1. Exactly how "third world" the Philippines is: I tagged along on a few construction projects that my Dad is overseeing, and at every site we went to, the "construction workers" were all wearing flip flops. There were no hard hats, orange safety cones, or closed toed shoes. I don't remember any of them even wearing denim-type pants. They were mostly in jersey shorts and cotton t-shirts, doing all of the regular construction work that you would see someone in the US doing on commercial and residential lots - but with tsinelas or rubber slippers.
*The gap between the rich and the poor just keeps getting wider too. You can tell just by picking up the local newspaper. Today, the Philippine Inquirer (not a tabloid), began its front page story with, "Like penitent youngsters eager to appease after causing a revered parent great vexation and annoyance, ruling party leaders yesterday were all over themselves attempting to mollify former President Fidel Ramos." Maybe it's my Journalism background that makes my face crinkle up in disgust over this first sentence in the Sunday paper...but I'd like to think that it's the terrible divide between the poor who cannot read and the rich who want to show off all their assets as much as possible. This odd sentence with large vocabulary only discourages the masa (or common masses of [poor] people) from reading and understanding what's happening in the country. Plunder seems to have become a mutant fungus that's infected the few remaining crevices of objective checks and balances.
On a lighter note...
2. Haircuts: 8 times out of 10, you will have a bading (slang for effeminately gay) cut your hair. Even if you only ask for a trim, you will end up with something more, something that they consider a "hair masterpiece" - however it ends up becoming something that I would call a "master-hair-piece."
*Another thing about salons in the Philippines is that they give pretty good mani/pedi-cures. And because cost of living is so low compared to the US, they're really cheap. My pedicure was $1. However, you must beware of the clipping of cuticle. They're overzealous sometimes. Ouch.
3. Being a dalaga (or young lady): The traditional and conservative, Catholic-natured side of people, especially grandparents and older titos and titas (aunts and uncles), always ask, "So, do you have a boyfriend?" about 2 questions after, "Hi, how are you?" [#2 would be "How was your trip/flight? and #3 would be are you hungry?; but the latter is semi-rhetorical because you'll be presented with food anyway]. It's a really funny thing nowadays, because if you say yes, you're in a relationship, "When are you getting married?" shortly follows. If you say no, you aren't seeing anyone at the time, "Ay, yes you should enjoy [being single] first," is the retort.
*The more interesting thing about giving the, "Yes, I am still single," response is that pretty much everyone will give you the, "Ay, yes you should just enjoy first," reply with so much fervor and funny excitement - like they are making up for your (in this case, my) shortcomings, which are the reasons or hindrances to my not having a boyfriend. And then they will go on to say how exciting it is to be single and "live your life now" as if your life ends when you do decide to settle down, get married, and have kids.
{Sidenote: my cousin Kat reminded me that it is more permissible for a dalaga to get married than to ride the Light Rail Transit in Manila. Life's funny here like that.}
4. Tropical fruit: There is no other mango, let alone no other fruit, like the Philippine mango. It is my absolute favorite.
5. Tropical rain vs. desert rain: Both have such a neat "quenching" quality to them both. There's nothing like a suddenly dramatic downpour of desert rain, settling the arid dust and graying the horizons. However, my favorite part about rain is the sound of a heavy tropical pour. It's actually really beautiful to listen to it fall on rooftops and through the trees.
6. Endless eating: Especially as a balikbayan (a Filipino who has returned from being overseas), the amount of food available seems endless. There's breakfast, merienda (snack), lunch, merienda again, dinner, and then another optional merienda. You can spend pretty much the entire day just eating. Of course, since I haven't been back in five years, I've been stocking up on all of my favorite foods that I've missed (like the mangoes, home-cooked meals, pastries, buko pandan, etc.). But I end up wondering, how is it that so many Filipinos can eat endlessly, and eat white rice at practically every meal, but still remain stick thin? [this is meant to be rhetorical]
Coming back with a little bit more of a mature perspective of life, these cultural characteristics and issues have provided me with a deeper sense of gratitude for all that I have been given. I have a better understanding of sight now - perspective is formed by experience, and life is made up of relationships and self-awareness. Opportunity doesn't just knock on any door, and you have to be able to see through the peephole to recognize it when it comes.
A few images of the Philippines:
