Pause Button

Well, I'm back! Back in Manila that is! I've been away for three weeks; did you miss me? I was back in Vancouver! I had every intension of continuing my blog writing while in Vancouver but without internet (we cancelled our internet before moving to Manila and sadly none of our neighbours were 'nice' enough to offer an unsecure wireless network for us to 'borrow') the blog writing was impossible. So for the next few days (or weeks, depending on my motivation) I'm going to write about my brief three weeks back in Canada.

But for now, I want to write about an observation I found myself pondering while there. The main question I pondered? Quite simply, "has 4 months in the Philippines changed me?".

I first came up with this question while sitting in the Milestones restaurant on Robson Street sipping back a Granville Island lager (how many Vancouver references can I throw into this blog?). From my vantage point in the restaurant I could see the good old Vancouver folk rushing on the street below trying to finish their last minute Christmas shopping. How different am I from them now I wondered? I must be different in some way. Any experience in life that takes you outside of your comfort zone must change you in some way. Has the 4 months changed me? In an answer, why yes, it has changed me. But how exactly? Well ... that's the part I can't answer. Can anyone really analyze their personality to the point where they know the profound impact every experience has on them? I can't. I know my time in the Philippines has made me a stronger person but how so, I have no idea. But I can tell you this, changes in me or not, it's amazing how after 4 months away from Vancouver I find myself restarting that life like the 4 months never existed. It's like I have two lives: a Vancouver life and a Manila Life. While in Manila my life here has its "Play" button pressed but once I leave the "Pause" button gets used. Once I'm back in Vancouver it's the same thing, "Pause" and "Play" buttons. Each place gives me unique experiences that alter who I am but it's easy to live in both worlds independently. So when I left Vancouver after Christmas I pressed the Pause button. Today I landed back in Manila and I pressed the Play button. I know it's an odd analogy but it seems to be what life it like for me now: Two worlds, and two lives loosely connected.

So now that I've freaked you out with all this psychology nonsense I'll get back back to my normal blogs. The Kenniverse has officially returned!