February 18, 2011... I have been so busy this trip with work... and fun OF COURSE.. but have neglected my blog.. Sorry.. Will put up some pics of the Chinese New Year celebration ... Year of the Rabbit.. the videos wouldn't post so the pics will give you an idea. From there the pics will be of the my last weekend.. and then stories along the way.

I am wrapping up this 3 week period here in Manila. Work has been steady and long hours.. but I got to meet and work with 2 co workers that I have known but never met live before. That was a great time. Being with Gail and Sandy made work a lot more fun.

Last weekend I had a great time for the most part doing 2 things... The first.. Saturday Feb 12th.. Here in the Philippines they have the 2nd annual Philippine International Pyromusical Competition. This event is every Saturday night from Feb 12th to March 12th at San Miguel by the Bay. Basically they are held in Manila Bay down by the Mall of Asia. Little background. My friend Donald a Filipino friend from work and I were going to this event after hearing about it from folks at work. It sounded like a great time. I had also wanted to go to the Mall of Asia (MOA) ever since I got here. I think that this is the largest Mall in all of Asia. it is HUGE!!!!!! I mean HUGE!!!!! it is at the end of Edsa Rd which is a main rd that goes north south thru Manila. The fireworks and music that night were between Korea and Spain.

Well Donald came to the hotel on Saturday afternoon and we headed down to the mall by taxi. Now remember we work all Friday night and get off work at 7 AM on Saturday. Both of us didn't get any sleep that day so we were starting off on a little less steam than usual. It was a beautiful day full of sunshine and the smog was somewhat under control. Well we get down there.. and we pull into this area of the mall. It is HUGE.. many buildings with this really cool Globe in the front. It is right on the Bay of Manila.. I had never seen any place so big.. and so many people!!! I mean it is like a people everywhere. The mall is crowded but not overbearing to me. I realized much later in the week that the reason that it wasn't overbearing with the crowds is that I was taller than a majority of them. Makes a big difference when you are taller vs shorter the average. We went shopping and walked around. Around 5:30 we said we had to start to get to the side of the Mall where the bay was to see the sunset. I think it is the best place in Manila to see the sunset. We started scoping out the options for hte fireworks/music competition. We ended up doing the VIP section which was right at the bay in this park like area right up against the wall sitting in chairs. We sat and talked and watched the sunset.. then the stars come out. 1/2 moon and al Fireworks was supposed to start at 7 PM with Korea and they got started around 7:30. They had music of the country along with entertainment. The fireworks were the best ever. I saw fireworks there that I have never seen anywhere else in my life. I have had the great fortune to see some great fireworks in my day but this was by far the BEST.!!!!!!! They went on for about 20 mins and then took a break and Spain took their turn as well. Since we were kind of tired we both snoozed a little bit during Spain. They were not as good as Korea.. I give my vote that night for Korea.

The festivities were over around 9:30.. and then we were back into the millions of people at the mall and then end of the fireworks competition. We decided to eat there at the mall which Donald chose an Asian restaurant that had Filipino/Japanese/Thai food. We had a great meal at a cheap price and another opportunity to eat native food which I thoroughly enjoyed. Well it was around 11 PM and we headed out to the front of the mall to get a taxi. Well, I have never seen more people trying to get many different modes of transportation in my entire life. This taken from Wikipedia:

With a population of 1,660,714 in 2006, Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines behind Quezon City. The populace inhabit an area of only 38.55 square kilometers, making Manila the most densely populated city in the world. However, Metro Manila is the most populous metropolitan are in the Philippines and the 11th in the world with an estimated populateion of 16,300,000. The great urban area is the 5th largest in the world with an estimated population of 20,654,307 people.. and then you add in me.

