American Dream - Part 2

"in the US you will never get hungry... unless you're a bum..."
- says henry
- says jown
- says jaypee
here are some notes i had in my mind while enjoying my vacation:

1. taking a PAL flight to Los Angeles, i just felt like i was just taking a domestic flight to Davao, i just spotted 2 Americans on-board.


2. when the airplane touched down LA International Airport, Filipino passengers clapped their hands. what the &*%^&%!!!??

3. you'll never perspire. the cold temperature just kept on sticking into my nose. in my one-week stay, i never had used my face towel (the one i'm using here in the Philippines for my daily bath experience). one day, i went to Walmart to buy some pasalubong and later i realized i had two big shopping bags in my both hands --- and i dont have a car. so off i went back to the house in which i need to cross two roads and then stride on a slope.

the bags were so heavy, i cant imagine how stupid i became that i also managed to take-out McDonalds, yes, another plastic bag in addition to my Wal-Mart bags. Once in a while i stopped hoping that a good samaritan will pass by and will offer me a ride. and that was under the hot californian sun. the thing is, i just gasped for breath... but i didn't perspire.



4. when dining out, prepare yourself for a giant's hearty meal. i wonder if americans' anatomy differs from filipinos in terms of gastric sizes. or probably the servings is patterned to the Dollar/Peso conversion rate: 1 dollar: 41 pesos whereas 1 american serving : 3 filipino serving


5. gasoline stations are all self-service. to each his own. as in wipe your own ass, scratch your own itch.

6. how ironic that when i stepped out of the house i was the only one walking to the grocery while everybody is in their cars and surprisingly, air pollution is not a problem.


7. i will cut my both index fingers if you will see a rusty, smoke-belching cars on the road.


8. customer service is superb! in Wal-Mart you will find an employee sitting near the entrance door and all that she's doing all day is to greet the customers: "How are you today? Have a nice day!" When we were in Las Vegas and doing some shopping, i have my reply on a template: "I'm good! Just looking! :-)"

9. when dining out, the waitress will come once in a while to check if you are enjoying your food and will tell you that in case you need something just dont hesitate to approach them. the service is personal like as if you know each other for quite sometime and i am really enjoying it. later i discovered that i'm paying for the waitress' courtesy by giving them a standard 16% TIP (which is twice the sales tax). henry explained to me that you can run away with the 16% TIP but the restaurant manager will ask you if you didn't like the food or the service and why (explain in not less than 300 words.) you would not want to be bothered by that so you'll choose to give the TIP im sure.
9. the CR... ooopppsss.. the restroom i mean (as Henry would always correct me not to use the word CR but use toilet, ladies' room, or restroom instead) is very comfortable. in the malls, like in the Citadel Outlet or the Grove, the restrooms are like hotel rooms. your trip to the restroom is a pleasant experience unlike in malls here, either you bring your own toilet paper or pay for your every visit. tsk.. tsk.. tsk.. There i enjoyed using the toilet seat cover, that's something you cant find in any comfort rooms here.

10. in the malls and supermarkets, it's not unusual that you will find grandmas working as a cashier. honestly i got surprised when in Walmart, an old woman, probably in her 70's was on the counter. and she looked so elegant in her flashy red lipstick. equal work opportinities for everybody huh!

11. No toll fees for the use of freeways!!! yahhuuuu!!!!


12. Firemen can afford to buy a Starbucks coffee.

13. People are afraid of traffic violation tickets. you wouldn't want to receive a mail from the traffic enforcers with a picture of you behind the steering wheel, do you?

14. homes are not fenced. just landscapes and flowers. there are some slightly fenced though, in some critical areas.
15. when eating a steak do not, i repeat, DO NOT have it cooked well-done. unless you want a charcoal for dinner. Henry took me out for a steak lunch. being the hard-headed me, i insisted to have it well-done. the meat shrinked, less tender and gave me a steak-hang-up. later that night, i cant move on with my life and requested for a round 2, even if it cost 17 bucks in Las Vegas. I ordered steak again but this time it's medium rare. if you want it a little bloody and tender, have it cooked rare. but medium rare is fantastic for me.

17. doing your laundry is a learning experience. they are using a washing machine which is different from what i have in my apartment's laundry area. you can actually do your laundry without wetting your hands!! amazing isn't it??

18. cars are intelligent, they will throw violent tantrums unless you put on your seatbelts. they know how important seatbelts are.



19. if you can manage to drink your vaseline lotion, please do so. how strange that a cold weather can make your skin dry, flaky, and worst.. itchy. while here in manila we go crazy over whitening and sunblock lotions, there you will find a myriad of species of anti-itch lotions ranging from the low-profile calamine lotion up to the sophisticated top-of-the-line hydrocortisone (wowow!! big word!!)

20. no frisking guards in malls, no sniffing K9 dogs. as if security threats do not appear in their vocabulary.


maybe it's true that travel can change your perspective. after my trip, i can now see things differently and i can now make better choices.

//mich
3.31.08
San Andres Bukid Manila