Cebu Journal (pg. 2)
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January 21-23: It has been a couple of days since I have written. Friday was fairly busy and I really didn't feel well, though I was better than Thursday. Saturday was so very busy...I was blessed with the opportunity to have a driver and a van, and I was accompanied by five guys from Lexmark Cebu to take a tour of the city and some surrounding area. I will write about that in detail. Then, today I went to church.
First off, I want to mention more about the security guards, as this is pretty interesting to me. On Friday morning, as I was leaving the Marriott to head across the street, one of the security guards from Lexmark was waiting at the door for me. Earlier that morning it had been raining and he was there waiting for me with an umbrella. I asked him how long he had been waiting, and he told me 10 minutes. I then asked him how he knew I was coming and he said, "because you were in the shower." How did he know that? Then, yesterday morning (Saturday), as I was leaving to walk across the street to join everyone for the tour, he was there again. Once again, he had been there about 15 minutes. I asked him how he knew, he said, "you were eating breakfast." He must have an inside connection.
While on the subject of security guards, I have begun to notice that while at the Lexmark building, whenever I leave my office and get on an elevator, the security guard will get on and in Cebuano say "he is coming down." Whichever floor I arrive on, the guard on that floor will get on the radio and say "He is here, going to ...." Then, every evening when I leave the building, I am shadowed by a guard. It is a strange feeling. I guess I should say I feel safe. But, I have never been treated like such a VIP.
My Cebu Trip, January 22: Now, I must write about my trip around Cebu yesterday. It was absolutely fabulous!! There is a great deal to write, so I will try to break it down in sections. I took over 250 pictures, many of which will be in slide shows that will be linked below. But first, I want to add three or four of my favorites on this page with a couple of comments. Then I will resume the description of this amazing day.
The photo on the left is of a boy I saw just sitting there in the fruit market. His pose was one that was interesting to me. The photo on the right is one of my gems....4 people on a motorcycle. Notice the girl in the front...she is on the driver's lap. These motorcyclists shuttle people for fares, just like taxi drivers.
These next two photos are also favorites. The one on the left is from one of the squatter's villages. These people live in dire poverty and squalid conditions. This photo shows a young boy going up the ladder stark naked, probably after taking a bath in the water below. It was a very lucky shot. The second photo typifies the market place in Cebu. Men and women carrying fruit or other things on their heads.
These are the last two pictures I will put here. The one on the left is so typical of this transportation starved society. People get all sorts of rides. But this one was great...the man on the left on the pink child's chair, in the back of a truck moving in traffic. You will see dotted throughout my journal the references to transportation and people crowding on bikes, motorcycles, trucks, etc. My photo slide show of Cebu (click here) and my Jeepney slide show (still under construction) will have lots of photos of these crowded modes of transportation. The photo on the right is me with some local kids. They always want their picture taken. I love seeing the children here.
We left the Lexmark Building at about 10 AM and headed first to get some bottled water. We figured we would need drinking water as we would be all over the place. Our first stop was to Magellan's Cross monument in downtown Cebu. This site has the original cross that was placed in Cebu by Ferdinand Magellan on April 21, 1521. Apparently, at that time Magellan and his priests converted King Humabon and the Queen and their children, along with some 800 others. Father Pedro Valderrama baptized all of them. Today, this area is a Catholic bastion, with nearly 90% of the population practicing the religion. The original cross is now encased in Tindalo Wood to preserve it.
To continue the Catholic theme, our next stop was the Church and convent of Santo Niņo, which was built in 1565 under the direction of the Reverend Andres Urdaneta. The original building burnt down a short year later. Nonetheless, it was the first church building erected in the Philippines. It was rebuilt, but burned down again in 1628. The present structure (as can be seen in the slide show) was built between 1735 and 1737. It houses the Santo Niņo or Holy Child. In fact, it is the Santo Niņo that is the center of the focus of the Sinulog Festival. The Santo Niņo is a golden image of the Christ child and his mother Mary. The church is beautiful inside and is always packed with visitors who have come to worship the Santo Niņo.
From the church we then proceeded on to Fort San Pedro. It is one of the oldest Spanish Forts in the Philippines, with construction begun on May 8, 1565. The Spaniards were compelled to build the Fort due to the hostility of the natives. They were in the process of their colonization program, which was led at that time by the famous Spanish navigator Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. He was accompanied by Austin friars, who assisted in the peaceful settlement of Cebu and Luzon. In fact, despite the building of the fort, Legaspi's conquest was non-violent. He later went on to be the founder of Manila in 1571, one year before his death.
