Rain Rain Go Away

A failed attempt to take pictures of flooded streets.

So I promised that this post would tell you all about my exciting encounter with administering (or watching other people administer) a survey to the urban poor of Manila.  Alas.  No joy.  The weather has thwarted me.  Oh monsoon season.  The weather in the Philippines can be divided into two categories: hot and muggy or hot and raining.  I have actually been asked by several persons to clarify what months were meant by "fall", "winter", "spring", and "summer" - especially given that the typical school terms don't line up with America's either. Regardless I shall have to leave the survey for next week as its administration has been pushed back to tomorrow.

As per the rainy weather I spent most of Saturday in the house.  I even watched TV - including an episode of The Simpsons.  I was surprised to find that it was actually vaguely funny - and not at all stupid as I had imagined it.  (I still maintain my prior contempt of other cartoon spin-offs (Family Guy, American Dad....) which I have observed and concluded to be inane.)  However, many of the references and jokes that I found most adept in this particular episode were not understood my by cousins.  Which is a pity.  I would say that many of America's cultural exports are mindless and can be taken at face value without any loss of non-existent substance.  In fact I find this to be true of most American pop-culture. But it is sad to see what little cultural substance there is lost in translation.  It makes me wonder what I'm missing in Telenovas and K-Pop.

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Actual "burger"

 The experience also made me think about my standards for what acceptable adaptations are.  Coming into contact with the outward shells of American culture is not an uncommon experience for me - especially in the Philippines.  The proliferation of McDonalds, Starbucks, and KFC in the Philippines doesn't really bother me. Sure I could wish there were biscuits at KFC (and not the nasty cheese top "burger"(which is a chicken sandwich with a piece of cheese on top btw)) but there are plenty of fast food places of all cultures, and the small cultural adaptations (addition of rice for instance) are small changes in a product which is didn't particularly esteem anyway.  Besides fried chicken is pretty Filipino anyway.  Spaghetti in the Philippines does bother me though.  Its probably mostly the cheese.  BUT I love spaghetti - and the way it tastes here is not the way it tastes in Italy, or even at home, and this makes me sad.   Pizza in the Philippines doesn't bother me.  Neither does Chinese food in America, though I'm certain that neither of these things tastes in any way authentic.  Also, its pretty much only food adjustments that bother me.  Musical, artistic, and media copycats and spin-offs don't bother me in the least.  I guess I tend to think of food as one of the most basic elements of a culture - and I cling to "authenticity" because America is fairly bereft of her own authentic food culture.  But I obviously have some irrationality to sort out in the department of what food adaptations bother me and which don't.  

Everyone outside of the restaurant

Moving on to Sunday!  I got to see my great-uncle: Father Ben.  Given that he lived in the states for some time attending Catholic University in DC, baptized me, and gave me my first confession, he is probably the Filipino relative I have the most connection with.  Prior to coming to live with my cousins in Manila I had met them once before and probably spent a grand total of 10 house with them.  Many of the other relatives I have seen here I have only vague memories of.  So getting to see Father Ben was great.  We went out to lunch with several other relatives and ate until we dropped.  Hopefully I will be able to see him again before I leave - but he keeps fairly busy working at Catholic Trade.

Other developments in life have been small.  Classes continue to go well.  I have finished six books since coming here (two mechanical engineering books, Fahrenheit 451, Dandelion Wine, Anna Karenina, and The Jungle) and am currently reading Les Miserables.  Added to the four books (a collection of Wordsworth poetry, Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and Ender's Game) I read in the two weeks I was home and the four economics texts I've read from cover to cover I only need five more books to make my summer goal of 20! The librarians know me by sight now.  I have also bemused several people with the number of postcards and letters I have sent - time is running out - if you want one send me your address!

Also there is a jackfruit ( sort of a pineapple consistency with a bannana taste) in the backyard which has been the source of much delicious.