Training

I may have mentioned that we had some pigs born early on Xmas day, and here is a photo of two piglets, still bloody but having a well deserved Christmas feed.Pigs are extremely intelligent animals, and are easily trained. Sometimes I wonder if my liking for them is explained by the regular comments I receive claiming that I am something of a pig myself? Anyway we do not approve of vicious methods for training as pigs respond well to kindness, they enjoy play in their youth, as all should, and then settle into the more mature pleasures of elders as they age. Thus I always have companionship in my own attempts to reduce the European wine lakes. However life is not all gaiety and although I was never a great sportsman I insist that they take exercise, under guidance of course, with a view not only to improve their health but also to expand their horizons beyond merely cerebral pleasures. To this end we employ properly trained lifesaving staff and ensure that the swimming lessons are fun as well as productive. We are hoping for a good showing at the pig Olympics in a few years, but for this of course total dedication is required.

But, who knows, it may be that we have the talent in our latest litter, surely those born on Christmas day must have some great gift to offset the loss of years of birthday gifts that they must endure?
But enough, we must head to the airport so I will end with a porcine wish.

Taiwan Troubles

The cable damage off Taiwan is playing merry hell with my connections, and tomorrow we are off for a mad dash to Singapore and back a couple of days later in order to sent Alistair back to UK and a new school term. So blogging is hard but I must at least pass on some wishes.

In spite of partial Scottish blood I am far too old to stay up for Hogmanay and even dining early is likely to leave me more like this about the new year, quite possibly due to indulging in Woody's tipple, but never mind.

Tatts

We spent Christmas day up at the farm, but on Boxing Day we took the younger family from the Talisay house out to lunch, this photo being taken by Alice immediately following our slow exit from the restaurant (all being somewhat pogged!).

You may note my style statement, which caused various reactions, a poor one from the youngest son, but which went unnoticed by many, to my great surprise. Ah well, those of us who endeavour to spread a little jollity around the world must occasionally suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, I guess.
I remain of the opinion that dress is the appropriate medium to pass on messages, beautifully down here by both a male and a female. See my attempts towards balance; although I have to admit that I rather like living where to tell some-one they look sexy is to compliment them rather than to offend them. If this is old fashioned then so is all of the Phils.
But, as so often I digress, since I was thinking of the well-known joke about tattoos picked up in Asia, supposedly reading rather less well than the happy westerner had expected. So I am inordinately fond of this reversal, which to my mind is quite delightful.

Why did this happen?

And yet I am still mystified that after all this time I am still often unable to decypher the real differences between good and evil. or between love and hate.In fact many things confuse me, including this sign from Singapore Bird Park, I seem to have gone from youthful foolishness to aged senility without an intervening period of sense.

Early Wishes

Just a reminder that Christmas is not just a time for excess, even though Santa does appear to like my own choice of tipple; which is rather nice. In my day it was a glass of sherry (very dry naturally, perhaps Tio Pepe) and a biscuit that was left out for him but I am sure that Jack and a chicken leg is even more acceptable. Although one wonders if this leads to an extra interest in his charming elves?
But one must also remember that overindulgence has its own immediate effects which may lead to missing something important, like the Queen's Speech (which I gather can also be seen as a podcast this year, is our monarchy being dragged kicking and screaming into the Century of the Fruitbat?). We always had a small sock in the morning and the main presents were opened after the enormous lunch and the Queen's Speech, this probably being an aid to keeping children in bed a shade longer than might be the case if the main presents were given out first thing. After all who could resist the excitement of the possible new outfit, that could be used to imagine cowboys or knights in shining armour - why, the possibilities are endless!
But we should remember that it is a family time and the trip to see the grandparents has to be arranged and the pleasures therefrom enjoyed. If arranged for Xmas Eve it means that there can be a return to home to allow a good night's sleep for all before the strenuous excitements of the actual day.
And just to emphasise the family nature of this period (I am keeping well away from consideration of the religious nature) here is a photo of five female generations of the family of a charming American lady that we met at the Night Safari in Singapore some time ago; she being the one in the middle.

Revisions

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft agley" particularly in the Phils, as I should be well aware since I was born on Rabbie Burns' Day. So it should not have been a surprise to find that as I prepared for our trip to Ayala, Zaidhe arrived from the province complete with electrician and Alice went off for a full day's shopping for a chandelier. This we have now got and it is already being installed out at the farmhouse. Things progress!

