I think we really know what we have to be thankful in life until we see everyday the poverty that just shows on our very eyes. Really to be honest seeing lots of less fortunate people here really has changed the way I live daily. I know sometimes that we want more than what we have which is a normal thing. But most of the times living here again really opened up my eyes on what really I prioritize in life. Seeing the poor people here I know they prioritize “the need” over the want in their daily living. Of course the needs were pretty imminent to a lot of poor people here.
I was browsing through my pictures that I had on my desktop, I came across the pictures that I save for awhile now. A picture of the foot of an old guy wearing a flip flop made of bottles and rope. It really shocked to know at first that some people wears those kind of stuff. My heart ache for the old man (seeing at the foot of the guy, I just think its an old man). Can you imagine wearing those over the hot sunny days. It would be so uncomfortable. It might feel your foot is on fire, because of the plastic. It really amazed me how the ingenuity of the people due to poverty. But I guess just to make out of it, they have to endure the uneasiness with it. I guess the empty bottle slipper might be a bit better than without something on their foot then.
Our helper made slippers out from the cardboard box. She put ribbons as the strap. It was meant to use for indoors. She was just showing our youngest (Nicole) here in the house that it’s easy to make something of what we have inside the house. It was a smart move for her to show Nicole the life she’s living in the province. I’m glad she did. It was kind of an eye opener for the little one.
I remember during my grade school days. I studied in public school. Some of my schoolmates were from the mountains. They’re the natives in our area. Sometimes some of them don’t have any flip flops at all. They go to school barefoot. Can you imagine walking on the mountain without anything on your foot? The roads might have small cut trees or maybe the small roots of the tree on the pathway. That could give slivers to their foot. But even without slippers they still went to school on time. With the determination in their minds few of them became teachers and were teaching on the school I graduated from. It really makes me happy that even with the hardship in life they became somebody later.
One of my nieces is a teacher in one of the remote areas in GenSan. Most of her students were the natives and had no slippers in going to school. She told me what the kids told her ” Ma’am would we really buy slippers first over the food? Of course our parents chose to buy the food ahead of the slippers.” My niece then continued on saying that most of her students don’t have nutritious food to eat during lunch time. All they have were rice and soy sauce. Sometimes my niece gave them some food. She said she can’t afford to be feeding those students all the time. She really is trying on helping those kids. Some kids can’t go to school everyday because of lucking of food. It sad but it’s the reality of some schools here, especially those in the remote areas of the country. Feeling sad and hurt for them. I’m hoping that the government will have more programs for those indigenous people in the province.
To all of you in the West: Enjoy the last days of summer in your part of the world. Get ready for the cold days again. 🙂
Mabuhay!
Wow, Feyma, I have never seen anything quite like this. Flip-flops made out of empty plastic water bottle? What’s next? LOL Filipino ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. If necessity is the mother of invention in the West, I suppose poverty brings out the best of of Filipino ingenuity. Good article, Feyma.
Hi John Reyes – Same feelings as you do. It shocked me too seeing photos like that for the first time. But thankfully they had the ingenuity on what to do with the hardship in life. At least they are not whining and blaming others for their misfortunes.
***Filipino ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.*** — Exactly. More power to them.
Good to see you again here. Have a great day!
Filipino ingenuity, yes something admirable about that. But this article moved me in a different way, a more compassionate way I guess. I’ll never look at poor people the same as I once did. How blessed I am
On my first trip to the Philippines I was surprised at how many people wore flip-flops (slippers). In a condescending way, I told my fiance that in the U.S. most people wear sneakers on the street, and that flip-flops were used at the beach. I have to confess that since returning from that trip six years ago I have worn ‘slippers’ myself 90% of the time! LOL!
Hi Don Rua – It’s too hot to be wearing tennis shoes here everyday. You will be uncomfortable during the duration of your vacation. I’m glad you went with the flow later and wore flip flops, much more comfortable. Ha ha ha…
Have a good day!
I usually go barefoot.
Hi Bob – That is because your a redneck at heart. He he.
I just like to be comfortable!:-)
Hi Bob: I also go barefoot in the house. Hard to find flip-flops that fit my wide feet.
Meriam and I visited some friends this morning. We brought bread and sure enough they didn’t have anything to eat so they were happy for the bread. We don’t have rich friends so we share when we can. Life can be hard sometimes. Food comes first.
