i know the majority of you are reading this in a rush because you are heading out to VOTE...so i will keep it short.

last night was the icm banquet. remember last year charles and i bought enough rice to feed 100 families in a village? this year we sponsored a different need - education. the statistic coming from the philippines is that every child graduating from elementary school is at decreased risk of a life of poverty. so charles and i sponsored a preschool which not only teaches but serves a hot meal to 25 children a day, and offers the parents literacy classes, healthcare and spiritual life issues as well as counselling and emotional support. by graduating from elementary school, statistically SIX of the 25 kids will be saved from a lifetime of poverty. i cannot bear to think of the other 19, but instead be grateful for the ones we are educating and helping and feeding.

the cost? well...let's put it this way. we have seats to brisbane and sydney booked over Christmas, but i don't think we're going to pull it off. but in the big scheme, australia doesn't seem as important anymore. perspective is a good thing.

it was a fantastic night. we bought a table and invited friends from our building. the friends are hilarious and clever. paul and susan bid on and won a trip to new zealand and outbid the closest bidder by mere seconds. theirs was the first auction of the evening and set the night off to a good tone. gus and katie bought billy joel tickets and a vacation in the philippines, tinja and christian restuarant vouchers ... oh we were smoking! and LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY!

as soon as charles lands in beijing he will post a couple of pictures that show the good time we were having. if you want to know where our handsome men are...that is a very good question and i don't know! charles was taking all the pictures (although these ones are courtesy of the lovely and talented tinja) and the typical man focused on the ladies!