This week the signs of a much smaller economy of the Philippines was evident in the fact that I was able to get a haircut and shave for 70 pesos. This is approximately 1.25USD. Of course, not wanting to take advantage of the situation I tipped BIG for a total of 200 pesos or 3.57USD. This was a real man’s barber shop…no air conditioning, all the smells of the big city with traffic only 10ft from where I sat in a 100 yr old barber’s chair. I know because my shorts and legs stuck to 15 lbs of duct tape holding the chair seat together when I got up. The barber did not speak a word of English which was his shield against an unhappy customer if it didn’t turn out okay. The comb, scissors, electric razor were ancient and had not been cleaned since the mid 19th century. Not one of the surfaces in the shop could be determined to be dust free and the mirror (if it was one) was so dirty I could not tell if it was me getting the haircut. Since it was just the barber and me in the shop, I figured he was working on me. I was so happy that the strap razor was sharp. I immediately ran back to the apartment and used 5lbs of shampoo and bleach to sanitize my hair (what little I had left) and my head. My hair was so short on the sides that one day’s growth of beard was longer. The barber did a great job and I will probably go back there again next month (if I need a haircut then) and do it again…because it was a real man’s barber shop.
A dollar is worth about 56 pesos. So a 1000 peso bill is worth about 17.86USD. Of course, Nina spends 1000 peso bills as if it was a 1 dollar bill. It is easy to do even though things are generally so cheap. I have included a photo of the new 1000 peso bill to show it’s incredible design. It is not made of paper. Some synthetic material that is water proof (I am guessing that Americans are not the only people that wash their money when it is dirty). Nice thing about this is that it does not take two days to dry out like a dollar bill. It has (2) completely clear spaces on it. If you look closely you can see the text of the document on the laptop through the clear spaces on the bill. The only major flaw I can see is that they don’t fold very well like paper does. I have to put a weight on them at night on my nightstand to get the bills to bend and fold in half.
It is hard to believe but I was pulled over again this week by the police. This time it was for a u-turn maneuver in a spot that indicated no u-turn. In the process of examining my license and registration he discovered that I had no temporary plate (new truck) on the front, that the registration number did not match the plate number and that I was just about at the end of my eligibility to drive in the Philippines. So, he let me go. I am proud to announce that I am 0 for 3. I have been stopped by police 3 times with not one ticket issued. This is amounting to be some sort of record. I am not sure how many people I want to know about it so keep it on the low. Before the Philippines I have never been stopped by a street cop on foot when I am in a vehicle. But all 3 times this has been the case.
This week has been difficult as far as the missionary work goes. We have had little time to ourselves and many problems with apartments all across the mission. Lots of rain generally translates into lots of leaks. We even had one apartment that the CR (comfort room…bathroom to Americans) upstairs spayer (what they call a bidet in the Philippines) came off the hose and sprayed all over the bathroom. Not a huge deal except the Sister missionaries were downstairs and did not know about it until the ceiling and walls started to leak water.
It is always good to see and be with the young missionaries. They have such faith and good attitudes even amidst the obstacles that they encounter every day. I complain from my air-conditioned apartment when many of them have no escape from the heat and humidity, even when at home and trying to sleep. The Filipino missionaries have no complaints mostly because they come from homes with no air conditioning. But the foreign missionaries are more uncomfortable. The other day we had (4) Elders in the back seat, (3) of them Filipino. Even as cramped as they were I notice that the Filipino missionaries had their arms folded like they were cold. I asked if they were cold. They responded with a request to turn off the air conditioning. I naturally said no. It seemed like the right thing to do since the other (3) foreigners in the cab were perfectly comfortable.
Tomorrow will officially be 3 months since we left home. It has gone by so quickly yet there have been many experiences during this period that we will never forget, many people that we have met and come to love. This truly has been an experience of a lifetime.
Love to all,
Elder and Sister Epperson
1000Php=17.86USD Philippine eagle in the print
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