Buwis Buhay

Guest post by Stella:

Security is taken very seriously in the Philippines. You see security guards dressed in their crisp white shirts, ties, and well pressed pants in almost every business establishment. These people take their job seriously. You will find that they might seem very polite greeting you with a, "good morning/afternoon, sir or ma'm!" along with a nod of their head but in reality they seem to be practicing for a future TSA job at the airport.

When we checked-in at the Marriott this afternoon our car had to go through a bomb inspection check at the driveway entrance. The dog dutifully checked out our trunk full of suitcases while a couple of guards ran a mirror check under the car. I felt relieved when they gave the thumbs up signal for another security guard to lower the automatic road barricade. As we got closer to the hotel entrance, I noticed an x-ray machine for bags and a metal detector for all guests. While checking in I debated whether I feel safer because of all the security measures taken or worried about a possible attack in the hotel. I decided the former is better and I could sleep better tonight.

Malls are no different. Large malls have security checkpoints similar to the one mentioned above before you can park in the building lot. Guards with a stick in their latex gloved hands are stationed at every entrance checking people's bags or waving the magic secure wand on some random person who seemed a little questionable in their view. At one mall, I was asked to "please remove your shades" as I passed through. Dutifully I complied and removed my sunglasses.

Guards at banks and other important buildings carry shotguns. I'm thinking that the possibility of a Western style shoot out is very likely if someone dares to rob the bank. Hopefully, I am not inside when that happens.

The job description not only requires one to be vigilant of would be perpetrators but may involve traffic control, umbrella service, parking lot ticket takers, and ability to open doors with a smile. In some restaurants, guards will walk you to your car under an umbrella to protect you from the sun. Can you imagine getting a sunburn while walking that 20 feet of shadeless parking lot? Maybe  we should have requested for them to turn on the car and cool it down first before we got in instead. Parking may require one to purchase a ticket at a gate, so guards collect money at the entrance and another one to collect the tickets at the exit. In some places parking may require a guard to help you squeeze your car into a spot even if it is not a legal place to park (like on the curb).

The most interesting to watch is when a customer leaving the building needs to back out into major traffic, the guard then walks out in the middle of the street to stop oncoming traffic. Showing no fear, he raises his hands to signal that everyone must stop so the car can safely back out and leave. There is no guarantee that all vehicles will stop as someone who is in a hurry might find a space to go through and ignore the guard standing in the street. On several occasions, we feared for the guard's life as we watch him standing with arms waving while cars, jeepneys, tricycles, or motorcycles speeds through. My sister, in her amusement, described their job: "Buwis Buhay," which means risk your life. And that they do!

Now, there are the unofficial, not uniformed, guard wannabes. These are the random people who stands outside a small business building like the cleaners who does not employ a regular guard. Customers (whether they ask or not) will find a person standing behind their cars in the middle of street waving down traffic as they back out of the parking lot. Of course, why wouldn't you give them a few pesos to compensate them for risking their life in exchange for a speedy exit so you can join the rest of the snarling traffic on your way to your next stop?

Karaoke!!

On Tuesday we celebrated my grandpa's 80th birthday! Aside from the mountain of food available (lechon, "dirty" ice cream, diniguan), there was a karaoke machine available.

Now, I'm not sure what the deal is with Filipinos and karaoke, but it's pretty hilarious. Everyone wants to sing or dance to "video-karaoke," which is an Asian-based karaoke machine with random videos playing in the background. The lyrics can be wrong or misspelled in hilarious Engrish, and the videos don't have much to do with the song playing. Afterwards, the machine gives you a score, which never dips below 80%. After the party even the caterers were singing their hearts out to both English and Tagalog pop songs!

Unfortunately, our time in the Philippines is coming to a close. We will be leaving on Friday morning to jump back in time to arrive on Friday night California time, to apparently a good dose of much-needed rain! We have had so much fun here, and I wish I could have stayed longer!

Historic Manila (Crash Course in Filipino History)

Hello Friends,

I haven't had the time to write a blog post about our visit to historic Manila on our first day. We visited the older part of the city in the afternoon, after visiting the open market. As many Americans are reading this blog, I don't expect many of you to know much about Filipino history. I myself only know recent Filipino history, mostly from WWII to present day, and even then I still have a lot to learn. However, I do know about Dr. Jose Rizal, which is what most of the historic memorials in Manila are about. First: the Spanish.

