This week in reality....

Population control, the Filipino way...and no, I am not trying to be funny, the idea came from Dom in a previous comment....it amazes me that this kind of thing happens here on such a regular basis and the next day it is old news...journalists, politicians...anyone seems to be fair game. I remember a few years back when I was in Jordan, I was talking to one of the journalists reporting on the Iraq war, they were commenting on the fact that in war situations when they said waved off their colleagues/friends they didn't know if they would see them alive again....at the end of the conversation, the throw away comment from the reporter was "It could be worse, I could be a Filipino reporter working in the Philippines, or possibly worse, a politician". At the time I had no idea what they were referring to. Now, unfortunately I do.

The rest of the Asia really doesn't believe the 'Perfect Storm' theory. And now, the general concensus is that the Philippines have caused ASEANto lose face and that the Philippines have lost credibility

A 13 year old's Christmas wish list...that father won't drink on christmas aka a Christmas reality check

Quote of the week...."We have a rapid rate of assimilation. Put a Filipino in Antarctica, and in a month they'll be one with the penguins."

So there is somewhere that has a more bizarre concept of democracy than Hong Kong.

I am known for being a very un-tactile person, particularly around people I don't know or only vaguely know...actually to be honest even around people I know very well. This has been a point of great amusement for my friends and puzzlement for those who don't know me well when I flinch at someone's touch! However, my time in the Philippines has somewhat improved the situation, the flinch now really only comes with people I don't know and even then it's less of a flinch and more of a 'freeze'! Filipinos are incredibly tactile and a touch on the arm or an arm around the shoulder or a kiss on the cheek after the first meeting are all quite normal. Case in point, last week a colleague of mine was going to a conference in Shanghai which would was going to be attended by a friend of mine from the Oman, I packed up some Christmas gifts for my friend and passed them on to my colleague and asked her to pass them on with my love....my colleague said "Should I give her a hug or is she like you?", my response..."Oh believe me she's worse, if you do that she'll belt you!". However, in future if anyone questions my flinching I shall just say that I take my lead from Angelina Jolie!

And finally, Mice on a plane, not nearly as scary as Snakes on a Plane, but just as puzzling!

Reading this week; Roasting in Hell's Kitchen, The Painted Veil, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs: (She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse, Trade Union Behavior in the Philippines, 1946-1990, A young man's passage and A good man in Africa.