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Another fox in the box. Miko from Chester

In the eye of the storm.... Well…….its rained a great deal, like really a GREAT DEAL. Pretty much non-stop from Saturday evening through to last night. As I write there are still intermittent down-pours lasting for a few minutes. Then it clears up for a short while and starts over again. Worst of the flooding, as the rain took its toll, was from Monday night to Tuesday lunchtime. In the main the waters are now receding but there are of course plenty of places still suffering. Much of the main part of Manila was hit to varying degrees (from ankle deep waters to chest deep and above) but the worst affected areas appear to be the provinces directly to the South (and neighboring the Capital) Cavite, Laguna, Calumba etc etc. talk of waters six feet deep and above not uncommon there. As is usually the case those worst hit are often those living in the poorer parts of the city where housing and squatter camps stand shoulder to shoulder, often on the sides of riverbanks, where infrastructure is poor and normal living conditions are at best cramped and just about tolerable. Wealthier areas like Makati and much of Fort Bonifacio faced less issues (though some still caught it very badly) as drainage and run-off is better planned. Continued investment in these two main business and upscale residential hubs also means that flooding is less prevalent here. Manila and surrounding areas often flood and the reasons are long and complicated but in the main are due to it being a lowland area with large bodies of fresh and sea water immediately adjacent, the build up of squatter and shanty towns along all the rivers in the capital means that water flows are often blocked and congested so the water constantly spills away and over the river banks, crap urban planning means that water run off areas have disappeared and concrete covers everything where once there were fields and forests. To be fair as well, the sheer volume of rain that has fallen would make it difficult for any city to cope with. Whatever you put it down to, weather patterns have changed over the past decade or so and at least one a year there is now rainfall on a level and scale that would be hard to imagine a while back. Anyways, City is slowly getting back on its feet now, it’s a Public Holiday today and all schools, offices, shops etc are expected to open tomorrow as per norm. Headline news though is that on Luzon Island (the one which Manila sits on) nearly 1.0m people affected some, in outer provinces, with water still running through their homes. It’s worth sparing a thought for them.

http://www.AsiaHotelAndTravel.com/ is back online.

The change for her is good, indeed very very good. I also hope she lasts the course and does not return to the scene, at least with her last group of mates who set her on the wrong path. Joy is a great kid and deserves better - still to this day, I have not seen a better, friendlier service girl in any bar. She really does light up any room with her smile and spirit.

Another staff photo from their FB page, cutie.

I live in the US in the DC area and I buy my Amex travelers check (at no charge) at an Amex travel services office. I pay with check or charge a limited amount ($1,000) to my Amex credit card. My Costco Amex card views my traveler check purchase as a normal purchase, but my PenFed Amex card views this as a cash advance and charged me a finance charge. I have never had problems exchanging the $500 denomination Amex traveler’s checks in Pattaya, Phuket, or Bangkok. I always verify and recount the baht I receive at the exchange window and anything larger than the $500 denomination is more susceptible to miscount.

You'll get the bill for the Gillettes eventually. Do you actually watch someone shave themselves on the internet???? Hmmmmm, another first. Then again, perhaps not.

Any updates on the situation in Baguio? Haven't heard from a couple of friends there, following last typhoon. Appreciate local update Thanks

More technological advancement has been made in the past 10 years than was achieved in the previous 10,000 years. Extrapolating on that, there's some incredible changes on the way. I doubt 20 years is enough time for us to see teleporting & cold fusion power & the solution to global warming but I expect most cancers will be cured, feudalism to be a reality in many countries & cars will be different in ways we aren't expecting. It will take the next 20 years at least to solve the global financial crisis, that's because the US & the EU & the UK will need that long to figure out how to change the monetary system at the same time as they make their national debts disappear. There's no way they can ever pay their debts & new currencies & new bond markets are a perfect cover to rid themselves of the old way along with the money owed. Either that or the world goes to war over it. China will be placated one way or another. Terrorism will continue to get worse & will result in every person on the planet being monitored, just like today but it will include our private conversations. And I don't just mean emails, etc. I mean every time we open our mouth. (Or maybe they just won't tell us about it.) People will scream at the loss of their personal liberty but once in place, big brother really will be everywhere. The trade-off will be no more terrorist attacks & we will adjust to it & accept it. Maybe not our generation but those that follow will know no different. The cult of celebrity will grow so large that I predict it will result in its own demise. To be uncool will be the new cool. Like every popular trend that preceded it, once something becomes so prevalent, it destroys itself. There's a limit to how much self-aggrandisement & ego displayed by nonentities the public can stand & future generations will reject them en masse. IMO.There will still be popular artists but they won't be famous for just being famous. The biggest health issue after cancer will be mental health. Once all the causes of the various mental problems (and cancer) are known (other than faulty DNA), there will be a wave of class actions launched against public companies like we haven't witnessed before. The manufacturers of certain chemicals & foods are likely to be ruined by the claims. Just my opinion but I hope to be around to see it. Nicotine will be banned & alcohol may become a controlled substance. Wishful thinking? Maybe. Science will be able to detect all drugs & many Olympic events will be won with times last seen 30 years ago. Maybe 20 years ago but who's counting? There's a few possibilities that come to mind. What can't be predicted are the numerous catastrophes that are statistically bound to happen. Major weather events are a given but what is next in store from Al Qaeda & others? In the next 20 years nothing can be discounted.