The Jeepney, Manila's most popular art form and public transportation

What I love about business travel is the opportunity it provides to experience how other cultures live and behave at work.  Sometimes its the little things – the way they serve their coffee, what time they take their lunch, the hours they work and their average commute times that open up doors to much more interesting facts about how different cultures  live and view the world.

Last week in Manila, after a single three-hour business meeting, I immediately felt at home inside a business office there.  Yes, it was 100 degrees outside, and yes the doorman had a machete and a bomb sniffing dog and took my temperature when I entered to verify I was not spreading H1N1.  But once in the office, everything felt very “normal.” The method in which the meeting was conducted, the roles within the room, the small talk, even the lunch break.  It was a very pleasant and productive business meeting with a client I am thrilled to be working with.  Thus it was so very perplexing when I left the meeting and walked outside into the streets of a world reminiscent of a scene from Mad Max and the Thunderdome.

I’m still not sure I’ve got it all figured out. And I’ve been thinking about it a lot. But after 3 days in Manila I have some theories about what is going on there.

First, What’s Behind that Feeling of Constant Chaos
The 2000 census noted Manila as the most densely populated city in the world with 1.66 million inhabitants.  In retrospect, this explains that overwhelming feeling of panic that swept me when walking  about the hot, messy downtown.  There is no western equivalent to the constant swarm of masses and vehicles moving about  in multiple directions — the closest analogy I can muster is the adrenaline rush that Black Friday at Macy’s sets in motion… but with a messier “watch your wallet” or  “I think I’m about to faint” feeling added to it.  Perhaps it’s closer to the feeling of being in the mosh pit at Lalapalooza and suddenly realizing you are way too drunk and its only 3 pm.  Add to it all a layer of throat-coating smog and claustrophobia is bound to set in.

As a westerner, the extreme number and activity of people was most unsettling.   I’d been to crowded cities across the US and Europe, but despite their hustle and bustle, those cities have the infrastructure and the social order to keep it all just a little bit more under control.

But to the locals of Manila, this chaos seemed perfectly normal.  And when I would query someone about it, they would only smile if it was an endearing trait in a new beau to be treasured.

Enjoying being a "have" in the Manila Peninsula Hotel Lobby

Second, Classism is Alive and Well
I’m no politico. But if I were to sum up the economic situation, it seems the upper and middle class “bourgeoisie” have learned how to concurrently take full advantage of the benefits having an underclass creates, and yet tune out the depressing physical state that has resulted from it.  This is not a dig, as it appears no more malicious than North Americans taking advantage of opportunities afforded to us by cheap Mexican labor.  But make no mistake, this issue creates an economic advantage for many.

There is a multi-generational, semi-impermeable barrier between “haves” and “have-nots” here.  As a business person, I met with some of the lucky “haves” who are a lot like us North Americans.   All of them have been to college, vacation to the islands, earn good wages,  own laptops and iPhones, shop and eat cheaply, keep the birth rate at 1-2 per couple, and live in nice condos or gated communities. These folks are raving fans of Manila, and wanted me to appreciate their deep and rich culture, food and environment as they do.

I tried. But one look outside any window and I could not help but notice the seemingly desperate state of the “have-nots” who subside in a dog-eat-dog world they have little hope of ever escaping, despite the richness around them.  The “have-nots” drive taxis and bicycle tuk tuks for pennies per hour, they multiply themselves X 6, live in sweltering shanties without AC in trash-infested squalor, and if they are lucky… export themselves to raise the “have’s” children as nanny or driver.

These two cultures are a world apart in life experience, but just a $2 taxi ride away from any downtown hotel, existing on a parallel plane, walking the same streets, but rarely crossing paths except to serve or be served by the other.

This chasm has created a society that on one hand supports a thriving international business culture, and on the other hand suffers sky-high kidnappings, robbery and crime rates.

All this brings me to the third point – what’s up with all the security everywhere?

Third, In Manila an Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Real Police Protection
At every entrance to every public location in Manila you will see security guards with metal detectors and dogs.  They may frisk you or look in your purse or ask you to step through a scanner. But these are not police. In fact there is a noticeable lack of true police presence anywhere.   Asking around, I learned that police are considered ineffectual, understaffed and poorly managed… aka they cannot properly prevent and prosecute crime.

Part of the issue seems to be that many poor Filipinos do not possess birth certificates or IDs and thus are literally invisible to the state.  As a result, robberies frequently go unsolved or even un-investigated as the police lack a proper method for tracking criminals.  So to attract visitors, the private community has taken up private security operations to discourage theft and general hanky-panky.  Labor is cheap so this is easily possible even for smaller stores.  And this is why there are TSA-style security scans and armed guards at the entrance to every public place – malls, hotels & even restaurants.

Halo-halo dessert, a Filipino specialty featuring shaved ice, milk, sweet beans, ice cream and jellied fruit.

