My first trip to the Philippines

[Tawi2]

it does get some getting used to being stared at wherever you go but i didnt take much notice after a while.one bit of advice dont give beggars any money however sorry you may feel for them or you will get swamped

I always give kids cash,I cant help it,I was in Cebu once and saw two kids who I took to be siblings begging,I gave them 100 pesos hoping they werent going to spend it on rugby,I passed that way 20 minutes later they were sitting in the doorway eating fish BBQ,they gave me the international thumbs-up signAt the time the exchange rate was 106 or 108?to the pound,so all I had given them was a quid,didnt mean much to me but an awful lot to the recipients

[Tawi2]

If your ever in Manila freddy does or rather used to do(maybe still does)stints in LA Cafe(I feel old,remember when it used to be called the infamous Rosies Diner),listen to the lyrics,everyone needs a little help when they are down,we are lucky in this country,we have a cradle-grave social safety-net,pinas doesnt have that luxury,I couldnt walk past a hungry kid,my conscience wouldnt allow it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhdwePRxU8U

[JimOttley]

I always give kids cash,I cant help it,I was in Cebu once and saw two kids who I took to be siblings begging,I gave them 100 pesos hoping they werent going to spend it on rugby,I passed that way 20 minutes later they were sitting in the doorway eating fish BBQ,they gave me the international thumbs-up signAt the time the exchange rate was 106 or 108?to the pound,so all I had given them was a quid,didnt mean much to me but an awful lot to the recipients

I always give kids cash too but we did that in Cebu once against the advice of our taxi driver and suffered the most aggressive begging I have ever seen anywhere :(

No joke 20 to 30 children swarmed around us pulling at us, hands out, no way we had enough for all of them, Ana was trying to stop them and get them to be fair and reasonable, really horrendous experience, we basically had to run away, never had as bad an experience anywhere in Manila.

I'm sure you will be fine Northerner but as others say just stay alert and anyway you've still got three weeks we will all be going through all this again with you in two


Jim