Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[ozexpat]

Oz, I will come out of lurk to ask you a question. We recently went on a cruise through the panama canal which was lovely. Some of the stops were Belize, Roatan Island Honduras and Costa Rica. When you stop in these places you can see the abject poverty the people live in, honestly it makes me feel guilty for being lucky enough to have been born in the US and lead the blessed life I do. It makes me not want to go to central or south America.

I did think of your story when I was there and it made me wonder how to best help the people in these places rather than just avoid going there. If you buy the baubles they are selling you get swarmed, and you cant just hand out cash without making yourself a target IMO. Aside from tipping generously, are there things that tourists can do or not do to help?

the best things

I never tip excessively. There is no need to triple the salary of a worker. Find out what is customary in the country and stick to that.

Use your luggage allowance to the fullest or save some tip money and buy an extra bag luggage allowance
take good used shoes and clothing that is climate appropriate and give it to a bario/village health center
other objects if you can - costco baby formula, diapers, el nido powdered milk

get away from the tourist areas to do it. tourist areas already tend to have much better cash flow due to tips

 

[ozexpat]

 

[ramirezframing]

Quote:
Wonder if I could use this with my 3 fast growers . LOL

 

[ozexpat]

Quote: i can send you the word doc - just change the phone number and you own it

of course your fast growers might not see the humor

 

[piglett]

I just had a white missionary merkan appear at the farm saying he knows me and he is here for a tour. My wife, contacted me and bollocked me out for not telling her. She let him in.

His definition of know - he sent me three messages on facebook. A friend request sent Christmas day that I did not answer because of the internet and my general apathy for facebook. Then he sent 2 messages while I was flying to LA saying he was going to be in the area and wanted to come by.

I sent him a message



i wanted to say more. Mrs Oz threw him out as soon as she got my message

people just show up at your place???

what a clown

 

[ozexpat]

people just show up at your place???

what a clown

Amen to that brother piglett

 

[piglett]

Oz, I will come out of lurk to ask you a question. We recently went on a cruise through the panama canal which was lovely. Some of the stops were Belize, Roatan Island Honduras and Costa Rica. When you stop in these places you can see the abject poverty the people live in, honestly it makes me feel guilty for being lucky enough to have been born in the US and lead the blessed life I do. It makes me not want to go to central or south America.

I did think of your story when I was there and it made me wonder how to best help the people in these places rather than just avoid going there. If you buy the baubles they are selling you get swarmed, and you cant just hand out cash without making yourself a target IMO. Aside from tipping generously, are there things that tourists can do or not do to help?

my wife who is from the Philippines will be taking a trip come March to go see her family

I told her to leave whatever shorts & T-shirts she brought with her there

she probably has 50 T-shirts so it's not like she will miss a dozen or so

we are also looking to start sending good used small engines over there (to power some small fishing boats)

once they start to arrive, we will pay to have a couple of boats built

these boats will require a crew of 2 or 3 people

which creates much needed jobs for the locals


having said that not everyone living in the 3RD world wants a job (shocking as it may sound)

let me give an example:

about a year after my wife & I married in her home country

while waiting for her green-card she was to have a 2 week break from her nursing job in Manila

so she went to see her family in the province


shorty there after long lost relatives started showing up

I'm talking about 3Rd & 4TH cousins and such

not close relatives that she grew up with

some actually came rite out & asked my wife for money (she never got off of 1 peso)

( maybe they thought she was a walking ATM machine?)

it got to the point where she would hide in the bedroom when she saw them show up outside

on the last day she was there 3 guys showed up

her farther told them that she wasn't there

so they proceeded to ask him for money

not food, not water, not clothes, but money

he had just returned from the ocean & had caught about 50 fish with his nets

he handed each of them a couple fish in a plastic bag & thanked them for coming by to visit

none of them have returned for a visit

so the long & the short of it is some people don't want a fishing pole, they want a never ending supply of fish from you

 

[ozexpat]

Wait till she goes home this time lol

Seriously, all it takes is a few no responses

Also she can say that she can either come home regularly and your daughter can get to know her relatives and culture, or we can come home every 10 years because we cant afford to be the sibulan cash dispenser. then ask point blank - whats more important to you? Us coming home or a meal at Jollibee?

 

[drumstick diva]

Speaking of reading - ("3 billion people in the world who can't read") I had the opportunity, among many other folks, to sponsor efforts to bring "Reading Rainbow' to every classroom. When their drive ended they had 105,000 backers. ,and have just announced the premiums will be going out to donors.

I'm not in a position to participate in good causes often - just don't have the extra $$$ like most of us nowadays. But, I believe Reading is the most important skill a child can learn. My parents and siblings were all avid readers. Thanks to Reading Rainbow and the "Paws and Read," programs in school my son become an avid reader as well.

Just think of the 300,000 BYC members from around the globe- we all have the ability to read. My son and I both contributed - we both watched Reading Rainbow and enjoyed Levar Burton taking us everywhere with the wonderful stories he read. Every child from every background should be blessed with the gift of reading.


Okay you may return to your regularly scheduled postings.

 

[piglett]

Wait till she goes home this time lol

Seriously, all it takes is a few no responses

Also she can say that she can either come home regularly and your daughter can get to know her relatives and culture, or we can come home every 10 years because we cant afford to be the sibulan cash dispenser. then ask point blank - whats more important to you? Us coming home or a meal at Jollibee?

she will buy a sack of rice for her parents

& i'm sure she will buy her dad some boat gas & such

but no pesos will be handed out to long lost cousins

she is really tight with her money.