It’s now been a week since our arrival in Manila, Philippines. To cut to the chase; so far we love it.

Our new apartment is fantastic; a high rise right in the heart of Makati – the business/expat area; all very upscale and metropolitan. We spent seven years in our home in Jakarta, so apartment living is a new thing for us.

Our place is quite high in the sky and very spacious; 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths not including the maid’s quarters. We have floor to ceiling windows in nearly every room in the place – tons of great light with stunning views.

The transition to Manila has been about as smooth as possible. Our shipment arrived the day after we got here; no problems there whatsoever. My new workplace is phenomenal, with fabulous facilities and great co-workers. All in all, I feel very positive about this entire choice.

One can’t help but make direct comparisons to Indonesia after 7 years. More than once I’ve spoken Indonesian to Filipinos. The pollution seems slightly less, traffic a little less insane, prices for most things comparable, worse taxis, American food (for better or worse), and importantly, very friendly people – an aspect I loved about Indonesia.

E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. thinks Novita is Filipina, and even after she says she’s Indonesian, some proceed to speak Tagalog to her. 😉 I must say, the physical attributes of most Filipinos seems almost indistinguishable from Indonesians.

All in all, this has been a whirlwind of a week, but we’re absolutely thrilled to be here. I can’t wait to get out and explore both Manila and the rest of the Philippines.