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.
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