I live in a nice quiet subdivision right next to a golf course. Although all the plots are apparently sold, fewer than 50% are developed but they have been building a house - a large house by Filipino standards - right opposite me. Or at least they were yesterday. Today as I sat on my first-floor terrace with my morning cup of Nescafe (Gold Blend, if you're wondering), cigarette newly-lit, I thought it was eerily quiet. Normally the building site opposite is a hive of activity with some 20 to 30 beavering away, but today the place was akin to the Marie Celeste. Not a soul about. "Surely it's not Sunday already, is it?", I asked myself - panicking lest I had slept through an entire week - and peered at my watch which, rather reassuringly, told me that today is Tuesday. "Were is everyone?", I asked my wife who was seated on her stool, up to her armpits in foamy water doing the daily wash below. She looked up at me with that facial expression of hers that I've come to recognize as "oh you silly man" and replied, "It's Holy Week, babe". "Oh bugger", I mouthed silently, "I've missed out on me pancakes." I'd quite forgotten it was near the end of Lent - but then every day is like every other day here in Paradise: hot and about 12 hours of daylight. There are only two seasons: the hot and wet one or the windy, hot and wet one; we're at the transition between the two right now. In most other Christian countries like the US or Australia, you're lucky if you get Good Friday off but it's a four day weekend in the UK. So for all intents and purposes, the Philippines has put up the shutters until next Monday morning-ish. As you're shaking your head in disbelief remember: it's more fun in the Philippines!
Well, don't just stand there - go and get yourself nailed to a cross! (Oh sorry, that's just Pampanga..!)
We went down to the pier to purchase return tickets to Cebu on Good friday as we have to get someone to the airport for their flight back to the UK.. Seems there is one trip there and one back. Price of ticket is double. I suppose we ought to think ourselves lucky!