Somehow I cannot see Bob going for a walk barefooted. 🙂
Gary in Tagum City
Tagum City only had 4 brown outs yesterday. Things are looking up.
Hi Gary – Good for you. I’m sure they’re so thankful of what you guys did.
***We don’t have rich friends so we share when we can. Life can be hard sometimes. Food comes first.*** — So true.
Bob usually go barefoot inside the house. Hey, we are lucky here in the city we hardly had brownout here. Thank goodness for that.
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Gary, (John from Apokon here), what do you mean by “Tagum only had 4 brown outs yesterday”?
I wore tennis shoes during my visit there, and my feet were HOT the entire time!! I wished I had flip flops! I did remove my shoes a few times while at my in-laws house and where I stayed to keep cool. I have sandals to bring with me when I come there, so my feet won’t bake and turn into longanisa.
Hi Scott Fortune – I’m surprised you’re not wearing flip flops or sandals here when visiting. Too hot to be wearing tennis shoes here everyday. Lesson’s learned you are bringing along with you anyway next time you visit. Good for you. Have fun on your next trip though.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a pleasant day!
Why didnt you bought a pair of flip-flops, they almost cost nothing?
Feyma – There is a guy that walks around Dumaguete and he looks like a caveman. Today he was sleeping under cover at the entrance to our subdivision. I noticed the soles of his flip flops had holes in them about 1 inch diameter. Crazy when flip flops are as cheap as 30 PHP in this town. Guess he just lives day to day and focuses on food. Might have to get a pair of flip flops for 35 PHP and give them to him. Crazy that the simple things we take for granted many don’t have.
Hi brenton – Really sad for that guy. You’re right he rather buys food than buying flip flops, even if it sells so cheap here. Same with those kids in the province, the parents will buy the food first over the flip flops and clothing.
He will be happy if you give him a pair of flip flops. Bless your heart.
Nice to see you here again. Have a good weekend!
Ah flip-flops, love em or hate em. I tried for a long time to wear them, but I just can’t do with things flopping around loose on my feet…every time you break into a trot or a run at least one of them gets left behind. Terribly annoying. So I am usually barefoot indoors or wear sandals with straps that hold them firmly to my feet outdoors. Anyway, I think I’d rather do anything than try the plastic bottle ones, but it certainly does sharpen our view of reality for some people to see an image like that.
I was stunned once to see that one of our acquaintances had actually taken hours to carve out two wooden cups and fit them with bits of coffin glass and rubber bands to make a pair of goggle so he could go swimming underwater…this despite the fact that you could buy a pair of cheap goggles for about $3. That brought his life and priorities into focus for me too!
Hi Jim Hannah – Flip flops: you will get used to it in no time. 🙂 … Really, wear whatever makes you feel comfortable (barefoot or with sandals).
Yep better off buying the goggles than making it. But to each his own though.
Good to see you here again. Have a wonderful weekend!
Poverty is a sad reality. While visiting in Belize we went to the beach and had to walk over some corral. The native guy there took his flip flops off to cross the corral. His explanation was he didn’t want to take a chance of cutting his flip flops on the sharp rocks. I certainly would never be able to walk very far in his non shoes.
Hi loren pogue – So true. That really shows that each of us has different views and thinking. For me I would rather had my flip flops be damage than my feet. But for him the other way around. Wow, that something.
Thank you for sharing the story. Always good to see you here. Have a pleasant day!
hi Feyma
Its really feels me bad to see many Filipinos more getting less fortunate, I think Philippines is now second
largest poverty in the world, I can say these because Randy and myself travel some Asian countries and we saw few homeless on the street, in the Philippines every steps you made you can see everywhere homeless and less fortunate people. but sometimes homeless people allowed other people to use them, that is why they more become worst , as far as I know Filipinos are hard working and creative, the picture you shown
above to prove that Filipinos are creative but everyone has destiny. very touching story, have wonderful day.
.
Hi Anne – Tell me about it. Same feelings here. It’s really hurtful seeing them everyday. But we can’t also help all of them out. That’s one thing I had a hard time getting used to seeing here after living in the States for awhile. I really felt sorry for a lot of them especially the kids and older people.
I agree Filipinos are very creative. I’m always proud to be Filipino.
