Insights On Moving From The First World To The Third

Living as an expatriated foreigner in an adopted 'third world' country can certainly present its challenges

. When weighed against the pluses, however, the various perceived negatives of such an existence can be accepted as a fair trade off. That doesn't mean they're not still frustrating, it just means they can be tolerated as differences in cultures that are deep set and here to stay. The best advice seems to be to just 'go with the flow'.

The Philippines, while considered a 'third world nation' by most western powers is still quite advanced in some ways. I once read that the 'average' monthly income here is less than (the equivalent of) fifty dollars per month. But minimum wage (if you're lucky enough to have one of these coveted jobs) has reached slightly more than five bucks a day. That's progress. We still have the customary malls and fast-food joints in the populated areas, and there are many of those.

Yesterday the toilet seat in our upstairs bathroom broke so we took a trip to the mall (Ace Hardware) to see what they had in the way of colored toilet seats. Things rust, break and/or wear out easily here and replacing items in the home, especially plumbing parts, is an ongoing concern. Ace is one of our common destinations.

As should have been guessed beforehand, the toilet seat selection was small. One reason for this is that toilet seats are not commonplace here. Neither is toilet tissue for that matter, but that's another story. Here, most people squat for relief so a seat just gets in the way. Standing on the seat can be a little tricky.

For me, a foreigner, a functional toilet seat is desirable, if not required. I carry a supply a tissue just in case I get caught needing to go when away from home, but carrying a seat would be a bit inconvenient. I usually just wait until I return to the house but that's not always practical.

We found a suitable seat at Ace and the best part was it only cost the equivalent of about five bucks. Prices here are generally quite reasonable when compared to the U.S. or European countries. On the way out of the store we passed a display featuring the latest in 'seat belt covers'. Do people even use their seat belts here?

I had seat belt cushions on my car in the 'other world' and they worked well, were comfortable and looked good. Here I don't even own a car but drive a motorbike instead. No need for seat belts on my rig! I predict they won't be selling a plethora of those covers!

by: Bob Proctor

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