So here I am in Manila. This is my second time here, having been here about 8 months ago, back in May of '08. Back then, oh-so-long-ago, I was less then enamored with the place. Manila seems to me to be one big slum followed by another big slum.
There are a few things about Manila that stand out to me, and this visit just confirms it.
1) There is a much more visible divide amongst the rich and poor here. There is a significant middle class, but the poor largely outnumber them. It's very common to see large, expensive shopping malls with high end shops in them, and across the street you will see shanty towns with thousands of shacks made from spare sheet metal and cardboard. It's also normal to see young children begging on street corners or selling newspapers or flowers at stoplights. Sad, really.
2) What is with all the armed guards everywhere? It's a standard routine to be frisked and metal-detected every time you enter a mall or hotel here. In the one day I've been in Manila, I've gone through about 10 metal detectors and been patted down more times than I can count. Is the terrorist risk that high here? Or is it just a way to keep people employed? I get the impression that it's a prestigious job to be a security guard in Manila. You get to wear a uniform and carry a gun. Hot.
3) The posting I made about the traffic system in Asia is being proved right here. Traffic is a constant snarl here, and I think it is because they've adopted the American traffic rules here. There are stop lights everywhere, and traffic seems to be at a standstill all the time. It's like one big red traffic light. Nothing seems to move.
I have a few more days here in Manila (or Po-Land, as I like to call it. Hey Ritchie!). I am hoping that I will find some interesting, cultural things to do. I am sure there must be a museum or art gallery somewhere here. I have not taken any photos yet. So far, I have not seen anything worth the pixels.
1 comment:
Hi Ian! Miss you.
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