Five Tickets To Roam

01/24/2025

01/23/2025

It's time for our cultural observations from the Philippines. As a reminder, these are not meant to be critical or meanspirited, but just a light hearted (usually) take on some things we noticed while traveling through a certain country. Any offense taken is not intended. 🙂 And with that caveat, here we go.....

1) FILIPPINOS ARE SUPER NICE AND FRIENDLY! (DAN)

It is said that the Bhutanese are the happiest people on earth, but if that is true I have to believe that the Filipinos are a close second. In stark contrast to some of the other places we’ve been on this trip (I won’t name names, but you know who you are (Romania! 😉) pretty much everyone we met during our month-long stay greeted us with a big smile and treated us with a kindness that was often well beyond what would be considered a modicum of human decency. And this included random strangers as well as service professionals. For example, during our check in at Manila airport the staff took it upon themselves to shrink wrap our backpack that we decided to check just to be sure nothing would happen to it. And it wasn’t one of those machines, but they literally busted out a huge carton of Saran Wrap and one person turned the bag while the other parceled out the cellophane. It was remarkable. In addition, everyone in the service business, without exception, calls customers “Ma’am” or “Sir” when addressing them. And if you make eye contact when passing someone on the street, odds are they will flash you a big smile.

NOTE: I will mention the one exception I observed to this uber polite kindness culture. It was when pausing to allow a vehicle or pedestrian to cut in front of my vehicle to let them in on a busy street where they would not otherwise likely get to turn any time soon. They would just turn in front of me without as much as a nod of appreciation or the vaguest of smiles to acknowledge the gesture. This happened 100% of the several times I made this gesture so it was enough for me to speculate that this was standard operating procedure. Now in fairness, I only drove in Cebu so maybe it’s something about the Cebuians, but I theorized that maybe Filipinos look on a gesture like that as common human decency that does not warrant genuflection and maybe it says more about US culture/personalities that we would expect that acknowledgment. 😊

Anyway, the bottom line is that Filipinos are, on balance, in our experience, shiny happy (and polite) people.

2) SARI-SARI STORE CULTURE (FRAN)

The Sari Sari stores are a quintessential part of Filippino culture and community life, serving as small neighborhood convenience stores that cater to the daily needs of the local residents. They began during the Spanish Colonial era and the name “Sari-Sari” means “Variety” or “assortment” in Tagalog is fitting in that they offer a wide array of daily use products in small quantities. Traditionally women were (and are?) the primary operators of Sari-Sari stores making them pioneers of micro-entrepreneurship in the Philippines. Indeed many of these stores are named for their proprietors (ie. “Linda’s Sari-Sari Store”). While we did patronize the Sari-Sari from time to time, we usually sought out the larger stores or the ubiquitous 7-11 franchises which made me wonder how these small mom & pop shops generated enough business to stay open, but I suspect that each community loyally patronizes their local sari-sari to keep them in business.

3) JEEPNEY CULTURE (RYAN)

I think we were all fascinated by these iconic Filippino human transport machines. The Jeepney is a modified miliary jeep (initially left behind by the US forces after WWII) with an extended chassis to accommodate more passengers. This is a shared transportation model where passengers hop on and hop off usually paying an accomplice to the driver who sits or hangs off the back collecting fares. The jeepneys are often highly decorated, adorned with vibrant colors, intricate designs and cultural symbols. So much so that they are often seen as moving works of art. While the jeepney has become the backbone of public transportation in urban areas due to their low cost and widespread availability, they are being gradually phased out as part of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), which was introduced in 2017. The goal is to replace older jeepneys with safer, more environmentally friendly, and efficient vehicles. However, this transition appears to be controversial and is still ongoing.

4) MALL CULTURE (AUSTEN)

If you have been reading any of our posts or blogs, you’ll know by now that Austen is our big shopper and she has never met a mall she didn’t like. I have posted before about the amazing ultra-modern malls in Thailand, but I think the Philippines, or more specifically, Manila, is the Mall King. I haven’t researched this, but anecdotally there appears to be more malls in Manila per square meter than in any other southeast Asia nation – or beyond for that matter. What’s nice is that there is pretty much a mall for every socio-economic buyer, but the high end glitzy one’s are truly impressive. They are all clean and modern and full of fun and interesting stores. My personal favorite in Manila was the Megaworld Uptown Mall in the Bonifacio Global City (BGC), but I think Austen was partial to the equally impressive SM Aura Mall a stone’s throw away.

5) EXPOSED BELLY CULTURE (FINLEY)

This one is random and on one level I totally get it. You’re hot so you pull up your shirt. But what I don’t get is why I haven’t seen it - with such consistency at least – in any other tropical country like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia or Hong Kong? And if they are that hot, why not just take the shirt off altogether or pull it over their heads like many in the States so the torso is bare, but the shirt stays around the neck and shoulders. Instead they just pull it up a little so that it exposes and rests on their belly paunch. As I said, random, but Finley noticed initially noticed this and I became fascinated by it.

