MY LAST BLOG UNTIL...

(For some reason there are extra lines between paragraphs. Have no clue how that happened after it was published online. It is not in the draft.)

This will be my last post until I start making plans for my next trip. This is just some assorted trivia I wrote down during this last trip.

In 2013, I traveled with my daughter to Ethiopia to get her second adopted child from that county. What I have noticed around most airports is a fairly well-kept neighborhood but also includes some form of poverty and a noticeable suffering economy. This airport in Addis, Ethiopia was a good size as it is in most capital cities. I don’t really remember all of the neighborhoods that were close by. What I do remember is that two blocks from the airport were nice commercial buildings with one empty lot in between. For many years the lot had been void of any building. In the field was a man herding a flock of sheep. He appeared to be a poor shepherd probably caring for and herding another man’s sheep. In the middle of a good economic zone of business buildings was an uncared for field with sheep.

That was a good picture of all third-world countries…rich and poor economies in close proximity. It was also a good picture of the Philippines. Major cities may have good economies but poor neighborhoods are close by.

While I was in the Philippines I was on several different provinces. I noticed these blending economies. These different economies affected what you would pay for items. Here are some examples of costs in the Philippines compared to the costs in the USA. Prices of items are always subject to the currency exchange.

-Haircuts were the same price as a blizzard 48php or $.94. In the USA, a small blizzard is $3.69

-Bread rolls or croissants were 2p or $.04. In the USA, a single croissant may cost $.60 and up.

-Cookies were 2p or $.04. At Subway, cookies are 3/$1.00

-A 12 oz. coke was 75p or $1.47 at a Manila Restaurant. In Subic at the 7/11, a 12 oz. coke was 25p or $.50. In the USA, $.50 and up. At a food/convenience stand beside the road in Mindoro, 10 oz. coke was 15 p or $.30.

-In Angeles City, a two-burner propane stove was 2500p or $49.30. In the USA, around $100.

-The Samsung J1 cell phone was 3000php or $59.12. In the USA, around $80.

-A Children’s school bag on rollers, which included a lunch box, was 2000p or $39. In the USA, $50.

-A ticket to enter a well-developed Waterpark was 240p or $4.75. Whitewater in Branson, MO. costs $42.

-To rent a Cabana for the day was 1500p or $29.55. At Whitewater, the price is $75.

Last year, I paid 2500p or $48 for a hotel room which included a pool. Way too expensive. This year, I paid 1800p or $35 for a comparable hotel. Then I found a beachfront resort with nice rooms 1337p or $26. So that is where I stayed. In the USA, a nice hotel with a pool would cost around $60 up. A beachfront hotel in the USA would be super expensive comparably.

I had my laundry done several times. 15 pieces of laundry washed/dried/folded/delivered was 129p or $2.50. Not sure what that would cost in the USA but far more than $2.50.

Some food costs at restaurants would include:

-Chicken or beef with potato/rice for 295p or $5.75. In the USA, the same would probably be $8-$12.

- At a Mom/Pop side stand, I bought 2 Tilapias (comparable to a nice size Blue Gill) with rice for 180p or $3.49. Maybe in the USA, this might cost $9-$15 depending on where you eat.

-A cup of rice was 40p or $.8 In USA, $.21 and up.

-A meal of Veggies/meat/rice was 90p or $1.75.

-In Jollibee (A restaurant combination of McDonalds and KFC) you could buy one piece of chicken, fries, rice, soda…or burger, fries, rice, soda (A combo meal) for 90p or $1.75. In the USA, this would cost $5.49.

-At the market, an Apple was 40p or $.8 In the USA, this would cost $.20

-At the market, an Orange was 50p or $.10. In the USA, this would cost $.40

-Close to an Airport hotel, at a side stand, BBQ Chicken Intestines on a stick (yes you read that right) was 6p or $.11. This was very popular food. None in USA that I know of.

-Another popular food was an egg (called a Balot) that had not been removed from under the chicken soon enough and the fetus had formed. The egg would be cracked open at the end, the juice would be sucked out, and more shell taken off to get to the inside. Once inside there would be a black blob (the dead fetus) and the rest of the egg which would be eaten as a tasty delicacy. These eggs cost 16p or $.31. None in USA that I know of.

-The Philippines is totally a coke product culture. Coke is on many billboards. All restaurants and motels had only Coke products. No Pepsi products in the Philippines except in a 7/11 store and in grocery stores.

As far as wages, in Manila and other large cities, a High School teacher with a Masters made 1000p per day or $19.50 per day. A factory worker with ten years of experience made 700p or $13.64 per day. A lady who cleans houses might make 500p or $9.75 per day. These were city wages and, of course, did not include the wages of the elite. In the provinces, wages for field workers or people working their own side stand might make 100-200p or $1.94-$3.90 per day. What would you think about living on these kinds of wages?

People live day to day, meal to meal. I was in houses with different sizes of refrigerators. Not uncommon for the refrigerator be empty. Meals made that day, whether one or two, would be made from any nonperishables in the house. There would be no leftovers. They literally went to bed hungry.

People just don’t have much extra money. Very common for someone in the family to become sick and need to go the doctor, buy medicine, and not have the money. What do they do? Borrow from family or friends. Some will take jewelry or something else to the pawn shop. This makes people in debt most of the time. As soon as they get their items back from the pawn shop, something else would come up to need money. Just a continuous cycle.

Last year, a man needed a new roof as a result of a vicious Typhon. He borrowed from all that he knew and then he owed 31,000p or $604. Of course, a roof in the USA would not just cost $600. Average replacement cost in the USA for a roof is $12,000 using asphalt shingles. I think mine cost $4000.

Money does go further in the Philippines if you have the money.

People in the Philippines see me as a rich white American. LOL I told them that in the USA is just like the Philippines. There are the rich, the poor, and those in between. Not every American has a lot of money. Most have to work hard and some have to borrow to get by.

-At the airport I had my shoes shined/cleaned for 200p or $3.90. In the USA, $8-$25

-A Caramel Latte was 160p or $.31 In USA, the cost is $2.39 and up.

Yes, these were airport prices. Probably higher than other places.

OTHER ITEMS: I saw very few stop signs at which no one would stop anyway. The few stop lights I saw had a box in the middle of the traffic lights that had a numerical countdown showing how long until the lights would change. Interesting. That would lower some anxiety in the USA. LOL

Most understand English. Some just cannot express the language. I was in one church where the Pastor told me his people could understand me but could not speak English. Another pastor said he needed to interpret for me but I ask the people a question and they raised their hands. So most can dialogue with you. It is usually the children and the senior adults who have problems communicating.

Well, that is just some trivia I picked up along the way. These trips are very fulfilling and always a learning experience with some great people.

Thanks.