The fort still has the original walls and there are a number of cannons within the complex. I was reminded at once of all of the Spanish influence in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, with the old churches, and even the Alamo.
After our visit to the Fort, we next took a drive along the southeastern shores of the city. This is where I saw the squatter's village as shown in the photo above. I have created a separate slide show with some pictures of a couple of squatter's villages (click here). As with many wonderful places, there is also another side that is usually not seen. These squatter's villages and tent villages, as shown in the slide show are a stark contrast to some of the nicer places. There are places where people throw some boards together and live underneath them. It is rather sad. One of the squatter's tent villages we passed, near Mandaue, on the way to LapuLapu, actually has a sign protesting the government for threatening to move them. It is their only home.
There are also many "street people" throughout the city. The photo of the man sleeping on the bench is one example of one. As we were driving in one section of town, I noticed a little boy laying next to the road in broad daylight, his head on the curb. I did not have a chance to get a photo, but my heart was broken. Poverty is a way of life for thousands of people in this city. Even those with homes and jobs must ride in crowded Jeepneys or other forms of transportation. To be sure, the sight of this other side has left me with the biggest impression of this otherwise beautiful city.
While going through town we passed by one of the jails. If Americans in prison think they have it bad, they should see the squalid condition of the jail here. I did not get a chance to photograph this either. But, it is most certainly a hell hole. Not someplace I would want to be,
On the way back up the coast, we saw many people in boats fishing. The coastline was beautiful. Many smaller islets dotted the horizon. There must be thousands of islets dotting this country. Along the way we say a building with some large walls around it. I missed what it was about, but those with me joked that it was the Great Wall of Cebu.
Back into town we went to Colon St. This is known as the oldest street in the Philippines. Going down the road we eventually got to the open air fruit market. Fruit of all kinds, coconuts, ponkans (a type of mandarin orange), chilies, mangoes, bananas. From there we passed through other market areas...a giant flea market type of place. I saw people squatted on their stands helping people. The markets were very interesting. But, I was warned that I should probably not go there because of pick-pockets, etc. But, I was fascinated by the markets. I could spend all day finding interesting people and things. One of the other areas reminded me of Chinatown in San Francisco, but not as nice. All of the store fronts looked like Chinese store fronts, though everything was written in English or Cebuano. This area is also noted for high crime, drugs, etc. Pirated CDs, DVDs and Video Games are everywhere. I hope I can get back to the market again before I leave.
In the market I saw something else interesting...rather than the usual bikes, motorcycles and Jeepneys, there were horse-drawn chariots, as they are called here. They are basically horse-drawn Jeepneys. Still as colorful and still as crowded, when ridden. There are some photos in my slide show.
Around noon or so, we stopped for lunch at a Filipino restaurant. We had some very good fish dishes, some nice chicken, and I was also able to get some spinach and eggplant. I really want vegetables, but there are very few around in many of the restaurants. The food was great and we ate in a covered out door area. From our table we cold see a little soda and fruit stand across the street. There was a little middle-school aged girl that brushed here teeth there on the street. I did get a picture of that.
After lunch we headed to Mactan Island, where the Shangri-La is. We actually headed to the city of Lapu-Lapu so we cold see the Mactan Monument. This memorializes both the place where Ferdinand Magellan was killed as well as Lapu-Lapu, who was the Cebuano warrior that killed Magellan. He is considered the Philippine'e first native hero. There are photos of both monuments in the slide show. While at the monument, I was asked by some people to sit in on a photo or two. I also asked a bunch of kids to join me in a photo. I sure like Filipino children. They are so cute and friendly.
From Lapu-Lapu we headed back to Cebu and took off for Tops, the highest point in Cebu that overlooks the island. A beautiful view, though it was a bit hazy. I will have photos from this point up tomorrow. I will also finish the remainder of the trip. It's getting late and I should get to bed.
January 24: Today I finally felt up to par. I got plenty of rest yesterday and I felt great all day today. I got a lot accomplished at work. I then went to a movie after work. It was so nice to feel good again.
The movie theater was huge. The sound system was awesome. I watched Ocean's 12. They also showed about 15 previews. It was pretty cool. The theaters are in collusion with the food court around it, so you can bring food into the theater.
I have more pictures ready. The first set (click here) is of the views from a place called Tops. It is one of the highest points on the island and overlooks the entire city of Cebu as well as Mactan Island. I think the photos can speak for themselves. Once again, they may take some time to download. Enjoy.
After seeing the sunset and the city lights begin to glow, we went back down the hill and stopped at a restaurant halfway down called Mr. A's. We ate outside in the dark and had a great view of the city below us. I could clearly see the Marriott and the Innove Building. The food was great...some grilled tuna and blue marlin, some chicken and I had a great chef's salad.
I am also putting another slide show up that has pictures of the guys that went with me. These were pictures taken by them. Pretty fun bunch of guys and some real hard workers as well. Some of the others in the pictures are Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese that wanted me in their pictures. Click here for the pix.
In the last week there have been two large neighborhood fires. They were both in squatter's areas. It's really sad. The one last week destroyed 14 homes.
It's time for me to hit the sack....more excitement tomorrow!!
January 26, 2005: The last couple of days have been pretty busy at work. Yesterday I put in a 12 hour day since I had a video conference with Lexington. This morning I also came in and have put in a lengthy day. Therefore, I have not had much time to do much of anything else. I did get to watch a Korean drama, in Korean with sub-titles on TV. It was interesting...but not the Philippines.
Daily work with the Filipino Lexmarkers is very refreshing. These folks are all so interested in learning new things. They work hard to do a good job and never hesitate to ask questions. Perhaps one of the things that has been an enlightenment to me here has been the whole thing of "just being here." I have realized that it is just as important for experienced people from Lexington to come here to train and share expertise as it is for some of the Cebuanos to come to Lexington for training. Indeed, I think there is a distinct difference. When one comes from Cebu to Lexington, they alone get to enjoy the training and the experience. They can try to bring the experience back with them, but they cannot answer alot of the questions that may arise, due mainly to lack of experience.
On the other hand, a person who comes from Lexington to Cebu and spends some time here can really have a positive effect on the entire team here. They can sit in on meetings, visit the test team and watch what is going on. They can provide positive mentoring in many areas. This can really help the team here.
My experiences working with the Japanese companies in Kentucky was very similar. I worked very close with Japanese trainers in all three places who came and shared their years of experience in order to refine processes, thought patterns, etc. I feel that I am doing the same thing here for the Cebu team. They work hard and gain much guidance from Lexington in the conference calls and emails, but I don't think that anything beats the constant presence of someone who can provide the immediate gratification of an answer. It strengthens the relationships for both parties. The confidence of the team here also grows. They feel more willing to step out of the box.
Yet, it also becomes a learning experience for the teacher. I am learning many things from the team here. I am also learning that they are indeed individuals with individual strengths. As with much of Asia, Filipinos tend towards a group-oriented society. They work well as a team. They do things together outside of work that build the team, much like is done in Japan, China and Korea. This becomes beneficial in their work. They also tend to follow the "letter of the law" when it comes to how things are done. I get the sense that they don't take the assertive steps to work out of the box...something that I believe is culturally based here. Yet, I also get the sense that they CAN step out of the box and deal with paradigm shift....and smoothly at that. I mentioned the words "be proactive" to one of the people I am working with here. I asked her if she understood the meaning. She replied that she had learned it as one of "the Seven Habits." I need to now set examples of how to be proactive and then hope that she and the others will catch on. My opinion is that in the world of software testing, the testers, team leads, coordinators, etc., need to be proactive with the development teams. Our true job is to assist them in accomplishing their job in a timely fashion. I am confident that, by being here and setting the examples, the Cebu team can learn to step out of their cultural boundaries and be individually proactive and assertive. To be sure, I think this is the final step in their becoming more of an equal partner with Lexington, rather than the child partner in a parent/child relationship. It won't happen overnight. More people need to visit from Lexington and provide similar examples.
Enough of my expounding on that subject... On another note, some of the managers from different areas in Lexington will be visiting Cebu this week. It will be nice to talk with them. They will be here for a few days and then will leave me here alone again.
I met with a tailor here today. Being as large as I am, clothes are difficult to get in America, let alone the Philippines. However, the tailor here took a number of measurements and can custom make me a pair of Docker-type pants, made to fit perfectly, for about $20..including the fabric. And on top of that, a custom made short sleeved shirt for about $15. I cannot even get a pair of pants in the US for less than $45...and I still have difficulty finding them that fit since I am also tall. I am curious to see how they work out. My fingers are crossed.
I have decided that in order to really write about the Jeepneys here, I need to experience them first hand. So, I am planning on taking one or two of the guys with me one day and go for a Jeepney excursion through town. They can get pictures of me on them and we can see what it will be like. Once that is done, then I can complete my Jeepney experience and add a slide show of Jeepneys of all sorts. I know it will make for interesting reading and viewing. It may well end up being the best explanation of Jeepneys on the web!!
January 28, 2005: I am still quite busy with work and don't have much going on. I have had some late conference calls with Lexington. That's why there is not much interesting going on.
