Emily's Tidbits: 5 days feels like forever ;)

Arrived in Manila on Monday night, went to office Tuesday morning then flew to Tacloban Tuesday afternoon where I literally didn't stop working/moving until 10 at night and back up early to get the van to work. We had a 6 hour Manager's meeting Friday where we had Country Director leading us through the agenda and our great short-term head of office handover to a new short-term head of office who will stay with us until Renee the permanent head of office arrives at the end of the month. I also had a new staff member who arrived 2 days before me and I supervise. We are expected to hire 6 more on my team!! Woohoo! There was a fabulous consultant who lent her talents to a number of projects, and I glommed on to her to learn what she did and also to hear what she saw as gaps for us to work on in programming (ahem. . . there are quite a few things which need sorting out-- all to be expected with new programs!) Saturday morning the staff who live at the old office were troopers and woke up to move the office at 5:30 am. I arrived at 7:30 with breads :) By then the new office was ready for the work day! Furniture to come within 3 weeks. Went home tuckered out and hungry at 8:30 Saturday night. Slept till 11:30 today and then had a quick lunch and out to look at houses and apartments. Saw one fab house but that was it. Some of the international staff would prefer to live on their own. I don't blame em, but I do feel anxious about securing a place- and getting the heck outta the hotel room!!! I guess it can take quite a long time for papers to be processed at the office in order to pay for housing, so even if we did make an offer, it would be at least a month. I hope to make it to the beach for our 4 day Easter holiday about 5 hours south of the city.