The Spanish were the longest colonizers, and their influence on Filipino culture is evident everywhere. Tagalog shares many Spanish words (I've noticed that many Filipinos interchange Tagalog numbers with Spanish numbers when talking about the time or prices). Catholicism is still huge here. Everything from religion, to fashion, to language was influenced by the Spanish, and many Filipinos have Spanish names still.

We visited Fort Santiago, where the remains of the Spanish forts are during the colonization period. Inside the Fort are the Rizal memorials, which include his prison cell, a collection of his books, and golden footprints showing his walk to his execution site (several of which have been stolen).

 I happened to have read an English version of Noli Me Tangere, the book that has permeated Filipino culture by Dr. Rizal. It is about Filipinos under Spanish rule, in particular about the corruption of the Catholic clergy. One of the main characters, Maria Clara (who represents the Philippines), engendered a unique dress called the Maria Clara. This book is required reading in all Filipino high schools, and is the book that angered the Spanish enough to call for Dr. Rizal's execution.

In the memorial the Filipinos are shooting Rizal (though only one had the real bullet), and the Spanish soldiers are pointing their guns at the Filipinos. Behind them are the clergy. 

Dr. Rizal is the Philippines' national hero. I honestly think he is a fascinating historical figure. He died young, spoke several languages, and was just an all around interesting guy. I intend to re-read his books, maybe someday in their original Spanish. I hope that my visit to Manila will help me read Noli Me Tangere and its sequel in better historical and cultural context. And visiting all of these memorials for this influential writer is something that I like to do anyway, as I'm always interested in literature and its influence on history and culture. 

Most of the tour (by Carlos the tour guide, while we rode on a Cartela in the middle of the crowded street) was dedicated to Dr. Rizal's memorials and more recent history (WWII). I had no idea that Manila used to be a walled city, which was the biggest surprise of all. I happen to like learning about the history of cities, especially since I have so many relatives in Manila. While I was sad that the cathedral is still under renovation, I'm glad I got to go visit the city. And I'm especially glad that I got to visit the memorials of another highly influential writer. 

Masarap! (Pinoy Food)

One of the first things people do while traveling abroad is sample the local food.  As I am staying with Filipino relatives, I'm getting a pretty heavy dose of the local food and customs. While there is a lot of food that is similar to food in the States, you will eventually find strange fruits, veggies and concoctions you didn't even know existed. I've had my fair share of Pinoy food before, but since I've gotten here eating new food is a whole different ball game.

In the Philippines chopsticks are not used often. The spoon and the fork are used to eat meals. The spoon is large and flattened, which allows it to be used as a knife. I've eaten rice every day and at almost every single meal. Once I'm finished and I wish to express how divine the food was, I say "masarap," which means "very delicious."

The local equivalent of a McDonald's is the Jollibee's, which serves burgers as well as fast-food versions of some local dishes. My relatives insisted that I try some Jollibee's food, so I had longanisa (a breakfast meat I've had many times before) for breakfast:

Some of the weirdest food I have encountered are the fruits. I got to try lanzones:

A few mornings later I found a bowl of spiky reddish-pinkish fruit on the living room table:

They look like one of those cheap plastic toys that kids throw at each other. 

This fruit is called rambutan. To open it you squeeze the fruit until it breaks open, and then you peel it apart. Like the lazones, the fruit is clear, but the sap is not as sticky. Unlike the lanzones, this fruit is similar to stone fruits, as there is one big seed in the middle.

Many of the native fruits include mangos (mango trees are everywhere), coconuts, different varieties of bananas, and langkas (also called "jack fruit"). I've seen lancas before in Filipino/Asian supermarkets back in the States, but I had no idea what they looked like on the tree. Indeed, when I saw them in the States I didn't give them much thought, other than, "wow, that's a huge fruit." Then, when I started seeing them everywhere here, I realized that shoot, they are fruits and grow on trees. But what kind of a tree would support this monster? A walk around the neighborhood revealed the secrets of the langka tree:

If this fruit falls onto your head you will die. 

