marvaninmanila: New apartment

We have moved into our new condominium!
It is on the 45th floor - with an awesome view - it feels like we are living in the sky!
The only problem is that it has no furniture and we have been eating off the floor! Luckily I managed to get some beds and one couch delivered before we moved in - but other than that - it looks pretty empty.

Our helper Maritress has just started as well - we have a bed for her! She is from Batagas which is 3 hours from here - where the active volcano is. I had to buy her a uniform because apparrently all maids in this building have to wear uniforms - and use the service elevator. They also have their own "dirty kitchen" which is where they cook and eat. It is quite weird and doesn't feel natural at all. So far she is excellent - folding everything so neatly, cooking the dinner for the kids - and us if we want it - but I need something to do! I am actually going to a seminar next week on "how to manage household staff" it is run by ANZA - and is actually a skill - I am starting to realise I have no idea about. Maritress has a 5 month old baby who is being looked after by her husband - she will travel back home every Saturday afternoon and come back for 6:00am start on Monday morning to make Martin's lunch for work....

On the other hand our driver has already said that his father has died and needs some money now - we have no problem with paying him for what he does but I have a feeling he is not telling the truth and I have lost trust in him. I spend so much of the day in the car - it is not good not to trust the driver. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt - maybe his father did die - but we have been warned about things like that. maybe I can find out what to do in my seminar!!

The apartment has the most fantastic pool - it is like a resort and the kids are LOVING it!! William is so hard to get out every afternoon - and is swimming like a fish. Charlie is now swimming without any floaties as well! Although I have to follow him around! They have already made friends with two Australian boys who's father works in the Australian embassy - there are alot of people from the embassy in this building.