Things that I will get used to and forget to write about

I've been here 3 weeks now and I already know there are things that I am getting accustomed to, that I found foreign when I arrived.  This post is focused on sharing those things that I truly found different and amusing when I arrived here in the Philippines.

Personal safety - there is security everywhere here, in this privileged enclave in which I live and work.   Security guards are, literally, everywhere.  Outside of every building, whether it's a government office, private sector building, condo like ours, malls, hotels, anywhere.  Inside some buildings - an airline has an office on our floor and they have a security guard outside the office door, who's job appears to be to help direct people trying to find the airline's office.  All security guards are dressed in spotless uniforms and they carry guns.  I found it odd at first as I assumed they were here as a reaction to events that had occurred.  I've been told that no, they are here to prevent problems from happening and I now believe that.  I feel quite comfortable here and this week made an uneventful, solo trip to Manila, which is one of those cities where people get shot because of road rage.

Clothing - it's hot here and very humid and I've yet to feel cool temperatures outside at any time of day or night.  I'm told it will be cooler in January but I don't think the difference is that much.  What I find interesting is in the office and mall area that I live and work in, people dress as though it's not that hot.  They may not wear jackets (except in the morning) but they are wearing clothing similar to what you would see in Victoria.  Jeans on all the young people, pants (or dresses) for the office people, service workers in uniforms that are much more formal than shorts and sandals.  I can wear black as much as I did in Victoria and don't stand out at all!

Service - the service here is absolutely wonderful, especially in the hotels, but pretty much everywhere there are lots of workers and they are happy to help.  Minimum wage here is low (about $225 per month) and that's what many people are paid.  I assume that since it's relatively cheap to hire workers and there is an abundant supply of young people that need jobs, companies hire a lot of them and train them to provide good service.

Height - for those of you familiar with the Rand competitiveness for height, you'll know that I have lost to my son (long ago) and daughters (by a mere quarter inch in some cases).  In Canada, I am bordering on short at 5'6"; in the Philippines I am tall!  There are times when I'll be riding in the elevator in our building filled with young Filipinas and I am at least a head taller than all of them, and probably 40 pounds heavier.  The young women here are tiny!

Youth - the median age of the Canadian population is 39.9 years; the median age of the Philippines population is 22.5 years (and I'll bet if they had statistics for the areas where call centres are located, the median age would be even lower).  This is a very young country, but senior people get a lot of respect. I also get respect because I don't have black hair and brown eyes, which 99.9% of the people here have.  I don't know how they do it but Filipino's hair does not turn grey.  Every older ex-pat I see here has grey hair, but not the Filipinos.

English - I live in the Visayas region of the Philippines and there are at least 2 local languages and 2 or 3 different dialects spoken.  Since no one local language is prevalent and not everyone can understand each other's local language, the common denominator is English and everyone here speaks and understands a reasonable amount of English.  This is good for me as I only speak English.  When I was in Vienna many years ago, it was much more challenging.  The professional people could speak English but the people that one interacted with on a daily basis in the shops and offices, really only spoke Viennese German.  Here, even the cab drivers can understand me and I can usually understand them.

Transportation - a few stats for you:  greater Manila has 25.5M people; greater London has 8.5M, greater Vancouver has 2.2M; greater Cebu has 2M; greater Victoria has 350,000.  London has the tube (13 lines), trains and buses, Vancouver has the sky train (3 lines), trains and buses, Victoria has buses.  Manila has an LRT (3 lines).  Cebu has some sort of bus system that I've heard about but never seen.
But what do Manila and Cebu have that those other cities don't?  Jeepneys!  Thousands of them, providing transportation to the masses.  I've thought about taking pictures of them but they're all moving too fast and I'm reluctant to appear too touristy.  But do google them if you're interested.  They are apparently made from old US army jeeps, they typically carry up to 15 passengers and they are highly decorated, often with religious themes.  My favourite in Cebu is the one with "God is Good, All the Time" on it's front.  Apparently the more decorated the jeepney, the more riders it gets -- private enterprise at its finest.  The fares and routes are regulated but after that almost anything goes.