Are the Olympics Over?

America isn't the only place where nobody is watching the Olympics.

I think they ended yesterday, but I don't actually know that for sure. I've channel surfed around, looking for the Olympics on TV here, but I didn't see a single event. I guess you can't be too excited about curling and the luge when the temperature rarely drops below 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

***

All's quiet on the Philippine front. Well, probably not really, but it's as quiet as could be expected. Long-term expats at church yesterday told me that the Arroyo government is prone to overreacting and had probably blown things out of proportion.

Police filed charges against 16 people today -- described by Reuters as "leftists and soldiers" -- accused of plotting to topple Arroyo. The weekend brought about tension at a Marine base in Manila when a group of soldiers defied the state of emergency, and at an anti-Arroyo newspaper which was ransacked -- but not yet shut down -- by government officials.

Meanwhile, for most Filipinos, life goes on as usual, wondering what the next day will bring.