Take the pressure down

Does anyone else remember that song from the 80s/90s? (See blog title). That just about sums up the weather patterns here in the last week. We are having some typhoons sweep across the area (so far not a direct hit) and as the weather changes the barometric pressure changes suddenly. This can have range of strange effects on how we all feel. When the pressure drops you can feel tired, grumpy, lethargic, even a bit sick. Headaches and dizziness have also been reported. So far not many of the Filipinos I have met admit to feeling any of these symptoms so I may have to conclude it's a foreign visitor phenomenon.
Typhoon Mina was supposed to have hit a part of the Philippines badly over the weekend but thankfully changed course and we only had a bit of wind and scattered rain. I'm secretly disappointed because I wanted to see what a typhoon looks like but I suspect the millions of people who still have their houses intact are quite pleased.

Octoberfest on the hill

Well I never thought I would get to experience Octoberfest in the Philippines but it seems I brought a little bit of Germany with me when I came.
It all happened at a big Catholic retreat centre in Antipolo on the outskirts of Manila. We (the ICPE community plus about 20 others) were there for a course on Pastoral Care (PCS). Half way through our course one of the resident priests who happened to be German organised his annual Octoberfest. Somehow we managed to get invited - free beer and food with singing and drinking games! The highlight was when they took the empty keg out in funeral procession style and then we had to pray to San Miguel (type of beer and saint) for a new 'resurrected' keg. All in good fun. The PCS course was also very good.
Now I have less than one month left in the Philippines. I head back to NZ via Singapore so hope to see some of you on the way or in NZ.