Back to school!

We are back in our routine after our exciting Xmas and New Year. Manila seems so quiet after the chaos that is Xmas here. The malls seem almost empty by comparison which is a welcome relief. Gianna did well in her last lot of tests and we are well on the way to the end of the school year - Only 7 more weeks before we get 2.5 months off. Will be great to stop the early mornings but will need to find entertainment for the kids. Hopefully they can come with me when I travel with work.

Gianna is now in the Cheerleading team and whilst I was initially pleased she had found a "sport" she liked, my enthusiasm has wained as I realise she has to go in each Saturday to practice. They are in some sort of competition on the 2nd February - presumably if they loose that's it, but if they win.....................Could it mean it carries on?

She has also been chosen to represent her class in Mr and Mrs? I'm afraid I don't quite get what the aim of the exercise is apart from a thinly disguised beauty/talent show - apparently it helps them understand simplicity and honesty but I haven't worked out how yet. Her partner is Irish and called Casey - apparently hes a bit of a joker so God knows what the two of them will cook up for their talent slot! Its all taken very seriously with 3 costume changes - official portraits etc etc. The culmination take place the day after valentines which by all accounts is a huge day here and a school holiday. Shes also learning to sew buttons and hems. I think I have mentioned before their home economics classes where they learn all sorts of useful stuff, cooking and cleaning etc!

We have also (or maybe its only me!) been enjoying the social studies classes learning all about Philippines history and heroes. I now know who the people are on the back of the P1000 note and all about where the people of the Philippines orginally migrated from. It does puzzle me why they don't teach world geography or history as so many Filipinos end up going overseas. Its no surprise that people keep asking is London in America? or what language do we speak in the UK? Many Filipinos believe that there is Asia and America - somehow Europe doesn't register.

We've had quite a few visitors passing through. Being in Manila we get lots of volunteers and other friends dropping in for the odd night as they head out to the islands. Marc has been glued to the Australian open and I've been out and about with the girls from the BWA as well as the other foreign volunteers here in Manila. Mostly though, I have been in the gym trying to work off the Xmas pounds. Retro jam is my favourite activity at the moment - a riot of "uber camp" dancing to old disco classics. The class is run by 3 dancers all as "camp as Xmas trees". The classes are mostly attended by woman and being Filipinas they can all dance brilliantly leaving me flailing my arms around and having trouble with the grinding thrusting hip moves. Heaps of fun though - best time I've had outside of a festival club tent for ages!!

Theres not the best atmospheres at work at the moment. They are trying to agree the budgets for next year and a lack of inflationary costs from DIFD has left VSO with a shortfall worldwide, meaning that many planned activities for next year will not happen. One member of our staff is leaving and she may not be replaced. Staff moral is generally low and for some it feels like the beginning of the end (planned for 1010). Whilst this means some of my KM activities won't go ahead I am happy to diversify my role if required. Volunteer costs are guaranteed so we are not affected directly by the cuts which impact more on Programme Office budgets. I have to say its rather a relief not being the one struggling with budgets and staff losses after 12 years of it in the old job. Its easy just coming in doing my job and going home again. My work is going well and I am busy till the end of March, beyond that much will depend on which planned activities can go ahead. We all go off to the lake retreat next week to replan our activities based on the new budget. I'm hoping I will get the summer conference to look after and much of the first part of the year will be establishing my new web site which will be running by end of April.

Its great being here in the sunshine and seeing all the wet and cold in Europe. Cant say I miss the weather at all. It's cooler at night and we don't use the aircons at all now except when drying my hair and putting makeup on when going out! (stops it sliding off my face before I leave the house)

We went to the LaMesa Dam Ecopark http://guides.clickthecity.com/metro/?p=1018 last week on Sunday for a picnic which is only 20 mins away by cab! U can hire bikes/boats/fish and swim in the pool. Also found 2 other forest retreat type places where they have family accommodation overnight. Theres a place on taal lake (volcano) where u can hire a speedboat and go wake boarding which I also want to try- hence the frustration of the cheerdancing eating up our weekends. However once the kids break up for 2 months I hoping we can explore some more and have long weekends in the country and on the beach.

Saturday was Chris's 50th in the UK and wished I had been there to celebrate with him and the gang. Instead had our own little celebration here and carried around a "Happy Birthday Chris" sign all night which I took pictures of with various people we came across in our travels around Malate. Great Fun! Tried Bed www.bed.com.ph , a Gay club full of hunky men stripped to the waist as well as some old favorites Havanas (salsa) and Penguin (rock bands). I just love roaming around the city talking with people and making friends. Sometimes its more entertaining watching whats going on outside the bars rather than inside.

This Sunday was a kids birthday party in Angelica's class held at MacDonald's - mountains of burgers and the kids came home with better presents than we gave the child! Will have to decide what we will do for Angelica's birthday coming up soon. Sunday afternoon we just all lazed around, went over the road to the market and bought a couple of new releases for the kids to watch 50p each. Actually saw 2 films myself last week Sweeney Todd at the cinema - very good and very gory and This is England which I saw on a friends balcony under the stars last Wednesday. Great way to see a film - cold beer- warm night.

