I have been taking some walks in the neighborhood – no longer just on the main street that goes to and from the mall. There are some small restaurants and some townhouse-type communities behind gated fences – in general, there are lots of security guards as I walk along, not only in front of the banks but also at the drugstore and the fast food places. The neighborhood behind the main street is nicer than the one on the main street, but it’s still not easy to walk – there isn’t always a sidewalk, but there is always traffic, and it doesn’t stop for pedestrians. Busy corners will have a traffic policeman – I use Rose’s trick of crossing when the locals cross. Nearby there is a track and an Olympic-size swimming pool that I can go to - I haven’t yet been around when it’s been open, but it would be nice to add either or both to my routine (now walking and yoga). Someone at work was telling me about a pool nearby where I could get dive certification – I think I might go for it. The Philippines is known for its diving, after all.
Monday morning at the office I listened to Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN radio – with the twelve-hour time difference, I can listen to most night games. I thought I would get an mlb.com subscription for October but why wait? Baseball is wonderful background music to work by. Monday morning is also when the Habitat office has its weekly devotion; I was expected to attend that. There were a couple of songs, a bible reading and some testimony – it was fine to observe and I felt no pressure to participate. But I do think I would feel uncomfortable if this were a permanent job – here I am not a part of the culture, either in the country or the company, so it’s okay.
Some small world news – back in orientation (weeks ago!) I mentioned to Mary that I had done a charity walk the day before we got on the plane, and she happened to have designed the theatre right near the beginning of the walk! Not only that, but her sister is a nurse whose church goes down to Honduras every year – to the village where Charlie was a volunteer!
After the Corazon Aquino viewing, some enterprising marketers were handing out samples of wrapped candy. I put them on my desk at home and when I got up in the middle of the night, there were a bunch of ants! Not even wrapped candy is safe. I bought some airtight food containers (these work so well I might have to send them home). I have seen a few other uninvited guests in my room – I keep telling myself it’s a tropical country. So far, it’s only been a few, no chemical intervention is required. Another uninvited guest the other day was a gecko. He’s welcome, but I feel more comfortable with him on the other side of the room.
Gary gave me every DVDs of Survivor and Amazing Race that I had missed while in Morocco, and I have been watching episodes at night. Last night the Survivor: China people had to eat balut – the fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It’s a delicacy here. So far I haven’t been offered any yet, but watching the contestants try to eat it, I don’t think I could do it.
And some fast facts from Culture Shock Philippines -
Land area: 115,900 square miles
Length: 1850 km
Breadth: 965 km
Natural resources: cobalt, copper, gold, nickel, petroleum, salt, silver, timber
Government: Elected president and bicameral legislature
Administrative divisions: 79 provinces and 116 chartered cities
Exchange rate: About 50 to 1 (the currency here is the peso)
GDP: In 2004, $430.6 billion
Agricultural products: bananas, beef, cassavas, coconuts, corn, eggs, fish, mangoes, pineapples, pork, rice, sugar cane
Industries: chemicals, electronics assembly, fishing, food processing, footwear, garments, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, wood products
Exports: chemicals, coconut and copper products, electronic equipment, fruits and nuts, garments, machinery and transport equipment, optical instruments
Imports: chemicals, fuel, grains, machinery and equipment, plastic, raw materials, vehicles and vehicle parts
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Would you have concerns swimming in a local pool with regard to cleanliness of the water? Or are you confident in their ability to treat the water adequately? Speaking of which, do you drink the local water untreated or treated? And what did you do with the drinking water in Morocco?
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ReplyDeleteAs blog administrator, I removed a duplicate post and an apology for a duplicate post - Amy didn't say anything untoward!
ReplyDeleteI might have concerns - I do want to go over and check it out. So far the hours (or what I was told were the hours) have not worked in my favor. I certainly had concerns about the public pools in Morocco, and never went in. I could probably go to one of the pools at the luxury hotels that aren't too far away (but are a world away). For now, walking and yoga are enough (and I am planning a beach getaway and possibly a hiking one). I buy water that has been treated by reverse osmosis - the tap water here is definitely not safe. The drinking water where I lived in Morocco was not only treated but delicious. I bought bottled water when I visited my friends in the desert - they could drink their water too (those that had running water), but I didn't like the taste of it. And they seemed to be sick more than I did.