Philippines Vacation III: "Life"

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

I have a photobucket album of about 115 pics of just "life" in Ozamiz City to look at when you have the time, these are just a taste. The Philippines is divided in three main portions, the north- Luzon (where Manila is); the middle- Visaya's; and the south- Mindanao. OC is located in Mindanao and in my opinion is the most beautiful. Manila and Cebu are quite wonderful, but have become very urbanized. OC/Mindanao still have more "real" and "down to earth" people there, the "atmosphere" is just so different. It's my second home.

What I did- I tried to always just walk around the city or ride in a tricycle and capture "real life" photo's... wasn't always easy as there are not many white guys there and at 6'1 around a bunch of 5'5 people, you kind of stick out

They love to drive by and call out, "Hey, 'Joe'!" (they call all American's) honk their horn and like for you to wave at them... occasionally, you'll walk by and find them taking a picture of you! hahahaa

Here is the photobucket link when you have a chance....
Ozamiz City pictures by myosin72 - Photobucket

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

Morning, "shower"

My wife's family has indoor plumbing... kind of- the bathroom is indoors, and it does have plumbing... just no running water.

You have to fill that big bucket from outside and then take the smaller bucket and poor it over yourself to shower... COLD!!! GREAT way to wake up in the morning! For the toilet... it works... you just have to "manually flush" it by pooring a bucket of water down to "flush" everything through.

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

An old saying...

"The more you go through life and meet different people, the more realize we are all the same" SO true... every culture has the same basic, fundamental life issue's, problems... OC is no different... there are the "have's"...

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

And...

the have not's....

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

But, also opposite...

While both cultures are so concerned about their skin, it's opposite...

Whites want to be dark... "dark's" want to be white... in the PI, you can find "whitening cream" GALORE on the shelves, the tricycle drivers wearing jeans and full length shirts in 80-90 degree weather (sometimes covering their faces too) and lot's of older ladies like this...

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

You don't see this everyday in America..

but you do in Ozamiz... EVERYDAY

myosin · Apr 20, 2011

"Taxi's"

In Manila and Cebu (Visaya's) you will have mostly regular car taxis... in OC, it's all motorcycle or bicycle taxi's (made into tricycle's)... the bicycle taxi's charge foreigner's double (not to cheat them, but b/c we are so much fatter/bigger!).