Yesterday as we were driving to and from our Sunday Services in Morong I was thinking about how I would describe life as I see it. So I here are a few.
The driving habits and traffic are erratic. I have driven myself in very few places. Jeepneys, trikes, cars, buses, motorcycle and bicycles have no rules other than basic. Well buses have to remain in a certain lane...but not all the time is that a rule that is obeyed. It is usually get out there and try to go to the places you need to go. There are light signals that sometimes you obey. The traffic police sometimes are out there to direct traffic and they do a good job. Gratefully they are there sometimes. It is frustrating to try and drive with the US rules in your head that conflict with what is usual here. Our vehicle has bumps, scratches and dents. The fleet service takes care of those repairs and that is where our car is today. It is repaired very fast actually and can be returned almost the next day. They give us a loaner so we can get around.
Jeepneys stop anywhere in the street to pick up or leave off passengers. Trikes (a motorcycle with a side covered car) scoots around where ever and you better be careful around them. So far we have been hit by a motorcycle, a trike and a jeepney. Heaven forbid a bus has not collided with our vehicle. The main rule here is....."The big lug nuts rule" And you better believe. it. I have riden in a jeepney and actually I felt quite safe. It is a ride that is rather pleasant. You have time to take in the sights and no one contests the jeepney. As for pedestrians, they wander everywhere in and out of traffic. We have almost hit a grandmother and two of her grandchildren. They just don't look out for the cars.
There is a little store every where you look. Outdoor eatery's are everywhere. If it isn't Jolley Bee (hamburger place) it is a McDonald's or other fast food places we are accustomed to. Then there are the mom and pop places that are just every other house with anything from rice and pork to chicken sticks and packaged products for sale. We like places called Wham Burger, Burger King and McDonald's. We don't go in for fried foods much while out. KFC is one we avoid. When we shop for food we buy the freshest food possible such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers asparagus, lettuce and tomatoes. There are very good grocery stores that we prefer to shop at as it is what we are accustomed and know it is safe to eat. We can get just about anything we want here that is similar to the US. The one item I miss is "I can't believe its not butter" . Its not here and likely never to be here so I deal with it.
This is a land of extremes. We have seen poverty ridden homes, businesses and wet markets with all kinds of fresh produce and other commodities to lavish hotels and very very fine restaurants very reasonably priced. Well presented dishes with interesting table service to eat from. We have seen very up class grocery stores and malls. With the extreme differences I don't know what the occupations are of the people that can afford what is sold at the malls. The meeting houses are among the nicest buildings in the area. The members take care of their chapels however, the chapels are frequently broken into to steel electronics or just metal to sell as scrap.
The restrooms are commonly known as CR's...Comfort Rooms. Most places I have seen are well taken care of with automatic flush toilets and sensor activated faucets for basin hand washing. I have seen some absolutely miserable restrooms where there is no flush but a bucket of water with a scoop that you dump water into the toilet to flush it. We visited some sister missionaries where the CR in their apartment is not up to my standards and I wouldn't want my daughter using such a thing. The toilet was about 12 inches off the floor and no flush. There was a big basin (BIG) next to it with water and the scoop thing. I am told from the Senior Missionaries over the apartments that this is the norm for most of the rural apartments. The Metro Manila areas do not have the plumbing to support flush commodes, but showers yes and running water to sinks, yes. Even in the US there are restrooms that leave something to be desired. It is a developing country and I am learning first hand what that is like.
It is not uncommon to see men urinating at the wall at the side of the road. Some walls actually have a small urinal where the men pee in. No such thing for the women. It is not uncommon in rural areas or small residential streets to see small children running around stark naked. But in other places more in the city it is clothes on all the time. In the outskirts of town it is not uncommon to see men outdoors with just their shorts on bathing with soap and water. In the city proper that isn't seen at all. In walking the streets of rural areas squatter housing, there is partitioned off areas where the women stand out doors and pull a bucket of water over themselves to bathe. Its survival at its best.
Clean water is an issue here. The Pasag River that runs through the city and out to the sea almost always has trash in it. The church has a welfare couple that go to inspect water purification plants and get some ideas on how the church can help in its cleanup. It has been very successful. The river will remain the same however. Tree shrub clipping float down the river into the ocean. The frightening thing is that you see kids swimming in the river. I don't know how they can keep from getting sick.
Cock fighting is common here. In some places I have seen tethered roosters to keep them from fighting other roosters, but close enough to keep the desire to fight up so that when they are placed in a cock pit the roosters will be very aggressive. At times, the owner of a rooster can be seen walking the street holding his prize cock just back from a victory fight. We passed crates of hen chickens yesterday and we joked that we would just poach one for dinner. Just joking though. When I buy chicken I buy it at a grocery store and it is boned and skinned and packaged like the US. I see some goats slaughtered and hung by the side of the road. That's another story but really, why eat a goat. It eats everything in its path. I asked one man if he like goat..."yes"...me..."what does it taste like?" "Chicken" he says but then comes back, "It tastes like goat". Dumb question on my part. Back to the Roosters. We saw one in a crate at a gas station and Al went over to look at it. They are stunningly beautiful birds so worth the time to look at one. The owner asked "Do you want to buy it?" Can you just see us keeping a rooster in our apartment? Yes, the neighbors would appreciate the round the clock alarm. We had to decline and resist the option of buying a rooster.
