Daily Report: Ribs

I was up nice and early this morning. Epril is such a joy in the morning, always waking me up with giggles and tickles and smiles.

It looks like the rainy season is finally and truly over here. It still rains occasionally, but not as a daily occurrence. Actually, when I moved to Asia, I was thinking the rainy season would be like the movie Forrest Gump's Viet Nam: Rain all the time... Big ol' fat rain. It isn't... at least in the places I've lived.

We had a lunch date today with Ron and Marla. Ron is from The Netherlands and owns a bakery, bar, and internet café here in Jasaan. They put out an incredible spread of food, including beef with broccoli, fried rice, a nice fruit salad, and the most wonderful ribs in a thick sauce.

Being payday today, Epril was off to Cagayan De Oro to hit the ATM. It's a drawback to living out here in Jasaan: There is no ATM within 20 miles of us. It's not the worst thing in the world: We just withdraw enough cash to last us for a week and then some. Anyway, I stayed behind tonight and watched television while Epril went out by herself. She is spending the night in CDO with the expatriates' wives, and they are out for some disco time without the husbands.

It is also another drawback to living out here in Jasaan: I don't let Epril come back to Jasaan alone at night... after 9 p.m. I think it is risky for her to be alone in a taxi or jeepney on a generally empty highway at those hours. Therefore (this is the second time so far since moving out here), I arrange for her to stay at friends' houses when she is out in CDO without me until a late hour.

So, for the fourth night since meeting 17 months ago, I have the bed to myself. Off to bed early.