What I learned about the Philippines:
1. In general, people are happy If you take a ride through the busy streets of Manila, or any city or town in the Philippines, you will surely see countless children and adults living in dilapidated shacks and sleeping beside the smoggy roads. Money is scarce so many of them have no choice but to beg for money from drivers or to sell toys, flowers, and fruits on the street. It was really depressing for me to watch those people working so hard just for their family's next meal. But despite the worries and poverty they face, I noticed that the people have smiles on their faces.
2. Seatbelts are used sparingly Unlike in the United States, people in the Philippines more than often drive without using seatbelts. In taxicabs, you won't even find seatbelts in the back seat! It's common in the Philippines not to buckle up which is probably because the traffic is so heavy and the cars move so slowly that it's almost unnecessary.
3. Shopping malls are HUGE and AMAZING The popular SM (Shoe Mart) shopping malls in the Philippines attract foreigners as well as locals with its plethora of quality stores and delicious eateries--most of them low-cost. The malls I went to were SM Cubao/Ali Mall, SM North Edsa, SM Mall of Asia, TriNoma, Greenhills tiangge (a bargain-shopping center) and SM Megamall. The SM supermalls are major tourist destinations and a wonderful place to bargain shop and hang out.
4. Lots of construction going on Manila has been undergoing
major major construction! Most of the small buildings in the Philippines are truly decades old. Recently, new high-rise condominiums have been constructed in the city in the hopes of attracting tourists but also to bring the working people out of their old homes and into the "new" city.
5. Many same-sex couples When I walked through the malls in the Philippines, I noticed several same-sex couples walking hand-in-hand and shopping. It was a pretty cool thing because I don't see that much here in the U.S. and it's nice to see that the Filipino people are being even more open with their sexuality. I also have to admit that I felt kind of jealous seeing all those couple--homosexual and heterosexual--walking together hand-in-hand because it made me miss my bf even more! Haha :P But I'm happy I'm home and I get to see him soon :)
6. "Metro Manilans are punctual." Traffic in Manila is probably three times as ridiculous as Los Angeles traffic. No joke. Filipino drivers go to great lengths to get ahead in traffic. What I mean by that is Filipino drivers are unashamed to cut people off just to reach their destination on time. I don't blame them. With over a million people living in the city, it's a given that the streets will be congested with people trying to get from one place to another in a rush. Probably the most important city tip I have is to avoid rush hour (morning around 7-8am and afternoon/evening around 4:30-6pm) and dodge Manila traffic. Also, be a smart pedestrian. Don't think that you can easily jaywalk across a busy avenue just to save time. Manila streets are dangerous places for pedestrians, so be safe and use the crosswalks and avoid fatal accidents.
7. Air Pollution For the most part, city air is
far from smelling like a basket of daisies. And Manila's air is no exception. With cars as much as there is people, the smog in the air is multiplied. In truth, the air in Manila is quite heavily polluted. It's a good idea to bring a tissue or small towel to cover your mouth and nose with and avoid inhaling toxic fumes.
8. "Yes, Ma'am?" If I could give a letter grade for the customer service in the Philippines, it would be an A++. In the SM department stores there are numerous sales employees uniformly dressed and ready to make your shopping experience easier for you. The employees are very polite, eager to assist, and flexible with languages--they speak fluent English in addition to Tagalog and possibly other Filipino dialects.
9. "DotA" Boys Galore "Defense of the Ancients," or DotA, is an extremely popular computer game among Filipino teenagers and adults alike. On any given afternoon, you're sure to see the internet cafes packed full competitive DotA players melting their worries away after a long day of school or work. A bond is shared not only between the male DotA teammates, but also their lonely girlfriends who are often replaced by this infamous computer game. A humorous song was even composed on YouTube by DotA player, dinocornel, called "Mas Mahal Mo Ba Ang DotA" (Do You Love DotA More). Many DotA aficionados have even composed original songs to express their infatuation with the game.
10. A Foodie's Paradise The food courts and restaurants of Manila, Philippines are a haven for mouthwatering international and local dishes. If you're an adventurous eater, I challenge you to have a taste of a different Filipino food for each day you stay in Manila.
(Photos found on Google. Sorry I was too lazy to list all the sources... =.=)
* This was Part 2 of the posts about my Philippine vacation. Part 3 will mostly be on the things I purchased in the Philippines.
