Work Work Work

I have been in Manila for just under 7 days.  In that time I have worked, played and enjoyed my time here so far.  I think I am starting to get use to this unconventional schedule.

A few of us had dinner sometime before work Monday.  I'm serious when I say I'm not really sure what meal I am eating at any one time, I am worse with that then I am with my days.Either way we ate at the hotel at one of there 3 or 4 places and got some different things.

                                                                      Spicy Tuna Roll

                                                          Some type of Roll with Mango on top

                                                            Some type of Crab Roll
                                        Everywhere you go the Billboards are GIGANTIC!

                                   
We worked 2-9 am today and we go in at 3 and work until 11 am tomorrow.  Then I don't really know my schedule after that.  Although its 3 am in the states on Tuesday, I have officially worked my 2nd day here.  It seems that no matter what the time people are always up and about in Manila.  There was traffic yesterday worse then I had seen so far, the driver just said it was Monday.
Monday consisted of waking up to go to work.... getting back early 530 ish.... then going to the gym.
Its a fairly large gym.  It has free weights, multiple benches, pull up bars, and weight machines.  It has normal cardio bikes 10 and then 20 spin bikes in a separate room.  They probably have 10/12 treadmills and 15 ish elliptical machines. They have personal trainers that I am sure they will help for some type of fee.

After the gym I went to breakfast and met a few of the people I work with before we decided to go to Green Hills.  The 2 pictures I am going to post cannot do it justice.  I basically can only explain that when I went it was much calmer then when 2 others went on Saturday.  It seems once a month or so all the vendors must leave and people are moved around a bit and then they are allowed to come back in.  Its kind of location pot luck idea for everyone's store.  There are multiple buildings with multiple floors... here look
 
 
  All the empty spaces you see with the white cages are usually full.  It is an understatement to say they have it all.  Pearls, watches, all sorts of jewlery, ipads, iphones, phones, phone covers,head phones,hand bags, shoes, sandals and all of that is in the two buildings we went in.  We tried to make it a short trip and it was over 2 hours long.  I did get a few things but nothing crazy.  I tried to get a Northface bag for 1100 pesos and they wouldn't negotiate down any further then 1200.  I walked away, secretly hoping they would call me back...they didn't.  I asked another person a couple stores down and they ran off to get me another bag.  This time they told me 2000 Pesos.  I told them about the other store and having a bigger bag, even tried to get her to walk down there with me to look.  They wouldn't go lower then 1500 and I walked again.
The last place we walked through was all handbags.  1000s is an understatement as soon as we walked down these steps probably 5 or 6 ladies started saying sir sir buy my bags I give you best deal.  I kept walking saying no thanks.  I wouldn't get 2 or 3 steps passed their place and someone else would say the exact thing.  It was awesome to go see- I may be crazy enough to go back-maybe.
Back to the hotel we went to relax before we needed to go back to bed.
Before bed I decided to have another meal.  The food at the hotel is pretty darn good, and since we work weird hours here we usually order from the hotel and take it with us.  The main thing I get is a chicken club with fried egg, it's really good.
                       
                       
It seems that everyday during meal time there is some form of entertainment in the lobby.  It can be one person playing songs on the Piano, 2 girls singing with someone on the Piano, OR

I think there were 4 girls on each side- blue and green dresses playing stringed instruments and then 1 guy on the Piano and another playing a stringed instrument.  They usually play or sing songs I know and almost always in English.

I went to bed a few hours later.

 When I got up I decided to order a meal and take it to work while waiting I decided to take some pictures of the decorations in the lobby.  The picture below is the main feature with a big Chandelier ( yes I Googled the spelling) and a plant center piece.

With little flower arrangements around it 

Then on most of the tables in the lobby they have Orchids

Not a great picture 

Work Work Work

Then I had the standard breakfast- lots of meat, fruit, a few pieces of sushi.  Today was the day I decided to finally try their pancakes, waffle, bread pudding, and doughnut.  I had half a pancake, half a waffle, 1 bit of bread pudding ( It wasn't very good) and the Doughnut left a lot to be desired.  They have a whole pastry section, and I'm sure I'll try more but I wont be having the bread pudding or doughnut again.

 

                                                             Ohh and I had a ton of maple syrup!

I went to the gym again and now just hanging out until I need to sleep before work in the AM.

I leave you with what I promised in the last post.  I tried the pastry type things left in my room.  They left cookies, some type of mapely candy, a weird gooey concoction ( the worst our of everything).  Here is the proof that I tried them.

Thanks for reading!