Good to see you here Anne. Have a great weekend!
Hi Feyma,
Coincidence that you’re talking about Flipflops.
I was shocked the other day to see designer Flipflops selling for around £35 (P2500), i can still buy a decent pair of leather shoes in the UK for that (non designer), lol.
Best home made Flipflops i’ve seen there were carved out of old Auto tyres, i thought cool, they would last a life time.
Take care.
Hi Chas – I know what you mean. Yep designer flip flops are really expensive. Hey, here in Davao we will just go to China town (Uyanguren area) and buy a good flip flop there for P150 or so a pair.
Wow, an auto tire flip flop? Do you think its comfy? Yep would last a lifetime I think. Cool…
Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day!
HI FEYMA…..U call them flipflops there but down under here we call them thongs ok and no thats not what a sexy girl puts on ok thay are what u call flip flops lol peter martin tassie
Hi peterjoy – Yep thongs too. Hey, the girl can still be sexy wearing the flip flops. LOL
Have a good day mate!
An improvisation example. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by Lana Jacel. I really appreciate your comment!
Feyma,
Those aren’t a Filipino’s pair of feet, right? Looks African to me.
Jon B
Hi Jon – Some of our natives looks so dark too. It can be African, but some of our fellow Pinoys wears these kind of slippers. Sad, but its reality here.
Take care and have a great weekend!
Feyma:
Thanks for posting this article! It’s a reminder that poverty isn’t pretty–and we who have so much have every reason to be thankful.
Hi Ben – Thank you. Exactly. I can’t agree more.
Nice to see you here. Thank you for stopping by
Hi Ms Feyma – I always see local documentary shows of kids walking so many miles and distance just to to their schools. They’re walking with torn shoes, slippers,or sometimes none at all. Imagine pair of branded flip flops costs 900 to 1500 for comfort.. and style but thing is the city floods every time there’s rain. People should just donate slippers.
Hi sugar – Seeing the documentary on tv, it’s way different than seeing in person. It breaks your heart seeing them without any slippers at all.
Some branded flip flops cost more than P1500.
**** “People should just donate slippers”. **** — Good idea…
Thank you for the nice comment. Have a good one!
Hi Feyma,
My wife says when she was a girl she would use a banana tree leaf for an umbrella. I think that is kind of your point about people making due with what they have.
On what I wear on my feet in the Philippines. I wear leather dress shoes with socks to church. I wear flip flops only when I am in my wife’s mother or eldest brothers yard and I usually go barefoot inside a house. Sometimes I am offered inside flip flops when visiting and I wear them for the visit. When I go to town I wear leather sandals without socks of course.
Hi Jay – Yep umbrella to the rescue for us during rainy days. Been there done that.
*** “I think that is kind of your point about people making due with what they have”. ***— Exactly my point. Thank you.
You’ve got good description on what to wear here in the Philippines.Well said.
Thank you for sharing. Cheers!
Feyma,
I have the best excuse in the world for NOT wearing Flip-Flops — It’s physically impossible to wear them. On my right foot I have four toes amputated (cut off) — that leaves me only the big toe! Also, my doctors, especially my diabetic doctor, would all have a hissy fit if they thought I walked around barefooted.
Flip flops are uncomfortable and bad for the feet, they offer no support whatsoever, the reason most Filipinos wear them is typically most are poor, I have lived in the Philippines off and on for years, I will not wear flip flops as it looks trashy and untidy. I am very comfortable in my 200 dollar sneakers thank you very much!
I would wear sandals at the beach but never flip flops.
As for the poor guy in the picture I hope whomever did take the picture had the heart to buy the person a decent pair of shoes or at the least a pair of flip flops?
Using sneakers etc. is so disgusting! sweat, sour and smell as hell! Better washing your feet a lot when using flip-flops so they never look dirty, isnt worse then that. Nike have a supercomfortable model of flip-flops who forms to your feet, and another producers have models who is formed as sneakers inside, so there are flip-flops who isnt bad as flat ordinary flip-flops.
The reasoning we hear most often for the shunning of flip-flops is that they offer no arch support. While I don’t deny that there are certain medical reasons orthopedic footwear might be necessary for a few unfortunate folks, my question for the vast majority of the people who bring up the ‘support’ argument is: “You don’t think God knows how to make feet?”