Regarding the drive to get fit, there has been some suggestion that Kat and I could well be eating too much, especially rice and some fried foods. With this in mind I was talking with her about portion control and the need to measure the quantity of rice, I suggested either weighing it or using some form of volumetric measure (a cup) this was met with stony silence, clearly not a popular idea. I then offered to introduce some oatmeal to our diets, this was even less popular and even gave rise to teary eyes; I guess that Filipino oatmeal is not to be recommended.
Kat and I also had our pre-wedding photo shoot with some friends of Kat's from Purple Duck Photography http://purpleduckphoto.com/ at a resort hotel in Batangas. I have to confess, when we arrived I could only really see a few areas which would be good locations for taking pictures, however the locations chosen and the photos I have already seen were amazing, the creative flair of Inna, RJ and Choi spotted so many opportunities; I am looking forward to being able to share some of them in the near future.
As another part of my integration to like locally, Kat has asked me to help her getting around between clinics and hospitals by driving her in her car. I was initially quite nervous, having a little experience being driven here and having driven myself on previous business trips in countries where they drive on the right. She introduced me gently on a Sunday where there was less traffic on the roads; it was not as bad as I had anticipated, although caution is required for pedestrians, tricycle drivers and jeepneys, all of whom seem to stop and start and change direction with little or no warning....
I have also made some observations about my new country of residence and the inhabitants there of, I am aware that this might get me into a little trouble, but it is meant with affection and purely as an observation and not a criticism:-
- Filipinos are very hospitable, I have been welcomed into Kat's family and aslo by her friends, or at least those of them I have met. This is greatly encouraging and has made my transition much easier.
- There are a whole variety of truly amazing places to visit and sights to see, and that is only in Luzon (the main island where I am living), Busuanga, Mindoro Oriental Boracay and Negros Oriental. I am looking forward to exploring the remainder of the 7000 islands I haven't been to yet.
- Life here can be frustrating, certainly for a westerner, with many activities requiring forms to be completed in duplicate or worse, triplicate. Bureaucracy here has been developed into a fine art, but you just have to accept it and go with the flow, it will get done eventually.....
- The drivers here are insane, despite being a nation of easy going folk, put them behind the wheel of a vehicle and all that equanimity goes straight out of the window, any opportunity to get ahead will be taken, swapping lanes, driving down the wrong side of the road, jumping red lights, all sorts of craziness.....
- Similar to the driving, Filipinos are not great lovers of queues, many shops and offices have introduced a take a number system to maintain control of who gets served first.
- There are a number of European style bars dotted around Manila, Makati and Alabang, I am not sure whether this is a good thing or not, but I guess something I am familiar with may be worth a visit occasionally. Either way it has to be better than Karaoke TV bars, doesn't it??
There are likely to be further observations and tales of my new life over the subsequent months. Watch this space for updates.
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