Shopping Like a Local

September 16, 2012September 16, 2012 / wrightsolution / 4 Comments

I’ve always shopped in the markets in different countries I’ve lived, or if I go to visit a new country, I make a b-line for the market to learn more about where I am through what’s available to eat. As all market lovers know, its usually the best place to get the freshest food at the cheapest prices. One of the challenges of living in Manila for me has been the strong lines of distinction that exist between expat shopping and local shopping – that’s geographically, product availability, and prices. Its not that we can’t shop in local markets, its just that after the first few months of making the effort to do so, it became more and more of statement rather than a practical way of getting in supplies. It just isn’t easy. There aren’t any within easy reach and people who live in upscale areas (like us) simply have a full-time cook and maid to do it for them. Or they order from fancier grocers. The rents are sky high here too, which makes it unaffordable for retail outlets to sell everyday items.

So I was glad to have the opportunity to go market shopping last week with a couple of filipina helpers from Embassy families who were helping us with the food for the Community Welcome party menu. The first stop was a meat market in Pasay where we stopped to buy chicken and pork. I’ve been to these markets before. If you haven’t experienced the world of raw meat without refrigeration, stainless steel and gloves, it can come as a bit of a shock. At each vendor, all parts of the dissected carcasses are piled — by body part — in large piles next to each other. Aside from the usual cuts of breast, thigh, wing etc., you could buy chicken feet, necks, blocks of chicken blood (for bbq I learnt) and various cleaned innards. Scrap bags were also for sale, containing odd trimmings, bones and discards from other sales for the poorest customers to make a broth.

Price was by negotiation, always. Our cook haggled in Tagalog at several different vendors for 6 kilos of chicken, and finally settled on one that gave her the best price. This guy however gave her a hard time. He didn’t want to let her pick the individual wings and wanted to pour the raw “juice” in the tray onto the scale to include it in the weight. She gave up on him in disgust and found a more helpful vendor who worked with us to prepare the chicken order. It took quite a while and my eyes strayed around me to watch all the different scenes going on. Butchers carried whole pig carcasses over their shoulder. Customers rummaged through the raw meat on display like they were picking through the sale rack at Nordstroms – arm deep in different choices – seemingly unaware that they were handling raw meat. Across from us a chicken vendor was piling cooked rice on half a dozen battered metal plates. I wondered what he was up to until I notice a single burner and saucepan bubbling below the counter. He’d been throwing meat scraps into the pot and was now ladling chicken bones and broth on to the rice plates. Breakfast for the workers, I guess. You would have to be very hungry to find it tasty, so I was in no position to judge.

I would shop here if it was easier and I had a little more time and training from a local. You’d need to know who the better vendors were and learn how not to pay the expat premium prices. Its not a realistic option this time around though. Hope I can crack that nut in Nepal.

A Development on Development

September 9, 2012April 24, 2013 / wrightsolution / 1 Comment

Ok. Its been a while. Over six months I think. A lot can happen around here in six months, construction-wise at least. Sim City (or Fort Bonifacio as it is officially known) continues to fly up in front of our eyes. I’ve never been able to get a number of given construction projects going up at any one time, but its a lot and there appears to be no end in site. No end, that is, until you count the end of our residency here, which now has a concrete finish.( If you pardon the pun.) We now tend to separate buildings into those that we expect to see completed and those that we don’t. Regardless, the city has changed enormously since we arrived in December 2010, and will continue to do up to and after we leave. I’m sure we wouldn’t even recognize a good deal of it if we came back to visit 5 years on.

Probably the most collosal under development right now is the SM Aura building that started construction a couple of months ago. Here is what is envisaged:

(Don’t be deceived by the green park-like surroundings. I wish. This is strictly artistic licence. There’s plenty of existing concrete now and more surrounding development planned that certainly doesn’t involve park creation.)

As of today, here is the explosion in a cement factory that’s going on right now. This photo only takes in the front short side. The building stretches an entire block. I think it would be good to do a blog revisit of this one before we leave, by which point it could be high enough to see from behind the buildings that are currently obstructing my view:

Sept 2012

Developments continue to be a mix of residential, commercial and retail. A lot of new buildings are a mix of all three. Back in March 2012, the restaurant end to High Street hadn’t opened yet and we were still just looking at the construction sidings:

Now the siding is down and a restaurant centre with trees and graduated amphitheater seating has sprung up with more trees than you can see anywhere else in the city. A central water feature sprays up in the middle courtyard after dark, keeping the kids busy while the parents dine. One of the best changes I think. 1 year ago it was just a field.

