Per Diem

I've done a great job on my per diem these past 5 days. I've had Starbucks 3x, been out to eat 3x, drank about 3 bottles of water per day and spent hardly anything.

My hotel breakfast is free, and we usually all eat big meals. Mostly to help us sleep and also to prevent hunger pangs from sinking in on the next few hours.  All of our dinners out have been paid for from other people, vendors that want to show us a good time and make us happy to keep the contract. Last night, dinner was on our own, and I ate a milkshake only, for about 2 dollars. So that's a good thing.

Our hotel's lunch buffet offers all we can eat sushi, and it's incredible--all the sashimi you can imagine. Hello, lovely.

I just got done walking on the treadmill for an hour at a really fast pace. At the very end, that thing you don't want to have happen at the gym happened: A really hot, really skinny, really European babe got on the treadmill right next to me and started running faster than me. Of course, she doesn't know I'm on my last 2 minutes of my hour-long run. She only knows that Damn, she looks good. Hello, self loathing!

Also went swimming today and realized with 6 kids in the pool, my chances of swimming in their urine while in non-chlorinated water was pretty high, so I bailed before I contracted Cholera or something.

Yesterday we went to Greenhills and I bought a bunch of pearls and a fake Chanel necklace. It's a sad time for those women that love designer purses. All of the purses there were fake and I realized that if I ever want one that looks real, I'll have to fork the money over myself. I give up. I hate Coach bags, but could be talked into a nice Burberry bag at some point in my life. (Yes, I really am this shallow, it seems)

Greenhills is just a giant shopping mall with tons of stand-vendors. They said you can get lost in there, but I see now that this was an extreme exaggeration. You can wander around for an infinite amount of time, but can always exit the building. And when you do, there's a taxi you can take to get back home.

Today is the celebration of the end of Ramadan, so many people will not work today. But we will work, work, work and so will the people we're training.  It's potluck day at the office, so we are bringing some Shakey's entrees. Oh, Shakey's. It's been 100 years since I've been there, but I can't wait to see it and take photos.

101

If you go looking for cracks in the foundation, you won't find them here at the hotel. The biggest evidence that the building is new is the dead mouse we found on the sidewalk, recently dislocated from whatever building used to be here 10 months ago.

Today I walked into the elevator and kept seeing women with big fancy hats. Perhaps it was the Kentucky Derby, but everyone here had giant bouquets of flowers and fancy plaques declaring their win. The sign on floor 3 said "Sundance FX". I looked around a little bit and realized that I should have bought more at the Simply Hats store before I left Kansas City.

Feeling a little left out, I went up to my hotel. It is my daytime and I have the "day" off. So I did what any girl in Manila would do at 11 PM without a clue for where to go ALONE. I went shopping. Then I took a bubble bath and painted my nails and watched Veronica Mars. Potentially, I might drown in disgusting, but first, I'll write on my Hello Kitty journal. It's pink, btw.

Eastwood

Here we are on the Eastwood hotel, 34 floors up. On my right, I have a window to a river and earlier I saw a stick raft rowing past. There are literal shacks on the banks and I've seen a few little kids playing in it. Literally, right across the little river is a lot of poverty.

On my left is the hotel, which connects via second floor to Eastwood Shopping mall. I'd say that you just compare it to a giant version of Legends, Zona Rosa and Plaza in Kansas City, except it's all private property. 

I'm in serious trouble, guys. It's "morning" (read as nighttime but my version of morning) and I feel like sleeping. I sincerely hope that's OK, but really, I'm just hurting myself by passing out right now.  Will try to push through. I'm hesitant to unpack because we are probably switching to an apartment soon. I'm looking forward to an apartment because I won't have to dress up to eat breakfast and because it will feel like I really live here, instead of feeling guilty for having a luxury apartment right across from people who live in shacks.

At least that's what I'll tell myself....