, yet there's an at-homeness I feel even here in this metropolis teeming with humanity. A feeling that has quickly dispelled the anxiety I felt on the plane, not wanting it to land despite the soreness of my ass, not ready after months of self-controlled pleasure to let Life take me and sweep me into the great tides of the Unknown. But I find myself in a sanctuary now, filled with nice brothers and fathers and DSL action. Gladys the secretary took me all over the city today in order to equip me with a cellphone. I found out after dinner from a brother that the island where I'll be has a 10 x 10 ft square of cellphone reception that's on some mountain. Awesome. More to come...