The flesh of the langka fruit is quite delicious, as I had some while eating Halo-Halo, a Filipino desert.

While there are so many delicious things to enjoy, eventually you will eat something that you either didn't eat right or you just don't like. The stranger things are food like paa ng manok at isaw ng baboy (chicken feet and pig intestines, cooked on the BBQ and enjoyed on a stick). The majority of food is good, but sometimes you make a mistake when trying new foods. When we went to Quezon Province, where I tried bagoong (the brownish stuff next to the rice in the top picture), which was quite the disaster.

Asian salads are nothing like the salads Americans know. There are a lot of veggies, and bagoong is tiny shrimp fermented in salt that is supposed to be eaten in small quantities on top of some veggies, and I put an entire spoonful into my mouth. Not one of my smartest ideas, but I didn't know it wasn't a side dish, and that shoving a whole spoonful in your mouth is like eating a spoonful of ranch dressing or wasabi.

Most of the time life lessons come this way: you don't know the rules until you do something wrong. Same goes with food: you gotta break the rules to learn the rules.

Rules Optional (Driving in Manila, Part 2)

Guest Post by Stella:

Driving in Manila is not for the faint of heart. Traffic rules are non-existent. Our first couple of days we sat in the backseat watching in awe as my sister-in-law navigated her way through narrow streets in the city. But it seems that the streets are not narrow enough for all vehicles. Two lane roads become four as every car tries to get ahead of the other cars in front of them. Driving in-between the lines is a sure fire way of letting the vehicle behind you to squeeze in next to you and the car on either of your side. Cars come within inches of each other. If I open my window, it would feel like I am sitting next to the other driver of the car. If it is a bus or a truck, that metal wall seems like a part of the window. I noticed a metal bat in between the seats of our car and asked about the presence of the said item. My sister said you sometimes need it to tap on the side of bigger vehicles such as a bus or truck to let them know they are too close in our two inch comfort space. There is a plethora of horn-blowing from all over the place. Drivers blow their horns to let people know they are driving too slow and needs to speed up or move over. They blow it when passing on the lane to make sure the car in the next lane will know not to change lanes. Horns are blown at the stoplight to tell the driver in front of you that the light will be turning green in a few seconds and to make sure he makes it to second gear in the next nano second the light turns green. They blow the horn to let other drivers know that there is no intention on their part to let the other cars through. They blow it because or irritation, frustration, or probably just because they have a working car horn.

Every traffic rule I have known driving in the US is considered optional in Manila. You may use turn signals but it does not guarantee that anyone will let you in the lane. Lines in the road are guides. You can drive on the line which can guarantee a good spot to work your way between cars in both lanes. Solid lines and dotted lines rule are ignored. To alleviate traffic during rush hours, the overflow rules are used. One lane coming from the other direction which is considered low traffic use are switch over to the heavy traffic side. I am still not sure how they determine when is the appropriate time to switch over. It seems that it happens anytime of the day. Overtaking is done using the lane from the opposite direction or using the right lane reserved for either parking or pedestrians. There seems to be no concern whether their car would block oncoming traffic or inching their vehicle through crowds of people waiting to cross or grab the local public transportation.

Pedestrian safety is of no concern to the local driver. Their job is to make sure they don't get run over while trying to get to the other side. Some try to use the crosswalk but drivers see the opportunity to get further ahead. There is no slowing down as the driver speeds through between pedestrians. Stopping to let them through may cost them a spot up ahead as everyone tries to go for the only open area in the street. People don't seemed faze by the lack of courtesy. They exude a face determination as they walk across. A slight hint of hesitance may leave you stuck standing in the middle of the road like the grandma we saw yesterday. Hair blowing from the wind caused by the big buses passing within inches of her back, she longingly looked for a driver willing to stop so she can continue on crossing. There was no sense of worry in her face as we watched her cross the rest of the way. Crossing in groups is a good strategy and walking in a diagonal direction is effective in avoiding cars and getting to a point on the other side faster.  

Corregidor Island

Hello Friends,

On Thursday morning we woke up at 4:40am to get ready to leave for Corregidor Island on the ferry in Manila. Traffic is so bad that it's easier to leave early, and is pretty much the only way we can be on time for anything.

