Sunday 1pm

I couldn't post yesterday as I was picked up from home at 7.30am by a friend. We drove to a place called Sante Rosa which is about 34k south of Manila, it took us over 2 hours to drive there as the roads are not great and there was a lot of traffic.

I was invited there by 2 coaches that I met, they have an Academy there and another in Las Pinas so I visited both. The one in Sante Rosa was unbelievable so much better than anywhere in the UK and this is a 3rd world country. It had 14 high quality courts, great changing rooms, cafe, meeting rooms, hairdressers, it's own school with accommodation and to finish it off you can have your car washed there as well. I met the owner, a rich man and he showed me round... really was impressive it is even better that Badminton Englands HQ in Milton Keynes !!

I was there from 10am til noon then we drove to Las Pinas to have lunch and start coaching at 1 pm. The players here were all under 17's, about 50 players and some were incredibly talented, better than I have at home especially the under 11's, one was a girl of 8, a supberb player and a national champion in her age group, if she was in the UK she would be sponsored by England because of her potential, here she just has to get by but she does have good coaches.

I helped to coach this group for 3 hours til 4pm and they were very grateful and lots of pictures were taken by the parents of me with their children, all very nice. We then had a rest and something to eat. At 6pm there was an adult coaching group so I stayed for that but was asked to play with another group that was there, I enjoyed that it was a lot fun. Everything finished at 8pm and again there was lots of pics taken, I felt like a move star as these young ladies grabbed me to have a pic taken with them......... it's a hard life !!!

Got back quite quick about 9.45pm and had a bite to eat in a restaurent before walking home for a well needed rest.

Was very tired this morning at didn't get ready til 11am, just had a bite to eat before writing this post. The rest of the day will be rest and then play again from 4pm-8pm if my body allows it.

Hope life is good wherever you are in the world

Friday noon

As previously mentioned Thursday was a quiet day for me but enjoyable, for some reason I couldn't get to sleep until about 6am this morning. Will probably have a nap this pm to catch up on my sleep !!

I have a busy weekend ahead so need to be fit and ready to go.

I was having some trousers altered in Glorietta yesterday so while I was waiting I thought I would take in a movie, I saw "No reservations" it was ok but the odd thing was watching a movie in a cinema is the same as in any part of the world, I could have been in the Odeon in Uxbridge for that matter. It was only when the lights went up that reality told me that I was in the Philippines, very odd feeling for a few seconds when you stand up and only see asian faces !!

I mentioned yesterday about texting here, it is like a different lifestyle, they are constantly texting, texts are only 1p to send so they use them rather than call you. With the mobile service that I have I get over 100 free texts each time I reload but have had no use for them until now that is. Friends will just text you to find out what you are doing at that minute, they also have situations where if they are bored they have a text conversation for hours. I've been receiving between 50 and 100 texts per day from friends, while it is nice to have communications with people this can get a bit over the top when you are trying to watch TV or doing something else.

The worst thing I find regarding this text thing is when you have a delayed text, then you can have all sorts of miscommunications, me answering their 2nd text before I have answered their first !!! Can be very confusing !!!

Hope all is well in your world..........

Amazing.............

Since I've been here I have played at least 14 hours of fast tiring badminton each week, I've done loads of walking and perspired just about every minute I've been here, I have eaten half my usual amount of food as the heat seems to make me less hungry and yet........ and yet !!!! I weighed myself today and I have put on 3lbs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is that about.... I feel slimmer and fitter but have gained weight !!! I'm not sure about this fat turning into muscle thing either but this has peed me off !!!

Anyway other than that life is great here I really do enjoy every minute, it's still only the 3rd week so I suppose I am still in the tourist phase but truthfully I don't feel like that at all. Mainly because I know I have another 6 months to go so am relaxed about not having to do this and that to fit it in to the usual 3 week holiday. I've met lots of nice people in just 3 weeks so I guess I will meet lots more over the next 6 months.

It's just great for example; last night I played badminton for 3 hours, had something to eat on the way home in a nice place in greenbelt then had a leisurely walk home. Watched a movie while answering texts from friends ( filipinos and texting is another story to be told) went to sleep about 1 or 2am, woke up around 8 but laid in bed til 10am (shameful I know !) had a late brekkie and am now out in an internet cafe ( still waiting for broadband to be installed) writing this. This pm I have to do some shopping in glorietta's which takes me all day just to find the shop that I want, I'll then eat in a nice restaurent tonight before making my way home for a restful evening as Thursday is a non badminton day.

