3 Weeks to Go! (Slow down you move to fast....)

When we were first assigned to the project we were told to expect a different pace of work in the Philippines. I've already begun to experience this in the time leading up to my departure. I sent my passport off to the Philippines Embassy in Washington, DC about a month ago to get an entry visa. While my teammates around the world received their passports and visas back in a few days, mine did not return in the expected time. I began to call the Embassy and got very polite messages from the receptionist assuring me everything as okay but very little detail on what was going on. Eventually, no one answered the phone, no one answered the emails.

I cannot be certain of the reasons behind this odd behavior but eventually my passport did show up in the mail a few days ago. If I had to guess, I would say that the receptionist was trying to 'save face' for whomever in the embassy was responsible for processing visa applications but acting as a blockade. My lesson learned is that I am going to have to be A LOT more patient with things while I am there.
In other news, the rest of the logistics seem to be in place. We all have our flights and confirmed where we will be staying. This week we got a brief glimpse into the types of projects we will be working on but no firm assignments. I'm hoping that we get more information soon. Only 3 weeks to go!