One more… March 2012:

Today:

Same area Sept 2012. (Pic taken from last block of non-developed/developing land in the area)

Lastly, for consistency, here is the view from my kitchen window in March, and now again in Sept 2012. Not so much difference at first glance, after all with 75% of the view blocked, most of the action is going on behind. But if you play “spot the difference” with some of the taller buildings at the back, you can see a different skyline from just six months ago.

March 2012

The Space Between…

August 18, 2012August 18, 2012 / wrightsolution / 8 Comments

As I know I’ve mentioned already, I had a really busy summer. We were on the road a LOT. When we finally settled in our Greek home for a month it was really good to be back home with my stuff – my furniture, my kitchen — and see good friends and stay in one place that felt so comfortable and familiar. But as our stay neared the end, part of me was ready to go back home to Manila and move on with our lives. Isn’t that what vacations are all about? A much needed break from the usual grind, followed by a recognition that we all need routine in our lives. I loved my time there and was sad to leave, but I was also ready to go back to work.

But we returned to the devastating floods that consumed 60-80% of this city, and rain and rain and more rain. Of course its the rainy season here, “wet” is expected, but there’s rain and then there’s rain…. I was not expecting two continual weeks of deluge. And while I sat in my apartment feeling trapped, I knew that my problems were nothing compared to the suffering of others just a few streets away. And yet the selfish feeling of boredom and discontent set in and coloured my view of the world.

The last two weeks since I’ve been back feels like two months, and I’ve been having trouble seeing the fun of being here in Manila. Instead I’ve been seeing all the annoyances: the traffic, the lack of open space, the difficulty of just going for a walk, wanting to just be able to jump in my car and go….. Coupled with my sense of missing Greece and a rotten week at work, this has to be my low in almost two years of living here. Blogging about these annoyances always seems petty in retrospect, and I usually avoid it. But it creates a space in my blogging diary until the next event or interesting thing comes along, which perpetuates the image that some have, I’m sure, that life is one long beach trip or adventure. Right now, ignoring that space — all the time — feels sort of dishonest. No-one needs to hear about all my bad petty days, even if I can find the talent to write about them with sufficient humour or insight. But a concession to add a little balance seems called for … so here it is: Manila sucks right now!

A return to our usual programming follows shortly……

Update on the Flooding

August 8, 2012August 8, 2012 / wrightsolution / 3 Comments

For those asking for news, updates and information on the severe flooding in Manila, here’s a post to update everyone. We’re ok! The area that we live in (The Fort) seems to be holding up well as it has a modern drainage system. The city has had about 30 inches of rain in the last 48 hours. This is on top of heavy rains, tropical storms and high tides which have battered the city for the last two weeks. The ground is saturated, rivers are overflowing and the inadequate drainage systems cannot even begin to cope.

Latham and I ventured out yesterday to Market Market to get some food. Although we got very wet (despite the raingear and umbrella) it wasn’t too bad on the streets. We did see one or two drain covers burst open from the water pressure as the drain was full. So I think that it has the potential to flood here if it rained long enough. Its actually just drizzling now, although there are still heavy rain clouds on the horizon over Makati….not sure what direction they are heading. Here’s a recent video of Makati flooding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQsu5-ZsXEA Makati is the main business district and is considered an affluent area. Many embassy homes are located here, most of them in apartments. I haven’t heard from anyone housed in the villages, so I don’t know how houses are faring.

The coastal area where the Embassy is located is worse. The high tide comes in and adds massively to the flood levels. Robert says the flooding has been worse than the hurricane last September. I can’t find any pictures online from the last couple of days, but to show how the problem compounded, here’s an article from Aug 2 that shows the state of things before the most recent set of heavy rains hit: http://www.france24.com/en/20120802-philippine-floods-persist-toll-rises-23

Elsewhere it is much worse. The northern part of the city, Quezon City, has the Mesa Dam which is the city’s main source of drinking water. The reservoir is right next to the largest university campus. All that area is seriously flooded and is now creating concerns for contaminated water. Also in the southern area of the city, Las Pinas, it is really bad with flooding levels up to the second floor. Our helper lives down there and she had cell phone reception at one point, texting me that they had moved up to the second floor of their home to avoid the water.

