Meeting people in supermarkets

As it is now just over two weeks until we leave for Quezon City, Manila it might be a good time to explain how all this came about...

So...  in August I spent three days standing in the foyer of Morrisons collecting for the charity. If you've never done this before I can't explain how incredibly boring it is and how it saps your enthusiasm for both your cause and human kind simultaneously.

If you have done this you can imagine how nice it was to meet someone who had time to stop for a chat, and was both interested and interesting. Peter turned out to be a member of Bury Rotary club and as we stood in the way of people getting their trolleys he gave me some tips and shared experience from his time managing the Rotary shoebox scheme.

It was a few weeks later Peter got back in touch and introduced me to the Rotary Group Study Exchange. This is to quote the website 'a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity' a chance for people working under the loose remit of 'local government' to stay in Manila for a month, make visits to work places similar to their own and gain an understanding of a new working culture.

After completing the forms and Peter securing the sponsorship of Bury Rotary club for my application I was put forward, interviewed and accepted for the exchange in December.

There's been a lot to do since then, with minor panic around my having to apply for a new passport, then visa and only getting the visa through this week, and the departure date has really crept up quickly. Still I've had almost all the jabs I need, have put my shiny new passport in a safe place and am beginning to think about what it might actually be like.

Again through Peter I've been able to meet a lovely couple who have lived and worked in Manila and get tips on what I need to do and see along with advice about what to take with me which has been great. The vocational visits are lined up but with no social housing as such it will be interesting to see how it all works.

Visits include the Quezon City Urban Planning Department, National Housing Department housing projects and the International Red Cross along with UNTV for Rotary Hour.

Having never been that way before I'm not sure what to expect but I'm going with my normal plan of do no research and hope for the best. I have however been promised excellent 3G signal so am hoping I'll be tweeting and blogging throughout.

If anyone does have any 'must see's in Manila please let me know.