5 Reasons you should never eat anything fibrous at the Mall of Asia

1.  The stalls do not DO NOT (did I say don't?) have toilet paper in them!  The toilet paper dispenser is right there at the entrance of the bathroom.  So you are standing at the dispenser with a hoard of women waiting to get your goods while everyone watches to see how much you get.  Hmmm...
2.  OK, where the heck is the toilet seat?  There are no men to blame for leaving it up.
3.  You may know how to do squats and you may be potty trained, but when you have to suddenly demonstrate physical knowledge of the combined tasks? Now that's a challenge.
4.  The bathroom attendants.  There are two.  They stay in there the whole time chismising.  Talk about ruined concentration and diminished sense of dignity.
5.  There is no such thing as a paper towel dispenser anywhere in sight.  I'm still peeling off the toilet paper residue I had to use to dry my hands with  after washing them.
YUCK!  From now on I am only drinking water.  That's my gripe for today. 
Aside from the CR culture shock, the trip is going well. We scored a great hotel, Regalia Towers.  It's  missing a few amenities, but it's clean.  My only real complain there was the slow service, but you find that everywhere in Manila.  Hurry up and wait, like the Military, only no one's yelling at you, they're just silently pretending you don't exist.  Wayne and I spent 8 hours at the hospital running from center to center, back and forth from the doctor's office to the insurance department just to confirm what two trips to the ER had previously made evident. I am so glad my husband is patient because my blood pressure was steadily rising as the hours ticked away.  We're sitting at Starbuck's resting a bit before we have to pack up for the night's stay at St. Luke's.  Tomorrow morning I will get wheeled into surgery.  The doctor says there are enough stones in my gallbladder for a rosary.  Praying it all goes well, maybe that's a good sign right?