The last 8 weeks have been absolutely crazy. I've been living in an apartment in Manila and training employees at one of my company's call centers out here. My time here is winding down and I'm going home in a week. This has definitely been the experience of a lifetime. Even more so since Cassey was able to join me for two weeks.
As an expat I met a few weeks ago, "This place is still a fantasy". There is a huge clash of affluence and poverty in this country. Up until recently, there was no middle class. Either you were dirt poor or filthy rich. Wth the growth of the BPO (business process outsourcing) and call center industries, a middle class has been created over the last decade.
Despite the hardships that this population faces on a daily basis, they remain incredibly happy, friendly and hospitable. Some of my trainees travel over 2 hours every day to get to work. Some of them have left family behind in the rural areas to come to Manila. One of the guys I hired got knifed on the bus on his way to the interview... and still did a fantastic job.
This country spoils foreigners. Sadly, they treat us as if we are above them. I get chauffeured to and from work daily. I don't have to open doors for myself, clear my own table at a fast food restaurant or carry my own bags. All this is done against my will. When I try to do these menial tasks for myself, it is viewed as an insult. Eventually, you learn to live with it.
The clash between rich and poor is striking. Just meters away from a line of high end stores (Louis Vuitton, Prada, Rolex, Gucci, etc), a woman who hasn't showered in days sells cigarettes by the stick on the street. In a country where a pack of smokes cost less than $1, the money she earns does not add up quickly.
Anyways, I'm rambling. So I'll just stop here and share some pictures.
As an expat I met a few weeks ago, "This place is still a fantasy". There is a huge clash of affluence and poverty in this country. Up until recently, there was no middle class. Either you were dirt poor or filthy rich. Wth the growth of the BPO (business process outsourcing) and call center industries, a middle class has been created over the last decade.
Despite the hardships that this population faces on a daily basis, they remain incredibly happy, friendly and hospitable. Some of my trainees travel over 2 hours every day to get to work. Some of them have left family behind in the rural areas to come to Manila. One of the guys I hired got knifed on the bus on his way to the interview... and still did a fantastic job.
This country spoils foreigners. Sadly, they treat us as if we are above them. I get chauffeured to and from work daily. I don't have to open doors for myself, clear my own table at a fast food restaurant or carry my own bags. All this is done against my will. When I try to do these menial tasks for myself, it is viewed as an insult. Eventually, you learn to live with it.
The clash between rich and poor is striking. Just meters away from a line of high end stores (Louis Vuitton, Prada, Rolex, Gucci, etc), a woman who hasn't showered in days sells cigarettes by the stick on the street. In a country where a pack of smokes cost less than $1, the money she earns does not add up quickly.
Anyways, I'm rambling. So I'll just stop here and share some pictures.
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You're doing the playoff beard again aren't you? Is everyone?