July
10
Tags
Manila: First Impressions
Friendly people, rice, rain showers, and traffic
The People
I reached the first milestone- one full week in the Philippines. My first impression is how friendly the Pinoys (term used to describe people from the Philippines) have been. Two different taxi drivers offered me part of their breakfast and even people in the most poverty stricken areas have an engaging smile when you meet them.
Below is a picture of a Mom and child (Bernadette and Joel) I met on a field visit with Save the Children.
Rice
Luckily I really like rice because it is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Very similar to how pizza works at our house in North Carolina. Many of the dishes of the Philippines are made to pour over rice. Fast food is around every corner as well. The iconic spot in the Philippines is Jollibee. Here is a picture of me with their mascot. The bee is like the Ronald McDonald of the Philippines.
Traffic
Manila traffic is BAD. A few people in the office have 3 hour commutes to and from work. On a Friday I had to return from a field visit in Quezon City at 4pm which is about 15 miles away. It took two and a half hours to make the trip home. Many of the roads are dominated by tricycles (motorcycles with side cars for paying passengers), pedicabs and the most popular form of public transportation- Jeepneys. Jeepneys were originally made from large jeeps left over from WWII. I think some of those are still in use. My blog cover picture shows a Jeepney in the rain.
The Rain
It’s rainy season so the skies usually open up every afternoon with downpours. Last Friday most businesses closed at 2pm due to city wide flooding. Of course traffic is even worse when it rains. Below is a picture of pedicab going against traffic in the rain.
Stay tuned for my next blog. I will do my best to describe my field visit to one of the areas where Save the Children is making a big difference.
Thanks for reading!
Dean
Nice blog my friend you are looking good!
Wow, another example of how truly blessed we are. Love your photos!
Fantastic first impressions, Dean! Hope you’re keeping dry, enjoying the food, navigating the dense traffic, and in the company of new friends! In hot days like this, ask the Save the Children staff to introduce you to halo-halo! 🙂
Wow! What a great description of the Phillipino culture! The pictures are fantastic. I love how you likened rice to pizza…LOL!! I am also a lot more appreciative of my commute!! 😀Looking forward to hearing all about what you’re doing at STC.
Awesome work Dean! Enjoy the rain and Jolibee. Next up you must try the milk fish, Dorian and egg!
I challenge you to try balut Dean 😉
Sounds very interesting. Did you bring your hip boots? Love the pictures. Glad that the people are so friendly. Keep the impressions coming. Anxious to hear about your apartment and your work. LOL Mom and John
Thanks for the comments and I will pass on the balut challenge!
Thanks for giving your time and service to the children of the Philippines! Hope someone else is driving your through that traffic… hang in there!
This is a great blog – really introduces us to life in the Philippines. I look forward to reading more about your work with Save the Children.
Thanks so much for allowing me to share in your experience in the Philippines. Keep up the good work! Can’t wait to see your next blog:)