Things I will miss from the Philippines...

Sunsets
The Philippines offers some of the most spectacular sunsets…and on a regular basis. Even after two years, I would keep an eye on the skyline every evening so I could pop outside at work to enjoy the streaks of pink, red and gold as they worked themselves across the sky – my colleagues thought I was loopy….but for me those 5-10 minutes most evenings were amazing

View from the apartment
My apartment itself was not so special, in a slightly older and a little tatty around the edges building…but the view…amazing… day, night, evening, early morning – always something different. And as I went to sleep on my last night there, curled up on my sofa bed which I had dragged over to the window for a better view, I knew that this would be something I would miss. Floor to ceiling windows overlooking the world! Unfortunately I discovered only recently that people outside on Shaw, even though I was on the 17th floor, could actually see me…as someone waved to me…from Shaw Boulevard as I stood there in my underwear!!

Evening Cocktails at the Sofitel
To really enjoy the sunset…head to the Sofitel down at the Bay…a couple of cocktails there watching the sun set over the bay…is almost as good as a few days out of town!

Sky Flakes Crackers!
Believe me, these are the best crackers in town!! As part of my farewell gift from my colleagues, they made up an emergency hamper for me with a huge tub of these crackers included!

Mango Rum liqueur
Unfortunately not one of the better known products of the Philippines and when it is used, its usually made up in cocktails….dont bother…just serve it straight on the rocks..its wonderful!

The local press
When living overseas, the usual number of English Language daily papers is very limited…Jordan had one, Hong Kong only had two….the Philippines….a huge variety. Granted the quality of writing can be a little questionable sometimes… but I cant tell you how nice it is to be able to follow local events with a number of different opinions. Plus the commentary is always enlightening, entertaining or both! I must also admit to finding some of the subject matter to be quite entertaining, I don’t think I ever opened either the Star or the PDI without finding something to amuse.

Cebu
For many reasons…!! For me, Cebu is ideal, a big city with all the services that you could ever need and yet, not a huge amount of traffic, easy to navigate and easy accessibility to lovely beaches, countryside and views. Plus, I find the local population just a little more friendly and welcoming than in Manila.


The Cinemas
Living in Manila has reminded me how much I love going to the movies…. In HKG it always used to irritate me that cell phones would be used and the general chit chat would be louder than the movie….here, cell phones are usually on silent, and conversation is kept to a minumum…bliss! OK, normally I go at off peak times…weekdays, late afternoon…but still – my favourite day off activitiy…down to Rockwell, a large Starbucks cup of tea….and two hours of escapism!!!


The people – mostly friendly, always smiling. The Filipino population really are some of the most friendly and welcoming people I have ever come across… to be honest, the number of really nasty experiences here can be counted on one hand…and unfortunately one of those just this morning as I was leaving home… I have made some really good friends here who I know will be part of my friends ‘collection’ for many years to come….

Cebu Pacific
For a mostly domestic airline, they are efficient, organized and don’t promise anything they are not going to deliver. I have probably clocked up about 20 or so flights with them over the last year…only two delays, one problem with ticketing and that’s all. I would comment though that my first flights with them last year, inflight service was a slice of cake and a bottle of iced tea, then it was reduced to just the iced tea, now…any food or beverage you want has to be paid for….but it’s a LLC so I guess its just par for the course!

The language
Having a local population that all speak either fluent English or to an incredibly high standard has been wonderful, and makes us expats very lazy…this is the first country where I have not tried to learn the language either at a language school or at work… The English level also makes it easier to make really good friends here, in HKG I have quite a few HKG Chinese friends but conversation can be hard work….they try in English my rusty Cantonese gets used…but after a couple of hours it can be quite wearing on all of us…. Here, the only time I need to know the language is when reading the papers (as they actually throw in a lot of Tagalog words) or reading books about the Philippines or books written in Tagalog and then translated into English, which keep some of the original wording….then a quick text to the City Boy makes it all clear…!