Corregidor Island, for those who don't know, was a highly bombed island during WWII, and is the place where the American cemetery is located. It is the island where General MacArthur said, "I shall return" to liberate the Filipinos from the Japanese. For those who like to study the Pacific Theater (WWII in the Pacific Islands and Asian countries), this is a very important place for both Filipino and American history. As this small island is located in Manila Bay, it became a strategic point for invading naval forces so they could reach Manila.

The island is now run by tour buses, so we didn't have to walk everywhere. The island is also shaped like a tadpole, so the different sides are called "the topside" and "tailside." The ferry ride took about an hour and a half, so hopping on the ferry is like going to the Channel Islands in Southern California.

The island was completely destroyed during the bombings, and everything has now grown back into a forest. According to the tour guide, there is or was a bomb hole every twenty feet on the island. All that's left of the American and Filipino camps are crumbling ruins, which are riddled with bomb holes. The coolest ruins, in my opinion, are the Topmile Barracks. At one time, Corregidor was host to the largest soldiers' barracks in the world, called the "Top Mile" Barracks, which are literally about a mile long.

 They are huge, which is why I thought they were so cool. Other things you can see are old cannons and guns that have been repainted and face toward the Pacific. The weather was pleasant for most of the day, but then got hotter once it reached the afternoon. There are memorials all over the island for the Americans, Filipino and even Japanese soldiers who died during the war. 

The Filipino war memorial is the biggest and most interesting one, as the whole memorial is dedicated to Filipino history. There are statues representing important rebellions against foreigners in Filipino history, and goes up to Filipino independence. The American memorial erected a statue of an American soldier carrying a wounded Filipino soldier in front of the domed alter of peace, which is before another statue of an eternal flame. 

Corregidor was one of the places I really wanted to visit during my short stay here, and I'm very glad I was able to go. It may not be as interesting for some people unless you are interested in history, but I find WWII memorials to be one of the most memorable places to visit. It's hard to imagine that the overgrown forests full of native bougainvillea, traveler's palms, and trailing purple flowers did not exist after the bombings. Until you see the native fauna growing through the cracks in the collapsed barracks, then you understand that all of those things you learned in your world history class actually happened. If you plan to visit Manila, I recommend Corregidor. While you can only go via a guided bus tour (which doesn't give you enough time to wander around), it is still a great place to visit. 

Rules Optional: Driving in Manila

Guest post by Stella:
After three days riding as passengers in a car, Hanna and I still hold our breaths on near misses on the road. I don't squeeze her arm in panic and now just exchange knowing smiles each time we see some nerve wracking situations. We are now getting used to the fact that we are safe with our very skilled driver, my sister-in-law, who can definitely put the New York taxi driver to shame. We only occasionally try to put on our imaginary seatbelts in the backseat. Seatbelts are not required for back seat passengers and even if you want to wear them the cars don't have them installed in the back seat.

There is a variety of public transportation one can avail of to get around the city. Buses looked quite clean and are driven as well as the other cars. Jeepneys can seat up to 20 people. Two with the driver and the rest sitting on two rows (parallel to the road) facing each other in the back. There are 2 so called Jesus bars above your head you can grab hold on to to keep from sliding from your seat or leaning too much on the next passenger as the jeepney speeds between stops. Their goal is to pick up as many fares in their route. Bus or jeepney stops are ignored as they willfully stop anywhere to let passengers on or off. Car drivers try to drive on the leftmost side to avoid getting stuck behind these vehicles as they tend to be very unpredictable on when they stop.

Then they have the tricycle and the pedicab.  Tricycles are motorcycles with an attached cab to its side and can fit two passengers. Pedicabs are similar but use a bicycle instead . Although they are made to comfortably and safely seat 3 passengers, we've seen them with ten people on the road. Two people behind the driver, four inside the cab where two of them are sitting and the other two on the narrow floor or maybe the other one partially hanging halfway off the side, two more sitting in the one by two feet spot that serves as a back hood, and one hanging Jason Bourne-esque style on top of the roof.