So for us the weather is just boring and a nuisance but the threat to lives and property elsewhere is very real. Hopefully rains will die down today as forecasted. Its going to take a long time for this city to dry out.

A Place in the Sun

May 20, 2012May 20, 2012 / wrightsolution / 3 Comments

One of the best things, and one of the most challenging things about the Philippines is the lack of development. Before we came here, I was excited by the fact that there are so many fantastic beaches and beautiful places that haven’t been spoilt by tourism. Any place in the US or Europe that has been recognized for something beautiful or extraordinary has been “developed” to accommodate tourists and, hopefully, protect it from the vacationing hoards to some extent or another. Here its another story and one that taught me a more comprehensive view of my expectations when I travel. Undeveloped sounds fantastic because it means no crowds, no tacky tourism, and no limitations on what you can or cannot see. All of these really appeal. I am happy to explore with no airconditioning, no ice cold drinks with umbrellas and without a tour guide to show the way.

However, the flip side of undeveloped also can mean a lot of other things, which I’ve learnt are significant negatives for me. Inexpensive hotels on idyllic beaches can be mean toilets that don’t flush, locks that don’t lock, cockroaches and worse. It can mean a tourist free-for-all, where locals hungry for business, compete with one another to get tourist dollars from the few that visit, and leave the visitor feeling scammed or short-changed, not to mention the damage to the environment. Development along with regulation (if enforced) is not always a bad thing.

So this left me searching for something in the middle. Where to go that was beautiful, where we felt safe, away from the masses, that really felt like we were experiencing the Philippines? And there are plenty of beautiful resorts offering just that. Stunning places with individual nipa huts in the water, amazing hotel rooms, or beautiful private islands. Luxury, comfort, and a waiter with a tray as you drink in the stunning view at your window. But it comes at a price. These places start at about $300/night and go up into the thousands.

But it just seems too excessive to me. Not just financially in a world where people live on a few dollars a day, but also in terms of what we really need to be happy and relaxed. In a beautiful place, I just want peace and quiet, a little shade, some pretty water to swim in and a comfortable chair to read my book. Yet the options for this, are few and far between. Most places are either very inexpensive, barely functioning local accommodation, or international, glamorous resort chains at high prices. Middle-of-the-road places do exist, but you have to hunt them down.

So, for our filipino travel experiences, I have been on a quest here to find somewhere that is our place in the sun, where we can enjoy some time off in the right place, at the right price. Our Boracay experience is a good example and one that was partially successful. But the fact remains that Boracay was just too crowded and commercial for us and that we needed something simpler and quieter.

So after much internet browsing, I stumbled upon the idea of renting a beach house in the Philippines and found just what we were looking for…a small house on a quiet beach on the island of Palawan. We booked it in November for Easter (yes you need to book that far ahead) and last month stayed there and had a fantastic time. Post to follow!

And for anyone reading this that thinks that all of this is ridiculous, and that we are very privileged to experience any of it – good or bad – I would have to say, you are right. We are. A lot of it is justified in my mind as a trade off for the difficulties of Manila life and a way to get a little fresh air back into the lungs. But please don’t judge too harshly. You too may find yourself screaming and shouting at bad drivers, horrible traffic and ridiculous bureaucracy after too many months. It gets to you. Its the little breaks that help keep the privilege of the Filipino experience in perspective.

Latham’s Shiphrah Birthing Home Film

March 27, 2012March 28, 2012 / wrightsolution / Leave a comment

Shiphrah Birthing Home is one of the local charities supported by the US Embassy Club here in Manila. Shiphrah do an amazing job of helping the working poor with pre- and postnatal care for pregnant women, including delivery of the baby. They have done an amazing amount of good with very little, for a long-time, renting a property for over 15 years to use as the birthing home. Recently, they have agreed to purchase the building and have been fundraising for the purchase price. We haven’t been able to attend their fundraising dinners, but we were able to help out a little with publicity. Latham made a short, informative film about the work that they do. Hopefully it will help them get the word out about Shiphrah, Latham was able to get high school community service hours for his efforts, and I had the privilege of learning more about who they are and what they do. Please take a minute to watch.

