crip walk harlem battle in the Philippines

Okay, well since we are on dancing in the Philippines today, we will add this one. It is a group of kids doing a Crip Walk battle. The little kid towards the end is adorable.

Filippino Inmates in Cebu do Thriller

This absolutely amazing. Over 1500 inmates in prison in Cebu, The Philippines re-enacted the video for Thriller by Michael Jackson. And apparently, that is not the only one. They have done a number of songs. Amazing!!

I know that Filippinos are amazing entertainers but my mind boggles at this.

On the plane ride from Manila to Bahrain, I was seated next to a 25 year old woman. She is heading to Dubai to work as a domestic helper in a house. Previously, she worked in Singapore in a similar role. She explained that Dubai is seen as a stepping stone for job and country employment. This position will help her gain additional skills and training which she will hope allow her to move to a country like Canada. I am not at all familiar with the Immigration and Visa Laws of Canada but I am unsure if they are very generous in granting visas for domestic help, but again, this is a guess.

She explained in more detail that she worked for six years in Singapore and only had the last six months off. I was astonished. Six months break for six years employment was shocking.

But my heart really broke for her. She turned to me and said that she had not been allowed holiday and had not returned once during the six years. Her eyes welled up as she said, "I didn't see my family. It was hard, but I did it for them, so things will be easier for them".

I held her hand and she tried to shake off the tears. I asked her if she was okay and she nodded yes.

I felt so useless. I wanted to do something for her.

My mind raced and again, I thought about all the facts and figures. She is just one of so many. I feel like such a fraud and I felt angry with everyone including me.

So, I just returned from the Philippines this morning and I am sure it is the 21+ hours of travel and the fact that I have only had a little airline sleep but I am feeling really down.

I keep thinking about my life, neither in London or Asia, and the amount of work on my plate and I keep thinking - where is the fun?

Now, don't get me wrong. I know that my life is pretty sweet and that I have it better than most people but just feeling really burnt out - and it is not the first time.

I thinking that the job or aspects of the job may be wearing me down as I am having more and more of these burnt out period and they are lasting longer and longer.

Again, it may be the fatigue talking but if I didn't need to go back to school for it, I may think about chucking it all in for teaching. Am I crazy? Probably.

There a very non-PC movie on tv at the moment called Lady of the Tropics. It is shocking. It is from 1939 and it is shocking the language and the conversations that they have. It is all about half-castes. It sounds like nails on a chalk board when the Americans excitedly say that they want to meet one. It was to painful to watch and I needed to run away!

So, I am back in the Philippines again. Why does it feel like that should be sung by Willie Nelson?

Anyway, I remembered again my target market. Filippinos!! I think that the blond wavy hair and womanly curves is an asset. Well, it feels that way as I walk down the street and get greetings from men. Ah, maybe they are just being friendly?

I arrived yesterday and my 4-8 pm meeting was pushed back to 12-4 am. My colleague that I was meeting was editing a film and it was going well so he wanted to continue. He wanted to meet with me before heading to the airport to catch his flight out. So, jetlagged and cranky I sat in my room waiting for him to arrive.

It was fine and by 2:30 the meeting was finished. He left to pack and get an hour's sleep, but I couldn't. I was suddenly wide awake in a beige hotel room with bad television. Not much on apart from the religious programming. Luckily, that is always on. I listened to some woman from the US mid-west, that has never really known any true suffering in her life, tell people that Jesus will make your life happy if you only give yourself over to him. Hmmm.

I think I could live in Manila. It is a city but a fairly manageable one. There is good shopping and nice restarants. Not as much emphasis around things to do and culture as London but if I made friends it might be okay. I guess it would depend on where I lived which would depend on what I could afford.

Okay, best finish my work so I can go to the gym.

I arrived here after one of the most gruelling set of flights in some time. I will spare you the detail, but it will all go into my memoirs some day and you will both laugh and cry.

I am now in Manila and checked into the hotel. I tried to gain internet access in my room but they cannot locate the IT guy so I have gone to the library to check my email. Since I am fatigued and on a public computer with neon lighting, I am having trouble working. I will still deliver the promised work, but perhaps I bother them again at the front desk, search for food, and then hopefully, my access will be granted.

My local mobile is not allowing me to send messages so I will take it to the phone center first thing tomorrow morning for them to look at. Hopefully, it is something simple like my credit is just low.

My 4-8 pm meeting that was scheduled with has been moved to 12-4 am. (Read that again if you need to. It is correct.) He is currently editing something and is on a roll so he wants to continue. He has asked to make the meeting at the later time (or earlier depending on your perspective) so he can meet with me before heading to the airport.

No one can question my dedication. Am so tired and just want to sleep.

And this is how I feel when starting most days in my job.

This makes me unbelievably happy!
Sidewalk stencil choose-your-own-adventure
Some stencil artists created a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game using spraypainted sidewalk stencils: players start from one of two jumping off points and walk aroudn the neighborhood, making choices and following directions. It's a love story, and if players do it right, then end up meeting.

