Hitha Manila

I've been through this whole training/orientation business before. Twice, in fact. Mercifully, on account of this being a Peace Corps Response position, the process has been significantly shorter. And on Thursday morning, scarcely a week after my arrival here in Manila, I will be flying out to my new home on the island of Samar.

If this city is anything to go by, my time here won't be anything like my service in Mali or Kenya. There is a Starbucks or a 7-Eleven on nary every other street corner. One of the biggest malls I remember ever stepping into, Robinsons Place, is not even the largest mall in Manila. That would be the Mall of Asia, the third largest in the world, and therefore a place I never want to go. McDonald's, always two-story megastructures here, is one of the local favorites, alongside similarly-modeled Filipino chains. Hell, there are Krispy Kremes, T.G.I. Friday's... even an In-N-Out Burger!

'The Jeepney', as seen on the streets of Manila. You jump on, ride for a small fee, and jump off at your destination. Best part... the owners get really creative in pimping their rides.

Aside from the many familiar American conveniences are peculiarities in culture and transport. They may not eat with their hands as in Mali or Kenya, but instead of a knife and fork, Filipinos eat with a fork and spoon. The spoon serves not as a 'shovel', but a cutting apparatus for tough meat. The primary mode of public transportation is the 'jeepney', a small 70's-themed minibus straight out of the mind of Jerry Garcia.

Video: Maliki ka Ɲɛnajɛ (Maliki's Party)

The following videos were taken during the ɲɛnajɛ (party) held in Makili, my Malian village, on January 17th. Please refer to my previous post entitled Maliki ka Ɲɛnajɛ (Maliki's Party) for details.

Dununw (Bambara Traditional Drumming)

Cɛba (Big Man)