Holiday in Manila

I'm almost at the end of a week's holiday in Manila. I've spent Christmas at the home of  a friend, and her family has been very gracious to me. I've seen Intramuros, which is the old Spanish walled city within the city, I've been to Manila Bay, Casa Manila, which is an old home turned into a museum, several imposing malls, a family party, and too many restaurants to count.

My host family is Chinese- Filipino, so the food I've eaten had been amazing. I don't think I've tried anything I didn't like. Filipino food is not spicy. They tend to use a lot of vinegar and sugar for flavour.

This photo was taken on a landing at Casa Manila. The house shows the way the Spanish affluent set used to live. Intramuros was built as the seat of the Spanish government in Manila, and the walls were built to keep the local Filipinos out.

One thing that has struck me is the abject poverty, and how it is side by side with affluence, and very visible. The family I am visiting is fairly well off, and they live beside a bridge. Under the bridge live several other families, including my host family's driver and his family.

Another thing that has surprised me is the sound of fireworks going off day and night. Just this morning I read in the paper of several people being injured by fireworks on Christmas Eve, and authorities expect more during New Year Eve. Apparently there is an area that is the centre for manufacturing fireworks, many of them in backyards. Safety cannot be guaranteed, and there are even some types that have been outlawed that are still being sold. It was one of these that blew off a young man's leg over Christmas.

Today will be a fun day, as we are going to buy some classroom supplies that we cannot get in VN. I will be flying back home tomorrow night.

shopping

Shopping in Vietnam is very different from shopping in Canada. The best thing is the prices- they are one half to one third what I would expect to pay there. After that everything gets complicated though. Some things are poor quality although they have brand name tags on them. I think this may be the knock off centre of the known world! I bought my son in law a shirt for about $10 that said it was Versace. It might have been, but it was a size large that should very soon fit his 11 year old daughter. Everything is "as is" and nothing ca nbe returned to the store if you are not satisfied. for this reason it is necessary to check out electrical eqiupment before you buy.
     There's a funny thing- electronics cost much more here than they do in North America. Seems strange, since they are manufactured here. The same laptop that I bought in Calgary for $500 would go for about $900 here. The same is true of camera and other electronics, and again, you may be getting the real thing but you're just as likely to be getting a knock off.
      Sometimes it's hard to buy something because I just can't figure out where to look. The stores are all grouped according to what they sell. If you want to buy home furnishings, you must go to a certain area where the home furnishing stores are located. To buy sporting goods, there's another area. I would love to buy some sewing supplies, but I haven't yet found the proper area. I know where to go in a market to get thread, buttons, and other necessities, so that will do me for the time being.
         Supermarkets are just that. They sell everything from soup to nuts and bolts. Everything, that is, except what you're looking for. the supermarket closest to me is a large one that opened about a year ago. I have never been able to find white sugar there, and the only cheese they seem to know is cheddar, emmenthal, and gouda. There are a couple of "foreign" grocery stores in the city where I can often get things that I can't find in the local stores.
         Shopping, like everything else, has proven to be an adventure. And I do love adventures.