What to buy that is a bargain here in the Philippines. Pearls, pearls and more pearls. We have been buying some. Anyone want some pearls? Let me know.
I go to an international bazaar sponsored by the American Women's Club of the Philippines. It is a huge vendor market in a very nice building. The sisters here in the office will go to it and shop for a couple of hours. Anything from Jewelry, tablecloths (hand made) clothes, foods, fragrances for your home, purses, you name it, its there And then I can socialize with the other Senior Missionary Sisters. Sometimes the Elders will come but not too often...maybe to drive.
The church employees here in the office have health care and they value it. Many sisters have braces on their teeth. There is never a time when a church employee sister is not brushing her teeth in the ladies restroom They really take care of their teeth. Impressive. And with beautiful smiles.
The main sport here is basketball. Every meeting house has a basketball court. Even the Cebu temple complex has a basketball court behind the stake center. Her in Manila there is a basketball court behind the MTC and it is used for exercise by the MTC missionaries and our guards here...and who ever. It is a pastime that is prized. Soccer isn't seen or baseball OR rugby. There are however golf courses, several in fact. One has the name of Whac Whac. Clever isn't it?
Al was at a meeting with the DTA this morning (Director of Temporal Affairs) and he mentioned that the Philippine priesthood leadership is about a generation away. By that it is meant that the leadership here is young. We have seen leaders in the US that are older for Bishops, stake presidents, and so forth. There are of course some older ones but many more are younger. The Branch President of the Morong Branch must be about 30. One of our officers is a Bishop and he is 31. He has been a bishop for five years. The church organization here in the Philippines is about 50 years old next year. There will be a jubilee celebration in the spring of 2011. It should be quite an event.
The children that attend school wear school uniforms with colors that is significant to the school. School is held all days of the week, not just Monday thru Friday but on Saturday and Sunday. Their schedule varies from week to week. High school is completed in three years and the advance education or college is three more years. The education can be completed by the age of 19 years old. They may have an education but no job possibilities. My heart goes out to these people with their struggles. While shopping in the grocery store across the street, asked for a kilo of ground beef from an employee behind the meat counter.. He said, "Sister, I am a member." He had a big smile on his face as he greeted me and he is happy to have a job. Minimum wage here is p250 or about $5 a day. Yes, a day. We pay our church employees more than that fortunately. Our security supervisor Jess Batoon has been in his positon for 18 years now and is looking to take advantage of his retirement next year. He is 52 years old. He told me today that church employment has been such a blessing in his life and for his family. If it not for his employment he would have no useful employment for him in the Philippines. Yet he is very grateful for what he has been able to accomplish through church employment. The members of the church are a happy people with real strong convictions about living the Gospel in all aspects of their lives. They are blessed also in finding some kind of employment, be it at the meat counter at the store, guards, drivers, domestic help, or office help in a city hall or a Barangay as it is referred to. They seem to find work and are adamant about paying tithing. Paying tithing has helped them through their faith to be self reliant and to progress. Strong testimonies were borne about tithing in the Fast and Testimony meetings.
While waiting for traffic to move there are kids who beg from car to car with sad faces. It is against Philippine law to give to them as this is a syndicated business. They are working for someone else and give any money to their bosses. One of our senior missionary sisters buys cookies and then gives the begging children cookies for them to eat. As in Mexico there are street vendors roaming from car to car with feather dusters, cleaning rags, cigarettes and what have you to make ends meet. Sad to see but it is real.
We have a housekeeper that comes to clean our apartment every other week for p750.
She is a member and cleans all the senior missionary apartments who wish to hire someone. It is worth it to have her do it as she is so thorough. She would wash my clothes but I prefer to do that myself. I have a washer and dryer.
We have had repairs done here at our apartment for our washing machine, DVD player and some plumbing. The repairmen are quite skilled and can fix anything. Even though we have some communication to work through they generally know what the issue is and get right to the problem to repair it. We are looking to get a garbage disposal also. It just might happen.
Are people friendly? Yes they are. I have not felt threatened in any way. Everyone seems courteous and kind. But this is in our every day move. There are break ins in some areas and we know about those to investigate how it might be prevented. It is a job.
Sept 7th, next day after I wrote the above paragraph. We got a call today from our Security Supervisor in Cebu. A Senior Missionary Couple was robbed at a mall last Thursday. It is a nice mall too. We have been there many times and there are guards all over the place. Don't know the details yet. Stay tuned. Received information that the Senior Temple Missionaries were out walking and going to a mall called Ayala mall. They were surrounded by kids begging and the Elder shooed them off. But then they were surrounded by older boys who were bumping into them. They shooed them away but when they got to the mall the Elder's wallet was gone. A pickpocket incident. A couple days later a lady called to say she found the wallet with ID and all other important things. Just the cash was gone. About p5,000 or equivilant to $100. Our Security Supervisor made strong suggestions on what to do when out walking so hopefull it won't happen again.
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