Paalam! The Philippines Part Two

Lisa is a fantastic person: stimulating, honest, opinionated, interesting, challenging, loving, inspiring.  This particular adventure was not just a holiday, a vacation, but an opportunity to be together, to get to know each other and to see if we had a future together.  Ultimately, the adventure appeared to have come to an abrupt end on Saturday 27 February, but this second part of my blog about the Philippines contains much to remember and to be happy about.

On Wed 17 February, we left Boracay behind us, getting a little lost on the way to the Motortrike that would take us to the departure bay.  We said our goodbyes to Vaughan and wished him well in his flourishing Blue Mango business, a delightful place, which will always have great memories for me.  We took our time, eventually boarding the pumpboat bangka back to Caticlan.  Another beautifully, clear day brought many more photo opportunities at the pier.  However, Lisa sustained a hand injury, a nasty burn on her left hand as she lost her balance on the bangska and grabbed a hot metal pole.  At first, she was simply inconvenienced and sought some ice on our arrival at Caticlan port.  She seemed hurt, but not seriously.  We both knew she would get a blister and it was unfortunate, but not life threatening.  

I filmed some pensioners entertaining the empty waiting hall, and we booked our Seair shuttle back to the airport for our ongoing flight to Cebu.  The flight was roughly one hour, during which Lisa became more uncomfortable.  Upon landing she requested treatment.  Searing pain had developed and she was not happy.  I immediately agreed to take her to a hospital, bypassing the expensive white cabs and opting for a metered yellow cab into the city and the Chinese sounding Chung Hua Hosptial.  Whilst there we received immediate ER treatment, although once seated it was ages before the doctor came round to addressing the wound.  Meanwhile, serious road accident victims came and went, covered with blood and head injuries.  The staff prioritised the serious casualties, leaving a frustrated Lisa wondering when she was going to be attended to.  Eventually the doctor treated her by cutting away the blister, and applying cream and guaze.  He also gave her two tetanus jabs - she had never had these before - and wrote a prescription for pills.  It was a very expensive trip - costing over 6000 pesos - and I did my very best to be patient and to look after the patient.  I was quick to obtain cheap but genuine medicine from a local pharmacy and promptly settled the bill.  My occasional joke did not go down well and Lisa's mood was not good at all.  She was grateful at first, but seemingly ungrateful later when I appeared flustered by the busy, dirty streets of Cebu.  I helped her find another pharmacy but we fell out yet again looking for a place to sit down and take stock of the situation.  I made some mistakes in the heat and said some bad things, mostly because she made me feel inadequate.  Deep down, however, she was grateful, but just couldn't express it easily.  I accused her of some things which I regretted and was sorry for later, while we tried to check on our ongoing flight to Palawan and to find a room for the night, eventually picking out the odd TEO FEL guesthouse.  The atmosphere could have been cut with a knife that evening.  I had been on edge walking around a city where signs openly stated 'beware of pickpockets'.  Her suffering was only partly eased by the amount of caring I showed.  We argued later and agreed to separate the next day.  I would go to Palawan and she would go to Bohol.  We would cancel the prebooked Superferry ticket as neither of us wanted a 20 hour journey back to Manila.  But we would do our own thing, incapable of getting on with each other.  Later we realised that we had taken no photos at all of Cebu, bar the one below. But it had been necessary to take the detour and react to an injury which worried Lisa and made for an unhappy middle day of the trip. 

Thankfully we talked about our fall-out during the night and woke up to a new, similar destination.  After cancelling the SuperFerry ticket at the port, we rushed to the airport to take a Cebu Pacific flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the eastern most island of the Philippines.  The cabin crew entertained us by dancing to Lady Gaga on the flight over.  Shame I couldn't film it as the usual rules applied to cameras and take off!  But it was a welcome distraction which brought a smile.