In the end, was Manila a pleasant place or not?  I want to say yes – as I seek to always find the best in every culture.  The city is a short plane ride from some of the most glorious islands in the world.  And the food was at least interesting.   And in Manila I can say I met some very terrific people.  They are genuine, proud of their independence and culture, and spirited.  Many people I met choose to live there when they could live in US or Canada.   So while I cannot say it I fell in love with Manila, I will say it is a place on the eve of change with newly elected government that seeks to make positive forward progress and fight the history of corruption.   And for that I will give Manila a cautiously optimistic “one thumb up”.

BIXI is a new bicycle-sharing program Montreal launched in May 2009 the city hopes will be a successful example for others to follow.  With a concept already popular in Europe, BIXI is the first of its kind in North America, and has been hailed by some as the world’s most innovative bicycle sharing program to date. 

BIXI means literally “bike” plus “taxi”.  And aside from the notoriously cold and long winters, Montreal is a perfect place for such a program because of its abundance of well-maintained bicycle paths that both encircle and slice through the city’s main thorough fairs.

How BIXI works
Getting a bike is easy.  Simply stop at any of the 300+ strategically placed self-service BIXI bike stations around the city.  Each station houses 10-20 bikes.  Swipe your Visa or MasterCard for $5, click to agree to the 49 pages of Terms & Conditions (not kidding), and take your  4-digit code.  Now choose a bike from the rack, plug in your code and be on your way! 

Sounds pretty good so far. But here is where it gets complicated. The clock has started ticking and you have 30 minutes to get your bike to another BIXI rack and park it before being charged another $1.50 for the next 30 minutes, $3 for the second 30 minutes, and $6 an hour every hour after that. Do you hear the Wicked Witch’s demonic bicycle ride theme song in your head yet?

Ouch.  Suffice it to say BIXI is best to use when you just want to jaunt about and drop a bicycle, perhaps to work, coffee, lunch, or more throughout the day. You can ride all 24 hours on your first $5 as long as you drop the bike and select a different one every 30 minutes at one of the locations.

A Cautionary Tale About One BIXI Experience
BIXI seemed like the perfect solution for my family on a recent trip to Montreal. We made a point of trying out BIXI for the pure convenience and novelty.  We easily found bikes to ride, and began our tour. The bikes were sturdy, comfortable and clean.  But the stress-o-meter went through the roof when we, much like the Biblical Joseph and Mary, could not find an available place to take a rest before the clock ran out.

We had been headed to the popular St. Catherine’s Street for a bus tour and considered this a quick 20 minute pleasure ride.  But soon we found ourselves racing around the busy city streets in search of a single open spot to drop even one of  our four rented bikes.  Perspiration and panic quickly set in as the clock ticked away and we became more and more desperate – riding on sidewalks, going against traffic, crossing against lights  – you name it – to get our bikes parked and to our next destination on time. We came within a hair of missing our scheduled bus tour but eventually did find homes for all 4 bikes – each in a different location. The mad dash left us sweaty and a little reticent to pick up another BIXI in our 24-hour period, for fear we’d always be driving around all night long looking for an empty drop spot. 

In the end – only you can decide – are you a risk taker?
Overall, BIXI provides a convenient, inexpensive, and very green way for visitors and locals alike to see the city’s top sights, or just get to work three out of four seasons a year (BIXI bikes are evidently not available in the coldest winter months).  And the risk / reward? Well you’ll have to decide if the location you are headed is more popular than the one you are dropping – and maybe the city will improve its bike moving soon.

 If you go – Pricing & Locations
Locals can purchase an annual pass for $78 or $28 a month.  For day-trippers, the price is right at $5 for 24-hour access ( in 30-minute increments). Customers are charged an increasing hourly rate for any time beyond any single 30-minute period at an escalating price.  

Expert tip: If you get stuck with your bike it turns out you CAN type a code into any full station to receive a 15-minute reprieve to find another station. 

While telecommuting one afternoon from the 23^rd floor of the Sao Paulo, Brazil Renaissance Hotel waiting for a client meeting, I noticed a trend.  Every few hours the rumble of an engine disturbed my tranquil surroundings and as a helicopter roared overhead then landed two stories above me on the roof of the hotel.  “Flight for Life?” —  I naively thought at first.  But what I soon learned was much more intriguing. Sao Paolo, Brazil, the 7^th largest city on the planet that is home to over 19 million — is in fact also the helicopter capital of the world, boasting over 450 personal helicopters as of mid-2009 – a number that (depending on the source) tops even those in New York and Tokyo.

The trend to buy a helicopter, hire a pilot, or in some cases even become a pilot –  and use it as your daily commuter — is the mark of the rich and time-strapped in this bustling, traffic-choked city where a simple 5-mile trek by car across town can easily set you back two hours during rush hour.  With epic traffic jams that can span 130 miles of mind-numbing stop and go traffic, the city is a reported urban planning nightmare.  So until we can each have our own personal jet pack, the helicopter has become the transportation mode of choice for those with the funds to support it.