Missing the big stuff

A lot of times, people from back in the States, or other parts of the world will ask me when they meet me - “Is there anything you miss from back home?”  Or, people who follow me on the Internet will often e-mail me before they are coming to visit the Philippines, one of the things that they almost always ask me is - “Can I bring you anything that you need there?”  I always appreicate people being so thoughtful, but my normal answer is that there is really nothing I need which I can’t get here.  That is generally true, although I guess usually there are a few items that perhaps would be nice to get ahold of.  For the most part, though, everything we need or want is available in Davao.

While I can think of a few items that we can’t get here, I have lived here long enough that I am not still feeling that I am desperately needing those items.  When we first moved here, there was a lot of stuff that we could not find here and felt that we really needed.  Over the years, though, you get used to not having those things, and thus you don’t need them anymore either.

Lately, there is one thing that I have found myself really missing.  Nothing critical, but just a little pet peave I suppose.  What I am talking about is being able to get large sizes of various items that you want or need.  A few of the items that I am thinking of are things like Shampoo and other such items.  In the States, if you would buy a bottle of shampoo, you generally had enough shampoo for you and your wife to wash your hair for a month or more.  If you made a habit of shopping at one of the “big box” stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, a bottle of shampoo might last you for several months, maybe even 6 months, as the packages at these places are “industrial size.”  Here in the Philippines, you’re going to get something different though.

Most people here buy “sachet” packs of shampoo.  I hate the things.  If you don’t know what a sachet is, it is generally enough shampoo to wash your hair only one or perhaps two times.  Think of like a little plastic package of ketchup that you would get at McDonald’s or some other fast food place - that is the type of pack that a sachet is.  If you buy a bottle of shampoo instead of a sachet, it is generally still only enough for you and your wife to wash your hair for a week or so.  Certainly not very long!  Sure, you can buy a dozen sachet packs, or even a hundred if you like.  I find it a pain, though.  I would like to have the option to buy a large sized bottle of shampoo in the store, but it’s not available.

Last week, Feyma was going grocery shopping, and I told her I needed a stick of deoderant.  What she brought home was a deoderant that was maybe 1/3 the size of what you would buy in the States, and the 1/3 sized bottle was only half full, to make it look bigger than it actually was!  If I could buy a big size, I find it more economical, less of a hassle, just better all around.  Maybe it’s an American thing, but even if it is, it’s something I miss here.

These sachets are not just for shampoo either, that is just the example that I am using in this article.  Lots and lots of products are sold in “single use” sachet packs.  I just find that this complicates life, makes you feel like you are constantly having to run to the store to get another sachet of whatever it is you need.  Yes, there is a solution - just buy more on each trip, but it is just a little nit picky thing that tends to get under my skin.

Sachets are great for travel where you need a supply for a single use, and don’t want to carry around a weeks supply for a 2 day trip.  For regular home use, though… it’s not for me!

Of course, the reason for these single use products is because a lot of people here can’t afford to buy a six month supply of shampoo in a single bottle.  I understand and accept that.  Just thinking about little inconveniences that are a hassle, and this is one of them.

What do you think?  Are sachets a convenience, or a hassle?

Dangwa

A rainy day isn’t the best time to visit the place (nor is the day before All Saints Day), but if you’ve never heard of Dangwa - the flower market in Sampaloc district, Manila - you cannot yet consider yourself a real “Manilenyo”. It is home to over fifty flower vendors and a haven to the diverse daily crowd of visitors looking for the cheapest blooms that’ll fit the occasion.

I’m not at all a connoisseur in floral affairs, but when the former organizer of the always extravagant Philippine Ad Congress declares that the weekday night wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the brightest spot in Dos Castillas, I’d be happy to oblige. I’d be happy to come along and learn. And you should, too.

Bring a camera if you wish (the colors will simply astound you), and take the liberty of posing beside those remarkably cheap chrysanthemums, the price of which you may still haggle with the vendor. To my knowledge, all the shops are open 24-7. Accessible, eh? (Especially to me, since I live about ten minutes away from the place.) If you’re running on a really tight budget for those imported tulips, a trip to Dangwa just might be your best bet. Dangwa’s flowers are, by nature, completely the opposite of today’s gasoline: there’s always a great supply; it’s affordable even in high demand; and the pricing won’t make you think twice.

For a guy like me, Dangwa comes in handy during the most sudden of dates. For the rest of the pack, Dangwa represents what Manila is all about: creativity, color, cut-price commodities, and cherished traditions. Oh, and of course, the familiar chatter of Pinoy customers asking for “tawad, tawad po, wala bang tawad?”

Shopping in Cebu

I started to write about shopping in the Philippines but I don’t have much experience out of Metro Cebu City or Bogo City.  Even here, I don’t have as much experience as I wish I did.  I’m not one to go shopping as a means to pass time and since lupus makes me a vampire (I must avoid the sun as much as possible) I don’t go out as much as I would like, at least not during the day.  I usually go buying, not shopping. Most of what I will write about will apply to all of the Philippines.  I have been to Leyte and things were pretty much the same there as in Cebu.

Filipino Malls

I’ve been out to notice some differences between here and the states, for one, sales people are more aggressive in the malls than they are in the states.  It is more like the states where in the 70’s.  I remember if you set foot on the carpeted area of a Sears store, the salesmen would pounce on you.  Maybe it was because I was in my 20s and most likely age group to buy furniture and electronics.  They are not as bad here as they were back then.  They act as if they are paid on commission in stores like Shoe Mart (SM).  Most of the time, they seem pretty disappointed if you decide not to buy. Read more