The rescheduled destination would prove to be a saving grace.  Rather than island hopping and trying to make ferry times, we took a flight to the main city on the island, and a welcome break from Cebu it was, too.  Peace and calm lay ahead, as did a road from the airport which was littered with eager motortrike drivers, all befuddled that Lisa and I wanted to walk with all of our bags in the midday sun.  Immediately more beautiful and tranquil, Puerto was just a stopping point onto greater tranquility.  But we had some interesting conversations and our first Dormitory experience at the very backpackerish, Banwa Pension House.  A walk around the town taking photos revealed the prominent number of Catholic churches and the juxtaposition of good and evil.

We met a number of interesting characters at the Banwa, 18 Feb.  Lisa immediately perked up with the company and it was difficult not to get a little jealous.  There were some serious backpackers here and some people who had managed to wangle a cushy website design job which didn't require them to wear a tie or go into the office.  There were also some young, naive travellers, who clearly had little pressure in life and liked to remember everywhere they had been with a new bracelet.  We met a taxi driver from Wigan who was full of himself, but not to Lisa's liking, thankfully.  The idea of constant travel was alluring yet somehow ridiculous.  How does a Chinese person of a certain age just give up work and only travel?  It remained a vacation for me, not a lifestyle.  

An early rise from Banwa, 19 Feb.  A road trip to El Nido.  We had sought much advice about to get from the centre port of Puerto up to the idyllic attractions of the north-west coast of Palawan.  In the end, we decided (or rather I decided) to take a van, along with 5 others (a local teacher, 2 swedes and a French couple), for a 6 hour trip along the coast and through some uneven terrain.  It wasn't a bad journey, but Lisa fell sick.  She was helped by a sickness tablet, kindly donated by one of the Swedes, but it was a difficult, unpleasant trip for her.  My stomach held up and I was stronger than ever, but I had to comfort my companion for most of the journey.  I bought a tacky bracelet halfway up at Roxas but the break was more of a chance to breathe fresh air and get water.  We broke down 25 kilometres from our destination - apparently it happens on every trip - and a tyre was replaced.  In the end, the sights on arriving at El Nido outweighed the difficulty of the journey.

It was a blessing in disguise for around 10 guesthouses to turn us away in El Nido town itself.  Fully-booked all the way.  Or available, but grim.   Lisa had persuaded me not to book in advance, and laughed at my reliance on the Lonely Planet.  So, we went around looking for a place to stay.  In the end, we found a perfect place at reasonable cost.  The Island Front Cottages were situated just along the main road at Corong Corong and were quieter and even better situated than those in El Nido.  The view of the Bacuit Archipelago was unbeatable and, again, we were right on the beach.  A lovely, rainbow decorated room, complete with visiting cats and dogs, plus friendly but laid-back service completed the perfectness.   We settled in for the best 3 days and nights of the whole holiday.  The only minor panic was when I got stung by a jellyfish and bashed my foot on a rock trying to run back to the beach.  I immediately came up in a rash, but some vinegar neutralized the sting.

The highlight was probably taking a boat out around the lagoons, 20 Feb.  We roughly set off in the direction of the islands you can see above, in particular, Miniloc.  We both took a dip in the small lagoon, all tranquility and echoes.  Then I swam with the fishes in the big lagoon, in amongst the coral reefs, starfish and occasional jellyfish.  Our guide, Ryan, led the way, and our boat was first to each destination on the tour, with others following in hot pursuit.  

Yet another fall-out occurred on the way, as Lisa realised that I hadn't brought her phone.  I didn't know I had to.  She was expecting a call from the Chinese travel agent about a rearranged flight.  After a lunch of fresh fish cooked in the one of the bays on Miniloc, we set off for the 'Secret' Lagoon.  Nothing special, just a bit harder to find than the others, more noticeable for the amount of jellyfish lurking in the water.  One of which surprised Lisa and made her forget that she had put down her small camera on a neighbouring boat's anchor.  Not until we arrived at a completely different island, and Commando Beach, did she realise that she had left her camera on the anchor.  Cue massive rescue operation.  We had to go back to shore for more gasoline, change to a faster boat, pay extra dough and race out to the Secret Cove, only to find the camera gone.  Lisa's hopes of finding it were dashed, her fears of never seeing her camera again inevitable.  I kept her spirits up and rationalised the likelihood of it turning up.  Some investigative work by Ryan and some handy footage I had taken from my camcorder showed that if we could locate the boat called 'Ralph Lauren 2' then we might find the thief.  After chasing around trying to find the owner and putting out an APB, we spotted the boat coming into Corong Corong.  On board was a collection of travellers and tourists, including an old Jewish couple and their daughter with her equally Israeli boyfriend, David.  They had picked up the camera because they had assumed it had been accidentally left behind.  Cue mass relief all round, especially Lisa.  I bought a round of drinks for everyone in gratitude and we all watched the sun go down on a great, but eventful day.  