Well let me tell you when I say there were a TON OF PEOPLE and the lines for all transportation ever in my life.. I am NOT exagerating at all. Well we were going to take a taxi back to the hotel and then home for Donald. Well that was going to take hours... so for not a great decision to have been made we decided to take a public bus out of the area and then get a taxi in just the regular Saturday night in the busy bustling metropolis of Manila. Well not a good idea at all. However no one had told me or warned me.. but I should have known... that for me taking a bus is just not a good idea. The reason is in general due to all the people, pick pockets were everywhere. and being an american I just stick out as an easy target with out even doing a thing out of the ordinary. All the time I have been here I have always been cautious of my surroundings, and the my friends and co workers have always been on the look out for me and my protection when we are out and about. I had pulled out a 20 peso (50 cents) to give to Donald for the bus for both of us... and not even thinking even to put my wallet at least in my front pocket, put it back in my back pocket with the button done and squeezed onto this public street bus which at least had air conditioning. Donald was a little bit apprehensive but wasn't quite sure why. I felt no tension of being on the bus at all.. I should have but didn't. Well I wasn't on the bus 30 seconds and knew that I had lost my wallet. At least they unbuttoned my pocket.. and it was gone. THEN all the thoughts of what was I thinking flooded in to my head.. tired as I was since I had been up for 3o some hours at this point. Donald felt horrible like he had failed to keep me safe, but I blame only myself for this situation I found myself in with Donald. Well we took the bus all the way up to the Ayala Transporation center where we caught a taxi to the hotel.

Once I got back to the hotel and got a new room key, made a few 1/2 dozen calls.. I finally got to bed at 2:30.. with NO credit personal or corporate, no cash what soever, dead tired but have had one of the greatest nights of my life spending time with Donald at MOA, the sunset and the fireworks competition.

Now you say.. could you have done it any other way that was safer? Well, yes we could have. With the hotel I have access to a car service to go anywhere I want, to get picked up anywhere I want.. and all i had to do was give them a call and they could have picked us up. But then at the time it wasn't an option. It was my first time there and I didn't know the situation of the location, was up for some 30 hours, and just tired and too relaxed for my own good. Basically I looked at it this way.. No one got hurt, little cash taken and most of it can be replaced minus 2 things of my dads which I have a little regret.. but only a little...

Now on Sunday... I had made plans with friends from work to go running at the University of the Philippines known as the UP (with the accent on the first letter Youpee) which is about 4 km up north on Edsa in Quezon City. So I get in a taxi to go to Market Market which is where we work. It is about a 2 mile ride. I get this very nice taxi driver named Dan. He was quite animated and talkative which was nice. He asked me about my experiences of being here, asked my age, and then proceeded to make a point ... and I mean he turned around and said to me.. Don't take any buses, they are very dangerous!!!!!!! I just had to laugh. He had NO IDEA of my night before.. and I didn't tell him after that precaution, but i did think to myself ... Dan.. where were you yesterday???????

I got to Market Market which is a mall area and met Kevin, Than, and Gigi. they all had heard of my experience from the night before.. News spreads fast amongst the group. Well we weren't sure who was going to go running.. but after a little while the 4 of us take off for the UP in Quezon City (QC). Now remember this is about 4 miles away.. but with the traffic, it would have taken us forever by taxi. So this is our trail of transportation to the UP. We took a bus (not the city type for a nicer touring type bus) to the Ayala Transportation Center. It looks so much nicer in the day time... :) Then we took the MRT which is an about ground subway type train to QC. Now on the way up there we realize a few things. Where are we going to change into our running clothes and where are we going to put our bags since we are hoofing it on public transportation..... Well we ended up getting to a mall in QC, changing our clothes in the bathroom of the movie cinemas (the only bathroom Than knew of that had stalls, then dropped our bags off at the Landmark store bag check... and then proceeded to get on a jeepney to the campus of the UP. Well if you don't know what a jeepney is, google that and see. I had always wanted to ride a jeepney and now today was my today to experience this mode of transportation. So if you can picture this.. I am walking thru the transportation area to the jeepneys (in my running clothes) with 3 filipino friends getting on the jeepney that was packed. I don't have to do ANYTHING out of the ordinary to stand out in a crowd and have everyone around me just stare at me. It must have looked hysterical for a white boy like me, an obvious american looking guy come walking out of the cinema bathroom in my running clothes. If that wasn't enough, I don't think that anyone on the jeepney had ever seen an american get on one let alone in running clothes. I am very adept to just not noticing the stares anymore.. but if only I could be a fly on the wall of life looking at my comings and goings. I am on the jeepney having a great time with my friends.. thinking.. if ONLY my friends in USA could see me now.. We get to the UP and this is a very beautiful campus which we started running. By this time it was dark.. but a lot of runners and walkers everywhere. We got done, and back tracker our paths... Jeepney back to the mall (this time a little sweaty), the Landmark to get our bags, the cinema bathroom to change clothes and off to Taco Bell for dinner. We all ate plenty of food at Taco bell (5 of us for a grand total of about 13 dollars). By this time it was past 10 PM and the MRT stopped running at 10. So we started talking about how were were going to get back to Manila (Makati area) and I could see that this was leading to the discussion of a bus.. the type of local city bus that Dan the taxi driver had said NOT to get on because it was dangerous, the type of bus I had been on 24 hours earlier and had gotten pick pocketed. I started laughing and just said I don't think I can do a bus for a while longer. I asked how much could a taxi cost??? and how long could it take to go 4 KM ? Well Sunday night the traffic is probably the lightest in all the week... and we got into a taxi .... dropped me off at the hotel, kevin at the Ayala transportation center (he had a 2 hour bus rides home) and then Gigi and Than off to the Market Market area where they live. All grand total of 300 pesos.. which is about 8 dollars which I gladly treated.... :)