BONUS TRIVIA:

For as many times as I have been to the Philippines (about 5 or 6) I was not aware until this trip how the country got its name. We always assign our kids to do a country profile for any of the places we stay for a month or more and in that process we learned that the Philippines was named after the Spanish King Philip II - then Prince Philip - who ruled from 1556-1598. Given that fact, I was suprised that once the Philippines threw off the yoke of imperial oppression (actually the US owned it after the Spanish - we won it as a concession for winning the Spanish-American War) they wouldn't change the name to something more local.

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I know that many of Francesca's Filipino relatives will read this so they may have some comments, rebuttals, or additional context for these. I await their replies. 🙂

01/22/2025

Our final days in the Philippines were spent in the Palwan island paradise of El Nido. We had a very nice AirBnB, but it was in the economically challegned village of Libertad. We made some friends with the villagers and it was good for our kids to see how some kids in other countries live without very much (and seem to be very happy).

Of course, we also had the gorgeous beaches like Nacpan with some cheap massages and brilliant sunsets. Overall in the Philippines we had a blast spending time with Francesca's relatives and we'll miss them as we move on to Taiwan for a few days before a month in Vietnam.

01/20/2025

Our kids - who were all born in LA and have still many friends there - have been following the deveastation of the LA wildfires. They wanted to know how they could help their friends and the animals and so we researched a bunch of charties with specific donation feeds to the LA wildfires and let them choose. They all donated a significant portion of their recent birthday and holiday cash from their grandparents.

Ryan chose the Red Cross, Austen wanted to help dogs and cats so she chose the Humane Society and Finley wanted to help wild animals so she chose the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center.

Charitable giving is something we have been working with them on in recent years and specifically on our Worldschooling year so proud of them for stepping up.

01/14/2025

Our travel adventures continue, but it just seemed wrong to be posting about beaches and sunsets while so many of our LA friends are suffering - several who have lost their homes, others who have had to evacuate and a few who are trying to raise newborns /small children amidst this horrible air quality. I'm sure I'll start to post again soon so friends and family can follow along and I'm sure I'll feel it's still too soon, but for now our thoughts are with those in LA. 😥

01/09/2025

El Nido, Palawan: Our final stop on our 1 month Philippines tour. This is day one, but more photos to come.

01/08/2025

Atok: The final stop on our northern Luzon (Philippines) tour. Sun, fun, flowers and horses. A delightful spot to conclude our glamping weekend organized by Franceca's cousins Cocoy C. Jr. Ignacio and Mai Mai.

01/07/2025

Banaue: stop one on our amazing weekend in the mountains of North-Central Luzon in the Philippines. We had to trek about 20 minutes through rice terraces to get to our lodging. The next morning we got up early to trek an hour through the rice terraces to get to the Bogyah Hot Springs. The terraces are a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines and were named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.

12/31/2024

Check out our latest blog post "Cebu is Crying"

https://www.fiveticketstoroam.com/blog-posts/philippines/cebu-is-crying

12/27/2024

For those of you with 8 minutes of spare time who want to see a video of a snorkeling adventure in the crystal clear waters of Thailand....have a look....

https://youtu.be/qN-421izTRI?si=q45m_egMPBOdVy8_

12/26/2024

FTTR Christmas in The Philippines with Francesca's extended family!

12/22/2024

We finally got some good weather on our last day on Cebu, Philippines. Off to Manila tomorrow for the holidays.

12/19/2024

As we have now left Thailand, it is time to look back and reflect on some of the cultural differences we observed over the past 6 weeks. As a reminder, none of these observations are meant to be critical - although some of them do make us appreciate what we have in the US - but just observations from travelers comparing life at home to life in other countries that we visit and acknowledging and celebrating our differences.

SCOOTER CULTURE (DAN)

One of the first things you notice is Thailand – be it north, south or in Bangkok – is the sheer number of scooters zipping along the roads. It makes sense that a country about the size of California and nearly double its population would find an alternative to automobiles for transportation to ease traffic somewhat. They even have scooter taxis where a pedestrian can flag down a scooter driven by a guy (or girl) with an orange vest indicating they are a licensed scooter taxi driver. Riders will straddle the seat behind the driver or sit side saddle, typically with no helmet, as the driver zips in and out of auto traffic on the way to the chosen destination. I hailed one of these once and was terrified the entire way.

A little more concerning is the proclivity to have multiple riders on these scooters as the same time and usually without helmets. You will see 2, 3 even 4 people riding a scooter that was built for one rider. Numerous times I have seen a mother with 1 child in front of her and 1 or 2 in the back – all with no helmets – or a father driving the scooter with a baby (literally a baby!) between the father and the mother and another young child holding on to the mother from her back. As this is such a part of the culture, I suspect they all get comfortable riding these at an early age, but still anything can happen on the road and it may not even be their fault, but I am surprised there aren’t more accidents involving scooters. Or maybe there are? I’ll have to do some research on that.

