It’s been six months since I’ve left Beijing for more than a day trip and it was wrecking havoc to my mental health.  Work has been stressful and I’m at the point where I want to look for a new job or be transferred to a new location. 

This trip to Manila was even a question mark in the beginning as prices went up towards the middle of April.  In any case, when I planned for this trip, my goal was to meet my 8 month old niece, get the stuff my sister sent me, spend time with my dad and do some shopping.  It was a good coincidence to have celebrated my Uncle’s 51st birthday.  However, the trip ended in a sad note with my uncle passing away on the day before my flight back to Beijing.

If you care to read on, I’ll be writing a daily diary of my trip: