First Timers

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(Snippets of the adventure!~)

I remember, on our very first day in New Orleans, Louisiana, we were looking for sari-sari stores! There's none!!!

Unlike in the Philippines where you see stores on every corner? 

Here?, none (you miss it, but after some time, you get used to it!)
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We have no car since we just came. What did we do? You think we would hire a taxi, NOT! We walked! Yes, we were the only ones walking too!!! LOL!

So we "paraded", with "umbrella", under the heat of the sun! (We could feel people in their cars, staring! Care in the world… this is America, remember!?!)
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Alas, the mall! We toured some more, and thought, "So, this is the mall? THIS IS THE MALL!?" (Mmmm.. malls are more fun in the Philippines! Truly!)
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What about food? Let's see... Chinese Food Budget meals... $7.59 (2 viands meal) $8.59 (3 viands meal)  “What’s the current exchange rate?” “45.00 pesos”

OK, here goes... 7.59 X 45.00 = Php 341.55 divided by 3 persons = Php 113.85  divided by 45.00 = $2.53

8.59 X 45.00 = 386.55 divided by 3 persons = Php 128.85 divided by 45.00 = $2.86

Decision made: Share one 3 viands meal for the three of us! LOL!

Rule of the game the first week: convert before you eat! 
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Groceries? WALMART! We were excited to see Walmart the first time that we even took pictures!!!

... and yes, we did the same, we converted dollars to pesos before deciding what to buy!

... and that was EVERY TIME we went to the stores! Truth be told! LOL!
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BUT after some time, though, we decided to live normal.

We stopped converting, we enjoyed walking, we lived!

First timers no more :)

NAMASTE.

13 comments:

  1. what?!!! you still remember the exact price of the viands? what a memory! those were the days. it's funny how my husband was saying, "it's cheap!" when we went to the Philippines. Yes, he did his mental calculation and he couldn't believe he was paying in cents (converted to USD) for jeepney fare!

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  2. when you are hungry no more calculations - akane

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  3. awww, glad that wherever you are, it feels much like home now.:)

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  4. This is a fun read. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. The foreigners in the Philippines are doing the same thing too. I mean, converting to their currency before buying anything. It's always good to have reference.

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  6. so guilty about this, if we have a trip abroad, i always convert before i buy something, so i always hold my cellphone not to text or call but to use the calculator. =)

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  7. ahaha, so fun. I still convert until now, been 9 years or more but I still convert from Euro to peso. :D We walk too because that's what even the old people are doing, it's good for the body even though transportation is really good and there's a car, walking two stations is no problem... :)

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  8. hahaha! i often do that too when i'm abroad, converting everything to pesos. LOL. glad you've adjusted na :)

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  9. true ,the first time I set my feet in America was 2005. I convert everything to peso ,ang mahal plus taxes with every purchased but happy being an american is used to it kaya okay siay magspend ng pera .now ,sanayan na ,i still convert the price pero nakapag adjust na.

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  10. even if you're in Subic where prices are in dollars, Filipinos are out with their calculators, converting before buying. lol :( enjoyed your story! visiting from PMB :)

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  11. Hahahaha ... stop converting is what they say kundi you will never buy anything over there daw hehe

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  12. haven't been abroad ever...but while I was reading your blog, I actually said to myself, "I'm 100% sure I'll do that too!" I have a strange, errrr, thing with computing. When we're dining out, or basta out, I always have my calculator or cellphone handy to compute expenses. :-)

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  13. convert before you eat!lol.. hi there again! just dropping by your site again : ) Ric

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