Monday 16 November 2009

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more...

Indeed, far from it.

Home for a month, Manila, November 2009

This is a post of explanation and introduction.

First the explanation - the reason I've not posted in a while is that I'm in the process of moving: job, country, house. I've just taken up a new job in Manila, Philippines - one week in and just getting adjusted. Things will remain slow around here for a while until I get moved into my new house early in the New Year.

Palms and steel, Manila, November 2009

Now some introduction to my initial thoughts on this place. First off, it's proving a little hard to get to grips with the place, largely because I'm a bit restricted in location. Living in a hotel in the middle of a commercial district, next door to the office, does restrict ones view of the World. Strictly speaking this is not Manila, but Muntilupa City in the south of the Metro Manila region but that's a nuance lost on most outside of the country. I won't actually be properly moved in until the New Year, awaiting the shipment of my stuff from the Netherlands.

Weather is interesting - it's nearly the coolest part of the year, yet is 30degC most days. Not seen any of the rain that goes with this time of year, either. Which makes for a strange build up to Christmas - more of that in due course.

Photographically, I'm struggling as to how to respond to the new environs. Normally I get to a new place and can snap away, but then most new places I've visited have had some element of familiarity. This place has none of that. And the weather doesn't encourage the long wlaks I might otherwise take, camera in hand. So for now it's just bits and pieces.

3 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new job. Must be quite an undertaking, uprooting from Western Europe to the other side of the world and into quite a different culture. Hope You acquire interesting friends quite soon in order to acclimatize to the new surroundings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Martin, that should be a great inspiration to your photography. To be in a new place-- your eyes will be fresh for a good while before you start taking it all for granted. Sounds like a great opportunity...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Best of luck settling in to your new job and environment. The folks who hired you made a smart move. Now, you get a great deal of chaos. We get the pleasure of following you through your photos. I look forward to future postings.

    ReplyDelete

I like comments, especially constructive ones.
Comments get emailed directly to me before publishing , so if you want to get in touch drop a comment.
All comments moderated by me before being published, keeps the spam at bay.