The duration of our stay was to one week (from Montreal Nov. 21, 2008 and arrived in Montreal November 29, 2008). In addition, during our stay, we had a shift schedule of 13 hours before . Also, we have seen from our exit from the airport that the climate was tropical, very hot and humid. On most islands, rainy season coincides with the summer monsoon, which lasts from May to November the wind blows then Southwest. The dry season corresponds to the winter monsoon, which runs from December to April when the wind blows from the northeast. From June to October , the Philippine archipelago is swept by typhoons (tropical cyclones) that can cause immense damage. In our case, we were in the end of the rainy season. We have seen with the presence of some showers, which made me think of our showers Quebec during wet summer. Then, for throughout our stay, we found that the English is everywhere in Manila (airport, hotels, restaurants, shops, foster care, Parenting Foundation, ICAB) and the Tagalog is present in families, when they talk among themselves. So it was very helpful that my spouse is almost bilingual and my stepfather is.
In terms of preventing disease trip, do not go crazy, behaving wildly and see the word "disease" throughout. First, we had taken him from the hand sanitizer and we have not used. We had a 5 star hotel in Manila and we washed our hands with tap water and soap. Also, we did not boil the tap water and did not put 5% iodine solution in water carafe for the same reason that our hotel was a 5 star. We brushed our teeth with tap water from the hotel and have had no problems. By cons, we drank bottled water provided by the hotel. In addition, we have applied Acuna protection against insects. Anyway, we have hardly been outside because we go every day condominmium family home. By cons, my stepfather went swimming in the pool outside the hotel and took some bites mosquitoes, but had no serious consequence. He had flu symptoms for which we were unable to identify the true cause, insect bites or polluted air.
Regarding the culture shock, we have not had a big in Manila, even if it was our first trip abroad. We thought that Manila was like Montreal but with more high rise buildings, more people, more and more homeless dogs. There was a lot of fast food ; as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Starbucks Coffee. Also, since Catholics are and we traveled one month before Christmas, we often seen Christmas decorations . However, we found it odd to hear Christmas songs, we knew (in fact they are listening to a lot of American music, I recognized very well the songs on the radio) in sandals and see the Christmas lights on palm trees . Also, we found special to see people doing karaoke at grocery stores and some department stores. We have seen that this type of activity is very steeped in their lives, as the family home we had offered, but my husband refused because he is not very fond of karaoke. By cons, which we made the more amazed to see is that there were no signal lights and stop Stop some very busy intersections . We saw''Full Stop'', but not many. For intersections, the boldest came first and those with a horn showed their priority. Anyway, the lady of the host family does not encourage us to drive ourselves, for a rental car because the police are corrupt in this country and we might have big problems, because we were tourists. Moreover, trying to force pollution, each day there was plate numbers that could not move with exception of emergency vehicles. However, for the rich that tactic does not work, because they take their other car. So we were somewhat anxious, because we found ourselves in a certain frame of reference known is to say, we felt that we could blend in some way in the background . Also, since there were few cultural differences, it has allowed us not to feel unsettled, and allowed us to avoid living through difficult times.
other hand, we found that Filipinos knew certainly not''Super Nanny''and''Dr. Nadia.'' We noticed in shopping malls in Manila and the aquarium on the plane that Filipino children could do whatever they wanted and they were very energetic . In malls, it was common to see a small Filipino child run or scream. At the aquarium in Manila, there was a placard inscribed with over''silence''not to disturb the aquatic animals and people do not respect at all. There was quite a hubbub of noises with the impressive number of visitors, who were trying to see everything. On the return flight (Manila-Tokyo), I noticed a Filipino boy, who upset the man sitting behind him without his mother to say a word and the man acted as if he did not see him. Consequently, Filipino people are very smiling and courteous . Whenever we met an employee in the hotel at the entrance or exit of the hotel, they greeted us immediately with courtesy by putting an emphasis on women (''Good morning mam'') . Also, in shopping malls, there were many committed visible and available to serve us. I could almost say there was one employee per row, but clearly more than one employee per department. When they saw us, they greeted us politely putting more emphasis on women (''Good morning mam'').
Definitely for security in Manila, it was very well organized. " At our hotel, she was present at the entrance to the courtyard with a Canine and entrance hall with security guards with explosive detector . Also, there were security guards in most restaurants (reassuring presence) near our hotel and entry and exit of large shopping center (check Hand bags and others). In the streets near the residence of the foster family is a secure area with a security officer who operates a barrier to let only authorized people. I noticed that when the driver of the foster family was leaving the secure area, he locked the doors. So I had no fear during my stay. When we were walking without the host family, I held the hand of my husband. When I put the skirts, I was noticed by some that my husband and my stepfather, but nothing serious. Moreover, employees of our hotel was dressed very sexy long skirt with notched up their hip.
Regarding the exchange rate, it is about 40 pesos Filipino U.S. $ 1 and there are exchange counters to airport, major hotels in and large shopping center. Also, credit cards are accepted almost everywhere (more favorable exchange rate). For us, we had no problem paying with our credit card because we have known before we left for him not to be surprised and he does not suspect fraud. The only time we had a problem Payment is on our shopping day Wednesday in the store in SM Department Store SM Megamall (one of the greatest ones of Asia mall). Since this store is on several floors, we paid our items for each department with our credit card, but we made several payments in a short time. Then, in a transaction, the cashier warned us that our card did not work and she scored a message to communicate with them. The clerk told us that our map does not work, it is not part of their duties to communicate with credit card companies. So we left our items on the counter and were told we did not have enough Filipino Pesos on us and that we were going to get. What we have done, because there was a trading post not far from this shop on several floors. Once, our money in hand, we returned to pay our articles. The next day we tried again our credit card and it worked perfectly. So we would have had to pay after finding everything you wanted, it would have avoided this episode. For other times, we had procured from Philippine pesos at the hotel.
Regarding the social worker responsible for our record to Manila , usually, it should contact us in the Philippines because it is informed of our arrival by the office Let us form a family (name of our hotel). However, in our case, we already knew the hour of meeting with the social worker, as our contact person, we called a few days before our departure to inform us of the progress. She called me at home to inform us that the first meeting would take place Sunday, November 23, because the host family, we were invited to attend with them to Mass on Sunday and that we would return at night without our child to take the final on Monday. I informed My spouse and I asked him if he was interested to attend the Sunday mass. He replied in the affirmative and I told my contact person. Thereafter, the host family has been informed and our contact person contacted us to advise us that the social worker responsible for our child would pick us up at 10:00 in the lobby of our hotel.
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