Manila, A City of Contrasts

My final impressions of Manila are actually quite similar to my first impressions as I passed by on my way to northern Luzon. I initially saw wide boulevards, sidewalks… sidewalks of all things, beautiful museums and parks. I decided to spend the last few days of my vacation in the capital and was not disappointed.

Unfortunately, just when I got to see some “photographical” stuff my battery gave up the ghost. I did bring another battery to the Philippines, but did not have it with me so you will just have to be satisfied with description of Intramuros or the walled historical city. There are the two oldest churches in the Philippines dating back 400 years, one still in operation and one just a shell. It was Friday afternoon and I actually saw a huge wedding in the church taking place which was kind of fun to see. I also saw a beautiful university and Japanese gardens, which have an interesting story. During the second world war, Phillipino’s were held prisoners within the walls and because of flooding many lives were lost. The Japanese built this beautiful sculpted garden as a memorial. As I walked through the garden and literally climbed up the walls I saw something that was truly amazing. Just outside the walls of the old city there is this neat little golf course. Can you imagine? Playing golf looking up at the parapets just outside of the walled city and between the old city and the Pacific Ocean. Wow, and I didn’t play. I am just sitting in a departure lounge in Manila waiting for my Air Kuwait flight to get back to Bangkok and sort of hoping the flight will be cancelled so I have another chance to potentially play the course.

The major park in town, Luneta was a wonderful respite. I went Thursday night and saw dancing in the park, lovers holding hands, people talking and playing cards ( in public). There was also two or three huge casinos which I did not get in to because I was wearing shorts. After all, there is a dress code.

Having said that, I read in the newspaper that something like one in three people in the Philippines are unemployed or underemployed. Taxi drivers told me they have to pay 1600 pesos a day for the cab and make about 600 pesos on a good day ( about $12). One guy told me his apartment rent was 2,000 a month, about 45 dollars but he was not able to pay the last two months because he simply did not have enough money. He has two little babies and he has to make some tough choices. I passed whole streets with squatters and one driver told me he was even afraid to even drive in the area. He told me he has been robbed 3 or 4 times right in his cab and another driver corroborated this. On the way to the airport, little kids kept coming up to the cab begging and apparently snort some kind of solvent. Apparently, when they get high it suppresses the feeling of hunger.

I also walked through a neighbourhood in a poor part of town called Valenzuela. I do have these pictures which you can look at. You walk through a rabbit warren of streetsand streets only wide enough for the trykes to get through, and that is with the kids scattering everyone. There were tons of kids playing on the streets, getting their pleasure throwing a ball on the roof and watching it roll down. You will notice the picture of the guy cooking on the floor of his house, a cigarette in one hand and the spatula in the other. Cooking is a major time consuming task when you have one hotplate and have to cook for so many people.

Everyone I spoke with said how corrupt the politicians were yet there were girls wearing political t shirts, a band coming down the street with its loudspeaker blaring advertising the next best politician and posters everywhere. I suppose the supporters were getting paid because when I spoke with people in the market no-one seemed to be particularly political or seemed to care. They were more interested in getting their picture taken. If I would have known how easy it was to make conversation with a camera, I would have bought one years ago.

Everyone seems to be on the take. Even at the airport, when we entered, the guard asked for a bribe from the taxi driver before he let him into the airport proper. This seems somewhat commonplace.

One thing that sort of shocked me though was the ticket agent who told me to take anything valuable out of my suitcase because it might get stolen by the baggage handlers. That is sort of disturbing when it happens at the airport and everyone knows about it but obviously nothing can be done but tell the public not to pack anything valuable!

On a side and final note on golf in the Philippines. What I did not mention was the last time I played golf my caddy we played well in to the night and could not see anything. When the caddy was cleaning the clubs, he noticed the cover of the 7 wood was missing. I told him to forget about it but he insisted on looking for it. Can you imagine the scene of these two crazy guys roaming around the last two or three holes of the golf course in the dark trying to find this stupid cover…which we did by the way.

Next week school and then Kuala Lumpur for a Conference. It’s a tough life but someone has to do it.

Actually Daniel, I met another American working in Iraq and he told me he made 160,000 as a medic. Wars are good, for the conquerors.