REFLECTIONS!

THE PHILIPPINES

Hot Humid

Curly Hair

Swollen Feet

Cold Showers

Twice a day

Sunny days

Blue Skies

Everyday

Traffic

Crazy Crowded Constant

Organized Chaos

Canada has too many rules!

Rush hour

Jeepneys, Cars, Trucks, Buses,

Horns

a courtesy

Bikes,

Trikes

People in them on them hanging off them

Motorcycles

Driver, small child in front, two people behind

Smiles, flip flops

No road rage, few accidents

Two lanes become 5

find a spot!

Diesel fumes, faces covered

Pedestrians

Beware!

Dusty roads

Tiny shops

Free Enterprise

Anywhere, Everywhere

Anything, Everything

Markets

Foreigner

Beware!

A mass of humanity

Smiling, Hospitable, Humble, Good humored

Sandals, Flip Flops

Umbrellas to protect from the sun!

Families

Children

So many children

Some priviledged

School paid for

Colored uniforms denoting which school

Some...vendors

So young

No school for them

Employed by parents

Find them anywhere the privileged stop

McDonald's drive thru

I buy a flute

What's 20 pesos to me?

A lollypop from Papa Don's pocket

Brings a delighted smile

The pesos are for the parents

The lollypop just for them!

Some beggar children

Persistant

Tapping on windows

As the already full eat on

Their eyes, bare feet, ragged clothes, future

Haunt me

I dream of a huge home where I will take care of them

The dilemma

Give them money

Promote their life style

Ignore, mock, pity, patronize

Care

I will pray!

Families of fishermen

Covered head to toe with clothing

Protection from sun & sea

For two hours they patiently pull the ropes to bring in the net

We help

the catch is small

But they smile, they joke

and prepare for the next day!

We learn from their contentment!

Beach Vendors

They're there

Right away and constantly

At your door, following you

'Please mum'

All day

Irritation, annoyance

Bargaining

'What's your name'

They ask

We ask theirs

Slowly each becomes a person with a story.

We still bargain, we buy

Did we get a steal or did they?

We say goodbye

A bit of our heart stays with them

They will still be here

next time.

The Philippines

Ocean, plain, mountain

Beauty, heat, people

Poor, wealthy, middle class

families, children

so many children

Mountain people, Koreans,

Beautiful girls

Lecherous white men using, abusing,

Judgement WILL come!

Shanties, shacks, shelters

Shade anyway you can get it

Tarps, cloth, corrogated metal

Clean clothes, oft done by hand, hung to dry

Mansions, gated communities

ordinary homes

all behind fences

Tiles, so cool to hot feet

verandahs shaded by

Palm, coconut, mango, banana trees

Star apples

mmmmmmmmm

Flowers

Bouganvillia

my favorite!

The Philippines

You caught my heart!