valentine to baguio, question of class
it's almost valentine's day here, and as indicated in the previous post, that's a big deal. as im all off on my own, i thought i'd dedicate a valentine to the city i'm currently in, baguio.
baguio is the second largest city in luzon, after the megapolis that is manila. it's still crowded, a little stinky, and not lacking in unsavory characters (it seems taxi drivers are unscrupulous everywhere here: "meter. Meter. METER. Hello? [tap tap] METER!!...the hotel is NOT that way!), it's several worlds away from the chaotic monster that dominates seven hours to the south. for one, baguio is in the mountains, so it's much cooler. it's so much cooler, in fact, that i've been sleeping with all my clothes, a sleep sack, a fleece, a rain jacket and a blanket. good thing i am traveling alone; there's no room for someone else in that bed. now, while this may seem like a problem, compared to the prickly heat fingers i was getting in manila, it's like a dream. only my former taiwanese comarades can truely appreciate the heavenly coolness of which i speak. todd, staci, it's a dry heat.
also, baguio is a university town. there are around seven universities here, so the population seems much younger, hipper, and as a whole more educated than elsewhere. it's also nice that the city is better off than manila. in manila it seems you're either insanely rich of incredibly poor. obviously, anyone coming from america or europe falls into the former category (and shouldnt gripe about it), but that doesnt mean i enjoy walking around with dollar signs emanating from my face and people staring at me all the time ("Hello, where are you going, ma'am?...Hello, where are you going? Hello, Ma'am. Hotel? You want taxi ma'am? Hello. I love you"). i dont feel so out of place in baguio, between the students and the higher standard of living, which is an incredible relief at the moment. i could imagine existing here for a few weeks, whereas my timelimit for manila seems to be a maximum of three days.
an interesting topic of discussion, should anyone wish to consider it, might be what to think/do about the economic difference between a traveler and the country he/she travels in. i feel bad when i get frustrated with people for bothering me; they really need money, which i clearly have. im here afterall. but is it reasonable for foreigners to go about like mother theresa, helping the poor and underpriviledged masses (by the way, i learned that there is a catholic saint who does that already...Saint Rita, Advocate of the Impossible..she holds a cool skull)?
at the moment, i feel like the best way for someone to help out would be to support local businesses, and since im traveling here and not in the states, arent i doing something positive regardless? maybe im just easing my conscience. in any case, feel free to tell me what you think about it. im leaving for banaue and an internet connection slower than the application process for a US visa tomorrow, so i may be a while before i get back to frequent-blogging status.
anyway, baguio is also great because it's got plenty of italian and chinese places to eat, a few malls with books and office supplies (my love for which grew to mountainous heights in taiwan), a market with lots of interesting animal parts and massive piles of fruits, PINE TREES (wahoo), and a huge park where you can ride a SWAN BOAT fot 30 minutes for a little more than a dollar. so if you're traveling here, baguio's great. and if you live here, im jealous: i *heart* baguio.
baguio is the second largest city in luzon, after the megapolis that is manila. it's still crowded, a little stinky, and not lacking in unsavory characters (it seems taxi drivers are unscrupulous everywhere here: "meter. Meter. METER. Hello? [tap tap] METER!!...the hotel is NOT that way!), it's several worlds away from the chaotic monster that dominates seven hours to the south. for one, baguio is in the mountains, so it's much cooler. it's so much cooler, in fact, that i've been sleeping with all my clothes, a sleep sack, a fleece, a rain jacket and a blanket. good thing i am traveling alone; there's no room for someone else in that bed. now, while this may seem like a problem, compared to the prickly heat fingers i was getting in manila, it's like a dream. only my former taiwanese comarades can truely appreciate the heavenly coolness of which i speak. todd, staci, it's a dry heat.
also, baguio is a university town. there are around seven universities here, so the population seems much younger, hipper, and as a whole more educated than elsewhere. it's also nice that the city is better off than manila. in manila it seems you're either insanely rich of incredibly poor. obviously, anyone coming from america or europe falls into the former category (and shouldnt gripe about it), but that doesnt mean i enjoy walking around with dollar signs emanating from my face and people staring at me all the time ("Hello, where are you going, ma'am?...Hello, where are you going? Hello, Ma'am. Hotel? You want taxi ma'am? Hello. I love you"). i dont feel so out of place in baguio, between the students and the higher standard of living, which is an incredible relief at the moment. i could imagine existing here for a few weeks, whereas my timelimit for manila seems to be a maximum of three days.
an interesting topic of discussion, should anyone wish to consider it, might be what to think/do about the economic difference between a traveler and the country he/she travels in. i feel bad when i get frustrated with people for bothering me; they really need money, which i clearly have. im here afterall. but is it reasonable for foreigners to go about like mother theresa, helping the poor and underpriviledged masses (by the way, i learned that there is a catholic saint who does that already...Saint Rita, Advocate of the Impossible..she holds a cool skull)?
at the moment, i feel like the best way for someone to help out would be to support local businesses, and since im traveling here and not in the states, arent i doing something positive regardless? maybe im just easing my conscience. in any case, feel free to tell me what you think about it. im leaving for banaue and an internet connection slower than the application process for a US visa tomorrow, so i may be a while before i get back to frequent-blogging status.
anyway, baguio is also great because it's got plenty of italian and chinese places to eat, a few malls with books and office supplies (my love for which grew to mountainous heights in taiwan), a market with lots of interesting animal parts and massive piles of fruits, PINE TREES (wahoo), and a huge park where you can ride a SWAN BOAT fot 30 minutes for a little more than a dollar. so if you're traveling here, baguio's great. and if you live here, im jealous: i *heart* baguio.
posted by bethany at 08:07
<< Home