In between the drama of locating the lost camera, Lisa had to decide on a return date from Manila.  I managed to book a Wednesday flight, having secured a few more days off work.  She could only get the same flight subject to a hefty fee.  She eventually settled for Thursday, and no extra fee, having made one of the few decisions by herself of the whole holiday.  

The following day was less eventful and less stressful.  A walk along the beach to a beautiful resort called Las Cabanas.  It was so quiet I found that I could run naked into the sea with no onlookers.   However, there was one young Filipino guy lurking behind the bushes, who took a fancy to me.  Cue lots of hysterical jokes in my direction.  It didn't stop us returning later, at Lisa's request, to watch the sunset.  A simple, but gorgeous lunch, and the best Mango Juice of the trip (and we had a lot of Mango juice).   We visited El Nido and had a look around.  Lisa took more photos, I checked flight information.  We walked some more and took a lot of pics.  We wandered along the main road and ignored motor trike offers.  We spent an hour watching the sun go down. Idyllic.  Then Lisa worked her magic on a free workers lorry ride back to Corong Corong.   We bought Ryan and his wife Karen a meal in the evening as a way of saying thanks for the help finding the camera.

I was at my most annoying waking Lisa up early the next day to do some filming on the beach.  However, we had to get up early to catch a boat from El Nido.  The fact it was still dark didn't please her, but she did it anyway.  I didn't take too much advantage, only spending 20 minutes filming, but she did have to walk backwards the whole time!  The boat trip was undertaken in hot conditions.  The sea breeze gave some restbite, but a 7 hour trip to Busuanga was not without its difficulties.  We found ourselves taking the same boat as David and his Jewish entourage.  I commented on his very 'old testament' name and he commented on my very 'new testament' moniker.  I also found that his prospective mother-in-law was reading exactly the same book, 'Life Of Pi' as me, only in Hebrew!  Lisa was sick and threw up over the side, despite having taken a seasickness pill.  David showed further kindness, with space and a blanket.  I helped her to rest and provided a comfortable place for her to sleep, despite the choppy waters. 

We needed to stop in Coron Town for one night, opposite the imposing sight of Coron Island.  The reason is that we couldn't get a flight from El Nido airport, and the best way to get back to Manila for the return flights home was to fly from Busuanga aiport on Tuesday morning.  By now, I was thinking that I had a sufficient break.  I was getting better at turning down rooms flatly and knowing the kind of thing Lisa wanted.  Our fourth choice was up the main road away from the port, but again we chose well - Kokosnuss had a garden and a little cottage as well as decent service.  It was also convenient for catching the airport shuttle the next day.  We ate at Seadive, although Lisa hadn't quite recovered from the boat trip.  I had lobster. She took more photos, including the one below.

On Tues 23 Feb we took a shuttle to the low-key and ill-serviced Busuanga airport and flew back to Manila.  This time, no taxi was going to get the better of us.  However, I made another error of judgement and got us lost in Makati when really we should have gone straight to Malate and checked out Friendlys Guesthouse again.  Lisa snubbed my first choice of pension house and cried out for travellers to talk to.  Friendly's it was, and this time we slept in a 12 person dorm.  A little bit of distance had crept back into our relationship and we had yet another fall-out during the flight and whilst looking for a place to stay.  It seemed almost inevitable... I am given total responsibility to make decisions and then we they are wrong, others get frustrated with me.  For the first time ever, Starbucks saved my life.  Air conditioning and a decent chance to talk to each other.. it cleared the air again paving way for the evening, which was spent trying to find some Manila 'action'.   I was given permission to check out a night spot and we were both curious as to what Manila had to offer.  We had a bit of wild goose chase before a knowledgeable taxi driver took us to a nude review.  'Boring' and 'Overpriced' was my good ladies' personal review.  At least she complained and got us a decent discount.  And I couldn't stop laughing when she was chatting to the taxi driver about what Manila had to offer and how I was desperate to see naked women !! (Note: I wasn't THAT desperate!)

