McDreamy and I are in the Philippines! It feels so weird to write that, and even weirder to believe it. We keep commenting that everything is so surreal...it actually reminds me a lot of Singapore. Kind of. The weather is the same (hot and ridiculously humid) as is the fact that blond-haired, blue-eyed Caucasians are in the minority and get stared at a lot. The people are generally nice and friendly though...but Singapore was much smaller and much wealthier. As we drive through some areas, I'm reminded of South Africa a lot - there are shanty towns and areas of extreme poverty.

Some of the highlights:
--We're staying in a five-star hotel. It's amazing, and not something I'm at all used to.
--Yesterday we took a tour through Intramuros, the old, walled city of Manila, with this amazing tour guide. I learned so much - and also that my perception of the Philippines was very narrow.
--Today we were allowed to tour the presidential palace complex - the bride's family is very wealthy and connected, and this tour is not something that most tourists get to see.
--I met McDreamy's friends and I like them. More importantly, they like me, I think!
--I have never had better mangoes than the ones I've eaten here.
--We got massages yesterday - professional ones at a spa. A. Ma. Zing.
--McDreamy. He's off learning a dance routine the bridal party has to perform at the wedding so I have some time to take advantage of the hotel's free wifi, which is the first time we've been apart since we left Raleigh Monday morning. And I haven't been cranky, haven't been snappish, haven't been irritated - he mellows and calms me in the most unbelievable way. We haven't fought or disagreed or argued about anything. He also won't let me pay for anything - which is a welcome change from having to pay for everything.

But the best part? We keep having these conversations before bed...our first night here, we went out right after arriving. We went to this bar with his friends, did some Jaegerbombs, played in a beer pong tournament, stayed out until 4 and topped off the evening with greasy Filipino food at a diner type place. McDreamy got a little drunker than me, but when we got back to our hotel room and were about to fall asleep, he got a little flustered. I can tell when he's thinking about things and has something on his mind, so when I asked him, it took a while but he eventually asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. It sounds kind of silly, but it was the sweetest thing - I can't really describe how he explained it. I've thought of him as my boyfriend before, but it's one thing to think it, and another to say it, to put that label on, to define the relationship and agree on it. But the best part is that now, whenever we get silly (or cute!) and say things like, "well, it's a good thing you have a girlfriend!" - kind of like newlyweds will say things like, "would you like some X, Mrs. Smith?" and emphasize their new names - he gives me the giddy grin and tells me that his heart flutters and he gets butterflies. :)

And last night's before-sleep-conversation? He told me that he was falling in love with me. :)

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