For the tourists there is the caretela, which is a carriage driven by a horse. The carriage is set up higher on the ground so you can get a better view. We had the pleasure of taking a ride on a caretela driven by Eddie, who had a nice toothless smile. His white with brown-streaked horse, Richard, seems to be as old as its owner. A little cranky at first but he seems to like his role as the main attraction on this ride. Richard would follow directions well as he navigates through the traffic maze in the mid-morning heat. He is quite patient as we try to get on and off the carriage multiple times to walk through some tourist spots. He doesn't miss a beat in his trot as we were asked to adjust the weight in the carriage by moving our spot in the seat to balance it. Our tour guide Carlos, whose English is quite excellent, took us around the old Manila district - Intramuros and the fort, Luneta Park, Jose Rizal monument, and the university row. I have visited these places when I was younger and have studied this part of the history in school but it still amazes me that I have learned new things from Carlos. We went to see two beautiful churches San Agustin and the Manila Cathedral. The church of San Agustin is the oldest church in the country. At over 440 years, the church still stands and still is open for mass on Sundays. Manila Cathedral, currently undergoing reconstruction, is a beautiful church. It is popular for local celebrities and politicians who want to get married ala Westminster Abby style.

Caretelas are allowed to be driven on the main roads alongside cars, buses, etc. It's amazing to watch Richard pull the carriage through all the speeding, honking modern machines. Eddie, our driver, told us that the horse has the right of way because he can't see very well on the side, and can't stop all the time. We realized that right of way means not following the stoplights or road signs. I am not sure whether I fear for our lives sitting on the carriage or for the horse that just kept going in spite of the oncoming traffic as we turn left from the main road. Surprisingly, all cars stop to let us through. If you think riding through the smaller streets is easier, it is even more interesting. Since horses can't just stop suddenly, Eddie would be yelling "Excuse the horse!" whenever a pedestrian or a vehicle is in its way.  Feeling more confident about our role in the road, we started adding "Richard is coming through." Just like the Red Sea, the road is parted and everyone seems to not mind moving over for Richard. As we said our goodbyes and thanks, Richard the lion-hearted, gave as a nonchalant nod of his head and rode off to find a spot of shade where he will rest until the next group of tourists comes along.

Mabuhay!!

Hello friends,

It's been one thing after another since we left California. Our flight left at noon to a layover in Japan, which was about 11 hours. Then we took a five hour flight to Manila from there. To get a good grasp of how long Mom and I were up, remember that we left California at 12:30pm. Continuing on Californian time, we arrived in Manila at around 9 or 10am, which is around 11pm Manila time. After saying hello to everyone at the house, we went to bed at 2am and got up early to explore Manila.

Manila is crowded, dusty and hot. Palm trees, bougainvillea, and spiky draceneas crowd what little dirt space is available. Three-lane streets become five lanes as people squeeze their cars into every inch of space as they aggressively punch their horns to warn pedestrians that they are careening through the streets. Manila traffic is colorful enough to write an entire blog post about, which I will write later this week with Mom's help.

In the morning after we landed, I visited Mom's old school and explored the streets around it, including the open market, which is quite the experience.

The open or "wet market" is street after street of vendors selling fresh vegetables, meat, food, fruit, and traditional Filipino things like a "walis," or coconut husks to polish wooden floors. 

Most of my first morning in Manila was spent going around the open market and looking at everything. There are so many things to look at and smell that it's pretty overwhelming. And there are tons of fruit and veggies that I didn't even know existed that Mom insisted I try, such as Lanzones (small yellow fruit with milky sap that is split into segments like citrus fruits. The flesh is clear and sweet, until you bite into a seed that makes it bitter). 

For lunch we went to an open sea market and picked out things to eat, and I got to taste this guy here: 

Some of the things you see around the city and markets make you laugh, such as the fact that once the vendors are done, stray dogs will jump up onto the tables and sleep there. Cooking oils are measured and sold in plastic bags. Gigantic prawns at the seafood market look like something from an Alien movie, but are actually quite delicious. I ate a lot of food yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. Just seeing all these things makes me realize how much I don't know about Filipino culture and the food, and that I still have a lot of things to try before I leave. 

Next blog post: the trip to the WWII memorials on Corregidor Island.