Settling in to the Work the World House

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Settling in; well that was a whirl wind. 

After 20 + hours of traveling from London Heathrow (I’ve never been on a long haul flight or travelled alone). I managed 2 busses (one broke down rescued by a uber) 3 flights with 1 being delayed due to a typhoon, I finally made it to Iloilo international airport. The work the world team were waiting for me outside, I was transported to the house it was around 10pm the Sunday 2nd July and given a fresh meal and the delicious mango the Philippines are famous for! 

That evening I met my roommates, two lovely girls practising physiotherapy. I was placed in a 6 bed dorm but at the time their was only 3 of us which made it very spacious. As someone who had never lived in a dorm or even stayed in a hostel it was a strange experience at first but got easier as the days went on. By the end of my time in the house there was 5 of us, I became the veteran of the room! 

I won’t lie, the first few days were HARD! Travelling alone can make you nervous and anxious but once I settled into my surroundings, starting chatting with other newbies and got to know the staff more I felt more comfortable. My partner works away (actually in the Philippines, did that influence my choice of country; yes! Being in the same time zone was a blessing). So I could talk to him at a normal time compared to being at home. As the weeks go on you definitely miss your home comforts, but being with multiple other English residents you are all in the same boat . We would continuously talk about roast dinners and what the first meal we were going to have when we’re home! 

Going back to my living arrangement, the work the world house in Iloilo was a large house with a courtyard and annex. We actually found out it was a old cake factory which explained the ramps in the dorms! It had a huge kitchen and dining area where they’d serve us buffet style breakfast and dinner. The living area had multiple sofas to lounge on and a TV for movie nights and karaoke on a Thursday! We had 24/7 security which was a comfort & the work the world team worked onsite so any questions or queries we could talk to them very easily. This helped when I attempted to change my SIM card to a Philippine number and couldn’t figure it out leading to a mini meltdown. 

I definitely had to get used to living with other people very quickly, because the house was filling up. By my final week their were over 50 people living in the house. It was very different to what I was used to, as when my partner is away I live alone. It was hard to keep your social battery full but taking sometimes to yourself was equally important and everyone respected each other when you needed some privacy. 

This may be a obvious factor but the Philippines is very hot! So staying hydrated is extremely important. Getting used to the environment took some time but once you’ve recovered from the jet lag (this took me a week) you do get used to the weather and the AC in my room was amazing! Something I never got used to, is that being in Iloilo you are treated like a local celebrity, being asked to take pictures with individuals were the norm. At the mall, at the hospital, in the street, at the local salon, even on a tricycle but it’s all fun at the end of the day. 

On my first official day (the Monday 3rd July) the work the world team took me & all the other newbies to the hospital where we were introduced during the flag ceremony which celebrates achievements of others and a city tour! 


This was amazing we were able to learn to ride a local bus & a tricycle. We had some amazing food, visited a church (where the local individuals pray for a boyfriend) and a shopping area/market. It also allowed us to meet the other people who arrived the same day. We also had a house tour and introduced to other members of the work the world team. 




The whole experience of settling in took me a week, but I was able to talk to my new friends to help with the aniexty I was feeling. My second day in Iloilo officially was my first day on placement but this story is for another post! 

My first week ended with a trip to Boracay a island north of Iloilo with 10 other girls. Words can’t express how amazing it was so I’ll insert a few pictures to show some of my adventures.





 

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