Before I came to Manila, a friend warned me that I should bring along an ample supply of tampons. She said they were difficult to find, even in Manila. I took her advice, thinking I’d bring enough for round one and then have another month to scout out the precious item. I’ve discovered that when she said “difficult to find”, she actually meant impossible. Yesterday, in a panicked frenzy, otherwise known as PMS, I dragged my house keeper (along for moral support, bless her heart) around the city to at least 6 different Filipino equivalents of CVS or Rite Aid. I really wanted to wear white pants to a party, and I was sticking to it, because I am inherently stubborn.

I have not been sheepish about asking for things like tampons since I was in 4^th grade, but somehow when you have to repeat the word ten times, it becomes embarrassing. Once, I actually had to write the word down on a piece of paper, and when the woman read it, her eyes lit up and she gasped, “Ma’am, we do not sell that here!” I was sure I could find them in an upscale drug store, but alas, the sales woman only pointed me towards the douches. Finally, one clerk understood what I was asking for, but was still puzzled as to why I needed it. “Ok, ma’am, tampon...for what use?” I thought of my usual list of tampon uses, so many to choose to from really: oil change, window cleaning, basket weaving, pencil holder… but I went with, “for my period.” She gave me a hopeful look of recognition, then responded, “Okay, ma’am, what sort of period?” Thank god they sold chocolate or I might have fainted in frustration.

So far, I’ve only heard urban myths about tampon sales; a certain drug store in Makati where someone saw them months ago, or a pharmacy where someone’s cousin bought them once. One girl said the last time she saw tampons was in Subic Bay, at a US military commissary, which is about 5 hours from Manila. I think I’m going to have to explore non-conventional avenues. Maybe there is a tampon black market, or a shady tampon dealer on a street corner somewhere. I will find them, and when I do, I will plot their location on Google Earth, so that other tampon seekers can be alleviated of their suffering.

Today I saw a fish vendor getting a pedicure in an outdoor market. She fanned away flies trying to land on the rows of silver scales, glancing down from time to time at the woman digging away at her toenails. Filipinos highly value hygiene and cleanliness, but in some cases their standards can be paradoxical. During one of my site visits, I noticed a little girl staring at me with great concern. I figured she was wondering who I was and why I was there, like most people do. It turns out she thought the design on my shirt, which was light brown, was dirt. She informed the program director I was touring with that my shirt was dirty and should be washed! This coming from a girl who was raised around the filth of a polluted river and piles of trash in the streets where she played. But it’s true; although, the surrounding environment may not be pristine, you will rarely see a child going to school in anything but a spotless white uniform. That same day, two other girls expressed the same curiosity about my “dirty” shirt. I have since stepped up my game and only show up to squatter areas in solid colored tees.

The Jeepney: trucks converted to mini buses and heavily decorated. The driver named this one American Idol. Filipinos are obsessed with anything that has to do with singing, they even have their own Pinoy Idol, as well as countless other singing competition shows. They also love David Cook's rendition of Always Be my Baby. I hear David's voice in about every neighborhood I visit. The only song more popular than this Mariah Carey original, is Low, aka, "apple bottom jeans and the boots with the fur" (although since Filipinos have a hard time pronouncing the letter F, it comes out as "boots with the pur"). I was trying to interview a local government official during one of my site visits when that song started blasting from a house near us. I became completely distracted, and, unfortunately, his response to my question on livelihood development was lost in Flo-rida's anthem. This song has also been translated and re-recorded in Tagalog: please check this out: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1314922/low_tagalog_version/

Insurance details included with my bus ticket on an out of town trip. Basically, they will compensate you 20,000 pesos for any of these listed disaster combos. I guess you are out of luck if something happens to your arm or leg, no coverage for those appendages. But don't worry you can get 20,000 pesos for unprovoked murder and assault...not sure who gets the money though.