The mission stencil story is an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure story that takes place on the sidewalks of the Mission district in San Francisco. It is told in a new medium of storytelling that uses spraypainted stencils connected to each other by arrows. The streetscape is used as sort of an illustration to accompany each piece of text.
Its a love story with 2 characters who start in different locations. His story starts at 16th and Valencia, in front of the Crown Hotel / Limon Restaurant with the text "He Leaves his Lonely Apartment." Her story starts at 21st and Guerrero in front of a stunning mansion with the text, "She Leaves her Lonely Apartment." Eventually their paths merge, at the point where they meet, and their paths travel together until drama pulls them apart.

Flikr sethttp://www.flickr.com/photos/9793231@N05/sets/72157600706628117/

I am heading back to the Philippine next week. This time it is only Manila for me. I need to head back to London for a SL Diaspora Meeting. It is a shame really because I like heading to Mindanao.

Well, I haven't written in a while and actually a lot has happened. I went to Delft in the Netherlands. It is a beautiful town. I went to my very good friend's, Floris, wedding. I had a lovely time. This image is the town hall or stad huis where he was married to very cool Emma.

From the tourism website: Some of Delft's highlights include: the "Grote Markt"(market), the lively and historic marketplace in the heart of town, the "Oude Kerk", a Gothic church that was begun in the mid-1200s and completed in the 1500s, the "Nieuwe Kerk", where you can climb the church tower for a great view over Delft, the " Prinsenhof", a former convent where William of Orange was assassinated in 1584.( today, the restored building houses Delft's municipal art museum), the "Stadhuis", or city hall, which was built in 1618-1620 around remnants of the old town hall (including a 13th Century prison tower), the Waag, once the town weighhouse and now a café.

The interesting thing about the Oude Kerk (Old Church), nicknamed Oude Jan ("Old John"), is its most recognizable feature is a 75-meter-high brick tower that leans about two meters from the vertical. Look at that lean!

I made some friends which are now linked to me on Facebook, I sang at karaoke, I played pool until 4 am, and I met a very nice Spaniard named Manuel.

So, last night a discussion about whether friends can have sex or whether it makes things too complicated. Three different views.
One from a gay male perspective saying that is perfectly fine and gay men can have sex as easily as going to the movies together.

Next position was with a straight male that said, 'absolutely not'. That if you sleep with a friend you are opening a pandora's box. It is not a good idea and should not be done.

My position, a straight female, is that it depends on the individual people and the situation. I think it can be done.

We are none closer to a resolution on the matter, but I am keen to have someone try and open my box.

Happy Anniversary to me!!
It is my one year anniversary of becoming a British citizen. I am a subject and loving it.







Just look at Her Royal Majesty. Who wouldn't want to be ruled by this woman?

Okay, so I am going to another wedding tomorrow because summer can never have too many weddings. This one is is in Rotterdam. The wedding is on Friday and I was unable to get a return flight on Saturday. No kidding. No flights. So Sunday return it was!!

I psyched myself up for a weekend in Rotterdam, but this morning I have spent a little time looking for activities in Europe's largest port and apart from potentially hooking up with sailors I am afraid there is absolutely nothing to do.

So, any ideas or suggestions are more than welcomed.

Happy 4th of July, People!!!

¡ʎoظuǝ .ʞuı1 ǝɥʇ sı ǝɹǝɥ 'ɟ1ǝsɹnoʎ ʇı op oʇ ʇuɐʍ puɐ ʇı ǝʞı1 ɟı 'ɹǝʌǝʍoɥ .pɐǝɹ oʇ buıʎouuɐ puɐ ʇ1nɔıɟɟıp sı ʇı ɟı sǝıbo1odɐ ʎɯ .ʇuoɟ pǝddı1ɟ ǝɥʇ uı ʎɹʇuǝ ǝɹıʇuǝ ʎɯ ǝʇıɹʍ oʇ pǝpıɔǝp puɐ unɟ sı ʇı ʞuıɥʇ ı .buıoqbuıoq ɯoɹɟ ʞuı1 ɐ buıʍo11oɟ ɹǝʇɟɐ ǝʇısqǝʍ sıɥʇ punoɟ ı

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink~

That is the theme of my life at present. There are tons of single men in my life that flirt with me, may even fancy me, and none of them do a thing. Desperation and comical farce is setting.

Yesterday's situation. A guy I meet through others, jokes and laughs and flirts with me all day. I, perhaps overexcitedly text my flatmate with running commentary. I, of course, return alone with no nookie.

My flatmate then begins asking me about the situation and I relay the story of an evening of positive flirting followed by nothing. I, to make matters worse, have to tell this story in front of the other three male flatmates as well. (Two of which are straight men.)

Then the second flatmate's non-English speaking boytoy arrives at the flat. He joins us at the dining table and the conversation shifts to the equivalent words for "penis" in Italian and Portugese. (As the conversation frequently does.)

After a little banter, the boytoy turns to me and innocently tries to reconfirm, "you are a lesbian, right?"

Well, I think we may have nailed where some of my male problems are coming from. Apparently, I am coming off as a lesbian these days.

No, I am not a lesbian. I am straight woman who only vaguely remembers what the male anatomy looks like.