BUDDHISM CULTURE (FRANCESCA)

Many countries have a religion that predominates any other, but it is rarer to have a country where the religion is its primary identity. We experienced that in Morocco and the distinctive way the Muslim religion serves as the foundation of its culture. So too is Buddhism deeply woven into the Thai culture. With other countries that are closely associated with a religion, like Korea and the Philippines are with Catholicism, you aren’t necessarily aware of the religious connection in your daily dealings with shopkeepers or other people in the community. But in Thailand, it is very much front and center. Buy anything in any store and you will see the shopkeeper press her hands together in a prayer like gesture while saying “Kap kun kaaaa”.

You also see the Buddhist connection in everyday Thai life in how nice everyone is to locals and tourists alike and the perpetual and ubiquitous smiles on the faces of nearly all Thai people at all times. Sure, any country’s people can be nice regardless of their religion – take Canadians for instance – super nice, all of ‘em! – but Buddhism is definitely at play in Thailand as being kind, truthful and ethical are the core of the Buddhist tenets including the Ethical Conduct of the Eightfold Path and The Five Precepts and their ethical guides to daily living.

MUAY THAI BOXING (RYAN)

Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is deeply woven into the fabric of Thai culture, history, and identity. It is not just a sport but also a martial art, a cultural tradition, and a source of national pride. Muay Thai training centers are everywhere and there are weekly fighting bouts at purpose built Muay Thai boxing stadiums in the big cities and the small island towns where combatants are sometimes as young as 8 or 9 years old (although the official minimum age is 15)!
Muay Thai is steeped in tradition and ritual. Fighters perform the wai khru ram muay, a ceremonial dance to honor their trainers, ancestors, and the sport itself, before every match. Ryan did a private session with our family and then signed up for 5 additional training sessions, about 1 per week for the duration of our time in Thailand.

TOOTH FAIRY AIN’T A THING HERE (AUSTEN)

Austen found this out the hard way as she lost 3 teeth in Thailand and got no money for them! What we all discovered is that in Thailand there is no tooth fairy, but rather when a child loses a baby tooth they throw it up on the roof of their house and in return they are supposed to be rewarded with straight teeth. I think the straight teeth ship has sailed already for Austen, but maybe they will straighten up now that the roof is riddled with baby teeth?

THE UBIQUITOUS 7-11 FRANCHISES (FINLEY)

Almost before you notice the abundance of scooters in Thailand, you’ll notice the abundance of 7-11 stores. Even small villages in the northern Thai jungles have several 7-11s within close proximity. We once saw two 7-11s next door to each other – I kid you not! I was told that one focuses on food while the other focuses on non-food items. All our kids LOVED 7-11 and they had their share of dinners there as well as drinks and snacks, but Finley was probably the one who most craved it on a daily basis. But I could have easily attributed this cultural observation to Austen who was 7-11 obsessed as well. In fact, at her insistence she created a slide show research presentation about the history of 7-11s in Thailand to help answer the question why there are so many.

She discovered that Thailand has the 2nd most 7-11 franchises in the world with 14,000, behind only Japan with 20,000. This is up from 4th place in 2004. On a side note, I think most people think 7-11 is a US company, but it is not, although it used to be. 7-11 (originally named “Tot’em”) was sold to Japanese holding company Seven & I Holdings in 2005 who led it to become the world’s largest convenience store chain.

12/17/2024

Our Bangkok tour guide, Joker, made this video for us capturing our memories from our day with him. How cool is that? Now I don't have to make one myself. :)

12/14/2024

One Day In Bangkok and the World's Your Oyster......

Yesterday we took a private guided tour of Bangkok with a company called "Your Thai Guide" (YTG) that had been recommended to us by other Worldschoolers and it was fantastic. Our guide Wallup Kittiwititkun (aka "Joker") was super knowlegable and fun and organized a very efficient bespoke tour for us with the perfect pacing of sites, walking, talking, sitting, shopping and eating.

Not only did we hit the MUST SEE spots that I had requested like the Grande Palace/Emerald Buddha and Klong Lat Mayom Floating Market, but he worked in a few off the beaten path sites like an Orchid Farm (there used to be many in Bangkok, but now there are few as they are being bought out to put up high rise apartments) and Bann Suan Bonus, a sustainable living residence and tea shop where Austen and Finley got to make their own Thai Tea and serve it to customers (me, Ryan and Fran!).

Here is the full itinerary to accompany the photos below:

* Wat Saphan Floating Market - Visit a local temple and soak in the lively market atmosphere with unique local products.

* Bann Suan Bonus - experience a traditional tea making activity.

* Lung Niyom Orchid Farm - Admire the stunning orchids.

* Klong Lat Mayom Floating Market - Enjoy a delicious lunch and choose some fun activities for children such as painting or shooting games.

* The Grand Palace - Explore Bangkok’s iconic landmark

* Icon Siam - Stroll through this luxurious riverside complex at your leisure. [This was the most spectacular high end mall I have ever seen - and that includes one in Dubai!]

All in all it was a great, but exhausting, day.

12/14/2024

Crazy wild boat ride in Bangkok!

12/12/2024

Snorkeling trip to Koh Rok & Koh Ha with our BLISS Worldschool hub friends the Budia-Pineros from Spain.