26

I have celebrated my most recent 2 birthdays in the company of new friends, which I find to be a real treat. It helps me to reflect on how my life has evolved and to be grateful for the people whose paths have crossed with mine in the past year. Today I observed my 26th birthday with my new friend Christina, with whom I share a mutual friend at UNC. She is a journalist who is madly in love with Asia, working in Manila for the year and hoping to return to China in the fall. She has lots of great stories, and we chatted for hours today during lunch at a restaurant where we could order SALAD (truly a remarkable thing in Manila!), a visit to the posh Ayala Museum, coffee with randomly encountered friends, browsing at a bookstore, and a yummy quasi-Thai dinner. We were both really tired by the end, but this is the kind of tired that I live for...the all-talked-out kind. Hooray. :)

She has invited me to join her tomorrow on a tour of Manila's Chinese Cemetery, which is apparently weirdly fascinating--I'll be sure to post some pictures! I'm also hoping to catch up with my Duke friends while they are in town on a medical missions trip. It's great to have a variety of connections here--every layer has truly made the experience richer, and I am so grateful.

Hope you are having a great weekend too!