also it would be advantageous to take a reserve amount of skepticism. hide it in the back of your mind just in case you need to defend yourself (and i hope you dont) against stories like "my buffalo is sick and the vet is costly" or "uncle bill needs an operation on his ovaries". some of us had to learn the hard way. there are 10,000 variations of this at last count.
if you like the occasional drink, the local beer is very good. "san miguel" or the seemingly stronger "red horse", and both are cheap. GENUINE and inexpensive is the "gilbeys gin" which is AUS$6 per litre. i've been known to sip it occasionally.
enjoy, marvel at your experiences of a fascinating culture, and report back to us if you saw any beautiful women over there.=======zb