How far can a PhP200 go?[day 1]

**PLEASE READ DAY 0 FIRST**

It's the start of day 2 now and I feel a little hungry. Wondering why? In order to make my 200 pesos reach 5-7 days, I need to be thrifty. Base on day 1's expenses, I think the maximum number of days my 200 pesos would reach is 5 days. This is not yet sure because on the next few days I need to go somewhere.

Today's expenses sum up to 35 pesos. I had two meals with one cup of rice each that costs 5 pesos per cup. My first meal, my brunch(combination of breakfast and lunch), was around 4pm and I ordered a small chicken adobo that is worth 15 pesos. Plus 1 cup of rice, so that would be 20 pesos all in all. I had a free Pop Cola from the eatery because the owner is my schoolmate's mother. That's not counted.

In my second meal, at around 7pm, I ordered something I don't know. I think it's called paklay. It's hard to describe but all i know is that it's cheaper than chicken adobo. It costs 10 pesos plus 1 cup of rice, that would be 15 pesos.

At the end of day 1, I spent only 35 pesos. Today is the start of a new day. I'm already hungry. I want to eat something. How far my 165 pesos can go?

How far can a PhP200 go?[day 0]

Money is very hard to earn but very easy to spend. In the present situation, a single dollar(PhP 48.54) is not enough to support one person in one day. In food alone, an individual would likely spend around PhP30 for one meal. If the person will eat 3 times a day, then a hundred pesos will be fair enough.

Daily expenditures would depend on the persons situation. A student will most likely spend more on transportation and academic things. A responsible father will like spend a huge percentage of his salary for his family's food. A worker would spend a lot for food since he has no choice but to eat in the expensive eatery near his workplace because prices in the downtown area is doubled or tripled.

Riding a jeepney will cost an individual a minimum of PhP14 back and forth. If you want to be more comfortable, you can have a taxi and prepare to pay a minimum of PhP25(non-air conditioned) or PhP35(air conditioned).

Staying at home is not also a bright idea. At home, you will use a lot of electricity when you try to turn on the lights, the T.V.,the electric fan and the computer. If you got hungry you're opt to cook or to buy food. If you cook, you will use LPG, which is also expensive. If you buy, it's more expensive. Whatever you want to do, you need money.

All because of these, I decided to challenge myself. Starting today, I will try to maximize the use of PhP200, which is around $4. How far can it go? Can I make it for a week? Let's see. Now, the challenge is on.

[3]Top Things To know Before Going To Philippines

Filipino people loves eating. A typical man would usually eat 3 times a day but Filipinos eat more than 3 times. Aside from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Filipinos love to have snacks. Snack in the morning, snack in the afternoon and a midnight snack for those who creep to the refrigerator late at night to fill in some empty space in their stomach.

In the back side of the alley, there are also Filipinos who struggle to find food. It's a sad truth that there are Filipinos who wait for some blessings behind restaurants. Most of them would ask money from passers by. Most of the time, these are kids whose parents also do the same in a different area. It's a sad picture with fading colors. If you look at it closely, It's not just a picture of them pressing their stomach. You are in the picture eating your favorite hamburger while throwing a half eaten spaghetti meal into the trash can.

I believe that this scenario is also true to other third world countries. Third world country indeed but Philippines is in some way a little different. The picture might be similar but when you look at the back, you can see that there are words written: "Oh! A leftover spaghetti. Call the others!"

[EATING HABITS]

It's natural for Filipinos to share. While eating or before starting to eat, it's common for a Filipino to invite the people around him to eat even though some are strangers. He doesn't care whether he have enough food for everybody as long as he didn't forget to share. "Kain tayo!"(Let's eat!) This is the most common phrase you will hear. And the best response to this is, "Sige busog pa'ko!"(Thanks but I'm not yet hungry!), while moving your hand in circle over your stomach to act like you are really full even if you're not. It's up to you to adjust if the person is really capable of sharing or not. If you think that he has a lot of food, then you can say, "Wow mukhang masarap 'yan, patikim"(Wow that looks delicious. May I have some?).

[HANDS]

About one-third of the world's population eat with bare hands. India alone comprises a huge part of it. Even though spoon, fork and chopstick users dominates Asia, countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Philippines consider hands as an eating utensil.

In the Philippines, it's a tradition to use spoon and fork for eating. Chopsticks are only for hair and knives are only for bread. But of course, we also consider other countries' culture, thus, chopsticks and knives are also available in selected restaurants. Even though spoons and forks are already part of our daily meals, it is still delicious to eat with bare hands.

"Masarap kumain kapag nagkakamay!"

Aside from the quoted message above which means, it's delicious to eat with bare hands, there's another thing that makes eating delicious for Filipinos--raising one foot on the chair. I don't know why it's good to eat like that. Filipinos know about table manners but some can't help it if they are in their own homes. It's already a part of eating by hands. Raise one foot on your chair. Support your elbow by your knee. Then move your hand like a crane that moves rice from your plate to your mouth.

