The Philippines is no place for vegetarians.
Pork, chicken, pork, chicken, beef, fish, pork, chicken...you get the idea. Even when taking the time to try out a restaurant called Happy Veggie in Chinatown (Binondo), I was astounded to discover that I was their only customer. The vegetarian fare was absolutely top notch but don't try and get the locals to eat there. If its not fried, grilled and 'previously' had a heart beat, they don't want to know.
A smile always gets a smile in return
For a genetically gruff person, I discovered grin lines starting to apear on my face? What is this weird phenomenon that had me smiling like a kid in a candy store? Well that would be the infectious Filipino personality, even the hardest b*stards couldn't maintain their staunch looks once you flash the perly whites at them.
Traffic lanes are but mere decoration
The lanes are painted on the roads for sure, but the idea seems to be to get your vehicle to straddle them. Any available piece of asphalt is fair game and riding the horn is an essential driving technique. With so many cars jostling for precious little blacktop, it is simply amazing that crashes don't occur more often.
Good beer can be found
You could be forgiven for thinking that San Miguel is the religion here, and while it is cheap, cold and has a fizzy appearance that suggests beer...it's not long before its time to find the real thing. Fortunately there are options once you know where to look and have a GPS equipped smart phone.
Some boys make very convincing ladies
One of the great contradictions of The Philippines is the servitude that the masses pay to the Catholic Church and the omnipresence of ladyboys. With an acceptance that seems to run contrary to the conservative Christian mores that the masses live and die by, the colourful presence of highly vamped boys strutting their stuff is fantastic.
There is poverty in a scale that the privileged few in power should be embarrassed about, but aren't
With the recent Oxfam report that the richest 85 people hold wealth equivalent to the poorest half of the world, its not hard to imagine once you have journeyed from one side of Manila to another. From the gated communities and Lamborghini dealerships to the appalling sight of people riffling through putrid garbage, the disparity between the few the have and the masses the don't, is all too apparent.
Tattoos really 'do' open doors here
I once stated that New Zealand was the most tattooed nation on earth per-capita. Where this information came from I really don't know? Perhaps it was said to me once and with no way to quantify it, I blindly spouted it out when extolling the virtues of our tattoo heritage. However, after visiting the Philippines I think I may need to revise things a little. Inked skin is everywhere and the best thing is, if you are in the club show off some art, it certainly helps when making friends.
Balut is not nearly as bad as you think
O.k, so eating developing duck embryo does not sound all that appetising but how bad is it? Even with local men telling me that it is good for your sex life (not that they need it with the population spiralling out of control) I was more concerned about how to stare down the feathers and beak. Fortunately, there are various 'ages' of Balut and after enquiring about getting a 12-day old sample where the more advanced features of the duck 'aren't' present, I agreed to give it a go.
After knocking the end off the shell, the ritual involves drinking the broth around the embryo which I will admit tastes like a salty soup with quite an unusual flavour, but its not unpleasant.
Then comes the fun part, peeling back the shell I noticed what looked like nearly developed organs...but this was 12 day old Balut right? Too excited to finally be conquering this task I threw the contents of the egg back and without a beer to wash it down (that was stupid) I started to chew, and chew...and chew. After what seemed like an eternity I eventually cleared my mouth and was congratulated by all in attendance.
Apparently there were no 12 day old eggs available so without telling me, my accomplices gave me a fully developed Balut complete with bones, beak and feathers. I'm just thankful I didn't study it too intently in the shell before I necked it.
Would I do it again? Yes, but there would have to be beer, salt and chilli.
Filipinos are the most resilient people I have ever met
Having been colonised by the Spanish, Japanese and Americans (twice), Filipinos are a wonderfully accepting and forgiving people. What with the horrendous treatment meted out by the hands of their oppressors and life lived in the constant threat of natural disasters, these people have no time for being depressed. Hard work, strong family bonds and a never give up attitude drive the country forward. Pushing through the 100 million population barrier, the country has untold challenges not least of which is how to feed and house all these people. But from cramped fetid quarters that we westerners would find intolerable, Filipinos use ingenuity, cunning and guile to craft a life full of dignity and pride.
