Letter from Manila - Santol - of course!

I sympathize with your situation and commend you for the continued support you are willing to provide to the reluctant bottle opener while also having a clear view of what is acceptable (to you) and what is definitly not!

Perhaps she has discovered the other way of opening a bottle, by smashing it on the edge of a bar to make a handy shiv..

100%. She lives in a tiny apartment, several blocks of which were built when Smokey Mountain - Google it - the Manila rubbish dump was capped over, as it made over 30,000 people homeless (think about that), with her drunk brother and idle sister. Mother is in a bigamous marriage somewhere else, and father dosses where he can.

Not wishing to denigrate, and very much tongue in cheek, but if she'd been living somewhere that looked that good, I'd have been a bit happier.

As a kid of the Salford bombsites in the late 50's and early 60's I remember, with horror, the tower blocks going up.


I'm still alive!

Problem here is not the changing of spots, it's the psychological rearranging of them by those, let me say, probably without her best interests at heart, that's taken place over the last months. And at sixteen, not quite mature enough to resist.

Underneath all the curse word, lives a lovely kid. I should know, we've brought her up for well over half her life. 

Don't waste your sympathy just yet though.

Not much of an update, but...

Jey-Ann and I talked for a long time the other evening. It was pretty angst ridden and tearful. She admitted she lied to me about things and told me why, without her knowing I'd read the Facebook messages and seen what had been demanded of her. The poor kid has had a lot of curse word pressure put on her (sister, brother, boyfriend and father) and now admits she has to get away from those people.

To this end, the night before, the useless, cowardly little scrote of boyfriend was unceremoniously and very publicly dumped. A good start. He tried to assert his masculinity but, in true Philippine style, Madam filled him in. Seen the photos, thanks Tania, they're pretty laughable.

Last night, with Tania with her, she told her mother that she wants to come back and live with us.

I know no more except her mother and Madam are meeting later this evening.

It'll either have a happy ending or Jey-Ann will have no mother. Oh, hang on, they're the same thing!

Me? I'm torn between feeling an expectant father and just watching it all unfold in slack-jawed wonder.   

And just to remind myself what we're fighting for...



Hugely expensive lunches at TGI's!

kids Eh ... I'm sure it will be - To Be Continued -

Also got 2 girls , One is 18 in a few week ,her baby will be 12 month soon after ...

After a good talking to her and him in the beginning stages ,it was going to be all smiles and butterflies ...
The sperm donor was gone about the 4 month period , couldnt quite live up to his promises

just gotta be there for them if or when they stumble & fall

From a distance all I can do is really wish you and your family the best in managing all of 5ese changes in a way that benefits everyone concerned.

Good to see an update, even though it is a bit sad and could still be a lot of wasted effort.

Life will always be tough out there for many, and we are not all equipped to deal with what comes our way.

Virtual beer raised to you.

Well my children, what can I say?

This weekend was dubbed “Operation, Can the Eagle Ever Land?”. Let me explain.

Last time Madam spoke with Jey-Ann’s mother, the opinion was expressed that once the girl was going to college (i.e. getting expensive – I know, call me cynical), she could live where she liked, but until then, she was to remain in the slums and at her subsidised school, because that seems to be what a caring parent wishes for her daughter. Nice one, Mum!

Obviously, this was not what I, Madam, Tania or, more importantly, the girl herself were looking to hear. No real surprise though.

This weekend therefore was to see another assault upon the intransigent fortress of inadequate parenthood and on Saturday, the war party set out for their forward operating base, up Divisoria.

Net result?

Sometime yesterday morning, the Eagle appeared on the radar screens (Jey-Ann went to see her mother again).

By lunchtime, we were in visual contact (Mother rang Madam to reluctantly agree to the move, subject to father doing the same - God knows why, Ma and Pa haven't spoken for years).

There was then a report of systems malfunction (trying to catch her father sober enough to talk to) which delayed things for a few hours. I suggested just leaving a post-it note on his forehead!  

Somewhere after nine pm we heard reports of final approach with slats, flaps and gear down.

At 01:00 this morning, the Eagle had not only landed, but had pulled onto the gate at Santa Ana International, complete with a full set of baggage and a tired smile.

She’s home!

And, if not with effusive parental blessings and good wishes, at least with their grudging acquiescence. We’ll take what we can get, thank you, and call the operation a success.

All we have to do now is sort out the logistics of one girl at school 3kms away between 07:00 and 16:00 and another 11kms away between 13:00 and 20:00, for the next 33 working days. For me, a nice, and temporary, problem to have!

Next academic year will see them both at the same school again. Issue solved.

Now it’s time to beat out whoops, iron out the little wrinkles that living in Tondo for year or so have created. Nowt like a challenge, but we've got plenty of time now and she's finally away from those influences.

Everything else aside, I am one happy boy that things have eventually worked out, and have three happy ladies to prove it. I also have great respect for Jay-Ann in facing down her parents and overcoming their opposition. Just goes to show...if you want something enough. The girl done good!

Aaaaaand rest…

Except I’ve just found out that our landlord wants to live in our house, so there’s the little matter of finding new accommodation to deal with now. Oh well.

It’s more fun in the Philippines. No, really it is. Honest.

Why don't you convert a few of the railway carriages that are clearly not being used!

Exactly what I was thinking.

You have as they say here "the patience of a saint!"
I am hoping it all works out well, buddy.