I'm here, I'm safe, I'm hot, I'm loving it.

To no surprise to anyone who's ever been to the Philippines before typhoon season, in May, I am sweating as I write.

I arrived on a late evening flight to Manila on Tuesday.  I spent some quality time in customs (1hr) and waiting for my luggage (45min.), (left baggage at home).  I was met outside the airport with an extremely balmy and smog filled evening, as well as University of the Philippines Los Banos official and driver.

We drove through the insane slow shutter flash of traffic, that is Manila, and made it Los Banos 35 miles and 2 hours later.

Made it my dorm, where I was greeted with the familiar face of Justin, another MSU student, who's here to broaden the perspective.  

It was late, or was that the jet lag?

I've been out in Los Banos, meeting people, getting to know my roommate and eating great food ever since.  Details to come, but here's some sweet pics for you all.  = )

From the Valley of the Sun

Feeling the heat, with early Monday morning 36 hours around the corner. Thus far, Arizona has been a dream as always. Always cut short, surreal.

It's gorgeous out here. My Dad and step family always making me feel like home is out here. The food is great, or so they said so after I cooked this evening. (It was.)

The sun is 100 degrees hot, and dry like the wind. I pace myself in the morning, not wanting to overheat, 4-5 miles or trying to outrun the sunrise. It never works. No sweat, just exhaustion. It's like an oven, but a really inviting one, like the gingerbread house oven in Hanzel and Gretel.

Got almost all of the essential gear necessary for six months abroad, and for shooting a documentary while there. Sans the gear en route to Dad's place, then shipped once again, back to Asia from here. Ridiculous.

Anyway, here's some pics from Phoenix/Scottsdale. Hope you all enjoy. I'm loving the G11 PowerShot from Canon, btw. Still got to figure out how to get the damn time stamp to go away, though.

Out for now.


MJ

Packing, Leaving, Mash-Up of Final Preparations

Note the time. Laundry, packing, final gear purchases, emotions running high. (Good) byes. I leave in several hours for Phoenix. I haven't seen my father, brother, step-fam, in-laws, nephew in over a year and five months. Miss them.

I'm so excited to visit, if only for a few days. I get to share with them all of the exciting buzz that has developed in the last year and a half, that most of you have been privy to. I also get to say goodbye.

Goodbye is not the right word. See ya soon? A bit cliche, but sufficient. See ya when I see ya, a bit pretentious. How about, 'Be back sooner than later?' Whatever.

I'm going to miss you all, more than some of you know, or rather more than I let on. I just don't have time or the capacity to convey all the emotion in these final hours before departure. If you've ever meant something to me, you know it already. You will all be missed dearly. I have a heart big enough for you all, and then some.

Thanks for the fond wishes, support, love and blessings. None of it taken for granted. I've got some really incredible friends and family that care about me, and that's a really great feeling. Thank you.

I've gotta get back to the grinding grind of getting ready. Till next time, sooner than later....

MDJ

MDavidJohns: Here's the first, of many. The Philippines Series

http://www.facebook.com/M.David.Johns?ref=profile

Here's the first, of many. The Philippines Series

I'm exactly two weeks out from embarking on a journey. I'm not sure what to expect, but everyone seems to be expecting for me. My life changing event...

I leave to study and intern in the Philippines, after a quick, but much needed stop in Phoenix to visit family, and a 24-hour layover in Honolulu. I'll be there for the better part of a year.

I don't know what to expect, except for everything new. There's going to be some culture shock, some language block and a lot of adventure.

I'll be attending the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, and then interning on the province of Palawan.

Studying who knows what, (seriously, I have no idea yet which classes I'll be taking), and filming a documentary, I should be pretty busy.

I plan to update as often as possible. I would like to take you all with me on the adventure, so I'm going to do my best to highlight all the parts. Good, bad and in between.

For now, I have a few blogs to post for class, here at MSU, and my last final for the semester to get into my head. So long, talk soon.

Lansing Lugnut Fan: Bill West

Hey all:

It's been quite a while since my last post, but here I am again, finally. Right = )? Here's an audio slide show piece I put together last week for a photojournalism course at Michigan State University, 'JRN 310'.

It's a show about Bill West, a long time Lansing, Michigan resident and Lansing Lugnuts fan.

The Lugnuts are a Single A minor league baseball team under the Toronto Bluejays organization. Enjoy!