So bottom line is I / we took a taxi, bus, subway, jeepney about 6 miles total to just go running at the UP for 3 mins.... taxi home.. which took us about 7 hours.

I got home and upstairs to the bed... and all the thoughts of my weekend going thru my head. Aside from being pick pocketed, I had one of the GREATEST weekends of my life. Spending time with new friends, the fireworks, sunset over Manila Bay, MOA, running at UP, riding the Jeepney... not to mention just seeing everything I had seen in both days.... I was so grateful for the weekend.

Well getting back to work on Monday night everyone had heard of the incident on Saturday night and poor Donald hasn't heard the end of it. He takes the ribbing very well. Everyone just laughed at the thought of me in my weekend.. and what it must have looked like. It is such a different look when you are looking out into the world vs the world looking in at me. I was thinking what a great reality show this would be.. Craig in Manila... :)

This last week I spent with Sandy from Minneapolis (originally from Iowa) along with Spencer and Kim. Well Sandy and I spent 2 mornings/afternoon at the pool.. and I have never laughed more in my life. Folks say that Sandy is the female me, and I am the male Sandy. We had a great time and it sure made work a lot more fun. Today the last day here Sandy, Spencer and I went to the pool which I stayed up there after they left to go to bed. I have been up again for almost 20 hours, and strangely wide awake. I am packing and getting ready to go to work/and then leave for home tomorrow morning at 6. I have my last spa appointment this afternoon which I can't wait. Maybe some dinner, 1/2 day at work and then a 30 hour travel day from door to door.

Looking back on the last 3 weeks I am just grateful for a wonderful time here in Manila, with my friends, and work, and more great stories. So here are some pics of the Chinese New Year, my weekend, and some of my "running" friends.

I look forward to coming home for 2 weeks, getting caught up on many things and then back to Manila for what may be my last time here. I already have some stories for the next trip and haven't even done them.. should say plans... which will be good for the blog. I hope I make it thru to tell the stories....

Til the next time.. Live life.. and enjoy.... P.S. Valentines Day flowers in the Lobby and the present flowers today....

Good Evening/Good afternoon:

Well this was a fun week here in Manila. It started out celebrating the New Year (Chinese year that is) and it ended with a 10K run, relaxing morning and then the afternoon at the Spa... and then to BED. Have I told you that the bed in my hotel is a huge king size and soft yet firm, 4 huge down pillows, white crisp cotton bedding... and well this afternoon... it felt SO good just to lay down and sink into it..

Well back to New Years.. On Monday there was little celebrations around the hotel. Some buildings behind us had some fireworks and the dragon dances ... not sure they are dances but that is what it seemed like to me. Then at noon at the Shangri La the upper management gathered outside the front doors where you drive up.. the band came out... and here were our dragons.. we had 3 of them. I think there were 2 or 3 guys per dragon. We had fireworks set up along the driveway and then ... it started to mount. They also have cabbage hanging from ceiling with a red cloth.. The dragon eats the cabbage and then spits it out at the feet of the management.. not sure what that represents... but it was nice. I took some videos and will try to post them. There is one now that is posted on facebook and I will get the rest of them there too. Once the presentation was over outside, they brought them inside the lobby and continued around the huge rabbit of flowers that is still on display in the lobby. It is beautiful. But I miss the changing of the flowers on Sunday night (now). So it is just the cleaning people, security people and me... in my HUGE beautiful living room.

