A Whole Different World

It was pretty rainy in Singapore but I guess since we've had 2 days of sunshine here in the Philippines since January 1 it didn't seem any different then what we've been getting used to. We arrived Friday morning and spent the day exploring around the hotel and the huge mall that it was in. We went to the grocery store to stock up on snacks for the weekend and it was heaven! Meats that were pre cleaned, cut and packaged, frozen foods section that was filled with something other then fish balls! I'm talking Ben and Jerry's ice cream, lasagne's and other fabulous treats I haven't seen since my last visit to Canada. Cereals that aren't double coated in sugar and chocolate but actually healthy like crispex, and an amazing diary section with yummy yogurts and cheeses. It was almost painful to leave because I've missed a real grocery store so much.
I think that a lot of people thing it's a lot cheaper for us to live here. I think that's a myth. There are a lot of cheap things here in the Philippines but that's because they fall apart right away. Also there are a lot of cheap foods to buy here but they are fish heads that have been baking all day in the market heat with flies so we tend to go with the more expensive cuts of meat which are kept in air conditioned stores. We also tend to stick to foods that are familiar to us like real cheese and milk not the kind you usually find in the diary aisle of the grocery store next to the condiments. There's just something not right about cheese not having to be refrigerated. Eating these imported 'treats' like milk and cheese costs a ton since not only do we pay a normal Canadian price but on top of that we pay the price it cost to have these things imported to the Philippines. I've found it's cheaper to eat out then it is to cook a meal but unfortunately that's just so unhealthy, the options are extremely limited and there is just something wonderful about a nice home cooked meal a restaurant can't duplicate.
Another wonderful thing in Singapore, other then the amazing grocery store, is the public transport system. It reminds me a lot of Calgary or Vancouver. You can get anywhere you need to go without owning a car which is super tourist friendly. I can not tell you the times this third world traffic has brought out the worst inner rage I have. I also don't feel comfortable in a taxi here. I have actually been forcibly kissed by a taxi driver with my 3 month old Maddy on my lap and the other two with me in the back seat. I feel much more comfortable on the jeepney's which are very public and take you along a specific route at which point you can take a bike the rest of the way. It's a battle through the crazy traffic and the sudden stops at any time for the passengers to hop on or off. The worst part of it all is that stereotypical third world country dirt and grime and having to breathe that in your entire ride since it's an open vehicle. I think that Bacolod has so much potential. It was once one of the wealthiest cities in the Philippines thanks to the sugar cane crops that fill the island. Unfortunately that's not the case anymore. Everything now looks as though it needs a fresh coat of paint and a new batch of clean air. I know that Singapore is known for it's crazy laws against selling gum, littering and public urination (which disturbingly is commonly practiced here and if I had a peso for every man I've seen pee I'd be rich) but it sure makes the city look clean and new. A place that you don't want to litter in, a place where you want to be.
I'm not trying to make the Philippines sound like a nasty place to be but the truth is that it's a whole different world over here. It's definitely a challenge living in place that is so inefficient it's frustrating. It has it's perk's like the year round warm weather, the friendly smiles and lessons we've learned. Of course it's hard to be away from family but it's been worth every second. With that being said I'd like to share how I knew we were back in the Philippines:
We had just started our wait for our connecting flight from Cebu (airport of entry from Singapore) to Bacolod. Madison had decided that this was a good time to poop (which was great, so much better then the plane) and so I went to the bathroom to change her. Oh ya, we're in the Philippines that means, no toilet paper, no soap and no change table. The best part is that someone had just cleaned it which means they took a hose and literally hosed it down including the counters. SO, no change table, no toilet covers to lay her on, just a puddle of pee water which soaked her hair :(
Somethings, like that experience, just make me want to go home. To convenience, to somewhere clean, somewhere efficient and somewhere that has change tables!