5 More Days! {More Iconic Philippine Things}

We're boarding a flight to the Philippines on the 16th, and I'm so excited!  Here's a list of more iconic things you (and I) will find in the Philippines.

• Jollibee. Probably the most iconic food chain in the country. It sells everything from fried chicken, to burgers, to pasta, to breakfast... All sorts of stuff. I do like their Breakfast Burger Steak though (it's just basically a breakfast burger patty covered in gravy plus garlic rice).

• Street Food / Street Food Vendors. You will see tons of people cycling with carts of nuts, or "fish-balls" around Manila, or even your own neighbourhood. Prices? Very, very cheap. Don't forget to try kwek-kwek (quail eggs dipped in batter before being deep-fried)! Fish-balls aren't really "ball" shaped though. 

• Tricycles. I think tricycles are those bicycles with three wheels... But if you refer to them here in the Philippines, they mean a method of transportation, perfect when going short distances. They're made by affixing a side-car (to accommodate passengers) with a wheel plus a motorcycle.

• Sari-Sari Stores. Roughly translated, "sari-sari" means "variety". These kind of stores are just basically small spaces (it wouldn't be a surprise if they're even just on a house window) on a house, made for selling a variety of things to the neighbourhood. There are no big chains of these, and these are just mostly for neighbourhood convenience. The owners of these kind of stores are independent (mostly). 

A Typical Outside of a Sari-Sari Store

Picture from Wikipedia

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TRANSPORTATION in Sweden and in the Philippines

So the day before yesterday (25 September '13) was our two months in Stockholm! What better way to celebrate our second month in this wonderful country by comparing it with my previous country, right?

NOTE: These thoughts come from a thirteen year old boy that has no intention of harming, violating or offending anyone reading this. He is just expressing his honest opinions.

The first thing I'll compare about is the Transportation. Since the Philippines is in Asia and is quite a melting pot of traditions handed-down by other Asian countries and that Sweden is more of a Northern-European country influenced by more Nordic countries, so don't question me if you think that differences are a lot, let alone in the transportation section.

So in the Philippines, tricycles are perfect in short distances. You might find tons of them in the residential areas. Tricycles are basically just motorcycles with an added sidecar which is used for the passengers. These are ridiculously cheap (no normal fare goes up to PHP 70/ SEK 10), although they may charge extra for longer distances.

 A Tricycle. Picture from hobotraveller.com

In my two-month experience in Stockholm, I have not discovered a mode of transport that is good for short distances. The Stockholms Tunnelbana (the Stockholm Metro/Subway), could be good, but I think that the price is to steep. I am not sure with the prices, but in the Philippines, the metro costs PHP 25-40 (SEK 4-6), which is about five-six times cheaper than the metro in Stockholm. 

The Stockholm Metro To Morby Centrum. Picture from sv.wikipedia.org

Taxis in the Philippines are smaller than the ones in Sweden. Also, the fares are really cheap, with the normal flagdown fare being PHP 40-50 (SEK 6-8). If you wish to spend a hundred Swedish crowns on a Philippine taxi, prepare for a long journey. The only crazy thing in the Philippines is the traffic. 

A Typical Philippine Taxi Photo by definitelyfilipino.com 

Taxis in Stockholm just blows my mind. When my family occassionaly rides on a taxi, I think the flagdown fare is SEK 60, and rises by one crown per four-six seconds. I do not know why this is... By the way, if you're going to take a taxi in Stockholm, make sure you check that yellow sticker on a window. That symbolizes a regular 10 minute fare. They are allowed to rip you off just as long as you see the fare. 

Photo by rongid.ee

So if you really want to see the breath-taking sights of Stockholm and not willing to walk that much, save your butt off. Literally. 

READ MORE: Skansen -- Stockholm's Open Air Museum

SHOUTOUTS: Joylene Love D. Suarez 

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