Creature Comforts
Posted on October 9, 2009 by Brian under Family, Life, Travel.
I have been in the Philippines for a week now and I have come to realize that there are certain creature comforts that you come to miss when visiting a counrty like this. In America we take so much for granted and you don’t realize how good you have it until it’s gone.
The first thing I missed was AC. In America we are so used to having AC where ever we go, the mall, the doctor, our work, our home even our cars. Here AC is not a given, it’s a luxury. Only those that can afford such comforts have them. Most businesses have them but some, like the street vendors, are just open to the air and can not afford or do not want such comforts (for practical reasons).
The next thing I missed was hot water and good water pressure. These things we definately take for granted in the US. Everywhere you go you have hot water, you are raised to believe that you need hot water to eliminate the germs when washing your hands, body, dishes and clothes. Here not very many people have hot water in their homes, for that matter not very many businesses have hot water. It just does not occur to them to have hot water, it’s so hot here no one would dare to take a hot shower. I tried to take a hot shower the first time I came across hot water and it about killed me. My body temp was already so high from the heat, I just escallated it when I took the shower. It’s amazing how good a cold shower is when you are in a climate with 100+ temp and 90% humidity. Water pressure here is very low. Everywhere you go, it’s the same. It’s just the way it is.
Most people have big tanks to feed their homes. These tanks are fed by the city water. There are no pressure pumps or anything like that, just a trickle of water that barely can get you wet when you shower. If you want anything stronger then you get a bucket and a dipper and pour it over your head and body.
The next thing I missed was communication, both verbal and technological. In America we all speak the same language and anyone else has to suffer through it or keep to circles that speak their language. Here I am the outsider and everyone speaks a different language (sometime 2 or 3) around me and I am lost. Most of the time I just sit and smile.
I see this alot in America and I now understand and empathize with them. I know enough of the language to follow along in a conversation but only between two people. In large groups or if they are spaeking more than one dialect at a time (which is most of the time) I am lost. I am sure that this is how most foreigners feel as well. They don’t have a firm grasp of our language and we talk fast for them and they cannot follow, so they sit and smile and say nothing.
On the technological front of communication, I miss my cell phone. This is a luxury in the states but we have all become so accustomed to having it. I have found myself a few times looking for my phone to update my Twitter only to immediately realize that I don’t have it.
They have cell phones here (more than in the States) and they use them frequently. However, I did not bring one and would have had to buy a local phone and SIM card if I had chosen to; or I could have brought my Nokia which is a world phone and unlocked, and put a prepaid SIM in it.
The next thing I missed was television and internet. They have it here and it’s Americian cable even; but at my in-laws house, they have not updated and added these comforts yet. Maybe in the next trip. We have internet here as well but we cannot visit a lot of the sites I like back home. No Hulu, no Netflix, no Playlist.com or Pandora. These are all blocked to foreign countries because of license agreements.
The last thing I miss and probably one of the most important one is a microwave. Oh, they have them here as well, just not as common as you would think. Most everyone just cooks enought for the day and there is no left over. They either give it to neighbors, the elderly or the animals. But we have had some left overs because of the party we had and there was no microwave, so I had to suffer through cold food. Just another thing we take for granted.
All of this has made me realize a few things though, we have a lot of comforts at home and we are blind to other places that may be less fortunate. Some people choose to live this way and will never change. Some long for the ways of America and will do anything to get there and at least have an opportunity to obtain these comforts and a chance at a better life.
Before this trip I considered retiring to the Philippines and thought that it would make my dollar go further. Since my visit, both my wife and I have decided that it’s not worth it. We are not concerned about the comforts so much as the lack of medical care and the increasing heat. We figure that by the time we retire, global warming will make most equatorial location almost unlivable.
All-in-all it’s been an eye opening adventure so far. I have another week to go and I may experience some more that will open my eyes to even more new and wonderful things. I can tell you this though, I am not looking at the conveniences I have the same way ever again.
(Side note: Here you don’t have dogs barking throughout the day and night in your neighbor’s back yard. Instead, it’s roosters! God I hate the sound of roosters. Especially at 5:00 am.)
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