[RICE]

When I was a little kid, I asked my mom. "Why do rabbits always eat carrots?" She answered me with another question. "Why do you always eat rice?" The question puzzled me. I said, "Why?" She said, "If you will not eat rice, you might eat all the food in our refrigerator in no time." It makes sense.

Filipinos love to eat as I've said earlier. They are not satisfied with bread alone or with viands alone. Rice is an important part of a Filipino dish. Most of Filipino delicacies were made to be partnered to rice.

[VISITORS]

It's normal for Filipino families to offer food to their visitors. If you arrive in the morning, you should eat lunch with them. If you arrive in the afternoon, they will prepare afternoon snacks and drinks. You don't have a choice but to eat. In the evening, they will ask you, "Did you have dinner already?" If you answer no, the food will be automatically prepared. If you arrived while they're eating, they will get another plate and force you to eat in a kind manner. What ever time you arrive, food will always be available for you even though it's tomorrow's budget or it's a credit from the neighbor's store.

[V.I.P.]

Visitors are really special whether you are a Filipino or not. When Filipinos have visitors, that will be the only time that they will use their most elegant plates and utensils. Also expect that they will ask the children to go to a different part of the house so that you will not be annoyed. They will ask you to eat before everyone together with the one you visited and sometimes with the primary members of the family(the older ones). Kids will eat in a different place or will eat later.

Normally, if the family doesn't expect any visitor, they just cook the amount of food that will fit for them. So if you came a little late and they already started cooking, you will be asked to eat first and they will cook again for them or for the children in the living room. Don't worry, they are not that hungry as you think. For sure they had some snacks. They're Filipinos. Just it normally and enjoy the food they willingly served to you. By the time you finished eating and moved to the living room, little will start digging the kitchen for some carrots.

[1]Top Things To Know Before Going To Philippines

If you are not a Filipino or It's your first time to go to the Philippines, you need to know a lot of things about the country first. Here are some of the things I think would let you enjoy your stay in the Philippines. I know that surprises are still the best but it is also good to have something to expect. There are many things we call "only in the Philippines". My only advice is that, don't expect too much but also don't expect very little.

Philippines already has a lot of records about having the most, the least, the tallest, the shortest, the first, the last, the worst and the best. Filipinos are also very creative. Filipinos! That's what WE are. Many said that we have no identity. But i said we have. We are unique. Let's see what's on top of what we can offer.

[BALOT]

We commonly eat egg sunny-side-up or hard boiled. In the Philippines we offer you a very different style of eating egg. And it's not just an ordinary egg. It's called ballot. I don't know the exact English term for this but I think we can call it premature duck egg.

Balot is a 16-21 day old fertilized duck egg boiled in water to cook. An ordinary egg will hatch 21 days after being fertilized. Therefore, balot is an unhatched egg with a premature duck chick inside. In choosing the best balot, it's like playing Black Jack. The nearer the age of the egg to 21 days, the bigger the chick you will have. Of course you don't want to eat a chick with all it's parts completed--the beak, feathers, organs and feet. I suggest you choose 16-18 days.

There's one kind of balot we call penoy. It's the kind that is less than 16 days old. In that case, the chick is not yet formed. If I would try to describe it, it's more like an ordinary boiled egg. The only difference is that the yolk is not anymore to be found. I think it already mixed with the white part. I don't like to eat penoy. It's very much different compared to balot.

[THE ART OF EATING BALOT]

Eating balot is not as easy as you think. First, you have to know which end of the egg you should break and I always forget which one. You should know this or else, you will be force to eat the hard part first, which most people don't usually eat. As you can see, an egg has two ends. One is pointed and the other is round. If I remember correctly, you should break the egg at the pointed part by knocking it on a hard object. Perhaps on the wall or if you want to do the old Filipino style, break it with your forehead. I always do this when I was younger until I realized that I'm hurting myself. At least try it once. =)

After trying to look for the right end of the egg, enjoy your balot by sipping the soup inside. In order to do this, you should make sure that the hole of your balot is not too big. The soup will serve as the first part of your balot experience. The taste is indescribable and I really love it. It's a part of your balot 'cause it's a part of the chick's life that you're going to eat later, so don't waste it.

When you're finish savoring the soup, you can now slowly widen the hole by breaking the shell slowly. Leave some shell for you hold the egg properly. At this moment you should be able to see a grayish and a yellow thing. The grayish thing is the chick. That will be our goal. The yellow part is not that challenging to eat so you can eat it first(save the best for last).

Balot also comes with free salt and spiced vinegar. To eat your balot, first, pour a little vinegar then spread a little salt. Now, munch that little chick like there's no tomorrow. If you will chew it slowly, you will feel the beak and the bones breaking. It's so yummy.

The last part of your balot is what we call bato(tagalog term for rock). You have the option to eat it or not. If you will ask me if I eat it, well yes. I also paid for it. Don't forget to put salt. (Warning: old people with false teeth, don't try it)

[WHERE TO FIND BALOT]

Please take note that balot is only available at night. You can see vendors selling it at the corner of some streets. Some uses bicycle to tour it around. Others just walk and shout. BaloooooOOoot...