My day.

The girls were up at about 7:00.  They opened their door (not the gate) and were calling for me.  Sometimes they are good about being quiet, but usually they want to get out and play in the playroom.

They get down to business quite quickly.

The barrette selection process is crucial.  

Clara shaking her head to show off her adornments. 

Lucy checking my work.

Maggie is next.

Here is a walkway from our building to the street.

Street right outside our building.

Today was payday, so people were lined up at the ATM.  Almost everyone here is paid on the 15th and 30th, so stores are jammed then and traffic is terrible.  Today was a double problem - payday on a Friday is the worst for traffic - at least it was not raining, which would have made for a disaster.

Here is a cafe outside our building.  Someone told me you can find any kind of food in Manila...prepared poorly.

In the morning lots of construction workers pass through the walkway by our building - there are countless new buildings going up nearby.

View of High Street by our apartment.

School bus from the International School of Manila.  The school is only 2 blocks from our place.

Portrait of man and dog.

I don't know the story behind this, but this kid has been playing his keyboard outside each morning for the past week - with a camera crew.  I can only imagine he is a rising star.

Lots of people exercise around this area of the city - the air is supposed to be a bit cleaner here.  There are 5k runs almost every weekend.

Walkway inside Serendra, our apartment complex.

Our apartment on the second floor - a little hidden by the trees.

In the morning there are workers all over the place keeping the grounds beautiful. 

Two "yayas" taking care of kids by the pond.  Very common sight. 

Lucy (L) and Clara having breakfast by the time I get back from walking Maggie. 

Stacey doing Clara's hair after my shower.

Clara (L) and Lucy dressed in Halloween costumes on the way to school.

Landscaping.

Clara

Clara - strained smile.

Lucy - candid moment.

Lucy (L) and Clara looking for the car.

Robert arrives from the garage.  This is our SUV (which we wish we could get rid of). 

Clara.

Lucy.

Our gate leaving Serendra.

Traffic cop.  The people directing traffic pay no attention to the traffic lights, so we go through as many red as green lights.  I think they make things worse.

Construction workers riding in the back of a truck.

The bluish building is where Clara and Lucy go to school on the 7th floor.

Teacher Bimbi in costume greets the girls.

They were excited for Halloween, but maybe didn't realize everyone would be in costume.  Not much delight on their faces!

American Cemetery in Manila - seen from the girls' building.

Street corner on my way to work.

Nasty hotel.  Their motto is "so clean...so good."  There are lots of hotels around that cater to people having affairs - very common here.  

This is the Pasig River.  It is awful.  I have never seen a liquid that had the properties of what flows through this river.  It looks like the consistency of oil and the color of mud.  Another issue is that there are only a couple of bridges that pass over the river, so traffic is awful.  I have to cross it to get to my office.

On my way to work.

Jeepney - the main public transportation here.

Chaotic side street. 

Lots of men are under-dressed in the morning on my way to work.  It is very common for older men to be in their boxes on the street.

Using umbrellas is very common, whether sunny or rainy.

A corner store/food cart.

People are always walking in the street since there are so few sidewalks.  They also step out into traffic without looking.  It is so hard to understand from my perspective.

This is the basement level of the ADB building.  There are banks, a commissary, dry cleaner and travel agency on this floor.  Very convenient. 

Main hallway.

Some important people - I think Board members.

Display of arts/crafts from Sri Lanka.  There are frequently such displays in the halls - this is to honor member countries.

My office.

Interior of the office suite.  I took the sunflower photo at the end of the hall.

My office, which faces ADB Avenue, a busy street.

After Robert drops me off, he has to go back to shuttle the girls and Stacey.  Then he comes back and waits for me at the ADB.  I  literally get door-to-door service.

Poor photo, but it captures the masses of people who are crossing the street - and need to battle the traffic.  Manila is a terrible place to walk around.

This is typical - a woman riding side saddle on the back of a motorcycle.  Imagine traveling sitting sideways at 45 or 50 mph.  It is dangerous enough sitting on a motorcycle normally. 

Traffic cop looking for bribes.

Robert drops me off again at home.

The girls had an early dinner and are relaxing on the couch, hoping to see a few minutes of a movie.

They were almost ready for bed.