My Kind Of Pinay! Or It Is A Hard Life For The Older Pinays.....

[Bruce]

Below is a pic taken today at Jollibees. I am the taller one (wearing pants) and I am 5'8" or 173 cm for those metric schooled.

 

The Pinay is Enrika (spl?) and she is somewhere between 65 and death, but not exactly sure. I have known her 4 years now. Her job is collecting cardboard scraps to sell to the recycler. She starts out early and walks around to local business who let her pick through their trash.  

 

She never asks for money but if you offer, she will accept. 2 pesos or 20 pesos, she is greatful. She speaks no english. When asked about her husband, she draws her finger across her throat.. so I guess he is dead... or is she confessing to a murder??? Who knows.....

 

She has 3 kids. 1 son in prison and 2 daughters living out on an yet to be named island. We have a routine now when I am in Catbalogan. She goes to the Mercuy Drug Store every morning across from Jollibees and picks through their trash. She waits for me to show up, I ask if she wants to eat or wants money. She jibber jabbers about something, I say KANO... ENGLISH... then she says eat or money and thank you sir.

 

Today she chose to eat. And tomorrow, we will repeat out daily ritual over and over each day until I leave.   

 

[lonewolf]

thank you

[JJReyes]

She doesn't look a day older than 60. Must be all those Jollibee burgers you have been feeding her.

 

Since you have previously mentioned about this fine dining establishment, I can only assume you are a regular customer.

[i am bob]

I couldn't help but chuckle...  You know she is scamming you...  She knows she is scamming you...  We know she is scamming you...

 

But when done so nicely as she is doing, how can a person say no?  And she is not greedy about it either!

 

Still, this may be only times that she can get a good breakfast - or any other meal - so why not?

 

Keep up the good work Bruce!

 

:thumbsup:  :mocking:

[Bruce]

I couldn't help but chuckle... You know she is scamming you... She knows she is scamming you... We know she is scamming you...

 

That is an interesting point of view that is shared by many. The issue of a scam does come up in conversation with respect to those i offer help / money to.

 

Usually about that heavy set woman with missing teeth and the baby with the double cleft and other issues..... She is a professional beggar! Absolutely, no doubt about it. And I still help her. Why.......

 

Well I have been to her house and sees how she lives and have met her busband who is a farm laborer. Never seen the mother drunk and she has 5 kids to look after. The baby really does have a double cleft and multiple other issues......

 

So, am I being scammed? Are other people passing by being scammed? Well depends on how you look at it. I choose to think that my little contributions of small money or rice or medicines are in some way making their lives a little bit better.  

 

As for the old woman Enrika, she has no idea when I arrive as we have no communication outside of my seeing her on the street. So I have arrived and seen her walking downtown carrying a stack of cardboard on her head. I did go to the jail last year to talk about her son. I asked the jailer if he was a good man or a bad man..... The jailer says bad man. So, no bail money from me!

 

So is her waiting around for a free breakfast a scam? Or is she simply 'availing' of a foreigner who would buy her someting to eat beyond her usual rice..... She is still old, she is still working to support herself, never seen her drunk.... so I have no problem if she scammes me out of breakfast.  

 

As for true scammers, I defer to the family here who runs the charity. They grew up her and lived their lives here. They see what is happening and as such, make the day to day decisions on who to help and who to say 'no budget'.

 

A typical scam..... woman shows up with a sob story about sick children. produces a prescription from the hospital doc for medicine.... Now, I look at the date to see how old it is.... sometime more than 1 yr old! And I see if there is a name on it or not. Sometimes that have a blank paper with the words of a real script traced onto that paper.....

 

I stok a lot of meds here. If it is the same med and I offer them the actual medication and they squirm and ask for the money... SCAM.....

 

Something I let the scam work somethings i don't. All depends on the overall picture of the situation I see.

[i am bob]

Something I let the scam work somethings i don't. All depends on the overall picture of the situation I see.

 

Kind of the same way I see it.  I call them scams when situations (such as yours with the older woman and breakfast) occur but it is with full knowledge and a will to help this person at the same time that makes it all right.  There are different levels of scams.  Some are just laughable and ones to play along with - such as playing Rock / Paper / Scissors for coffee and changing the rules after the throw so that you can get a free coffee (and everybody knows you are going to buy next time).  And then there are those who do so in an attempt for outright theft in a major crime sort of way.  

 

There is only one thing I am not sure about in your Breakfast Adventures...  You say she will always say "Thank You"...  You don't mention if you ever say "You're Welcome"...?

 

:mocking:

[Julia]

I would say Enrika is NO SCAMMER, IMHO...

a beggar maybe she is as she is obviously begging for something to eat...

a scammer is someone making up stories just to get money from you, and a scammer definitely won't settle for P2.00 (can't hardly buy anything nowadays). A P20.00 is just enough to buy her something to temporarily fill her empty stomach.

this is a 3rd world country - what else could someone expect?

don't know how and i don't know who can do it either, but maybe it would be more helpful too if there is somebody who can somehow show and teach people like Enrika how to fish instead .

lastly,

thanks for the kindness that you've shown to people like Enrika, Bruce.... :thumbsup:

Stay a blessing to others! God bless!

Edited March 20, 2013 by ako si julia

[Julia]

You say she will always say "Thank You"...  You don't mention if you ever say "You're Welcome"...?

 

:mocking:

 

oh dear! :mocking: :mocking: :mocking:

[lonewolf]

i think she is a lonely old woman trying to get by on what ever she can get by working and i think she considers you a friend that gives as much in attention as he does in a meal . she s not greedy, and i think she likes your attention as much as a free meal. and ithink your doing your calling in a way that allows her some dignity by being her friend also.

[Bruce]

I would say Enrika is NO SCAMMER, IMHO...

a beggar maybe she is as she is obviously begging for something to eat...

a scammer is someone making up stories just to get money from you, and a scammer definitely won't settle for P2.00 (can't hardly buy anything nowadays). A P20.00 is just enough to buy her something to temporarily fill her empty stomach.

this is a 3rd world country - what else could someone expect?

don't know how and i don't know who who can do it either, but maybe it would be more helpful too if there is somebody who can somehow show and teach people like Enrika how to fish instead .

lastly,

thanks for the kindness that you've shown to people like Enrika, Bruce.... :thumbsup:

 

Fishing is out. Way over fished here. All the small boats now use illegal drag nets, small but effective.

 

Enrika does OK in eating on 'small money' as she is a squatter and pays no rent. The fish market sell fish from less than 2" long, no joke to the few big ones at about 3' long and everything between. So the really poor buy the very small fish to add to their rice which is currently 35p to 45p per kilo. Cook over a wood or charcoal fire. And you ca get by cheap. I do not know actually how much she makes selling recycle scraps but it is her thing and she is out doing it every day.

 

Of course do not get sick.....