Christmas

The main Christmas festivities are on Christmas eve in the Philippines. The owner of the collection on bamboo cottages in which we are staying is called Majika, a tall dynamic local woman who owns a small empire of businesses in the area - dive shop, gift shops, numerous boats and large chunks of several islands. Majika distributed gifts to her employees at a Christmas eve party she threw in the glade of trees below the cottages. Lights were strung up and a sound system with doggy speakers played an eclectic mix ranging from happy hardcore to Diana Ross.

Majika employes over 500 people, and those working for her on this island were given big sacks of rice and wrapped gifts from under a tropical Xmas decorated branch for the children as a kind of xmas bonus. After food, dancing began and mum hooked up with another lively granny looking resplendent in a leopard print jump suit who boasted 7 kids and 17 grandchildren. Whenever mum sat down, exhausted, she kept jollying her new dancing partner back into the dancing throng.

Having a wonderfully relaxing Xmas day, sunbathing and reading. Off underwater diving to a Japanese WW2 wreck this afternoon and to visit a beautiful island that served as a former leper colony. With no wi-fi or phone signal this really feels like a complete break. The only thing I'm missing is Xmas grub - as a veggie I'm living on starchy white rice, slightly stale bread rolls and fried veg with the occasional egg thrown in, which is ok but pretty monotonous 3 times a day. Oh what I would do for a fresh feta salad, or even jacket spud and beans. Theo eating ok with lots of fruit and veg, easier to please than me.

The huge economic gulf between us as tourists and the local workers is acutely apparent and saddening. One of the workers has a 2 year old son on another island that she can only afford to see once a month as her wages don't cover the diesel needed for the boat trip.

We were asked if we had any washing we needed doing. I did some myself with shampoo when I arrived but it all smells fusty. I gave mine to a 13 year old girl works here to give to the house keeper but it turns out she has to do it herself. It's Christmas day and she's down by the well taking hours to do it by hand. I feel terrible - offered to help and she looked at me as if I was nuts, naturally. It's the way things are here, extra cash for her the family etc but watching a kid wash you clothes on Xmas day while you sunbathe feels like awful exploitation. I really truly wish I'd never passed them on and done them myself.