1. Globalization: my husband was shocked that on our first day in the Philippines, our kids were offered Dunkin' Donuts and had the opportunity to pick Krispy Kremes, ate lunch at Bubba Gumps (just like the one at Fisherman's Wharf) and shopped to their hearts content at Toys R Us. Here is Jake recreating comfort by building a Thomas the Tank Engine track in the Manila condo.
He threatened to take my cousins to Goldilocks, Jolibee and Island Pacific on their first day they visit the United States. : ) But he finally got to see more of the Philippines . . .
2. Transportation: You truly don’t appreciate the meaning of traffic until you visit a third world country – especially when “super highways” are opened before completion and roads may sometimes lead to barricades that indicate that they aren’t finished yet. As Marcy so aptly put it, “CalTrans workers are geniuses!” She even wanted to write them a thank you letter when we got home. Aside from the traffic, the various modes of transportation were different. Aside from buses and automobiles, other vehicles added to the congestion.
Traveling by jeepney appeared to be one of the more popular public transportation all over the Philippines. Each jeepney line has its own unique route and you get the chance to mingle with eight to twelve strangers for about five minutes or more, depending on traffic.
Traveling by Tricycle is ideal if you want to head straight to your destination rapidly because it has the ability to squeeze in hidden lanes and rush past buses and jeepneys. It's similar to a motorcycle with a side care attached.
Traveling by pedicab requires the most guts (in my humble opinion). You get to sit (I'm told uncomfortably) in a side car attached to a bicycle. My cousin, during a visit from the States, was impressed that she saw at least 3 generations sharing one pedicab (about 8 people all together). And because it's powered by pedaling, pedicabs are not affected by any oil price hikes!
3. Rules: The Philippines is a relatively orderly country - especially when you see all of the political turmoil taking place across the world. However, no one seems to be worried about breaking a law or a rule here and there. While driving, we saw signs everywhere with the word "Bawal" and wondered what it meant (like this one):
But when we asked my parents, their driver and anyone that would listen, no one seemed to know. After a quick Google search, we learned that it meant “prohibited” and laughed (quietly and out loud) that no one seemed to know what it meant. Jake seems to operate in the same mode - - he hears the warnings, but then does whatever he can to get away with things as long as he doesn’t get caught. : )
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