And with that, I said goodbye to Manila and to Lisa.  I had to leave her there the next morning.  Her flight was more than 24 hours away and she looked forlorn and unable to decide what to do.  I gave her the idea of going up a volcano, which eventually she did, after making friends with an American guy called Mark.  


I returned to Beijing, via Hong Kong, in seemingly no time at all.  Beijing was just as I had left it - grey, cloudy, cold.  The snow had temporarily gone (but it came back on Sunday night) and the skies had been constantly bombarded with 2 weeks of fireworks.  I had missed the major Chinese celebration of the whole year, but I was getting the tail end of the tiger.  


What was supposed to be a welcome reunion with Lisa on Saturday turned into an angry exchange.  I won't detail what happened, but a simple 2 word text from me to her on her arrival back in Beijing incensed her greatly.   It lit the touchpaper.  And despite sharing all the photos from the holiday and have a laugh at one or two, the atmosphere was as edgy as that night in Cebu or (insert one of numerous examples of fall-outs during the trip). I stormed off not once but twice.  Later I stated that I didn't think we could have a relationship, due to too many constant misunderstandings.  So we effectively broke up.  She then said she loved me.  Christine did exactly the same thing during a phone call, following an argument, just after we had been on holiday in Menorca, after knowing each other for 3 weeks.  We ended up living together for 2 years.


TP


Further photos can be found on flickr:  Click Here.


2 videos from the trip can now be found on
YouTube: (El Nido Yellow) Click Here.
       (Lost In The Philippines)  and Here.

Mabuhay! The Philippines Part One

What's the difference between a tourist and a traveller?

Well, travelling through the Philippines with Zhong Xiaohui, a.k.a. Lisa, I found out.  I was constantly reminded of the 'fact' that I am a tourist, not a traveller, whereas she is the latter.  This is just one example of the many underlying themes of my first visit to the 2nd largest national archipelago in the world (after Indonesia).

We flew via Dragonair to Hong Kong, dropping in to ride the MTR and to visit Victoria Harbour for an hour or so.  This was my 6th or 7th time in the former British colony, but Lisa's first.  She is an avid photographer, as I quickly found out, with a great eye for composition and getting interesting angles.  We got a little bit lost around Kowloon, and  another major theme - that of getting 'lost' - started here.  A quick exchange of currency - a combined budget of 6200 yuan was converted into roughly 35,000 Pesos - took place just before we boarded the ongoing Cathay Pacific flight to Manila.  

 

My first impression of Manila was of a hot, bustling, dirty place, rife with poverty, begging and immoral pleasure seekers.  The first taxi driver overcharged and took a long route to Malate, an area which I had earmarked for a guesthouse.  He took off without giving us change, leaving us with an abrupt 'welcome to Manila' feeling.  I lost a little patience trying to find somewhere to sleep, but relaxed a little once we found the Friendly's Guesthouse, 1750 Adriatico Street.  A stereotypical backpackers' delight, this cheap, low-key, functional establishment, run by the ever friendly 'Benjie', was our base camp for one night.  We missed out on the php325-a-night fan dorms, settling for the last remaining 'private' suite - which contained a bed, a noisy air con and nothing much else.  A flimsy curtain separated us from the beer drinkers outside.  It was basic, with temperamental showers across the hallway.  But it sufficed for our first night together.  There was little embarrassment between us, as we had already discussed sleeping arrangements for the trip.  Share a room, share a bed, save money!  

