One of the things that Manila is actually known for is shopping. Malls abound in the National Capital Region - from SM Megamall to the Mall of Asia to Festival Supermall to Greenhills Shopping Center. You can find pretty much anything you can imagine here. Everything from designer boutiques to bazaar-style centers can fulfill your every devilish Prada desire. There are real, original brands (with sky high prices, of course) and then tons of fake stuff (from purses to DVD's to clothes and shoes)...it's a funny tourist haven.
Shopping images (mostly from Greenhills, bazaar-style bargains):
Seeing old friends and family after at least five years has been fun. I've been able to catch up with several interesting people. So far, one of my favorites has been my paternal Lolo (grandfather) who is approximately 94 years old. I say approximately because no one really knows if that's his exact age - not even my Lolo himself. His birth certificate perished in one of the early wars. Anyway, at 94, he's still very sharp and can tell stories about his childhood, his college days, and beyond. He's recently decided to write a book on philosophy that challenges some of the current, common philosophies out there (by men like Galileo, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, etc.). Yes, I know what you're thinking - seriously!? So I am really interested in seeing how he weaves his thoughts on the philosophy of common sense into the ancient threads of wisdom. This story is to be continued.
Background for the next mini-story: I am currently getting my Master's in Public Health (International Community health track).
So one of my good friends recently gave me a tour of Philippine General Hospital (PGH). PGH is the country's largest, and best equipped public hospital, relatively speaking. As an academic and service hospital in a developing nation, it is actually very nice. It has over 13 wards that service everything from obstetrics/gyn to ear/nose/throat, with a complete cardiology OR, a teaching auditorium, and even a sleep lab. However, having worked with several first-rate hospitals in the US in the past, it still seems appalling to see some of the differences: an approximately 800 square foot emergency room with beds pushed side-by-side; different procedures such as prescriptions handed to patients to go buy their own medicines while admitted; hoards of people roaming the halls (1st floor at least) who include thieves pretending to be patients; interns and residents having to provide their own scrubs, masks, and caps; and a plastic picnic table in the middle of the emergency room entrance that serves as triage.
Refocusing my perspective, PGH seems to have done well managing the little funds they receive [properly] from the government and [somewhat improperly] by government officials as personal grants. You start to recognize that when resources are minimal, creativity can be stretched -- but only to so far. A total healthcare overhaul still needs to happen here, within the intricately woven fabric of culture and politics in the Philippines of course.
Street images (around PGH, in Manila):
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