I'm in Manila now. Actually, Makati City, which is just one of many cities which makes up "Metro Manila". I just love this place. You see all shades of life. Poverty, shanty towns, bustling markets, fabulous hi-rise blocks, grand hotels, cheap restaurants and bars, and lovely people. The most over-riding quality of the Philippine people I find is their politeness. Yes, the girls smile and seduce you without trying, but that's a positive quality I think. It's just one big mish-mash of a place where everyone is so laid-back, and "manana" seems to be the motto. How anything ever gets done I'll never know.
The little brown girls don't lead me astray, MJ, 'cos I have Lucy in tow, and she's worse than any of them could ever be, (and I love her dearly).