Good Morning.. (my evening)... Well 4 days down and only 16 to go. It has been pretty grueling schedule and add the off hours and the weird sleeping patterns.. It makes for a wacky life. So I am so glad that I am living in such beautiful surroundings... It makes up for it. My friend Erick Ducut who is from Philippines, just gave me a heads up on The Spa... here in Manila. There is a location near me and it sounds great. I am requesting for a 2 hour Gentleman's Package. www.thespa.com.ph THANKS ERICK!!!!!!

Now to tell a couple of stories.. In the class is about 21 folks and 2 instructors. They are doing a great job with this stuff.. In our class we have 2 gay folks, 1 young man that has a domestic partner and they have a 5 year old. The other is a young woman and she has a domestic partner as well. We have Hutch which I am guessing is a transsexual. He likes to wear woman's high heels and yet boys clothes for the most part. His nick name is Hutch for Starsky and Hutch. In the building we have others in different stages of something... but it is hard to tell where. The other day I was in the men's room with Hutch, and what appeared to be a pretty nice looking feminine young woman. I had to think twice to see if I had gone in the wrong bathroom.

When you work off hours, everyone is saying good morning to you when you are coming home from work and alternatively saying good evening when you are leaving for work at 7:30 in the evening. So your mind does play tricks... and I never know what day it is, what time it is.. and usually either full of energy or very tired.

A lot of my peers that have been here, or are here have been sick to some degree of something. Either stomach/digestive issues, or nasal/head cold due to the air quality. My goal has been to get on a strict schedule. So every night before I go into work, I try to walk 2 miles in the gym, stretch, steam room etc. In the morning after work I try to go to the gym at 7 AM and run my 3 to 4 miles, stretch and steam room. I eat oatmeal for my meal before work with juice sometimes, and coffee. I have so far gone to Subway for a sandwich in the evening and take it to work with me for my lunch at 1 AM. The only thing opened near the office is a McDonald's. Our office is in a mall.. so when we go in at night it is booming. I looked around last night and I can find some fun clothes real cheap. I will be shopping before I get home the first trip. Some fun clothes for vacation to Greece in September.

Now tomorrow will be a long day I know.. but then some fun on the weekend. There is this "event" called Sports Fest. There is a big team from our office consisting of folks from voice and data participating and competing with some other teams from somewhere in the following sports, basketball (their largest sport I understand), volleyball, bowling, badminton, billiards and something consisting of cheer leading and dancing.. I think it was called Cheerdancing. and all I know is they are going to provide the pom pom's. We are also getting red t-shirts (we are the red team), the the opening ceremonies start on Saturday at 5. I am going to be playing Volleyball and Bowling. I thought I don't need to have pictures of me with pom pom's in a foreign country.. I can see it now.. they would be on CNN World or BBC.. :)

Sunday I have requested a 2 hour spa treatment at this place called The Spa here near my hotel. My friend Erick who is from here but lives in Philadelphia told me about this. It appears to be a beautiful spa, 2 hour treatment both body massage and facial..for around 40 dollars. www.thespa.com.ph....

So I am getting into some local things, fun things, and so far only have been feeling a little weird 2 times. The day before last I slept like a rock all day.. got up and never did wake up.. felt like something had hit me over the head. Yesterday I had a horrible day's sleep, thought something had died inside my stomach.. Got up at 4:30 because I couldn't sleep, spent a lot of time in the bathroom here in the hotel, and at the office. I bought some anti acid at the drug store before work... but other than the "issue" I had all my hyper energy, felt basically like I was just great ... just needed to take a few extra trips to the bathroom. By noon I felt great all over.

So one more day to the weekend.. and then go off my sleep/work off hours schedule. and then an active weekend.. and then try to get back on my off hours schedule sleeping on Monday AM and start the work week Monday night.

Hope all is well in your lives, take time to enjoy the roses in your life where ever they are..

Craig