Basic Life Support

Today was day 1 of BLS and ACLS (advanced cardiac life support).  We are taking this course with other medical personnel. Nurses, doctors and recent graduates - in the US BLS is required before you are hired or while in nursing school.  The lectures were almost verbatim for one's we would have had in the US, just replace '911' with '117' and you've got it.
Luckily, we got home by noon.  Today was actually pretty sunny so a pool day was in order, after the laundry had been done. (By hand, in the sink).  I laid at the pool until 2 pm.  Then I showered and got cleaned up.
I met up with my cousin, Reuben, at the Manila Post Office.  He's studying for a Masters in Poli-Sci in Singapore.  He had a week off so he came to Manila with a friend from school.  We met up and decided to head to the illustrious Greenbelt/Ayala district.  Neither one of us could afford anything there, but it was kinda neat to see how the wealthy live in Manila.  There are about 8 malls, all interconnected with walkways.  You can buy any name brand that you want there - and some you don't know about.  We weren't really up for shopping so we decided to go to the Ayala Museum in one of the malls.  This was a nice, quiet, 3 level museum that told the history of the Philippine Islands and the Filipino people.  There were exhibits on history, ceramics, pottery, and a special exhibit on Gold.  It was pretty nicely done. (Although I decided I could never be the person who writes the description cards in museums - for example; "Brown Jug", "Brown Jug with Dragon", "Brown Jug with inlaid Pheonix", and "Ring 11", "Ring 79", etc.)
After the museum we toured the malls to find some traditional Filipino food.  We ended up eating at Masa's in Greenbelt 5 mall.  Masa was very nice, and they served my San Miguel Pale with the Sisig.  Now I've been wanting to try Sisig since I got here.  Traditionally it is left over pig parts, chopped up small (so you can't decipher exactly what it is) and fried, served with some extra crunch and a small Filipino lime-like fruit.  It was terrific, and I think it would go over well as bar food in the US if you didn't tell people what it was.  Lots of food on the menu had WAY too much for descriptions: "Squid served in its own ink" etc.   I had some pork belly and Reuben ordered the crispy squid.  Both were quite good and we enjoyed the food immensely.  We took a cab back to the area of Malate, where we're both staying.  The day could not be complete, however, without some Ube-Langka ice cream. We headed to Robinson's Mall and both got a small cone.  Ube is purple yam and Langka is cheese.  Yep, yam and cheese ice cream.  Again.  Not my fave, but it's not half bad either.
I finished the night chatting with the roomies and saying good morning to Bry.  The other girls had either stayed in for the night or returned to Greenhills mall.  Those who went to Greenhills went to the same pearl seller that I had bought from.  I forgot to tell you about my new friend, Nadjia.  Nadjia and her husband Rolan opened up a pearl booth. They have friends in Mindinao who send them the freshwater and saltwater pearls.  So when I was shopping there, Nadjia was impressed (intimidated?) by my bartering skills (and lack of knowledge about pearls) and was a real dear.  So nice, that I referred the other girls to her stall.  When I paid with credit card the process took FOREVER, so we had a nice chat.  Turns out that Rolan has a friend in Stockton, CA, married to an American.  She's a Filipina dentist and "do you know her?" No, Rolan, I am not acquainted with the Filipina dentist in Stockton, CA, but if and when I'm there I will look her up.  Nadjia gave me her card and told me she'd be happy to sell me pearls when I'm back in the US - she's got someone she ships to in France too.  Anywho, the girls (Shannon, Heather, Anna) made it back to Nadjia's stall and she totally remembered me.  Now to wait for my commission.........