It was Friday, June 5th - my last full day in the Philippines. I was so busy that I didn't get the chance to finish taking pictures of the outside of the house, but when I woke up I took a quick video of the inside (see the video blog) because I knew my time would be limited. Being around sick kids for the last three days didn't do well to improve my initial sickness, and for the rest of the time I had to deal with an additional head cold, lasting until about a week and a half after I returned.
That morning, we had breakfast and got out the door so Jasmin could have a dentist appointment with her uncle. She also had a doctor's appointment in Manila, meaning another 2 hour drive up there once again. I'm told that medical treatment is extremely cheap in the Philippines, and Jasmin takes full advantage of that when she visits. I talked to Mrs. Valencia and learned that mental health care is quite similar to the U.S., whereas if you can afford what's not covered by insurance then people who need it will get it. Unlike the U.S. though, it's easy to get round-the-clock treatment because you can pay people willing to live at your house to take care of you. All-in-all, the image of the Filipino worker is one of someone who works hard for often very little, such as doing dirty jobs like repairing heavily damaged cars that would have been thrown away in the states. There are a number of instances in the Philippines where things have been adopted from the West, like style and food and language, and with little difficulty according to Jasmin's mom. I would have liked to see a Philippines more authentic in its own culture, but I feel it's still a distinct and interesting country nonetheless.
In Manila, Jasmin and her mom first went shopping at a supermarket for cheap equivalents of U.S. products, or for cheap things only found in the P.I. Then we went to the doctor's appointment where Jasmin was just fine, and finally came home to Pampanga for dinner.
Jasmin had been telling me about this great Chinese restaurant near their house, and Friday night we finally got to eat there. I thanked her parents for their hospitality and told them I had a great time with all of the experiences I went through. Though I offered to pay for the meal, her parents refused no matter how much I insisted, since I am still an unemployed college student. :X Guess that means I have to work hard so I can repay them for such a great vacation.
There were a lot of first experiences for me during this trip. Just to highlight a few:
- First time in the Philippines
- First time going on a trip with my girlfriend by plane
- First time at a foot spa
- First time getting a massage
- First time snorkeling
- First time drinking from a coconut
- First time parasailing
I can also take this opportunity to note my favorite Filipino foods. These are must-eats for anyone visiting the country:
- Tocino (sweet pork)
- Kare-kare (meat and vegetables in peanut sauce)
- Chicken Adobo (chicken and vegetables)
- Mangos (jello fruit)
- Fried bananas (ditto)
- Pan De Sal (Filipino bread)
- Pancit (thin noodles)
- Lumpia (Filipino egg roll)
- Siopao (meat bun)
I'll try to remember more, and in the meantime - Jasmin, please correct my spelling. :p That just about covers my trip in the Philippines. This huge update all at once should be good for a little while before I return to Japan blogs. Enjoy.
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