General Info

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2110053]I think your figures are a bit inflated BD and I am not sure where you're getting them from.

I pay my maid 6000 k per month; all food / coffee etc provided (she eats what I eat); she has her own room with bathroom and cable TV. One day per week off. This is better than the "award rates", and her fellow maids are envious of her. In return I get a dedicated and loyal helper. She has been my helper for almost 4 years now.

Local employers in my condo (in central Manila) pay around only 2500 - 3000 k per month and many don't even provide food for them.[/QUOTE]Think there's a difference between live-in help and casual, day labor. We pay live-in helper the same as RK with the same benefits; room, bath, food, TV, etc. However, we also have a lady who comes once, sometimes twice a week to help with ironing and some other chores. She gets Php350 a day with no other benefits. That's a fairly generous, but not really unusual rate for casual, daily labor in Davao. We too overpay slightly for the live-in help.

GE.

An article in the NY Times, "Another Foothold for Philippine Cuisine," extols the marvels of Philippine cooking. I don't see it. To me Pinoy food has Chinese, Spanish, and US fast food influences. Indigenous fare like balut is disgusting. The only redeeming dish is sinigang, a hearty yet thin soup which would work better in a colder clime.

[URL]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/dining/tito-rads-grill-review-queens.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ffood&action=click&contentCollection=dining&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0[/URL]

[QUOTE=Pompetus;2110082]An article in the NY Times, "Another Foothold for Philippine Cuisine," extols the marvels of Philippine cooking. I don't see it. To me Pinoy food has Chinese, Spanish, and US fast food influences. Indigenous fare like balut is disgusting. The only redeeming dish is sinigang, a hearty yet thin soup which would work better in a colder clime.

[URL]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/dining/tito-rads-grill-review-queens.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ffood&action=click&contentCollection=dining&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0[/URL][/QUOTE]No one can claim Phils is a world class cuisine, but it may not be quite as bad as most foreign visitors experience. In the cities the food is dominated by fast food often of poor quality. There are a few chains where you can get pretty decent traditional Phils food such as Cafe Laguna and Lighthouse in Cebu. If you ever get a chance to experience authentic peasant cooking you may also be pleasantly surprised by some of the dishes.

[QUOTE=GentlemanTravel;2109891]Just wondering if anyone can provide a quick idea of "normal" wages girls might be earning in jobs like retail clerk, housekeeping, nanny, etc.

And how that varies between Manila / big city and smaller provincial towns?

I have a number of prospects working in these kinds of jobs and wonder what my "gift" to them will mean in terms of daily wages?

Thanks for any info.

GT.[/QUOTE]Workers in official positions with large employers will generally be on minimum wage varying from around 500 P a day in Manila to around 270 P in the provinces.

[URL]https://www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph/pages/statistics/stat_current_regional.html[/URL]

Many people earn considerably below the minimum wage. For example most of the Chinese owned stores such as Unitop pay way under. Maybe 100-150 P.

People employed as EG nannies or helpers will generally get pocket money (2-5 k per month) if they are also live in / free food.

[QUOTE=Pompetus;2110082]...Indigenous fare like balut is disgusting...
[/QUOTE]No so fast, maybe disgusting to you, but pretty pleasurable delicacy to a number of other people, who appreciate food.

[QUOTE=Lefeu;2110145]No so fast, maybe disgusting to you, but pretty pleasurable delicacy to a number of other people, who appreciate food.[/QUOTE]Taste is in the mind of the eater and I go with Pc and others on this forum who consider pinoy food inedible, full of fat, disgusting (have you ever eaten dangiitt? And loaded with salt and other bad stuff. Go to any mall in Cebu and try and find a healthy meal from a non resto (even some restos can't do that LOL) and you struggle. What about low fat / skimmed milks options? "No sir just milk" (so I bring my own and leave in my favourite coffee shop).

As we say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and the same is for pinoy food. That I avoid like the plague.

[QUOTE=Lefeu;2110145]No so fast, maybe disgusting to you, but pretty pleasurable delicacy to a number of other people, who appreciate food.[/QUOTE]Funny, how situational food appreciation is. I spent much of my adult life in France, where I became a devotee of steak tartare served with raw egg. My wife can barely tolerate looking at me when I eat it, yet I find it delicious when prepared by my favorite Bistro Français here. I love escargots swimming in butter and garlic. My Filipino friends find it disgusting. Chacun à son goût.

GE.

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2110053]I think your figures are a bit inflated BD and I am not sure where you're getting them from.[/QUOTE]My figures are what we are paying. Seems I'm overpaying he domestic help.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2110183]Funny, how situational food appreciation is. I spent much of my adult life in France, where I became a devotee of steak tartare served with raw egg. My wife can barely tolerate looking at me when I eat it, yet I find it delicious when prepared by my favorite Bistro Franais here. I love escargots swimming in butter and garlic. My Filipino friends find it disgusting. Chacun son got.