The sense of humour
Filipinos have a sense of humour particular all to themselves..its not sarcastic like the Brits, its not obvious like the Americans, its more a cross of childish humour with inuendos… I think ‘impish’ would be the best way to describe it… case in point…. A few months back I had a very unfortunate incident at work whereby I sent a text meant for someone else to the wrong person…the person who received it was offended by the content even though it was not referring to her…. It caused a huge blow up at work and took days to resolve…. A few days after this happened I texted one of my staff some information…and he answered “Copy. And, don’t worry ma’m you sent the text to the right person”!!!! I just made me laugh and lightened what had been a horrific few days. I’ve saved the text on my phone and when I need a smile I just dig it out… Another time one of my colleagues during a building inspection had jumped out of a dark corner and scared the living daylights out of myself and some other colleagues…as pay back, the next time we were doing the same inspection, a few of my colleagues covered themselves in sheets and did the same thing to our colleague…and we filmed it… impish yes, hysterical definitely! Unfortunately, the humour is only revealed when people feel comfortable with you, which can take a while..but I think I’ve had more laughs at work here than anywhere else I’ve ever worked…

And last but not least…The gravy from the sizzling pochero at Abuhan in Cebu – trust me…its amazing…I’m sure it has all sorts of bad things in there but..its so good!

I’m sure there will be other things that I will miss, late afternoon strolls around Intramuros, drinks at Greenbelt, the amusement of day to day life here… but I know I’m going to be back…

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the best laid plans of mice and men.....

Well it seems that three out of the five people I spoke to at Philippine Airlines were correct.... taking a cat on the plane with you is really that simple......

For those that are interested...you arrive at the airport as normal, baggage goes through the x-ray machine, cat doesn't...they originally wanted me to take the cat out and put the box through...but we agreed maybe that wasn't such a good idea...! Then a quick visit to the quarantine official, he checks the paperwork, stamps the health certificate and its over to check in...Kitty gets charged as excess baggage and gets taken away by a special ground staff who puts him on the plane....no baggage conveyor belt for her! All very simple....lets see what happens when I get to BKK!!!!

Actually, it all seems to be quite normal (I must admit due to flight/living arrangements, my cats have normally either followed me or gone ahead...I've never travelled with them...so this was all new for me).

One thing that did help was that when I arrived, for the first time, I used one of the porters that skulk at the entrance...he was fantastic...knew what to do, where to go, how to deal with the cat, excess baggage etc....absolutely first rate..and yes, I was surprised...but to be honest from the minute he saw the cat - he just rattled off what we needed to do and what the procedures were and before we even entered the airport he asked if I had all her documentation etc.... quite the expert.

Anyway, Chiang Kai-shek was last seen at the chekc-in desk, cowering in the back of her cage...poor thing, she looked terrified.. she normally has Chairman Mao with her and they normally curl up together in the back of the cage looking like big furry gloves! This is her first trip without him....so I hope she's ok...

So far all has gone according to plan, lets see what happens at the other end... updates later!

One thing that does make me smile at this airport...is the boarding announcements...always finished with "All aboard".....its hysterical, like a bus station...and it does remind me of Airplane!

Thanks to those of you who have texted or e-mailed over the last few days....I will answer when I am settled somewhere in BKK with a cup of tea...hopefully later today!

Anyway, that's my flight they're calling.....All Aboard!

Over and out!

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Things I won't miss...

This is the first of a two part post...the second - not surprisingly, and more postively - will be on things that I will miss...this, as titled, is things that I will not miss....

Taxis
I won't miss the smelly, dirty, about to fall apart taxis that I have been using on a daily basis since I arrived here.... I have clocked up four accidents in a taxi and one disintegration (under the Shaw-Edsa flyover - the back wing fell off a taxi whilst we were sitting in the middle of the junction waiting for the traffic to clear - the driver got out...asked me to move into the front seat, whilst he man-handled the back wing into the back seat!!). Or the taxi that mid-ride to Makati said he needed to do something urgent stopped the car, got out, flipped up the bonnet and started fiddling around with the engine.

Taxi drivers (there is a flip side to this one - see the positive post later!)
I wont miss the conniving, scamming drivers...the ones that ask for extra money due to traffic, weather, time of day/night, general political situation etc etc....
I wont miss the drivers that it is a battle to get them to use their meters
I wont miss the drivers who run out of petrol mid-ride (happened twice), or on one occasion, the driver who mid-ride asked if I could advance the fare so he could fill up with petrol... actually this made me quite sad - it just goes to show the hand-mouth lifestyle that the lower classes here have...nobody should have to deal with that...worker or customer.
And I sure as hell wont miss being turfed out of taxis because either the driver has changed his mind, or I refuse to pay any extra over and above the meter.... I've been turfed out on Edsa three times (usually late at night - not fun) and once in Cebu, fortunately in the middle of Lapu-Lapu city where there was a friendly policeman!

The Airport
I don't know where to start....!!!!! It's a disaster....organisation, cleanliness, security, its all bad....Manila International Airport does not have one redeeming feature that I can think of.....from the wildlife, to the terrible shopping and f&b facilities, lack of a decent bookstore, the process for getting to check in....its all bad....and arrival at the airport is even worse!