We slept. Eventually.  But we were understandably restless.  The kitchen at the Friendly's was a typical DIY affair.  No guests allowed, respect must be shown to fellow budget travellers.  No service and no frilly trimmings.  But interesting guests, from all over the world.  All travellers, bar none.  No tourists.  Except me, craving for a bit more hospitality and a decent en-suite shower.

Nothing mislaid or stolen, we set off for the island of Panay in a Dornier 328 aircraft, which seats just 32 passengers.  An hour or so to Caticlan on the north-western tip of the island. Then a 20 minute Bangka pumpboat crossing to Cagban port, on Boracay Island.  One of a dozen motortrikes, the cheap hire vehicle of choice, whisked us the 10 minutes to the infamous White Beach, although it was disappointingly less white and floury than Lisa had hoped for.  We were immediately greeted by a 19-year old local girl, mistaken as a boy by one of my touring party.  She invited us to go sailing and/or wanted to show us the guesthouses nearby. My suspicion turned to delight as we found the perfect place, The Blue Mango, run by the professional, experienced and genial host, Vaughan Pratt.   Despite turning up in peak season, with the place fully-booked for weeks, he managed to squeeze us in for 2 nights at the ridiculously good price of 1800 php per night, including welcome drinks and breakfast.  We were made up.  Despite being twice the price of the basic room at Friendly's this was 10 times as good.  On second thoughts, it was incomparable.  

 

The inn was literally on the beach, the mango juice flowed and the garden was a delight.  It was heaven, paradise, a holiday.  I felt like a tourist, not a traveller.  I felt welcomed.  I felt like getting wet, and i was soon swimming in the bright, clear waters under a clear, picture postcard blue sky.  I very quickly settled into the holiday.  We ate at Nigi Nigi Noo Noo's.  It was functional fare, as we were blasted by surf sounds, such as the Beach Boys.  Then I had a couple of drinks and it appeared that this was not to Lisa's liking.  She had already disclosed a hatred of smoking, so I kept my half-empty packet hidden in my luggage.  But I thought I would be allowed a beer.  Not so, as a mini misunderstanding ensued and she walked off into the night, preferring a moonlit walk along the sand. 

Saturday 13 Feb was Lisa's birthday.  It is a moveable feast, as it tags alongside the moon and the Chinese New Year.  As the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival begun on 14 February this year, Lisa kind of celebrated it today.  The highlight was taking a boat out around Boracay and visiting the Crystal Cove.  Before that, I bumped into Nicole, one of the art teachers from CAFA.  She was strolling down the beach pathway with her American/Chinese boyfriend.  Amazing, although I had an inkling she was going to be in the country.  It was still amazing that we should actually bump into each other like that.  She looked at me and thought that guy was having a good time, before realising it was me.  Our conversation included the topic of how wonderful El Nido, on Palawan was.  This was enough encouragement for both of us to abruptly alter our itinerary.  We had already decided that 2 days on Boracay was insufficient, and had increased that to 5 by rearranging the ongoing flight to Cebu.  Now, we had to seek out a local agency and book a flight from Cebu to Palawan, instead of travelling to Bohol or the surrounding islands.

The boat trip, leaving from Station 3, was meant to be a 3 hour affair.  I went snorkelling a few times and there was an opportunity to take many photos.  Various boatman randomly came up and ask for snorkelling fees or tried to sell us coconuts.  The Crystal Cove was partly natural and partly set up for tourists as some kind of mysterious island with interesting furniture and tropical birds.  But it was good.  However, the boat engine cut out just after we watched the sunset.  And we were stranded in the dark out at sea, and subsequently missed a massage appointment, which I had booked for Lisa's birthday.  We eventually got back after a repair job on the engine.

We later met up with Nicole and her boyfriend for a meal, but not before a massive fall-out at 'Le Soleil de Boracay' - trivial differences over where we should wait for them - that almost ruined the evening.  I just about kept my composure, but it seemed that minor errors of behaviour (also known as 'me being myself') caused friction between us.