Work was crazy as ever but on Thursday there was a diversion and Gail (my coworker that is with me this week) and I went to the offices of the other company that is doing the same work for my company... It is an american based company vs an Indian based company which is what the company I am working with. Not sure it is much better over there.. a few things that I got in the middle of kind of scared me.. anyway. work is crazier than ever and we hear more layoffs this summer. Now I don't think this is working out, my team is short handed now and behind in so many ways.. and they want to lay off more of us. I believe they are making decisions that are comical, beyond common sense, if anyone had any caring left in them.. it is gone. So we will see about my employment this year.. but there is life after AT&T and I will have 29 years.. so I will be fine.

Now to the end of the week.. there were some folks that I work with (friends as well) that were running this road race called Run for the Dolphins. They call road races here just marathons which then they have as varying distances. So they had a 5K, 10K, 16K, 21K, and 42K distances. There were 30,000 runners approximately. A few weeks ago Mar had asked me if I wanted to run and I said of course I did. We did the 10K. So on Saturday I tried to get some rest, eat some carbs and get ready for Sunday. I had been running here this week and walking but not really enough for a race.. but I figured it was only a 10K and I could get thru it. I did get some training in but the weather here is not conducive for running. Little weather history here. February is the basically the winter here... and the coldest month of the year. Now that being said it still averages 75 and night and maybe 80 in the daytime. The humidity is less, there are more breezes, and haven't seen any rain. Now the funny part is since I have been here in Aug, Sept, Oct, and Nov... I can tell you there is a huge difference in their winter and summer. RELATIVELY, it is much cooler.. That being said, I got up on Sunday morning at 4AM. I had a little breakfast, little coffee and waited for Mar and Than to come to the hotel to meet me. A couple of things that were GREAT... The race started on the street behind my hotel. So that meant that i could walk to the starting gates, not have to fight thousands of runners for the port o potties.. and no parking woes etc. I had planned on wearing shorts and a orange tshirt that I got at the Philly ING 1/2 marathon last year. I walked outside and at 4:30 AM I could tell that it was way too warm for sleeves... I went back upstairs and changed into a singlet and then went to get started. I have never ran a race in the dark so that was interesting.. have to be careful for the road grooves / potholes etc. I also haven't ran a race outside of the US.. which was interesting... I did see a few other foreigners... but they seemed to be alone. I on the other hand had my posse of friends/coworkers/protectors. And then we were off.

I knew that I would be faster than them all, so I had my phone with me so I could find them at the finish line. I found it to be very HOT very quickly. The roads had good lights and then on the dark spots on the route the had added a lot of extra lighting so that was good. They had plenty of water stops.. also had sponges with VERY COLD water which was great. I was enjoying the race as much as one could while dying of heat exhaustion.. I slowed my pace a little .. after the first few water stops and also pouring it on my head. I thought I was going to be find.

In Manila there are too many people for this city / space / island.. one thing that they do that I haven't mentioned is that they basically ration cars on the streets by day and even in some cases by the hour of the day. So some people can't drive their cars on certain days of the week, some can't drive for instand after 7 PM at night. One of our local district managers are in that boat.. They do get a round that though.. Mar for instance can drive his car Monday, Wednesday, Friday... but not Tuesday and Thursday. So they have multiple cars and registered with the city and then their other car can be driven on Tuesday and Thursday.. Well Mar and his brother share the 2 cars and it works pretty well. One other thing they have a lot is elevated highways.. double stacked highways etc. I have never seen worse traffic in my life... EVER... ANY PLACE!!!!!! sometimes on Thursday/Friday nights during the monsoon season and if it is raining, it would take our driver an hour to drive 2 miles.

