When we were headed here to Manila, I realized it was a large city, but I was shocked by how densely populated it is. In down town Manila, there are sky scrapers, and most people live in apartments. There is little to no green space. It is almost unheard of to have a yard. Most homes are made from concrete and have tile floors. They usually have a concrete sidewalk around the house and a concrete driveway. Most homes are built up rather than out.
The next thing that was striking to me was the number of huge malls! Within five city blocks, you can visit three or four malls…Manila has three of the world’s largest malls. I asked, “How can the stores stay in business being in such close proximity?” We were told that the economy here is booming! The largest export from the Philippines is labor. One in every ten Filipinos works overseas. Many people work overseas, but instead of spending the money they make there, they send it back to their families. Labor here is cheap, so even working one hour at minimum wage in the US, they would make the same amount as a full day of work here. The contrast is so stark. Next to the malls there are neighborhoods of people packed in together with limited running water and other essentials for living.
As in most places around the world, Filipinos are worried only about their existence for today. They buy the food they need for that day, and even medicine is dispensed from the pharmacies in one dose quantities if you choose to buy it that way. Buying in bulk here does not mean you will get a discount. In fact, it may be more expensive. (1kg of sugar is less expensive than 5kgs)
An unexpected surprise is that they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US. I thought it would be the opposite like in Papua New Guinea. Driving is a freeing experience! The whole system here rotates around the U-turn. There are U-turns everywhere, and if someone is making a U-turn into your lane, you let them in…no matter if they cut you off. Sometimes there are two lanes of traffic trying to make a U-turn at the same time. Two lanes of traffic can morph into five and then down to one or even take one of the lanes from oncoming traffic. Road lines are merely a suggestion. Most Filipinos do not use their horns angrily, but they do use them generously to let you know they are there and that they will be coming through.
Despite all the smog and grim around, the Filipino people are very clean and are beautiful people. (Generally, you will not smell body odor even if it is a hot, steamy day.) A lot of value is placed on skin color; the lighter the better. They are friendly and eager to help. They call us Mam and Sir everywhere we go, and they also call each other that. To greet someone in the morning, you would say Ma gan Dang Umagan.
We feel so blessed that God has allowed us the opportunity to be here! We miss home a lot…not the snow and cold! We miss you, our friends, and we miss the familiar. We really appreciate your prayers! We have faced a lot of sickness since we arrived. Everyone in the family has had at least one virus. We hear this is common when you arrive in a new country. We are thrilled to be living in our own rented home now. We will be able to live here till December. It is the perfect spot for us to transition. It is within walking distance to the school, and it came furnished. (Two huge blessings) The house is large enough that another family is renting with us. They are a couple (with grown kids) from GA. We can’t thank God enough for bringing them here. They have blessed our socks off!
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