Livin' in America

Disclaimer: This is not meant to put down the Philippines or Filipinos in general. I'm just highlighting the stark differences of life in America as compared to life in the Philippines.



It's been no secret that I've always wanted to live here in America. Despite the seeming hardships one entails (such as adjustment to a new culture or the fact that you can’t have the luxury you used to have, etc.), if I had to choose between living in the Philippines or living in America, I’d still choose America.

Here’s why:

* The pay is better. Over here, as long as you work hard, you will earn every cent you deserve. Pay here is not a monthly contract where your hours don’t matter. You get paid BY THE HOUR. What you earn is proportional to how much time you spend at work. That’s fair enough, don’t you think?

* The opportunity for growth is endless. As long as your bosses see your effort and skill, you will get promoted regardless of who you are, your race, color, religion, etc. Of course, this is a case-to-case basis but you can always sue for discrimination and companies are afraid of that. In the Philippines, kailangan malakas ang hatak mo para ma-promote ka. It's a "connection system" over there.

* You don’t have to deal with office rumors or cliques. Unless you work in a pure-Pinoy office, you don’t have to deal with people talking behind your back or spreading shit around. This is part of the reason why I’m not inclined to work somewhere where there are a lot of Pinoys because I know I’d be a great topic for shit like that. Americans generally don’t give a damn about your personality as long as you work hard. In fact, if they see that you work hard, they’ll even help you out and get your promoted or something. If you worked at a Pinoy-laden office, these people will even drag you down.

* I feel more comfortable here. People here let you be who you are. That’s something I didn’t experience when I was in Loyola Heights.

* The environment is cleaner. Because of their priority on “a clean America”, they have made the lives of millions of people better by providing clean water and clean air.

* No more cockroaches and pests. I hate cockroaches. You know they come from the sewers. You know they’re filthy. You know they carry a bunch of diseases. And it’s a relief that I don’t have to deal with them anymore. In fact, I haven’t seen one since I arrived. My friend who has been here for 2 years hasn’t seen one since leaving the Philippines.

* Your insurance will take care of everything. From your house, to your car, to your health, they have an answer to that. You don’t have to pay a single cent for anything as long as you have insurance.

* Rescue 911. If you’re in a real emergency, you know who to call. If I had a heart attack, then I can get to the hospital faster and have a better chance of surviving because of these guys. If I had a heart attack in Manila, I’d be dead right away, right in the ambulance (that is, if they ever get to me).

* Health care. Overall, the health care system here is way better. In fact, it's probably the best in the world.

* The weather is better. No more sweaty heat. The nice, cool climate is so relaxing.

* No more traffic. Over there, traffic is an everyday thing. Over here, once in a while.

* Road courtesy. People follow the rules. They follow the law. Drivers respect one another.

* You see where your taxes go. It contributes to the overall betterment of life in America (i.e. better roads, etc.). They don't go into some politician's pocket, wallet, or bank account.

* The overall convenience of life. You can find anything and everything over here. Well, almost.



On the other hand, here are stuff I miss in the Philippines:

* The smart, simply amazing chinitas. Enough said.

* The "wife-material" ladies. Women there are much more “wife-material” than the ones over here.

* The nightlife. I miss Eastwood, Glorietta, Rockwell, etc. None of that here!

* The status. Over here, I’m a nobody. Over there, I’m a somebody.

* The convenience of having maids. Yeah, the maids do everything over there. Over here, you do it all by yourself. But hell, that’s fine with me. I can manage.

* Purefoods Corned Beef. The best corned beef I’ve ever had.

* Snackaroo. The greatest cheap steak I’ve ever had.

* Manang's. The best inihaw I've ever had.

* My little red baby. I miss driving a convertible!

* Of course, my friends. Iba pa rin ang samahan diyan!

* And of course, my family members. I miss my cousins. We all have a great time together.


I'll write more as I get along with life here in America. After all, the title of this journal is Buhay Amerika.