Taking Asia For Granted
Being in the US is not the first time I'm living away from my family in Manila. But when I was in Singapore, things didn't really change all the much -- I was back home every 4-6 weeks, I had access to really good Chinese comfort food (dimsum, dimsum, dimsum) and the weather was always nice.And now being in Cinci... well, let's just say that after 3 months here, I'm realizing just how much I took for granted back in Asia!!
1) SAFETY -- While you could walk around even at 4am without fear in Sing, I would be quaking in my boots in broad daylight in some parts here in Cinci. This happened quite a few times when I took a wrong turn into downtown ghetto Cinci, or even for little things, like when I unknowingly went shopping in the "wrong" supermarket. My real estate agent called me, and in a tone that was speaking veeery slowly like I was facing a rabid dog, told me to drop everything and go outside to see if my car was still parked.
My second week here, I read the newspaper. Headline: Sex Offenders in Cinci. Wonderful, I discovered that my zipcode has the most number of registed sex offenders and predators in the city (though I don't live downtown, I share the same zip). I stopped reading the newspaper after that. And I also started to sleep with a knife on my bedside table for a while, burglar alarm in the building notwithstanding.
2) SHOPPING -- I'm not even talking about how the shops are open on Sundays or till late in the evening. I'm talking about even having those shops. I can't find my brands here -- goodbye Shu Uemura and cleansing oils, goodbye SK II, Kerastase and Schwarzkopf, goodbye Warehouse, Mango, Zara, Grab, goodbye shopping! Everyone who says the States is shopping heaven needs to come on down to Cinci. Sure we have an outlet mall, one frigging hour away! I guess when you're desperate...
On the other hand, there are some good things, like online shopping. I just bought stuff from Mango (since I know my size already) and I'm eyeing Hotel Collection next. Sigh... the things I have learned to content myself with...
3) CONVENIENCE -- Gosh, where do I start? First of all, it took me forever to get credit cards. Since I never lived here, no matter how much money I make, the banks wouldn't issue me a credit card since I don't have something called a credit history. Well duh... #1 - how can I have credit history if I just moved? and #2 - it's just not in my culture to be in debt! This damn credit history thing affects not just your ability to get credit cards, but even the price of your car (I had to get Ahia to co-sign), insurance and practically everything else!
I feel like screaming in frustration! Everywhere else, cash in your bank account or your monthly salary is king. Not here! Here they look at how well you're paying off your debts, which you'd assume would be evidence by cash in your bank account. But noooo... not here in the US!!! GRRRRRRR!!!
So finally after screaming at the folks at American Express, they finally issued me a card (I've been a cardmember since 2001!). Initially, US Bank (my company bank) issued me a credit card, for get this, a credit limit of... take a seat before you read further, you might get shocked at the fantastic number... a credit limit of all of $300. Whoop-dee-doo.
Also, it sounded cool before to have a car, and I missed driving. But I also miss having the choice to walk around if I wanted, to take the metro (doesn't exist here) or cross over to the nearest cafe. Here I have to take my car e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. Really great for the environment.
4) FOOD -- No dimsum, no Jack and Jill V-Cut potato chips, no Hot and Spicy Century Tuna, no Mama Sita's adobo and Knorr Sinigang mix. The Chinese food isn't great (which is a problem for when the family comes) and apart from the Japanese restaurant I found, everything else is just decent. Makes it difficult to want to go out at night, if safety wasn't already a deterrent.
5) BEAUTY -- Sob sob... this has been so difficult to get used to. I haven't had a mani-pedi in 4 months and my hair hasn't been rebonded, cut or colored in 10 months (without my trusty hairdryer every day, I look like I'm on my way to audition for the Jackson 5). No massage, no waxing (I have to do it myself so don't think I've turned into a she-man), no facials or IPLs. I'm completely deprived. Everything here is just so expensive! Rebonding here for one hour is the cost of the whole session plus some in Manila! And no one in their right mind would pay $150 for a massage.
And I haven't even started about just plain missing family and friends. I miss late night talks with my shobe's, girls night out with the gang, Saturday marathon shopping with the aunts and cousins. There's no pwa tyong chu (Mooncake Festival Dice game) here, no Noche Buena, no Chinese lauriats, no dimsum lunches in Gloria Maris, no popping by to D's with Starbucks just because.
There are some things here I do enjoy sometimes, but in a kind of detached way. I don't really feel I'm part of this world, of these friends here -- not like I do with Yotch getting married or Jac having a baby. I must be getting old, if all the investments I've made into personal relationships are done. Or I'm just lucky enough to have had the good fortune to have the relationships worth investing in very early on.
I've never looked forward this much to going home.
posted by moan @ 9:28 PM
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