It is staggering how different my life is now to what it was this time last year. Then, I was busy being the school uniform shop mum, freelance writing, blogging full-time, hanging out with my Nan on Tuesdays, and cooking a lot.
Now, I've traded in my baking pans for suitcases, blogger for MS Visio and Project and my Nan, well her life has changed probably just as much if not more than mine.
To give you a glimpse into a day of my life, one whilst travelling for work, here I am in my home away from home, Manila. I've grown to love Manila, and believe it or not when I'm away I miss it a little, the people, the food, the culture. My life in Manila is not a typical Filipino one clearly, I'm a tourist and an expat. It's a good life for expats here - the shopping is good and dollar is strong. You get value for money. But first and foremost the people are lovely. Courteous, professional and very friendly. That's what makes The Philippines so wonderful to visit.
So here's a few snapshots from my day:
#1 - Book, I hard get to read ordinarily but I've seen most of the movies on the plane (occupational hazard) so I read Jacey Dugard's biography, halfway through it - harrowing and sad but utterly fascinating.
#2 - Postcards - a colleague of mine sends his son a postcard every day he's away. I think I could do that if I had 1 child, but 3 it's a bit hard to come up with 3 original things each day but I did do it in New Zealand and I'll send the frills a few this week too.
#3 - Surprises - Paris Hilton has an accessories store in the shopping centre next to my hotel. It's very pink, black and white. I didn't venture in as I'm sure there's nothing age or fashion appropriate for me.. I'm an old lady!
#4 - I love the supermarket gawk in foreign countries, but after being here so much I know exactly what I'm going for - cinnamon grahams to bring home, you can buy them by the bucket for P99 - ($1.50).
#5 - I have no idea why but the Starbucks is so much better here. The signature iced chocolate in Venti size is what I always order, without whipped cream. It's not as filling as it is in Australia, and the cinnamon rolls, oh my! They are sooo good.
#6 - My hotel has really good bathroom supplies including glycerine AND milk soap, hair ties, tooth brushes, bubblebath - everything. I think a woman must have had something to do with that.
#7 - Collagen facial. I try to have a facial every time I visit. They are brilliant here and with an eyebrow wax comes to $30. Bargain. My skin feel sooo smooth.
9. Beautiful view from the lobby today where I had lunch. Great service.
10. My lunch - combination satay - for $12.00
11. My room, not so shabby.
#13 - also stocked up on some Barbie lip gloss etc. for Eloise's birthday party favours. I couldn't resist, we're going to have a 'girlie birthday party' with finger nail painting and hair crimping. My girls are growing up!
#14 - And of course my Cinnamon Grahams but I couldn't resist a Filipino foodie mag too - this one is about desserts - yay!
#15 - manicure supplies, well priced and needed because I left mine at home! Whoops!
#17 - Love how they bring your washing in a basket and in tissue paper!
#18 - I get to watch trashy TV - TalkTv is my trashy favourite.
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2 lovely comments:
It's hard travelling away from loved ones - especially kids - but it's also such a privilege. We can't afford to travel as a family right now, so each time work sends me somewhere - intl or domestic - I thank my lucky stars and also acknowledge that mummies don't get much time out - travelling is my time out and I revel in it :)
Hello there, so good to see ou blogging and it's interesting to see life in Manila. I'm in the at-home situation with hubby in Middle East for 5 weeks at the moment - great timing over school holidays! He sends us photos, but phone lines can be quite bad and Skype very dodgy. Shame.
It's very god in some ways, tricky in others. Glad to read your tweets that you're on the way home now.
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