Though I wasn`t REALLY scared--- my experience in Singapore was probably the closet I came along my travels to feeling "uneasy" in my environment. When I arrived at the airport in the evening, I was sold on "the best value hotel" in the red light district. I admit that I must have been a little bit naive. I really just expected the red light district to mean I`d be in a high traffic area with lots of bars, restaurants & hotels.... haha!
Firstly- I was asked upon check in whether I`d like to rent my room by the hour or on a nightly basis. I was confused as to why they would offer such a thing... hehe (boy- I really am naive). Also, as a woman alone- I felt as though the hotel staff treated me as though I was dirt beneath their feet (now I realize that it was because they thought I was a prostitute in their hotel... fair enough). Anyways, it really wasn`t until morning that I realized just where I was when I went to cross the street to go to the drugstore and an Indian male approached me asking me how much I would charge him (at this point- I was still confused- thinking what a jerk he was for being so direct! hehe.. when really such a question would be perfectly normal there). To make matters even worse- the tattoo I got in the Philippines was badly infected and I could barely get around!
The strangest experience occurred even later that afternoon when I was walking down the main strip & was called over to one of the tables by an older Indian man wearing all kinds of jewelery. He was sitting at an outside table at one of the restaurants with several white men. I figured I had to at least say hello back, as it was the middle of the day. I couldn`t just run away! He fell in love with my blonde hair and refused to believe that I wasn`t a prostitute. He was sure I must be a Russian prostitute to be all alone in this area. He was determined to make me one of his girls & kept trying to make me offers. He kept telling me how much money I could make and was determined to get a yes out of me. I just kept laughing at his suggestions. He was quite the character! I doubt I`ll ever again meet anyone like him! Imagine- sitting in the red light district of Singapore with one of the main pimps! Next thing I knew- two older German men came to sit at the table and the pimp called over two Thai women who obviously worked for him. He starts asking the men if they`d like these girls and the men comment on how ugly & fat they are (to their face while we all sat there). I couldn`t help but laugh, thinking to myself "this really cannot be happening- this is all just a dream." A group of men come running across the street from the back alleys where they`ve obviously been doing some illegal gambling or drugs (or both). It`s 10am and yet there is a young Asian women wearing a mini skirt, high heels, and fixing her make-up on every inch of the main streets--- hoping for some business... Honest to god- I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I really was witnessing all of this. You see movies with this stuff & you read about this stuff- and yet you don`t believe it`s reality until it`s there very real before you! Later on, I went into the downtown bit of Singapore where it`s all very posh boutiques and the contrast was so shocking! It was literally like stepping out of one world and into a very different one...
Two nights later, after being told by a taxi driver to change hotels because I was crazy to be staying where I was as a white woman all alone & getting sick of all the attention I was getting from the men- I checked into a hotel closer to downtown Singapore for some peace of mind. I walked around Little India, checked out the markets, and watched some television in the evenings. I was glad to be away from the craziness of the red light district & to escape my new "friend".... but I was also happy to have seen that side of things. It truly was an "experience."
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
June 15, 2008: "Oh Frig- There`s a Filippino Anne!"
My lord---- so apparently there is a Filippino version of Anne & as luck would have it--- I am living under her roof for the next 3 weeks! She cooks up a feast that would be big enough to feed an entire country and she sits there and watches me while saying "eat eat!" (She refuses to sit down--- she watches me from the kitchen). Then when I tell her I am full she replies with "EAT! EAT." However, when I tell her my clothes are feeling tight, she tells me "Marcella- control." (sound familiar?)
This morning, I went to iron my shirt and she grabbed the iron out of my hand. "Nannie do. Nannie do!" (apparently no one else in the house can do anything quite like she can--- sound familiar?)
Of course Nannie`s first question to me upon my arrival was "you Catholic?" and I was stupid enough to respond with a "yes." She dragged me to both a Catholic Women`s League meeting & a church service this morning. After 3 hours of church for the day, I thought I was in the clear, but then she springs on me that she teaches both junior and senior religion classes!!!!!!!!!!!! ("Marcella- you sit and observe with me") I tried to use the excuse that I need to prepare my classes for tomorrow and she guilt tripped me! Her words "If you can`t- that ok" (and then with a sad pouty face) "I like you observe. I like you observe. But that ok" (the guilt trip--- gee who invented that?)
She chases me around the house with a tube of neosporin insisting that I cover my mosquito bites--- "Marcella, it`s good. You put! You put!" (Sound familiar?)
Needless to say, I will be meeting Filippino Anne in an hour to watch a religion class (after which she will sit me down and pour about 5,000 calories down my throat) sniff sniff. On a more positive note, like our Canadian Anne, Filippino Anne has a hard time staying awake for the most part. She doses off quite often throughout the day--- bringing a bit of piece to us volunteers! haha
June 11, 2008: "Heartbroken yet IN LOVE in the Philippines"
I started my placement today in a small city named Ormoc in the province of Leyte. I am working in a "Holding Centre" that houses about 30 boys ages 10- 22 who were either picked up from a life out on the streets or who were left at the centre by parents who either couldn`t afford to keep them or who flat out didn`t want them. There is also a section of the centre that serves as a jail cell for nine boys who are pending rape, theft, or public begging charges.The facility is government- run and receives a yearly budget that barely covers school enrollment & uniform fees, and barely puts three meals a day on the table (the children eat rice three times per day--- they never get any fruits, vegetables, or goodies because such food items are expensive by Filippino standards). The center is prison- like in appearance in that it consists of barred up cement rooms and lacks color. Basic items that we take for granted like pillows, blankets, drinking cups, eating utensils, soaps, shampoos, flip flops, etc are lacking. The children sleep on mattresses that look like they might have been chewed on by rats, using their tiny arms as pillows. They have so little and appreciate even the tiniest offering. This afternoon I brought them a box of chocolate wafer cookies and they reacted as though someone had just handed them the world. They are so polite and appreciative!
Before I went to see the boys today I was a little bit worried because I am not used to teenage boys. A girl working in an all boy institution? I didn`t know how I could relate to them. I thought little kids would have been so much easier! I guess there was a guy here a few weeks ago who was here for a month and the kids got so attached to him that they were all crying when he left. I guess it was really pitiful--- these kids have nobody. Anyways, I visited with them this morning and I had nothing to worry about. They may be teenagers, but they almost seem younger in age than they really are. They are very curious & just love the company. We sat at my laptop and listened to music (they love music!). We also practiced some Filippino. Basically, I said a few sentences and they`d laugh at my expense.... They were in love with my digital camera and giggled at videos they took of one another.
The placement will be good for me because it is run by a team of social workers. I have so much that I can learn from them! I sat down with the director today and she wants me to help them with their homework in the afternoons. I expressed to her that I really want to help them and would really like to know what their needs are: toothbrushes, t-shirts, whatever! She said that they appreciate any little thing SO MUCH--- and that it means so much to them but that they never like to talk about it with volunteers because they are embarrased of how poor their living conditions are. Today I found myself at the department store pricing virtually EVERYTHING! Imagine- most of these kids own a single t-shirt--- and in the store a t-shirt is only $2! Honest to God- I just met them and they are almost my age---- but I have sooooooooo much love in my heart for them!!!! If I could adopt them all and bring them back with me to give them a better life--- I wouldn`t think twice! There`s not a doubt in my mind now that social work is what I want to do with my life. There`s so much poverty and sadness out there--- I want to help.
And to think that our kids at home throw a crying fit if the other kid got more fries or there`s no ice cream left in the freezer! Things that these kids could only ever dream of.... ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING!!!
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