So once again I am sitting in an airport in front of a gate waiting to board tan AirAsia flight which brings me back to the Philippines. And once again I am looking forward to see my missus and the two monsters.  And once gain it is harder to think about how long I have to stay in Dumaguete until the next trip. In that many years I am in the Philippines it gets just more and more depressing to see how that country is just going backwards all the time. If I would not be for the two kids where I promised to take care of as long as it takes to get them a good education or an appropriate job, I certainly would have wrapped up all, pack my missus and would be gone.

Once again I was in Kota Kinabalu. While 10 years back I used this ticket as a throw away ticket (no entry into the Philippines for tourists without onward ticket), but over the last few years I really used them as it is only a two hour flight from Cebu and it is just a place to my liking.

Once again I recognized many similarities between Kota Kinabalu (KK) and different cities in the Philippines. That is no surprise, there are certainly many Filipinos in Sabah. A lot of similar local food and a big Filipino Market in the evening down at the waterfront.

Once again I recognized also the differences between KK and Cebu or Dumaguete. KK is cleaner by so many levels, motorists don’t drive like total idiots and nobody throws their garbage everywhere.  The kids and teenagers are certainly on the same level of cell phone addiction. But you won’t see anyone crossing the street while staring at their gadget, or even stop in the middle of the street to read a text. In KK they cross a street in the shortest way and with faster than normal walking speed. If not one got a good chance to get hit by a car, bus or truck. And nobody would cry a river if another person gets hit because of being extreme stupid.

Once again I enjoyed the options of eating real international food. I had awesome real Italian Pizza and Pasta as well as outstanding northern Indian cuisine. The selection at the cheaper local food-stalls is also quite big. The food-court at the malls has a bigger variety than in Dumaguete and Cebu and the choice of international beer is given in each restaurant.

Once again I am sitting in an airport in front of a gate waiting for my flight back to the Philippines and really wonder more than ever why I actually go back into that country which reminds me more often than not of a dysfunctional septic tank.

And once again I look at the pictures of my lovely missus and her great kids and know the reason why I am going back.. My job there is not done yet !!!