Manila - Wealth

You know what, I was writing this post and my stream-of-consciousness observations on wealth didn't feel right. And I don't mean "correct." I mean it didn't feel right to convey my opinion because I really didn't have enough reliable information to base my opinion on. So, if you want those, get me drunk. What you get here is just a collection of interesting things I've noticed.

- My entire stay, I have basically moved around in a capitalism bubble. I stay at a 4 star hotel where you can flush your toilet paper. This lifestyle does not exist for the majority of the population.

- In general, things are cheaper here. There are a few exceptions to the rule, but this is typically true. I personally think this only happens because of import costs (ala Jim Beam).

- Commercial establishments seem way too over-staffed. Or rather, relative to the US, there are way more employees in retail locations and restaurants. Just walking through the mens section of the SM department store I think I counted around 30-40 people standing around saying "good day sir."

- It's rather annoying when things appear to be over-staffed. It ruins the browsing experience.

- They love the lottery here. I can't explain it, but the lines you see certainly are evidence. I actually read somewhere that this is seen as a drain on the poor because the chance at millions is too much to give up. Keep in mind that 1,000,000 pesos is only 20,000 bucks.

- It's always interesting to see your account balance in another currency.

- Almost everyone has a cell phone.

- Americans are all viewed as rich.

- A little goes a long way.

I don't know what it is. I can't put my finger on it. But there is something...I don't know...environmental (and I'm not referencing nature) about going someplace different that automatically triggers an emotion/assumption/judgment in my head about the overall standard of living of a certain area. It happens when I travel to different cities in the States, but it's truly poignant when I travel to different countries. I don't know whether it's because it's easy to generalize when you're not familiar with something or whether my observations truly reflect the genuine circumstance.

I just think stuff like this is interesting.