Resistence is futile

As much as I want to blend in here, I am hopelessly American. I struggle to maintain the independence i felt in the states. I don't mind traveling around Manila alone, but I do recognize that it's a bit more dangerous at night, so more often than not, I beg people to go with me to places. I absolutely refuse to buy any skin whitening products and I am avoiding using my umbrella unles it really is raining. Asking questions is more difficult for me. I hate asking for directions, but a lot of the time it has become a necessity, especially at the malls where directories don't exist, and there are random nooks and crannies designed to get the consumer lost in a sea of retail stores. One thing i did give in on was that I bought a pitaka the other day (small coin purse) It is quite convenient for taking the public transportation and having my handfuls of coins in one place. Also, I get to hide my larger bills in my real wallet stashed away, so I don't get targetted for the random jeepney muggings.

Sometimes, you just gotta give in to avoid being singled out as the vulnerable tourist.