The purpose of that story is I was feeling good and then the road takes a turn (I am only following the crowd since I don't have the exact route in my knowledge base) and then we are directed up the ramp on the elevated highway. Now it is not like I haven't run hills before, but this was like a concrete man made hill... and my mind was like.. "are you kidding Me???" So I got up that and finally got my breath back.. and then I was really heated.... So I took advantage of every water stop/sponge stop. I was fine and was really looking forward to the end of this race. kind of reminded me of last years Broad Street Run.... with no hills.. Well I am coming to the end.. THEN at 8K of the 10K race, there is another ramp to run up to the elevated highway.. My thought at that moment was.. WTF???? are you kidding me???? I had to stop and walk on the flat area leading up to the ramp.. or I was just going to have a heart attack right then and there. (I also had forgotten to put my emergency info on the back of my bib #... so remembering that I thought this is NOT the place or time to have a heart attack). I got to that ramp cursing the whole way, and started.. I put my head down low so not to look at it.. keep my eye on the ground.. and just went for it.. I got to the top and just visualized the same distance to the finish as if I was on Kelly Drive. I was absolutely saturated either by sweat or the water I had dumped on me... and breathing hard.. and was just HOT.. still mind you by the way I was having the time of my life.. I was looking at the buildings running by, looking at my fellow runners in a different way than I have ever looked at fellow runners.. and was feeling elated at this opportunity. Well got close to the finish line... knew where I was since it is where I work.. This area is called The Fort. I saw the finish line up ahead and decided I need/want to sprint the last 1/2 K. I had to make up some of the time I lost on the race. I stepped up my pace. and sprinted into the end... I felt so good doing that.. Got into the finishing gate.. and then into the area of the resting. There were all kind of vendors, sponsors, media, free give aways... I was just sitting there soaked, sitting on the ground watching everyone.. I am sure that I didn't look pretty at all.. where most of them looked great.. like they were used to the weather... :)

I met up with my friends.. and everyone did pretty well since they are really not runners.. except Than.. He kind of passed out once.. and was hurting with blisters on both feet. He had to borrow shoes and not sure if he had socks on or not.. I have been trying to convince him to let me help him get some running shoes.. maybe now he will let me take him shopping.. :)

After walking around we eventually left and went over to Prashant's house. Prashant is an indian manager at the office and he lives with 4 other of the Indian managers in a 2 bedroom condo. We all got there and we ordered some take out food.. nothing healthy mind you but that fried chicken and mojo's (french fries) tasted so GOOD.. we were starving.. I didn't eat too many so I didn't feel sick afterwards. We hung around and watched tv... movies and extreme martial arts sports competitions. I needed to get back to the hotel so I could get to The Spa for my afternoon of pampering.. so Mar, Than, and Prashant all walked me up to the street to get a taxi. They are my protectors.. as well as my friends.

I got back to the hotel, just in time to meet Gail and we were off to The Spa. I had the exfoliation with sea salt scrub which was INVIGORATING to say the least, then the massage which was so good... and then facial, manicure and pedicure.. I was sleeping thru 1/2 of them.

I slauntered back to the hotel and couldn't get into that bed fast enough. Oh by the way the entire bill at the Spa for all treatments and tips came to $95.00 US dollars.

I got into bed and looked at this day and review it from beginning to end.. So many new things, new sights, new people, new experiences, extreme pampering.. racing, eating, and had a perfectly wonderful day. Again I say I am one lucky guy.

Got up at 10 PM... went and a nice dinner at this restaurant, came back and did some work, updated my paperwork, and now sitting downstairs in what I call my big living room while there are cleaning people, security people and me.

The local time here is now 4:14 AM on Monday Feb 7th. Going to try to download the videos from New Years, and the pictures from the race yesterday... the internet is spotty tonight so not sure how the videos will go... but if I don't get them on now, check back later.. I will keep trying.

So winter continues here in the tropics.. and it is brutal... This week more work, some training, some running and walking and working on next weekend's activities.. The Spa on Sunday for sure and maybe something new on Saturday.. which there will be pics of that too. We will see.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and if you get a chance to get out of your comfort zone.. TAKE IT, RUN TOWARDS it.. You will be so glad you did.. For there is so much life out in the world.. and it is worth seeing..

Oh I forgot.. Back to Manila for 3 weeks in March. I am off to Florida in April with Tim for the family reunion (please don't let me get hurt horse back riding). I also got word from my neighbor in Paris...(they have the house here in Philly across the street) and they are going to be around in May. May's trip to France for a week and Amsterdam for a week (will be staying with Carl J) ... Strong possibility back to Manila for 3 weeks in June, and then Ptown for bear week, and then off to Capetown South Africa with Tim. He has a Education conference. So my travel blog will be a buzzing..

Now.. off to the movies and pictures.. (hopefully). They wouldn't load.. so go to facebook and see them there.. there is one there now