I know about the timekeeping thing in the Filipino culture - to be honest I'd rather us be a bit less anal than we are, rather than having us expect to change their ways.. it's just another cultural thing! - and this is coming from someone who is legendarily punctual and on the ball!BUT, as for money as I say (and I said this to her in last nights email, although I paraphrase here..), I would help at the moment if I could but the holiday has wiped me out. If the relationship proves itself when we meet I will be more willing to help her, and will likely be able to by then. I'm just averse to giving a relatively large sum of money out to a stranger - and with the best of my heart and all the will in the world, she really is still that stranger (more so if she isn't going to take the time to nurture our friendship). That sounds harsher than I mean it to. She has had a lot on her plate lately with her mom being rushed into hospital with blood pressure problems, but it has felt like a bit of a one-way street of late in spite of the fact that she may very well have been having difficulties "internet"ing in the province. She is back in Manila now though, thus my thoughts of "wait and see".
