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[isthisthingon]

That's right I forgot you moved there.  Where did you move from nop?

I've been to many places that I never wanted to leave.  Coming back to America has at times been like flying into a gigantic carnival of emptiness, at least for me.  When I returned from India this was definitely my feeling.  Things can be so tremendously hard there but so much of life's true beauty is completely obscured from the overindulgent, externally focused western mind.  Some things just cannot be purchased...

[nop_90]

I am origionaly from Canada.
I never really planned on moving here, I just came for a visit and never went back

Philippines is a very diverse place. There are 2 official languages tagalog and english.
But there are at least 10 other major languages which vary from each other vastly. Officially there are 171 recognized languages including some sort bastardized spanish .

PH is like a magic mirror, I think a lot of asia is like that
A website which is very hash on PH but yet offers a realistic view on PH is here
http://getrealphilippines.com/

It can be very frustrating sometimes here.
Filipinos can be very talented. Yet they refuse to work properly in factories here.
Like you want to buy some furniture, so you go to a wood working shop. There you can see elaborate cabinets carved all by hand tools etc. So you ask the guy to make you one, it takes 21 days. 14 days to "cure" the wood.
He has to go to the forest to cut a tree. Then chop it into planks etc. You ask him why he does not do certain things to make his shop "bigger", he kind of looks at you as if you are retarded. He will use the excuse he lacks capital etc, but he just seems to have no desire to make a bigger buisness.

Literally there seems to be more "holidays" here then america. As in people just never go to work .
The words for "planning" etc do not seem to exist in tagalog when it comes to most things.
Yet when it comes to things like fiestas,weddings etc, the amount of preparation is amazing.

PH is very regionalized etc. Its constitution is based on the american one, but the provinces have tremendous power.
Again because of the way filipino politics work, the president to get elected has to get support of the various provinces. To get this support for the last 20-30 years the presidents have been giving each province more and more power.

Even in a town/city the barangies have a lot of power. 25% of the taxes collected on property goes directly to each barangy. So if one barangy thinks basket ball is important they might build 2-3 basket ball courts. Maybe another barangy thinks a nice barangy hall is important, they will build one of those. Another barangy thinks roads are important. Most roads are maintained by the barangy. So you are traveling allong road is very nice, then road turns into a mud pit. Then back to medium quality road etc . I am talking about in one town lol.

Another wierd paradox is politics.
Mayors, National and Provincial Congressmen etc are literally fighting small wars.
I just choose this story randomly
Town mayor killed in central Philippines
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-16557212.html
So even mayors when they travel arround will often have 3+ heavily armed body guards.

And yet with here is the paradox.
You have a problem of some sorts. Lets say in this case you want to talk to your provincial congressman (I am told it is even the same on national level).
You just go to the capital building. There is only 1 armed guard standing at the gate, he does not even question you.
You then go to the building that holds the offices of the provincial congressmen. There is one guy at the door who asks you who you would like to talk to. With no ID, no nothing, he just writes down your name, and in you go to the politicians office you want to talk to. You then talk to the guy's secretary. She asks you your name, purpose of visit etc. She then tells you to grab a seat, and if the congressman has time he will talk to you.

So you grab a seat. There are all sorts of people there. From dirt poor farmers, to buisness men etc.
Some people you can see have been waiting a very long time, maybe 2-3 days. But eventually the congressman will attempt to talk to them even for a few minutes.

People's grievances can vary vastly. Buisness man might be wanting help opening new buisness.
Most of the poor people might have a family member in the hospital and might not have enuff $$$ for medicine etc.
The congressman might then call the hospital. Suggest to the hospital that since they are short of type X blood, get all of the family members of the relative to go to the hospital get blood typed, and then have them donate enuff blood till they are stocked up to full supply again.

Again the paradox. Maybe the congress buildings are a "no shoot" zone. It is ok to gun down your political enemy at the cock pit arena, but gunning him down in congress is bad 

Anyway never boring here lol

[isthisthingon]

>Maybe the congress buildings are a "no shoot" zone.

There's a strange sense of honor in that   Thanks for the PH details.  My stepfather stayed there for a long time during Vietnam and has endless stories about it.