Naturally I had to consider how to spend my time if not out lamp buying, I did not want a hobby that required no more of me than I sat back and waited; although I am quite good at doing nothing very much so long as I have either a book or my audible books. But the more I thought the less I wanted merely to grow my nails, in spite of being proud of being an ex-nailbiter.
So I had to think on further, even though my belly needs a bit more work to prevent pain on exercise I did consider jogging but unfortunately the weather here is not correct for such efforts. But after considering the need for warming up I decided that my limbs were not flexible enough.
It seemed I was heading back towards my usual hobby after all, but I did want to lose weight and the booze is to be cut down. Luckily here I cannot get cider although on our UK trip recently I had quite a lot, and how nice it (and the pork pies) was. The trouble is I have never seen the point of coffee shops, although apparently I am the only one in the world that has this problem. Faced with the immense choice I usually retreat into seeking a Perrier but I have been advised that there are other possibilities and I am trying to decide whether to become a coffee fiend.

SM Fun and Frolics

Today we intend to have a trip to the Ayala Mall, rather more upmarket than our usual trips to SM. I may have mentioned previously the horrors I can go through at SM due to the numbers of ancient westerners to be seen with young Filipinas. Since Alice is not yet showing the ravages of age I feel a shade unhappy that in spite of our sixteen years of marriage we might be considered as similar. Not a pleasant thought!

And while thinking of nasty things my mind went meandering to that well known SM abbreviation. This is not something that I have ever been attracted to but nevertheless the instruments used can have a certain fascination. With my poorly bowels, I have naturally thought most of the nasty things that could be associated with that. This reinforced my preference for romance against the more esoteric relationships between male and female.

Relaxation again

It's nice to be back home, and I think that the Asean should have been held here in Cebu, since although there was a little wind and rain elsewhere it did not hit us (although breaking a banana tree on our farm some way north). The only minor problem is recorded by the Beeb as the following: -

However weather like they have elsewhere in the world, cold snowy and nasty, or post rain leaving mud areas for Alice to get the Paj stuck in, not that she ever has yet of course, is even worse and we revel in our home country.
This naturally made even more pleasant by being able to meet the fishing boats as they come in and get the wonderful fresh sea food I have mentioned far too often probably but this is not just a way of getting food but an appreciation of the sky, which provides such entrancing light.
Talking of fresh food, our pork is similarly fresh and not to be compared to plastic wrapped imitation food. Mind you, I am unable to carry out the evisceration that is so nattily done by our neighbour's friend but as for enjoying the results of his labour that is quite another thing.
So I can settle back and once more relapse into retirement mode until I get a call to fly off and do a spot of consultancy work elsewhere in the Pacific Rim. It's nice, just reading the news, patting the pets and generally enjoying myself until I am dragged kicking and screaming back into action.

Back Home

After a swift run to Singapore, to get Alistair from his flight home from boarding school in UK, we are once again back in Cebu. The Asean meeting has been cancelled due to typhoon fears but we are wholly unafraid, the escape to sea or the use of alternative shelter are already planned.

So at last we can relax and enjoy our pets. Cat, our main guard dog, had three beautiful puppies (kittens?) recently. The three are named DK, short for Devil Killer, Princess and Foreigner, being a very white animal. Mind you the incidence of tripping over or stepping on an unfortunate canine is much increased.
Naturally we are keen to get up to the farm and see our much loved pigs. And indeed to join in the ritual nose licking to establish our return firmly in their minds. How one can become so attached to animals while fully aware that the piglets will be ending up as lechon I am not sure, but one does feel the attachment.
While I fully accept that I may be extremely boring, indeed the family have been known to get that indicative glazed eyes look when I pontificate for too long, nevertheless the fact remains that I am completely convinced that . . .

Comments

I am an easy going guy (prone to occasional rages?) and can take criticism (although badly) but surely this was unkind.So I am seriously considering letting my, extremely protective, wife loose to retaliate whenever the finger of scorn is pointed at my admittedly somewhat tedious blog.Should this fail I will call upon the Book God and seek retribution in other ways. After all I put a lot of brain power into these few words and it would be a pity . . . . . . if we had to sink to a . . . . . .

A War of Signs