The Manila Diaries

Taking things for granted

25 May 2012

90 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly cloudy, Humidity 81%

Taking things for granted is a theme that I have reflected on this week; having a good night’s sleep without waking up feeling like I am sleeping in a sauna, being able to get into my car and drive to where I want to go and keeping in touch via the internet.  All these things I had become used to in the UK and had taken for granted but now living in Manila means that I need to adapt and change.

Sleeping with the air conditioning on is now becoming the norm.  We gave in the other night and kept it on low and it was bliss.  I slept through the night and woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy.  I hadn’t realised how much the temperature drains my energy levels.   During the day I try to walk to places but again the heat seems to get the better of me so I have to rely on taxis to get me around, particularly when doing everyday things like going shopping.  This is not a problem but it is sometimes quicker to walk because of the volume of traffic.  At certain times of the day, Makati gets grid-locked and it is more frustrating sitting in a hot car, not moving.  Finally, we are waiting for our Broadband to be installed and so I have to rely on wi-fi locations in coffee shops for the time being.

My biggest frustration this week has concerned directions.  I’m slowly getting used to the fact that the address someone gives you bears no relation to the actual location.  For example, I had to find the Philippine equivalent to BT and armed with the address being ‘Ayala Avenue’ I mistakenly thought the building would be along that street; but no, the actual building was tucked away at the back of the main avenue.  I experienced the same situation when meeting someone at a coffee shop, the address I was given bore little relation to the actual site of the coffee shop.  I think the address acts purely as an indicator.  No harm done, at least I am getting familiar with the area in which we are living.  The lesson that this has taught me is that communication is key.  I need to have a better strategy for checking understanding (both mine and the person I am communicating with).

On the plus side though, it’s nice to feel we have moved into a more permanent place with more space and even after a week am feeling more settled.

I shall be attending my first Ex-pat Woman’s forum coffee morning next Monday and am keen to find out how such groups work.  Everyone has been very welcoming with friendly emails and I am sure I will be able to find answers to some of my more basic questions.  To keep things in balance, we’ve been invited to a Filipino Karaoke evening this Saturday which would not be my usual choice for an evening out but nevertheless I think it will be entertaining!

My goal next week is to shift the focus from domestic issues onto business ones.

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Settling In

18 May 2012

88 degrees Fahrenheit, Cloudy, Chance of thundery showers, Humidity 70%

It’s been a frustrating week concerning the process of finding somewhere to live.  Using the services of a broker seemed to have slowed everything down and ended up with us losing out on two apartments, so taking things into our own hands and on the advice of others, we decided to ‘do-it-ourselves’.  We have just signed a contract today for an apartment that suits our needs with some additional benefits that we had not even considered, such as a reduced membership to the Makati Sports Club.

Again referring to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, having now met the basic needs of shelter and safety, I thought I could move onto working on the psychological needs of relationships.  So, I decided to apply to join the British Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines to start the networking process and to shift my focus onto business issues.

I attended an interesting event about the growing sector in the Philippines of Business Process Outsourcing or BPO as it is commonly referred to.  The scope of this sector seems to offer advantages for companies wishing to outsource to the Philippines as well as creating employment opportunities for local people.  The speakers discussed the issues of recruitment, retention and development, not so different from the people management needs expressed by UK organisations.  It will be interesting to know whether solutions that seem to bring about positive results in the UK could have a positive impact here in the Philippines. 

Finally, I have met some very interesting and genuine people wishing to help with my queries, questions and concerns and all of whom have made me feel very welcome.

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

Level 7 Goes East – First Impressions

The Manila Diaries

11 May 2012

93 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly cloudy, Humidity 66%

The build up to re-locate to Manila has been tremendous both from the personal and business perspectives but I am now here and already noting differences and similarities to life back in the UK.  Clearly life in general will be a huge adjustment; living in a high-rise apartment, dining out more, being the ‘stranger’ in town whose physical appearance is different and so gets stared at but in a nice, friendly way and of course the climate!  High temperatures and high humidity are some of the biggest challenges I will need to address but then I keep telling myself this is all part of the experience. 

My first impressions of Manila are that it is very like other big, bustling cities with lots of people, traffic and high-rise buildings.  The people are very friendly, welcoming and honest.  I am already greeted by my first name in the local coffee shop and I had an interesting experience the other day that made me reflect on values.

Many organisations espouse organisational values of trust, honesty and integrity but the other day I experienced these values in action.  I was looking for my mobile phone (an Apple i-phone) one morning and having searched the apartment thoroughly could only think that it must have fallen out of my bag the previous evening whilst sitting in the local coffee shop.  I returned to the coffee house the next day with little hope in my heart of ever seeing the phone again, but yes, the phone had been found and it was waiting in the office, in a sealed bag, waiting for its owner to come and claim it!  I would like to think I would have experienced the same outcome in the UK, but I suspect this might not be the case (I once had my laptop stolen from my desk at work, never to be seen again).

My key objective over the next couple of weeks is to find a permanent place to live for me and my partner after which time I can then focus on business opportunities for Level 7.  I am reminded of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which suggests that unless our basic, physical needs are met fulfilment and self actualisation need to take a back seat.  Whilst Maslow is considered somewhat old hat, personally, I still think his theory helps us to put our purpose and actions into perspective.

Finally, technology is making the move to the other side of the world less traumatic; keeping in touch with the UK is easy, I just need to remember the time difference!

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila