The Odyssey

I finally decided to pamper myself today. I've gone to the steam room in our fitness area already. To me, that is very relaxing and just makes me feel good. But today, I thought I would splurge a little. I went to The Lotus and got a 1 hour combination of Swedish and Shiatsu massages. That was the best massage I have ever received. Not that I've had many but it was still the best. That lady covered every inch of my body from the top of my head to the sole of my feet. Well, almost every inch. She did skip a couple of spots. It was good though, y'all. And it only cost a whopping 350 pesos plus her 50 peso tip. 400 pesos equals $8.96. Not bad, huh? Before the massage I went to Fresh Air Salon and got a pedicure for 100 pesos or $2.24. Okay, you can stop hating on me right about now. The pedi was not the best I've had but it was good for the price. I'm trying to catch up with my husband who has had 2 massages and a manicure already. Between the two of us, we're goin...

Conversation yesterday with Alex, the driver: Alex: Ma'am do you know Saddam Hussein? Me: No, not personally but I know of him. Alex: I don't understand what you mean. You don't know Saddam Hussein? Me: Yes, I know who you're talking about. Alex: Do you know his cousin? Me: No Alex: He's a very rich man and he's staying in your building. My co-driver drives for him. Me: Really. Are you sure? Alex: Yes ma'am, he has a penthouse on the 26th floor. Have you seen him? Me: No, I don't know who he is. Alex: Okay, ma'am. We took a day trip to Tagaytay which is about an hour and a half. They are known for having the world's smallest active volcano. It's in Taal Lake. While there, Dwayne and Danae rode on a horse. Because Danae is so small, a young man helped lead the horse to ensure there were no accidents. The following is a conversation between Dwayne and that boy: Horse Boy: What is your name sir? Dwayne: My name is Dwyane. Horse Boy: Dwayne? Dway...

Well, the death toll from the explosion at Glorietta mall is now 11 and over 100 people were injured. The authorities haven't figured out the cause yet. The three theories are: an LPG tank exploded terrorist attack this is the funniest theory to me and Dwayne. They said the septic tanks weren't working properly and haven't been maintained well. So, the explosion could have been caused by a combination of diesel fuel (from delivery trucks below the mall) and poop. I guess we'll just wait and see what the final verdict is. The mall was open Saturday through Tuesday. Then, the authorities closed it today (Wednesday) so they can investigate the structure and ensure that it's safe for people to walk in. Um, shouldn't that have taken place before the place opened again? Whatever... In Manila, there are always people selling stuff on the streets, between cars, wherever they can fit. Today I saw a man selling odd things. He had about 5 bicycle tires, some headlights, an...

So, I got a phone call today from Dwayne asking if I felt the ground shake. I didn't but then asked if it was an earthquake. He said there was an explosion or something in Glorietta Mall. This is the mall that's connected to our building. The mall he walks through every day to come home from work. The mall we stood in last night to watch Anna Wintour's Mango fashion show. The mall the kids and I go in a few times a week because it leads to grocery stores and a play area. The mall we've enjoyed dinner in at Hard Rock and T.G.I.Friday's and a few other restaurants. Sadly, at least 3 people lost their lives. Here's an excerpt from GMA News (Updated 2:30 p.m.) At least three people were killed while several others were hospitalized after an explosion of still undetermined origin rocked a Makati City shopping mall on Friday afternoon, initial reports said. Police Director Geary Barias, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said initial...

Okay everyone, say "Hi Miss Lucy". She's sitting by Brayden. Miss Lucy is the kids' yaya (nanny). She's been working for us for a week. She doesn't live with us though. She works from 8 to 5 Monday - Friday and is available other times if needed. What does she do? Glad you asked. Her primary responsibility is to assist me in caring for the kids. She prepares lunch for all of us and sometimes dinner too. She irons our clothes (including undies) which is Dwayne's favorite thing. Basically she does anything needed around the house. In my opinion, she babies Brayden too much. He is very independent and doesn't really want to be held and protected but she does it anyway. So, he's somewhat annoyed with her most of the time. She's learning to leave him alone though. She's also somewhat of a tour guide for us in this area of Metro Manila. She's introduced us to very nice, and not very crowded, parks. She also clues me in on where to buy the be...

don't know nothing 'bout healthcare in the Philippines. At least, I hope not because we had to take Danae to the doctor yesterday. Why? Because she woke up with rashes and blisters on her arms and legs. We had absolutely no idea of what was going on. The only thing we could think was bug bites. Only, the rest of us were untouched. But then we remembered. On Friday, we went to a couple of preschools to find something for Danae to do. She ran off playing with the other kids. Had to happen there. We still took her to the doctor though because Dengue Fever is common 'round these parts. And, we've only been here a week and she kept complaining that her legs were hurting and acting like she couldn't walk. So, to the doctor we went. The doctor we were referred to by ARM (Asian Relocation Management) is actually an American woman named Carolyn Butler. She practiced in NY and NJ and went to school in the US. She's a blond white woman. Only, she says she was born and rais...

Yesterday, the kids and I ventured out a bit. We went to the grocery store where three ladies stared at our hair and kept talking to one another in Tagalog. Finally, the older lady asked if she could touch my hair. I said yes but she couldn't reach me because the stroller was in the way and I wasn't trying to move it. Then, she asked Danae if she could touch hers. Danae said "no, you cannot touch my hair". That was too funny but I told the lady she could if she wanted to. The lady said "no ma'am she doesn't want me to". Then she asked if she could touch Brayden's hair and I said yes. So she started massaging my baby's head until he knocked her hand down. I had heard before I came here that people would do that because they've never seen black folks hair before. We ate lunch at Wendy's. They have about 4 of the same meals as the US. But, they also sell shrimp sandwiches, fried chicken, and rice of course. The kids ate fried chicken and...

We have seen exactly 5 black people since arriving in Manila. We didn't expect to see a gang of black folks so it's not a big deal. But because there are so few people of color around these parts, every time we go out we're treated like celebrities. People stare at us and point us out to their unsuspecting friends. We're allowed in the mall without our bags being searched. We never have to open our own doors or anything. We just have to deal with being stared at...intently. Because we do get MTV our here and have to listen to 50 Cent in between the Christmas songs at the store, even the Filipinos have stereotyped black folks. For instance, the waiter in our building asked Brayden where his bling-bling was. We didn't even know how to respond. A waiter at Hard Rock Cafe proceeded to tell us he visited Miami before and the black people were so nice much to his surprise. Crazy! A few interesting things about Filipinos: They will get all in your business. It's not un...