GE.[/QUOTE]You may like the Korean variation of it called [I]yukhoe[/I] (pronounced 'yook-hway'). Raw beef mixed with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and topped with a quail's egg. Sometimes served on julienned Asian pear, and also available in bibimbab, a rice and vegetable dish. Often a Korean restaurant's English menu will call it sashimi because [I]hoe[/I] is what they call that dish. There's a place called KP2 near Remedios Circle in Malate and a few blocks away on Orosa St is Shin Sun. You may also like whelk, which is a sea snail like a smaller conch. I pick up a can from a Korean grocer from time to time, it's called gol-bang-ee. They're more like clam than escargot, less earthy and bit more chewy. Cook them in a broth of white wine, lemon, shallots or garlic, and parsley; have a garlic and butter dipping sauce, and serve with sliced toasted baguette.

[QUOTE=WickedRoger;2110154]Taste is in the mind of the eater and I go with Pc and others on this forum who consider pinoy food inedible, full of fat, disgusting (have you ever eaten dangiitt? And loaded with salt and other bad stuff. Go to any mall in Cebu and try and find a healthy meal from a non resto (even some restos can't do that LOL) and you struggle. What about low fat / skimmed milks options? "No sir just milk" (so I bring my own and leave in my favourite coffee shop).

As we say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and the same is for pinoy food. That I avoid like the plague.[/QUOTE]Guess I can't argue with the nutritional aspect but I love both Pork Adobo and Beef Sisig. After that I start looking for Japanese or Thai places. I have had Balut a couple of times. Taste is fine if you can get out of your head what it is you are eating.

[QUOTE=Hutsori;2110425]You may like the Korean variation of it called [I]yukhoe[/I] (pronounced 'yook-hway'). Raw beef mixed with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and topped with a quail's egg. Sometimes served on julienned Asian pear, and also available in bibimbab, a rice and vegetable dish. Often a Korean restaurant's English menu will call it sashimi because [I]hoe[/I] is what they call that dish. There's a place called KP2 near Remedios Circle in Malate and a few blocks away on Orosa St is Shin Sun. You may also like whelk, which is a sea snail like a smaller conch. I pick up a can from a Korean grocer from time to time, it's called gol-bang-ee. They're more like clam than escargot, less earthy and bit more chewy. Cook them in a broth of white wine, lemon, shallots or garlic, and parsley; have a garlic and butter dipping sauce, and serve with sliced toasted baguette.[/QUOTE]Thanks for this. I think I might have tasted the Korean version, but that was years ago, and in my senescence I'm not really sure. I've never tried the whelk, but sounds pretty good.

GE.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2110183]Funny, how situational food appreciation is. I spent much of my adult life in France, where I became a devotee of steak tartare served with raw egg. My wife can barely tolerate looking at me when I eat it, yet I find it delicious when prepared by my favorite Bistro Franais here. I love escargots swimming in butter and garlic. My Filipino friends find it disgusting. Chacun son got.
GE.[/QUOTE]Well if the escargots are really swimming (and thus alive) I can understand your Filipino friends find it disgusting, LOL.

But raw egg? Are you not afraid of salmonella?

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2110932]Well if the escargots are really swimming (and thus alive) I can understand your Filipino friends find it disgusting, LOL.

But raw egg? Are you not afraid of salmonella?[/QUOTE]There are only 2 restaurants in town at which I eat tartare and the chefs at both are European, very professional, and know what they're doing, so no I do not worry about it. I do however take a pass on eating locally-sourced fresh oysters.

GE.

[QUOTE=WickedRoger;2091650]I was enjoying the FRs also SS and when he thanked them for the information then that was proof for me that he was clearly smoking something 24/7 LOL.

Had something similar on the UAE board with the managers who asked 'where are the best clubs / girls / cheapest pussy / wild Arabs' etc.

Was a good chuckle.[/QUOTE]I remember when we were giving no-brains the number of the Dubai police as the number for a place that offered pick up service.

Often wondered if any of the no-brains ever called and asked for a ride to get some anal. LOL.

[QUOTE=KabulGuy;2113090]I remember when we were giving no-brains the number of the Dubai police as the number for a place that offered pick up service.

Often wondered if any of the no-brains ever called and asked for a ride to get some anal. LOL.[/QUOTE]Sadly a Muppet dobbed us in and mentioned what was happening as Cons68 also gave google map coordinates as well and am sure some did follow.

Remember Fanstasia what a great hotel that was.

PM me as I maybe there Manila soon be good to catch up and reminisce.