A boat trip

I'm writing this during a late lunch on Monday, our last full day here. My friends are having a typical filipino lunch with the inevitable rice but, because it is 3.30pm I just had a tuna sandwich and tea. Very English! I'm sure I've lost weight on this trip but there's nothing wrong with that. I'll soon put it back on over Christmas in Spain!
Yesterday we booked a boat trip to Virgin Island which is about an hour away. The sea was quite choppy and because Joshua cannot swim and Nomel and his mum barely at all, we reached for the life-jackets. They were totally useless, all the straps were missing. We continued on our way but certainly, Joshua would have panicked if he had been thrown into the sea. On the way back it was very calm so there was no danger.

What we hadn't been told was that the island is privately owned and there was a landing fee of about 500 pesos for the four of us. We even had to pay extra to use a table. The hotel advertised a "barbecue" but it was nothing of the sort. They had provided polystyrene containers with cold rice and meat all enclosed in a plastic bag - no cooling. There was a very mean supply of iced tea. The food was awful, the chicken not cooked properly. I warned Joshua not to eat it as he gnawed at red chicken meat. Later he was ill. But we had a very nice day despite that. When I complained about the bloody chicken, the response was not to take it very seriously. We got back at about 4pm.
In the evening we went back to the mini-disco. Mum likes to dance! Later Nomel came together with Joshua who was making frequent visits to the loo, and the ladyboy friend who he had been visiting on the night of the motorbike (I am still upset with myself about being so angry. Time for a little self-forgiveness I think.) We all danced together and had a super time. It is funny really. I think Mila likes me rather a lot and I have a bit of a crush on Nomel despite the fact he is a guy. To all appearances, when dancing he is a very attractive girl who I like a lot. Or maybe I am a little bit Bi. Wouldn't that be the dream. I marry Mila, buy a house for us and we all live happily ever after. Don't worry, I am only joking.... I hope! If I move abroad it would be to Colombia where I already speak the language. I can speak bits of Tagalog but I have no idea what my friends are saying when they are together and I would have to raise my level greatly to be able to follow the conversation.
Joshua is a very strange guy, I can't say I like him very much and it has been a little stressful living with him. He has obsessive habits such as washing his face with whitening soap. Once he is in the bathroom, expect 20 minutes of sloshing water. Mum would have preferred that we were all family but he was a companion for Nomel and they seem very happy together. I suspected at one stage that they were an item but Nomel assures me that it is not the case.
But I am waiting for the result of the elections in Catalunya on 21st December. Crucial to the future... and my future. I am also plagued by the uncertainly over Brexit and my status as a UK citizen in the EU. But that may be resolved around the end of the year also because the UK is eager to get going talking about trade deals.
Looking ahead, we will catch a ferry back to the main island at about 12 or 1pm which should  get us back to Cebu at around 7pm. I've booked a hotel near to the bus station which leaves us plenty of time to catch our flight back to Manila at 12.30. Then Nomel and Joshua will go back to their homes and Mila wants to come with me back to Redwoods!! Then Nemia, Nomel's sister will come with Nomel next day to Redwoods.