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
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