Christmas Challenge 2007

Jacqui my sis left today after a 3 week stay. It was not quite the the holiday planned due to a series of different ailments accompanied by several doses of bad luck resulting in our island hopping adventure becoming an endurance test for them. A big disappointment was not getting a lot of time out with my sis due to childrens ailments. We did have some fun times and experienced a number of "memorable moments" which i suspect will stay with them for some time to come. They haven't been put off completely as she has suggested trying to find a way to get back here with work! They loved the people and the country but the heat and travel did get to them..........

Here's my suggested top 10 in date order (photos above click on them to see better )

1. Going out in Manila - All lit up so beautifully it almost looked pretty. We had a crazy Manila taxi ride out to see a live band at 70's Bistro one night and hung out on Tomas Morato another. Wish we had done more in Manila as there is so much to do. We had heaps of fireworks courtesy of our local Malls which the kids loved. We had 2 displays every Friday and Saturday during December as the two local Malls competed!

2. Pauls Wedding. We all went to Subic for our friends wedding where each of the kids had a role. Enda looked fabulous in his Barong (Formal Filipino wear) whilst the girls were flower girls. I loved the wildlife outside the house we stayed with lots of birds and monkeys and our trip through virgin rain forest ( only 3% now left in the Philippines) with jungle survival tips. The bus journeys both ways were crazy, with the usual nail biting whilst waiting to see whether we actually got on a bus or not. Jacqui, Robert and Marc climbed Mount Pinatubo an active volcano, and swam in the volcanic lake! The ride there and back in the 4X4 jeeps looked great fun and they apparently were joined by some rebels who hitched a lift part way down on the way back. The trek was a long day (0ne of many) but something I hope to get the opportunity to do b4 I leave.

3. Xmas day .Xmas day itself was great fun - hot and overcast but no rain. We ate outside and played with Gianna's new Karaoke machine. We got so enthusiastic we even tried to go to Red Box ( a KTV place) that night but it was fully booked! We had roast chicken and pork with all the trimmings. Wonderful! The kids got loads of stuff. Seems everyone we had met, even once, gave them presents. Manila was quite literally mad over Xmas - traffic was horrendous and there seemed to be even more people than usual everywhere. Next year we will leave for the whole period! As it turns out Xmas is not over yet. It apparently goes on till end of January, then mall was still playing Rudolf today! We, however, followed British tradition and took our tree down before 12th night - don't want to tempt fate! '

4. Horse Riding. We eventually flew to Dumaguete on our second attempt on Boxing day. Our 7am flight was cancelled and we had to go back home from the airport and eventually flew out about 3pm that afternoon. Antulang beach resort, an hour away from the airport, was beautifully laid out with magnificent views http://www.antulang.com/ . The kids loved the infinity pool and the snorkeling. Great photo! My highlight was my sis and I riding over to the next bay, western style - great fun! However the service was appalling in the usual inefficient Filipino way - They try hard but just don't know how. Getting a tea bag and hot water at the same time was nigh on impossible so u can imagine how difficult a meal for 8 became! The Coastline certainly has tempted me to revisit Negros although personally I think Dumaguete is a bit of a dump and would pass straight thru without stopping!

5. Tour of Siquijor Our next stop was Siquijor - which reminded me very much of Camiguin although has more white beaches (minus the volcano of course). Its a very beautiful island and like camiguin easy to get around in one day. We had a great trip around the island in our own jeepney. We went up to the highest point and passed lots of small Barangays where there we received the usual chorus of hello from the children as we drove past! The photo of Angelica climbing the steps is going up to the viewing tower at the centre of the island. Wherever there is a high climb Filipinos put stations of the cross as u can see here. We visited waterfalls and had lunch at a local beach were our kids took over the Karaoke machine, Enda did a rather fabulous version of smoke on the water! Coral Cay resort was lovely http://www.coralcayresort.com/ and David a great host. The food was the best we've had at a beach resort, the beach itself was soft white sand although the sea was disappointing and not suitable for swimming as it was very shallow, although u can go swim at the next resort a few kilometres away. Apparently the sea is better later on in the year. They have a nice pool which the kids loved.

5. Petrol stations. Seeing Jacqui and family squeezed into a tricycle for the first time was entertaining as they set off for their first solo trip in Siquijor but not quite as amusing at seeing them set off on their first motorbike trip. The locals were tickled pink that they looked so nervous, they probably learn how to ride almost as soon as they can walk! The petrol stations are hard to distinguish on the island. Petrol is sold from little wooden road side stalls. In the photo above one "petrol station" had added the usual warning signs about turning off mobiles etc...all seems a little OTT when the petrol comes in litre COKE BOTTLES.

6.New Year .There was a good buffet and a huge fireworks display for New Year. Not a raucous party but there is something wonderful about letting in New year on a beach in a hot climate! This year was apparently a much safer year in the Philippines as only 400+ people got hurt by fireworks! I loved the idea that policemen had their guns taped over to stop them firing on New Years year to reduce the number of fatalities from stray bullets. I'm not sure how masking tape actually stops u firing a gun............