Ship Visit

March 27, 2012March 27, 2012 / wrightsolution / 3 Comments

Yesterday was a very long, hot day for me, standing on the Manila docks. The USS Blue Ridge was in, and on a busy schedule of media and community events. Embassy personnel have the opportunity to tour the ship and I helped out with the buses and strict lists for who can board the ship. Its been years since I hung out for hours on hot, smelly docks watching all the activities. Fortunately they provided us with a tented area and cold water. I took an umbrella for sun and rain protection, although both both never really made an appearance. It was just hot, humid and a bit pungent around there. It did bring back memories though of our cruise ship years, and sitting waiting for ships to arrive in the strangest of places. All docks seem to have the same look and smells though…and Manila was no different.

I wasn’t able to board the ship because there was always a reason I had to be dockside, although 99% of the time I just sat there. Sitting and watching the world go by on the docks can be sort of interesting in a relative kind of way. (More interesting than -say – watching paint dry!) And I did see scores of US sailors returning from shore leave, hauling all sort of different treasures that they had bought from nearby Mall of Asia. The passenger ferry next to me had a full wash along the port side, dozens of trucks filled its belly and by the time I was ready to leave, I watched hundreds of passengers board the ferry for Dumagete, (our Christmas destination, although we will be flying). Not a day to recommend as a good day out, but an interesting slice of life nonetheless….

My Forever Disappearing View….

March 26, 2012 / wrightsolution / 7 Comments

Whether I manage to blog or not. While I sleep or while I eat. While I watch or while I completely ignore it….the construction goes on. Glimpse for a moment the view from window shown below at three earlier points in the last year or so:

December 2010

Feb 2011

September 2011

Now 16 months after our arrival, this is what’s left of my view:

March 2012

A narrow crack between a bank and an office building. That sneaky building on the right has edged its way up and up so it is now taller than the camouflaging building that it hid behind before. Wonder how high it will go? Of course, if the car dealership in the foreground decides to sell out, it won’t matter. The entire view will be gone. Period. However for the time being I can still see a strip of mountains and some of the Fort. And even if they decide to level the car dealership tomorrow, surely there isn’t enough time to demolish, dig a basement, and build 20 stories to entirely block my view…is there?

On reflection….

January 22, 2012 / wrightsolution / 4 Comments

Unless you are a devoted blogger – which it appears I am not — it seems to be that there are periods of time when you are so busy planning, doing, and figuring things out that blogging doesn’t really make it on to the to-do list. Its not that other people don’t use their blogs to reflect, plan, and report on small (and large) fears and joys as they experience them–on the contrary–it just seems that I’m not that kind of blogger. And, as a result, this blog starts to sit dormant and looking like it might have gone dark.

Its not that I don’t like reading other people’s experiences of bad hair days, flat tires, and unexpected joys as they unfold in their lives. Just the opposite. Some of the best blogs I follow share the intimate details of these events and make really good reading as a result. Its just that I prefer to go away and plan, reflect and feel the fear of whatever it is that’s happening to me, and not post it on the wall for ~~all the world~~ 15 people to see. I don’t feel the need to write it all down in private either, I guess I just work through it differently.

This is all a preamble to fact that I am kind of overwhelmed – in a good way — right now with the events of the next six months or so, and trying to make them unfold in an order that pleases me. A recipe for disappointment, perhaps, but we have to at least have a stab at making us feel that we are masters of our own universe, right? So the blog has been silent for a while as I am embroiled in a considerable amount of event planning that includes college tours for the summer, major surgery, new job opportunities, visits from family, trips to exciting new places, summer school placement and our annual trip to Greece. Mixed in with all the daily responsibilities, IB demands, and work schedules, it makes me wonder how I ever worked full time. Except that not too long ago I did. And managed to sell our house and move our lives halfway around the world at the same time. Its all doable, I guess, I am just less exhausted and overwhelmed by everything: busy getting through the pile, just not on an never-ending hamster wheel of demands. That’s as near to balance in my life as I can imagine.

So, in my attempt to not totally wimp-out on January altogether, I think I just wrote a reflective post about being a non-reflective blogger! Who knew?!