The last two months in the Philippines were undoubtedly more fun than the first seven. There were several reasons for that.

For one thing, it was rather freeing to know that a bureaucratic stalemate made implementation of our planned work impossible. Rather than wandering in a fog of uncertainty, I now had a good idea what was going on: very little. Where once there was confusion and frustration, now I employed much eye-rolling and shrugging.

Another reason was that the wet season turned into the hot season, which morphed into the hot HOT season. We attended an increasing number of events at resort-like venues: retreats, planning meetings, congresses, exchanges, and the occasional piss-up. Continue reading 22. Stasis in Places →