7. Relaxing Just sitting by the pool and relaxing and having a massage and foot spa at the resort was great. Jacqui found these sessions provided a great opportunity to gather information about life in the Philippines and the hardships faced by the very poor. Turned out the woman who did the pedicures had been trafficked to Libya and practically imprisoned for 3 years.

8. Cocktails at sunset at Coral Cay! Fabulous. The sun dips down behind Apo Island directly opposite the beach bar. Great Rum and Coke Cocktails with dash of Kalamansi.

9. The journey to Bohol! Cockerels always feature heavily in any trip in the Philippines - They are on boats, buses, motorbikes just about everywhere. Most are fighting cocks and lovingly cared for by their owners, until thrown into the ring to fight till death. There were several cocks on the terrifying boat trip from Dumaguete to Bohol - very noisy at first but they soon quietened down when they were drenched with water along with the rest of us. Jacqui ever resourceful produced her umbrella to keep off the spray whilst she read her book much to others amusement. We arrived at a flooded washed out Bohol to find that all Jacqui's luggage was soaked thru and had zero chance of drying out as it was so humid! The day had started with her getting the tummy bug that was doing the rounds and throwing up on the previous boat out of Siquihor. Not a good day!

10. Final drink together. Jacqui and I did manage to get out by ourselves for a couple of drinks the next night when it had finally stopped raining. We watched the regular guys at the Spiked Coconut who sang us Beatles songs! J&R managed to do the island tour in spite of the torrential rain and got some of the most interesting pictures of the Chocolate Hills I have seen - in the mist!

Tips for travelling in the Philippines (with kids)

A number of interesting lessons were learned from the jacqui and familie's experience which are useful for anyone visiting the Philippines.

1. Actually Manila is not a bad place to stop a while and get over jet lag - Jacqui regretted not having more time there. There are lots to do and in our case the kids were happy playing in the pool opposite our house and trips to the Mall. The nightlife is great and having our nanny means that it is possible to get out in the evening without the kids, not always possible once u leave Manila. there are lots of day or overnight trips so a good option for those on a budhet. Yes its polluted. Yes its noisy but it can be great fun!

2. One the other hand Manila at Xmas can be a nightmare!Its very pretty and very christmassy but its practically impossible to get in and out of the city, the malls are horribly busy and transport is a nightmare as all ferries and flights get fully booked. Given that all the decorations stay up till January this might be a better month to visit!

3. It costs between 40 and 50 pounds per day for a family of 4 to leave Manila ( ie not staying at our house) it is hard to economise in resorts as u are often confined to eating and drinking only their food. The remoter the resort the harder this is. This amount would cover accommodation and all food and drink and is cheap but obviously adds up over time. Its hard to get much cheaper rooms as it gets difficult to fit everyone in comfortably. Single travellers or couples without kids would find it easier to economise.

4. Buses aren't that bad! (especially if going North for us as we live in north Manila) on the way back from Subic we got dropped off outside our house practically. By the time u do the airport drive 1 - 1.5 hours, the check in etc etc it might just be better to go for overnight buses where possible. The kids were ok (mostly) happy playing with gameboys and each other etc.

5. Always always check flight details especially if u lost the phone with the contact number u gave them! Especially Cebu pacific which seems to regularly change flights.

6. Factor in additional time for travelling as things will go wrong - This is the Philippines- Also children are not that great at lots of different settings or at least kids not used to travelling like my two. If only travelling for a couple of weeks might be best to just choose one island to explore rather than adding in all the possibilities for complications that come with island hopping.

7. It can rain at any time of year in the Philippines - after 10 months I realise that we have had sunny and wet weather for each month we have been here. Don't expect wall to wall sunshine at any time it can suddenly pour as it did after New Year. Seems weather patterns are changing all over the world. It will be hot all the time and if swimming in sea it does not make much difference ..............

8. Mosquitoes are everywhere-people need to get used to the daily ritual of repellent when u get up and reapplied several times during the day and evening. You will get bitten so anti histamines cream and tablets are a must if u don't want to get driven mad. One slip up and they get u - as I found on New Years Eve. Travelling with a mosquito net is not a bad idea especially for kids that are prone to bites.

9. Sun screen and hats have to be another daily ritual

10. Ear plugs for kids that spend a lot of time in the pool. Saves many sleepless nights

11. So far I have not seen a pretty Filipino city (maybe Vigan but not been there yet) its best to pass straight thru especially with children as there is little to offer. Even if u find a park the equipment is likley to be a deathtrap, where u would not let your kids play. Stick to beaches and u can't go wrong - its what the Philippines does best!

12. Hong Kong is a great stop over and stay if u can! My sis had full day there with kids on way back but wished they had more time. They went up the peak, Stanley market and saw the light show in the harbour. Theres always that place with the pink castle to visit if nothing else appeals!

13. Whatever happens there will always be a friendly face to help u out. Even in the most chellenging of situations u will find Filipinos laughing and joking and if at all possible singing - What a place!I love it!