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.