Even more culture shock

I went to a market yesterday, called Carbon Market. The Lonely planet makes an obvious joke about that in regards to global warming. It is, of course, not a carbon market but rather an incredibly slummy produce market. It stank so much it was ridiculous, offensive smells I have never smelt before. Seems to have been a combination of rotting vegitables, excrement and massive amounts of air pollution. Yes, I am fresh out of Canada, but I even saw locals walking around with clothes over their mouths. And in the midst of it all people live in sqalid dirt floor shacks. It is very sad, though the people seemed fairly happy, many were enthusiastic to get their pictures taken. They would yell, "one shot, one shot," to get you to take a picture of them.



The little place I was staying at was also something of a prostitution house. Older white men would just hang around and them prostituted would show up. Made me scared to think about the bed I was sleeping on... uhhhhggg.

There is a fear factor episode in which people have to eat a boiled egg that has a fully developed embryo in it. Turns out that is a Philippine delicassy. I don't understand how someone could eat a whole duck embryo, but they chow down on it, eyes, feathers bones everything. There are certain things I won't eat and that is one of them. I know people might say, "don't knock it until you try it," but i'm going to have to knock that partcular thing right off.

Today I got a ride acros an island for three dollars in a motorcycle with a makeshift side carriage. The driver had to romive the coq to make room. He had just come from a coq fight, which apparently went in his favour, so I guess that little coq will avoid being supper for a while, until he loses anyway.

I am wondering if all this will become 'normal' at some point, but i'm not sure that it will.