Makati City, Philippines

[slang]

Thanks Zip, I'll surely do that.

This trip is going to be a bit more involved though. It's not going to be a booze fest or even a photo fest.

This trip ,with the tools and books that are now there for me, will be a long term field trip.

There are so many things that I don't understand about the history and the workings there. This will be a great opportunity to study the whole society right there on the spot.

My wife will be there and we'll have some sustained quality time together, I'll have the chance to learn Tagalog and the other languages of the Phils, I will not be directly or indirectly responsible for engineering / design projects and I will be totally removed from the American environment for months on end. I'll have the time and money to do those things that I like to do, which is rare here in the US.

The trip over there is going to be a pain in the ass but once I'm there everything's going to be great.