Welcome to neXtDRAFT Issue 11. How are you feeling about week 2 of a brand new year? Does it still feel new, or is everything back in it's usual place? Did you set yourself goals for the year ahead? I'd love to hear what you've been doing this past week.

Jerry and I are back in our routines and I've packed a huge work and writing schedule for the year. It's amazing how much more you can get done when you set clear goals and organise yourself. This year Jerry sat with me as I wrote up my year planner and coloured every Sunday on the calendar in pink; telling him pink means 'no work' and 'lots of fun together'.

We all struggle with the balance of earning a decent living, keeping the creative fire burning and still having time to play 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' with your 9 year old. I often think of the famous poet Ted Hughes and his 'Thought Fox' when another day passes and I haven't written a poem or played my guitar.

Mr Hughes claims the vision of a large fox entered his room late one night as he was a completing a long piece of academic writing. The fox told him to stop writing the essay immediately because 'you are destroying us', basically killing the poetry inside him. Yes I often feel like that too.

Even though words flow and writing comes easily because I'm doing it every day professionally, I do struggle with differences in subject matter. It's hard to explain (you kind of have to try it) but writing a poem and writing a set of job interview questions for a business client seems to come from two different parts of my psychic. I'm working on overcoming this.

On January 1st I started a 21 day writing challenge created by my friend Kerstin Pilz. It's all about making writing a habit and I'm currently on day 9. What's wonderful is I'm using the challenge to reconnect back to creative writer in me, the poet. The one that seems to fade a little bit with each technical writing contract. Check out Kerstin's website as the little course is free.

I hope you enjoy this week's edition of neXtDRAFT, I've shared plenty of stories, poems and photos. I've also created a new section to showcase my clients (the people who pay me to write and make my life here in the Philippines possible) as well as my own writing services.

As always thank you for your love and support. Also I do love receiving your emails and messages so keep them coming. They mean the world to Jerry and me.

All my love.

Melxx

The end of Christmas has brought noticeably cooler weather. It's still stinking hot but wonderful breeze flows in from the islands in the mornings now breathing relief into our windows.

The kids are all back at school and we are busy cooking lunches again each morning. The rains now seem to be only at night and scallops, crabs and pineapples are appearing in the public market. Christmas stalls have disappeared and the annoying fireworks, party music and explosions almost completely stopped. 

I was thrilled to find some fresh scallops one morning last week for only $5 a kilo. You can read my little cooking lesson on the blog.

Afternoons in the Phillipines are an important social time. The oppressive heat of the day begins to dissipate and people slowly emerge to wander the market, eat BBQ’d street food, talk, and burn their rubbish.

Jerry and I like to walk in these late afternoons, or ride tricycles to neighbouring municipalities, or leg-it to other barangays. The faces are different but the lives are the same: men working by the side of the road, hammering, planting rice or tending their stock of fighting roosters.

Jerry and I ask permission for photos. The men oblige and smile but seem too afraid to engage in conversation with the odd white woman wandering the highway without an umbrella.

The first time Jerry rode in a taxi he opened the door while the taxi was speeding along a major road. He was only 7 and curious about all the buttons and handles and nobs. That was just before he started vomiting. And though we still don't travel without a plastic bag, he can usually manage short distances now without causing a major hazard or throwing up everywhere.

Read more about Jerry’s allergic reaction to taxis and all moving vehicles on the blog. I share some funny stories from the last 2.5 years.