We both received the aforementioned, wonderful full-body massage on Sunday evening, both the Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day.  We moved out of the Blue Mango and into Marzon, a couple of hundred metres away, as recommended by Vaughan.  Marzon's effeminate owner, Eugene, was just as welcoming, but the service and general appearance of the new place was not up to Blue Mango heights.  We still visited the Mango and took a couple of books away.  Having been recommended 'Life Of Pi' previously by Garry and again by Lisa, I noticed it sitting on the shelf.  So, as the Year of the Tiger was ushered in, I began reading this tale about a boy stranded out at sea with a Bengali Tiger.  We were disappointed both by the evening Mexican meal at Bolero and by the lack of fireworks.  We weren't the only visitors from Chinese - many package deals had been taken up.  The evenings had so far been disappointing compared to the beautiful clear-blue sky days.  Clearly, Lisa was not comfortable with me even having one drink in the evenings, and preferred sober strolls along the sand.  At times, we both felt it was too noisy and crowded along by boat station 2 and agreed it was too touristy.  However, the constant accusation that I was merely a tourist continued to bug me.

February 15 was my 39th birthday.  It was wonderful to have both our birthdays and the Chinese New Year / Valentines fall so near each other.  Despite Lisa's protestations, I elected to take a buggy ride up to the highest point on the island for some photo opportunities.  We decided to leave the Marzon after one night and try somewhere else.  By luck, we landed one more night at the Mango, in the best 'Oceanview' room.  It was a wonderful gift and we both felt lucky, at getting the room at the discounted price of 1800 pesos (same as we paid for each previous night).  This room was splendid and came with a balcony over looking the beach and sea.  It was perfect and being able to stay there was so relaxing and enjoyable.  Not so enjoyable was holding a bat on the buggy trip.  We thought it looked cruel to spread this bats wings for the tourists and the allure of a butterfly farm fell way short of expectations.  I handed over my camcorder to our guide, Jimmy, and he filmed me driving the buggy around the island, but Lisa was less than impressed.  She felt like a passenger in more ways than one and complained about the cost.  Still, it was MY birthday!  

A better evening meal was had at a Thai place, next to a shop called 'Metamorphosis', away from the madding crowd, but not away from the noisy beats of a bar lounge.  She insisted of feeding some stray cats and was 'allowed' to have a beer and a smoke - although I promised to give up whenever I had managed to finish the packet.  We visited D-Mall, a touristy complex of shops, restaurants and travel agencies.  We bartered for clothes and I was bought a tiny cake for my birthday.  The stroll back was much nicer than before. Lisa seemed resigned to me celebrating my birthday with another drink.  And I sang 'Take On Me' to her as we strolled in the moonlight.  Then, with a sudden burst of impromptu energy, I blasted out 'Hotel California' in a deserted Karaoke bar.  My one mistake, despite a fantastic rendition, was not acknowledging Lisa immediately after, but some American we had both met 2 days previously.  Seems I can still ruin a good song and a good time!

 

The last day on Boracay, 16 February, was uneventful.  We moved back to Marzon, where Lisa had left her adapter, thankfully recovered.  I recorded the evening sunset in full.  We chatted to some people who recommended Palawan and El Nido in particular.  But I was reminded just how much of a 'tourist' I am. Simply referring to the Lonely Planet made me so.  The constant accusation stuck like a thorn and I couldn't shake it off, despite being wholly responsible for making all the decisions about where we stayed and what we did.  Lisa's technique is to ask others all the time, my technique is more planning and being organised.  Give me the responsibility of booking and deciding what to do and i take that challenge seriously.  

We had another Thai Meal before agreeing that it was time to go.  It had been a mixed experience, but generally enjoyable.  What lay ahead was dramatic and delightful.  The best part of the holiday was still to come, but bigger fall-outs also lay around the corner...

part two very soon

for more photos from the trip click here

Pre-Phili feelings

In my final blog before my holiday, I will talk about feelings.


Work has died down, end of semester meetings have been had.  Plans have already been drawn up for the next semester.  I've been commuting by bus and train with the masses.  And Beijing, as well as the rest of the country, is getting ready for the Spring Festival.  They have only just taken the Christmas Decorations down and new red-filled ones are going up in their place.