Tomorrow is the Lexmark 2005 Kickoff for the Cebu facilities. I am pretty excited about it because I heard that there will plenty of song and dance. The ink cartridge production plant in Lapu-Lapu is celebrating its 5th year and they are planning an extravaganza, performed by the employees. Should be great.
The weather has cooled down a bit today, thank goodness. The past couple of days have been really hot and humid. Quite uncomfortable. Today was the first day that I walked from the Lexmark building to the hotel and did not arrive soaked in sweat.
I had such a great experience with the movies the other day that I am heading over to the Ayala Mall to go see Elektra. Jennifer Garner is fun to watch. Should be a good movie. It is opening night in the Philippines. I hope I can get in. I shall leave early to get there.
January 30, 2005: It is Sunday morning in Cebu. I have passed my "hump day", the day in which the number of days before I return is less than the number of days I have been here.
Yesterday was the Lexmark 2005 Kickoff. It was quite the spectacle. Many of the Cebuano Lexmarkers were dressed in traditional costumes and did traditional dances, etc. It was like a mini-Sinulog. It was an all day affair. We had good food and entertainment. I am glad to have been here and participated.
During some of the presentations, as visiting executives explained some of the corporate strategies and new products under development, there came continuous rumbles from the crowd. In the U.S. we would have considered that fairly rude, to intrude on a speaker during his/her talk. However, I think it is a cultural thing here. They were all obviously excited about what they saw and were discussing it with each other at their tables. The execs obviously did not know what to think of it so they just kept on with their presentation.
Recently, I have been following a few local news stories as I get the paper daily. One of the more interesting stories has been about a raid on a warehouse in Mandaue, the neighboring city to Cebu. Allegedly this warehouse was a large "shabu" lab. Shabu is apparently the Philippine name of a potent amphetamine drug, with ingredients smuggled from China. Indeed, the men arrested in this case were of Chinese descent. Last night, on my way to the Shngri-La to have dinner with the other Lexmark Execs, we passed by the warehouse.
One of the things I found of interest in this story was the method that was carried out to arrest the two businessmen. There was a warrant issued for their arrest. Shortly thereafter, the two put out "feelers" for turning themselves in. I am not sure if that is something common here, but I found it interesting. In any case, both of the men eventually turned themselves in. Both are now being housed in a jail cell in Mandaue. I think a quote from the newspaper, The Freeman, a local Cebu newspaper, explains fairly well what conditions are like here in the jails.
From an article entitled "No special treatment for Ng, Ong" on Sat., Jan. 29, 2005, pg. 1:
"Ong and Ng share Cell 19, the smallest quarter inside the jail, with six other inmates..... Aside from food supplies, only toiletries and a mattress were delivered for Ng yesterday....Ong was only sleeping on the upperportion of a triple-decked bed without a foam mattress.... .....the Mandaue City Jail is already over-crowded. Presently, the 190-capacity jail houses 492 inmates: 21 adult females, four minor females, 26 minor males, while the rest are adult males.... ....However, they have already constructed triple-decked beds to maximize the capacity of those bigger cells to accommodate as many as 14 inmates each."
I think that pretty well describes the conditions of most of the jails here.
In earlier entries I have mentioned the cell phone use by the Filipinos. Instant messaging is a big thing here. Even the Lexmark guys I work with always seem to be IMing all of the time. Another interesting article appeared in the same issue of The Freeman yesterday.
From an article entitled "Cell phone eating into Filipinos' food budget" on Sat. Jan. 29, 2005, pg. 5:
"It is not just inflation that is eating into the Filipinos' food budget but also the text messaging and cellular phone calls, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) governor Rafael Buenaventura. Buenaventura was quoted as saying that Filipinos are actually paying more for text messaging and other mobile phone services than for food, which meant that it's not just inflation that has caused Filipinos to reduce their food intake."
The article went on to discuss the possibility of taxing text messages "as more Filipinos regard it as a game which becomes a 'harmful pastime'." Some say that taxing would only affect the poor because it would mean an additional fee for cell phone services.
I think I have mentioned before that the average wage of a Filipino worker is about P200 per day. That is about $4.00 US. It is no wonder that when I have tipped a couple of people P200 that they were so thankful. I had basically given them a days' pay. For some, to get to work they must ride Jeepneys, which cost P5 one way. If they have to change to another along the way it is another P5. So, a good part of their daily income goes for food and transportation.
Speaking of Jeepneys, today I will be going with some of the guys from Lexmark that I went with last week. We will be riding Jeepneys all over the city...or at least I hope we can accomplish this. This will be the last part of my "Jeepney experience" which I will be writing as a separate web page over the next week. It should be an interesting experience.