Culture Shock

It's completely nuts to think that the whole world should be Americanized.  I was cautioned against  comparing my life in the States to my life here, but it really can't be avoided.  I think in general most observations ARE comparisons.  I'm trying to be open-minded and just explore this new society, but there are a few things that I must discuss.

The Thirteenth Month: 
Every Filipino who works for a company gets what is called their "Thirteenth Month."  Companies are required by law to give a bonus (although how you can call it a "bonus" when the law says you have to give it is a mystery to me) equivalent to one months' pay.  Thirteenth Months were just distributed and it's very exciting!  Paydays are already a big deal- the country has set paydays (whichever Friday falls closest to the 15th and 30th of each month) and we have learned to STAY AWAY from any shopping place on payday because it is chaos.  You can imagine then, the added frenzy that these bonuses have added- the malls are like the day before Christmas all the time.  I know the Filipinos love their bonuses, but someone should maybe inform them that most companies just reduce their salary offers to compensate for these "bonuses" so it's not like they are getting extra money. 

I Would Like My Personal Space Please:
Speaking of the malls...Labor here is so very cheap.  Even the smallest stores have 4 or 5 people working.  Each grocery store register has three people working it, not including the one who is bagging your items.  Imagine the belt department at your local department store, and now imagine that each individual belt rack has a person assigned to it, and as you walk by every single one of those people is saying, "Belt, Sir!" "Belt, Ma'am!" "Belt, Sir!" "Nice belts, Ma'am!"  It is enough to keep me AWAY from belts forever because I can't handle the racket.  When I walk into a store, I receive so much attention when what I really want is to shop in peace.  Here's what I can't get used to- as you shop, a salesperson stands RIGHT THERE beside you just waiting to carry your purchases, or re-fold whatever you just picked up, or remark on the quality of an examined item, and all I want to do is scream, "WHY ARE YOU STANDING SO CLOSE TO ME?"

We Love Paper:
Never in my life have I seen so much record keeping.  Make that USELESS record keeping.  All the security guards in our building (this is typical to all apartments) carry these green books that say "Record" on the front and they write down every time we leave and every time we come back.  There is a separate record for the North door and the South door, and I'm tempted to jokingly ask if there is a weekly reconciliation for those who leave by one set of doors but arrive home by the other set.  Truthfully, I'm scared to ask.  Our guards are 100% diligent- it doesn't matter that pretty much every day at 3:00 we head down to the 7-11 next door for a Coke Light and a bag of Rockets- because every day they write it down.  Also, when Kate had her ear infection, I was given a paper prescription for her ear drops- I don't think I've held a prescription in my hands for years.  The best part of this was that after filling the prescription they GAVE ME THE PAPER BACK so I can just get it refilled if I want.  Stores still give handwritten receipts in addition to the cash register tape, and when I caught a cab at the mall the other day, the mall security guard gave me a piece of paper with the cab number written on it.  All I could think was, "What good does it do, if something happens to me, for ME to be in possession of the cab number?  Maybe you, Mr. Security Guard, should hang on to this one."