A lot of people reading this may be thinking why is he just playing badminton all the time as he could do that in the UK. The great thing is it helps me to meet people, through playing I get to meet people and their friends that I wouldn't be able to otherwise. It really breaks the ice as we have a common interest and of course as I am a coach I can help them with playing as well.

The place where I play the most is arranging for me to some coaching clinics, this will expand my social life as I will again meet new people.

til next time.............. y'all take care and don't work too hard........ ;-)

My new address

Finally got settled in my condo but it had no hot water.... apparantly it's not a priority here.... the owner had a water heater installed this morning. It's actually quite a nice condo albeit small, but it's clean, in the best building and has a good view over the city.

Met more players last night, 2 that run a junior acadamy about 30 miles away, I am visiting there to help this Saturday, should be interesting.

My full address for the next 6 months plus is;

G. McGuire
18N Greenbelt Parkplace,
112 Carlos Palanca st,
Legaspi village,
Makati city.
Manila.
Philippines.

If anyone sends any post to me please put on it, " documents" or "paper" +" no financial value" or it may not reach me !!!

Welcome back Anne from the big apple.

2am Tuesday

Well I left my present condo and moved downtown, I finally got the lease on the condo that I wanted as the owner finally gave up on the person she was holding it for. When I got to the building I then find out that there is still someone living there until lunchtime today (Tuesday) so I had to rent a room for one night, I am in this room at the moment and will finally move into a permanent condo later today................ well I hope so anyway.

Now that I'm downtown it is so much better in one way, that is that I am now so near to Greenbelt which is like living in the best part of the west end of London, all the best malls, cinemas, nice bars and restaurents. I had a wonderful meal tonight in a beautiful Italian restaurent, the meal with a bottle of australian merlot cost £17 which is very expensive for here.

It is also a very safe area to walk around in the evening as there are so many armed guards everywhere.

I will still pop back sometimes to where I used to live as there is so much happening there, I have friends there and it is a good place to hang out late at night just watching the world go by.

I will feel more settled once I move into this condo later today.

Sunday 11pm

just a quickie, broker has called me , the owner is giving this other person until lunchtime Monday !!!!!!!!!!! annoying but that's life.

Had to go to town today to get the cash to pay for this condo tomorrow..... if I get it that is, walking around with so much cash in your pockets is interesting as you have to ensure that no-one is following you from the bank...... paranoia..... possibly but people are killed for 1% of what I had on my person today..... better to be safe than sorry !! :-)

I played badminton for 4 hours today, played 12 lost 5.... getting worse !!! Have eaten and am now going to hang about outside the restaurent shooting the breeze and watch the world go by.

Hope you are all well and enjoying life wherever you are.

Anne, hope you are having fun in New York.

latest news

Saturday 11am

Yesterday I looked at another condo..... yawn..... I have requested it but someone has asked for it to be held for him until Sunday pm so I will know tomorrow night if I am to get it or not, whatever happens I will be leaving this present condo on Monday morning. I am moving into Greenbelt Parkplace though I'm not sure if it will be the condo above or another one that I can rent on a daily basis until something permanent comes up.

I played badminton with another group at a different place last night, it was very large with 16 courts and very busy. Nice group but I didn't leave there til midnight, walking down those poorly lit streets on your own sometimes can make you feel a little uncomfortable, even when you do get a cab you can never be 100% sure of where he is taking you !! Paranoia can set in when you drive slowly down some of these shortcuts they take, is he taking me home or are some of his friends waiting in this street ahead !! Especially when you read of taxis that are stolen to be used as such. Of course it is just fear of the unknown, the unsurity of it all and of course not knowing where the hell you are going in the first place !!!!!! ;-)

On the way home I stopped off to get something to eat even though it was after midnight. A couple of blocks away from me is restaurants and the "entertainment" area, I usually wander home behind small groups or individuals from the States/Europe, they turn right for their little bit of shall we say bar entertainment and I turn left for a pizza !!! ;-)

I got back to my building about 1.30am, the restaurent downstairs where I know them all were having a birthday party for someone, a quiet affair in and outside of the restaurent. Anyway I met the owner for the first time and 3 Americans ended up staying there til 4.30 am.

I am still tired.... yes deservedly so !