Catching up

Wow. So much has been going on and I've been so many places it's hard to keep up with myself. Here is a quick recap.

In late August I traveled to the states to see my family and work with some of my colleagues in the Phoenix office for a couple weeks. I planned to take time off while there but ended up extending the trip by a week and working almost the entire time. This turned out to be a good thing for work but not for me or my family.

I returned to Manila mid-September and, while trying to fit in some day tours of the Philippines, starting planning a trip to India to meet and assess the teams there to see what they might need to help them in the transformation. One team is in Kochi, on the southwestern coast of India and the other in Bangalore.

My colleague and I planned a couple days to sightsee while we were there, but it really wasn't enough.

India has a beauty in the culture and architecture that requires time to savor. Luckily, it looks like we'll be headed back there early next year.

In the meantime, I started to take scuba diving lessons with an eye toward certification.

I have seen and climbed Mt Tabaro, which is located in Taal Lake--it's actually an island in the largest lake in the world on an island, and has it's own island--snorkeled and dived in Anilao, Batangas; and walked on the shores of the Arabian Sea and in a 1000 year old temple.

We were blessed by the monks in a temple in India and learned about the gods who watch over the people of India and will watch over us too. They're not picky; they offer protection to all.

I'll try to get back on track with blogging, but don't be surprised if my activities keep me so busy I can offer little but photo uploads!