The World is Not Enough

As some of you may know, before we left the UK way back in November Lydia had arranged with a friend of the family that we would help out with some teaching in Manila. Well, after 6 months of preparation and much nail-biting we're here and the first week is over. To say it's been a rollercoaster is a bit of an understatement, but we're making progress now and the end is in sight.
The first two days were rather tense with the students testing their boundaries. Admittedly they were military, but the culture here is to set ground rules at the start, not to assume a certain behaviour. After this teething period everyone settled down and we got on to some serious teaching. Lydia's sessions on Triage and Management of Mass Casualties were well received but I'm in the lead in the popularity stakes at the moment with my airway management sessions. Also we've worked out that I have done the most teaching of anyone over the last week. On top of that I was given custody of the video camera to bring over from Oz and while I had it I had a play to see what it could do. Before I knew it I had become responsible for the Audio-visuals of the course on top of being the IT technician for the course!
Friday evening saw us doing even more work, but this time outside of the classroom as we were taken to dinner by our employers: the Australian Defence Attaché and Assistant DA to the Philippines, a Filipino General, several Majors and the head of nursing for the Armed Forces Philippines (AFP). Thankfully the tone of the evening was brought down by the General and we went on to tell risqué jokes to the great amusement of all present. Next week we've got evening socials organised by the AFP and the Australian embassy, and another
dinner with the DA and ADA. I'm so glad I brought a shirt with a collar with me...
As if coming to the Philippines with a bunch of crazy Aussies wasn't enough, yesterday saw me trekking up an active volcano. To put it into context, it's an island with a small lake inside it. It's surrounded by a big lake which is in the crater left by a previous eruption of the same active volcano... Thanks to our Filipino fixer (a retired Air Force Colonel) we were given a private guided tour including lunch, the boat trip and a coach ride down from Manila, all at an amazingly reasonable price. I guess the mad Antipodeans have their uses.
What else have we been up to? Well, Lydia has now got pearl earrings to match her engagement ring and I've bought a transmitter for the iPod for when we're in New Zealand (guess who got the better deal...). We're still trying to come to terms with the sheer opulence of our living quarters in the Shangri-La EDSA's Horizon Club. Never have I slept in a bed so big! I have to roll over twice to get from my side to where Lydia sleeps. It feels like we're in different time zones. And the pillows feel like little fluffy clouds that you just sink into until you are surrounded by an envelope of comfort. It makes you want to lie down just looking at them!
Anyway, must dash. We're off to Greenhills shortly, a famous market-cum-shopping complex (probably so Lyds can buy some MORE pearls). I've been told to bring my wallet and backpack...