Manila Mayhem

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Fresh off the plane from Bangkok, Sarah and I were swooped off to the nearest shopping mall to get accessorised for a night out…and not just any old night out, no, we were off to schmooze with the local glitterati at a charity ball. The ANZCHAM (Australia, NZ Chamber of Commerce) ball to be exact, one of the annual events to be seen at in Manila.

Legs were shaven, eyebrows plucked and lipstick applied - Sarah and I were quickly converted from budget backpackers to bells of the ball in a matter of hours, thanks to the help of Aunty Ludy and her fabulous dressmaker.

The charity ball was all in the aid of a fantastic cause that cannot be dismissed - Give A Life.

It began in December 2001 when Stephen Jarvis (Kate's uncle and Debbie van Praagh’s brother) held his birthday at a local Manila hospital, throwing a party for the sick children. During the festivities the Jarvis family witnessed a young boy die, simply because his parents could not afford to buy vital medicine.

Charles and Jacqui's request for their dad to "do something" proved the catalyst for Stephen to form the Give A Life Foundation. He discovered many of the children were not dying from incurable diseases, but because basic medical equipment and medicines were not available, or parents of the children could not afford it. In many cases, doctors had to reuse needles, wrap premature babies in cling wrap to keep them warm, or dig into their own low salaries to buy medicine to save children's lives.

So this year ANZCHAM had chosen to donate the funds raised at the ball to Give A Life. Stephen presented a speech that was straight to the point with just enough emotion to get the wallets opening. The night was a success, and made all the more enjoyable as we feasted on tender New Zealand lamb which we had been craving for months. Sarah and I danced it up with cousin Jacqui and friend and Aunty Ludy and fell into bed satisfied and exhausted.

To find out more about the Give A Life Charity Foundation contact 0063 2 899 1000 or 0063 917 899 5562 www.givealife.ph www.givealife.ph

Now on a mission to help out with Give A Life, Sarah and I became honorary rugby heads and cheerleaders for cousin Charles' rugby debut at the Manila 10s.

The weekend was great fun. Social teams from all over the world had congregated to play the sport they love and raise a little money for charity before moving on to the Seven’s in Hong Kong. It all began with a welcome lunch and auction and we found ourselves sitting at the head table between the new Australian / Philippines ambassador and Bernie Fraser and Stu Wilson. Who would have thought?

The rest of the week was spent at shopping malls, beauty plazas and the beautiful beaches of Boracay… with its crystal clear water and white sand we were happy to relax there for a few days before we hit the urban centres of Hong Kong and Tokyo.

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