I have received a full refund on my gym membership and the entire amount goes towards my holiday.  I couldn't have done it without my landlady's help, of whom more later.


Since knowing that I am actually 'single', I have had a new lease of life.  I feel free to explore my options.  Although I am old enough to know better, I am still able to make moves towards females of any age, confident that I am more 'attractive' than I thought I was.  I am flirty and sometimes cheeky and, as someone put it recently, taking advantage of "being a handsome, single,  English teacher, with a fully operational passport."  (the last bit was paraphrased) 

I enjoyed my brief time with language exchange, Laura,  and i loved spending time with her.  But I was not attracted to her.  She was too young for me and despite her keenness to meet me she admitted that i am not actually 'her type' anyway.

The first few months here were clouded by the knowledge that I was semi predestined to end up with a family living in Shenzhen.  Now that possibility seems gone forever in my heart.  I don't regret the move into apartment 1603.  It was the right thing to do.  But it came with some kind of 'blessing'.  I mistakenly thought that there was a pact, but there never really was.  I have only spoken about Xiaodan once in the 3+ months I have lived at 1603.  My suspicion is that my landlady harbours her own feelings towards me, but it is an unmentionable, taboo topic which both of us avoid.  So nothing ever happens, and nothing ever well. 


Although having become more aware and listened to the opinions of many others, I have made a conscious step to keep myself at arms length.  I live there, I eat there, I teach her son 4-5 days/nights a week and that's it.  I do not get too cozy, because I am uncomfortable about that.  I get questions from women that I work with and women who I go on dates with.  They are all fascinated that two single people can live together in this kind of domestic situation and not be sleeping together.  I'd just like to point out, should there be an confusion left, that we are not! 


Why do I want to get that off my chest?  Because it bugs me.  It almost completely ruined any chance I had to get to know Zhong Xiaohui (Lisa) on only the 2nd skype conversation that we had.  But she gave me another chance and we met and, despite some difficulties, got on and enjoyed each other's company.  I have now decided to go on holiday with her.  Though this should come with a health warning.  She is quite a difficult person to be with actually.  She needs to relax, which hopefully the holiday will help with.  She has a very logical, ordered mind and told me at length on Friday night just how much she loves IT (Info Technology) and can't see eye-to-eye with the creative marketing department of her company.  I have seen some of her work and it is very detailed, meticulous and full of technical prowess.  Clearly she is ambitious and capable.  But she also admits to lacking a certain ability to get on with work colleagues.  I think she lacks people skills.


Then she insisted I watched a claymation movie, called 'Mary and Max'.  A beautiful thing it is, too.  I recommend it.  In it, an 8 year old Australian girl befriends a 42 year old Jewish, Obese, Athiest, New York man.  Both lack social skills and the latter is diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.  I wondered if this was a cunning way of telling me something.  I am yet to find out.  But find out, I will.


Lisa moaned when I had only planned 2 nights in Boracay Island after she had given me full reign to plan the itinerary.  She apologised when I made the point that she should have let me know in advance about her preferences.  Doesn't bode well for 10 days away in the Philippines, you might think! Not so, because we are able to iron out any misunderstandings quickly.  So we will now be island hopping, hopefully taking in Cebu and Bohol.  

Anyway.  I am excited and apprehensive. But that's a good thing.  Makes me feel alive.  We will be travelling mostly by plane. And there are exits here, here, here and HERE!


All being well, I will touch base again on Monday 22 February, which is my first day back at work. My next blog should be interesting to say the least.




Love,
TP

Stop Press: I ate something dodgy for lunch on Monday and thought I was coming down with food poisoning.  I had an unpleasant evening throwing my guts up, while 3 kids ran screaming and shouting round the apartment (Hong Yan's friend is here with her son + Fu's cousin is still here).   By Tuesday the problem seemed to have subsided and my stomach was more settled, clearing the way for my trip.. but at one point I thought it was all off.