Waste of resources
The Philippines has a lot going for it...language, education level, fantastic tourist sites and locations, vivid history, diving, lovely resorts, a generally friendly and welcoming population, great shopping, relatively good weather..... so why is it not a booming, flourishing nation with a bright and rosy future.... the political situation and the government are mostly to blame but...and I tell my Filipino friends this....the problem is 'resignation'...the other day whilst catching up on blog reading...a post by Torn & Frayed, had one sentence in it that whilst in this case was referring to political killings, I think refers to the Philippines in general....

He is battling against the biggest ally of all politically motivated killings—the resignation of the Filipino people.

he goes on....

An almost unlimited well of stoicism it this country’s greatest strength and its most overpowering weakness. It sees balikbayans through the most terrible experiences from Jeddah to Singapore to LA and almost all points in between and somehow gives them the strength to come out of it all laughing. It enables Filipinos at home to smile despite low wages, poor living conditions, and some of the world’s worst traffic. It is an absolutely necessary quality in the often brutal world of modern Manila.

Yet stoicism has its limits. Putting up with crap is all well and good, but there comes a point when you have to change the world instead of just putting up with it

....I copied pasted, because i couldn't have written it better myself. Never have I come across such a waste of resources, such complete and utter chaos and such resignation..... it's tragic.

The Peeing
I don't understand why Filipino men have this urge to unzip their trousers and pee where ever they wish..... it is disgusting and its unhygienic.... Whilst in BKK I actively looked to see if this was an Asian thing (although have not seen it in HKG or Singapore!) but in three days...not one guy standing close to a wall, lamp post, tree etc relieving himself.... here I see on average three or four a day when out and about.... its not nice.

The staring
It's not polite and given the number of foreigners that have been in the country, one would think we were not a rarity...granted if I go way out into the provinces...being blonde and rather - how can I put this -'busty'??!!, I can understand that I'll get a few looks...but in the Metro Manila area there is no excuse for the out and out staring that goes on...whilst waiting for a cab, walking down the road, in a mall, wherever...again, its not nice....

The overall feeling of chaos, disorganistion and dirt
Self explanatory....I loathe it!

The supermarkets
Quality, items available, supply and again, organisation - all lacking....although I would say that the new Rustans at Rockwell is an improvement...a few more like that would make life more pleasant.... they even have conveyor belts at the checkout counters (I'm a simple soul really), and it's clean, bright and doesn't smell....!!! OK, I know I'm being fussy - when we lived in The Gambia in the mid-80s we only had butter for four months of the year.... a real treat was a mini tin of condensed milk, meat was purchased in the market - usually half a cow and we would take it home and butcher it... so yes, this is an improvement....but on the other hand, we are now in 2007, 20 years on, in a huge city with a large expat population...

The overall lack of trust
There is an overriding lack of trust in this country that is shown in the way that purchases are handled in a store (packed and checked off against the receipt, not being able to leave without the receipt visible), the way that credit card purchases are handled, the way that people are frisked going into and out of establishments, even moving out of my apartment needs security checks etc (and its my belongings that are being checked...as if I have broken into another apartment and stolen their items). I realise that this lack of trust is due to previous abuses of trust, due to the levels of poverty in the country....but still it is quite disheartening that this is the case.

I think that's basically it....no doubt I shall think of other annoyances but, off the top of my head, these are the ones that have bothered me the most whilst I have been here!

When I told my friends and colleagues two years ago that I was moving to Manila...to a man (and a woman), they could not believe that I would do something that daft...nobody, including those that had worked here had a positive word to say about the country.

Here I am two years later and the same friends and colleagues are amazed that I have managed two years here. Quite a few people that I have spoken to don't understand my frustrations with day to day life here...but (and I have gently explained this to them!) these are people who have drivers (removes the taxi stresses!), helpers for shopping, running errands etc, and other little bits of help like collecting things from the post office (all things that relieve stress)...Granted, compared to the average Manila resident I lead a charmed life here, I can use taxis instead of buses, I do have the spending power to shop and eat in the better places and I live in a secure apartment.

The reason I guess I get so agitated about all of this is that, if all goes according to plan, my time in the Philippines is not yet over...Bangkok will be just a short 'break' for us....I repeat, if all goes according to plan (which in my life it rarely does), I shall be returning to these shores to set up home with the Island Boy! Which means that I will have to face this all over again....

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