Goings on and Happenings.

We've been having a fun week! I know I have mentioned my new running partners, Chad and Natasha Davis.  They are Aussies and ultramarathoners that relocated here over a decade ago.  We have been having some good runs together- of course, they run 10k, then meet me, then we run 20k together, then they run another 10k home.  We had Sunday lunch together at their place in Makati.  Natasha asked if we were picky eaters, and I replied that we eat anything.  They took it to mean that we would eat EVERYTHING because they gave us a gourmet spread!  3 kinds of pizza, lamb chops, steaks, roasted potatoes, broccoli, and eggplant, corn on the cob, noodles and ham, chips and salsa, and Dr. Pepper (it tasted like home!).  They are such a great and kind couple and their kids were as well, and it was a perfect afternoon.

Natasha and Lauren

The girls with Chad and Irwin, the baby kitty he recently rescued from a ditch.  Kate and Kiki nearly loved Irwin to death, but I think he rather liked it.

Chad and Natasha also filled us in on the tail-less cats- they aren't born that way.  People actually dock their tails.  It has something to do with a Chinese belief about the perfection of cats...I'm not sure of the particulars. 

On Wednesday, Cathy and I went to Mall of Asia to get our Christmas shopping done.  Cathy's helper, Cora, nicely agreed to watch the girls.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed since Kate and Kiki both have birthdays to shop for as well as their Christmas, and I'm generally mystified by what items I can easily find here vs. not.  Fortunately, it was a very successful trip.  I got almost everything I was looking for, including (miracle of miracles!) a telescope for Kate that she had her heart set on. 

Shopping here is intense.  I know I've talked about the overwhelming number of people staffing these places (I counted ELEVEN workers in Men's Socks alone), but Christmas takes it to a whole new level, especially if you are American and you are pushing a full cart around.  We were like innocent gazelles surrounded by hungry cheetahs, and we could not escape.  "Littlest Pet Shop MamSir?" "MamSir I have Aqua Sand!"  It's pointless to say, "Thanks, I'm just looking," because another ten associates lurk right around the corner.  We did pretty well for ourselves, though, until we tried to check out.  Here's how it goes at the check out:  There is one girl who scans your items.  There is no sense of urgency whatsoever towards this task.  A second girl stands there and does nothing except pass the items to a third girl, who bags your items.  All of them keep track of the number of items in the purchase, and the transaction isn't completed until they all agree.  I had a ton of little tiny items that were stocking stuffers for the girls, and I had also purchased a Nativity set that had one sku but multiple items, so these girls could not agree on my item count.  Long story short: it took them twenty minutes to finish my transaction, and another 15 to ring Cathy.  After 35 minutes of standing around a cash register, we were both a little snapped.  I think it took them longer to ring our items than it took us to select them.  I longed for the brusque efficiency of my local Costco, that's for sure.

Speaking of which...we were at S and R, which is the local equivalent of Costco, and I had selected a rotisserie chicken.  When you buy a chicken you get a free 2 liter of Pepsi, which Kiki was holding in the cart.  Unfortunately, she dropped the Pepsi, which unfortunately she had shaken a little, and unfortunately the lid came off, but unfortunately only PARTIALLY, meaning we launched a spinning, spraying, ROCKET of Pepsi down the freezer aisle.  They had to close the entire aisle to clean up the mess, and even now I can't tell you where the bottle wound up because it spun away from us so fast. 

We've missed out on THREE! days of swimming because of non-stop rain.  Kiki is adjusting to life in the tropics and insisted she needed a sweater when the thermostat dipped below 80 degrees.  We will probably go to a movie today.  Movies are very reasonably priced- only 3 or 4 dollars, and popcorn is a dollar for the largest size. 

Tomorrow is my half marathon on Corregidor.  I haven't been this nervous for a race in a very long time, but I am trying to manage my expectations while simultaneously planning for success.  It's a tricky balance.  At a minimum, I know I can finish.  I am praying that it rains so that it isn't so blasted hot for this thing.  Jen and I have to be up and going by 3:30 a.m. so that we can make the ferry out to the island, then we race, then we eat lunch there before heading back.  I'm also nervous about making it home in time for the branch Christmas party- it wouldn't be a big deal, except that I am playing for the program, so if I don't make the right ferry I will have single-handedly ruined the Christmas party.  No pressure (ha, ha), but I have been earnestly and sincerely praying that I can get on the early ferry.  I know some would be mystified by my choice to participate in a race that ran even a remote chance of screwing up the Christmas party, but those who know me are probably thinking, "Well, of course that's what she chose."

We received our first electric bill- $540.  No, we didn't move into a mansion without telling you.  That's just how much it costs here.  Apparently so many people steal electricity that those who actually pay for it pay dearly to compensate.  Thank goodness that didn't have to come out of our pocket.  We also have ventured into domestic help- a woman named Lina comes every Tuesday morning to do all of the ironing.  It's only $9 and she does all of Bruce's shirts and pants.  I know I have lots of spare time, but my hatred of ironing is epic and giant and I just refuse to do it, so I think Lina is pretty awesome.  The other kind of help I am starting to love is having the security guards/doormen.  They don't let anyone in the building unless they call up to the apartment for our approval first.  My special phone will ring, and they will say something like, "Mrs. Hatch, so and so from the travel agency is here with your passports.  Shall I send him up?"  I never have to wonder who is at the door or if I should answer it...I may need to bring one of these guys home with me. 

Lastly, my terrifying maid's quarters are finally coming in handy.  It's the perfect place to hide presents, because my children would not go in there to save their very lives.