typhoon preparations

the sky is overcast and we are waiting for the rains of the typhoon to hit us.
we are now signal one: but the real problem is that the rice isn't harvested yet, and if you harvest early you don't get as good quality rice, and maybe have trouble drying it before the rains hit.
On the other hand, and if we get too much rain and wind, it could destroy the harvest.

speaking of typhoons:

my only comment about Puerto Rico is that the high death figures being spun are estimates (not hard data) of "excess deaths" over a six month period. And it was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a journal that is notorious for pushing political stuff.

So it's about the failure of local government rebuilding the infrastructure, not the emergency response per se. And how many deaths are elderly from lack of airconditioning?

The pope says using air conditioning is a sin, but you know, when I read articles about "green" types lamenting all the future deaths from the heat via global warming, I think: well, thanks to capitalism, a lot of the poor are now rich enough to buy an airconditioner.

one of the undercovered stories in the modern world is the lifting out of poverty of a billion Chinese, who are now busy buying up air conditioners.

we aren't that good, partly because corruption discourages investment, but things are getting better:

what keeps the economy afloat here is that ten percent of our people work overseas or on ships, and send money or gifts via Balikayan box to support their families.

so yes, sometimes poor families have airconditioners...

and here, the local appliance store has lots of them to chose from.

ah but can the poor  afford them? No but they can go to Jolibee etc. and enjoy the airconditioner, and most people can afford a fan, although the problem is often the electric bill.

Yes, I am joking: Minimum wage 300 pesos a day, electric fan 350 to 500 pesos a day.

100 pesos equal 2 dollars, one peso equals about 50 cents.

our electric bill, for the large business compound and two homes, is 16000 pesos a month. But we use airconditioners and computers quite a bit.

compare and contrast:

 air conditioner 12000 pesos, plus electric bill.
Used TV 1200 pesos,
cable for TV 350 pesos a month.
Flip flop sandles 25 pesos.
One kg rice 40 to 50 pesos, one kg rice from subsidized government rice, 30 kg.
Hamburger from street vendor: 2 for 25 pesos. At Jolibee, 50 pesos.
Caesarian section 20 thousand pesos.
doctors office visit 200 pesos.
one month of generic Amlodipine for high blood pressure: 350 pesos.
Cephlexin brand name for a week: 1000 pesos. At generic drug store, 300 peso.
One sachet (single use amount) of detergent to do the wash: 7 pesos.
One sachet of 3 in one coffee: 6 pesos.
One new (cheap chinese) teeshirt at the Palenke: 50 pesos. at the mall: 300 pesos. At the "ukay ukay" used clothing store, 25 to 50 pesos.

we sort of have a "two tier" economy here: The malls and high end grocery store prices are about the same as in the USA, but the palenke is cheap. And of course, if you eat "local" it is quite cheap.
Imported food is expensive, but now we do have a lot of "european" type foods (e.g. yogurt, milk, biscuits, bread, donuts, meat) that is essentially made locally under the same brand name. (e.g. Nescafe).

living traditional is cheap: and luxuries can be had once in awhile.
But the margin for the poor is thin.
the problem is that a typhoon will destroy all the possessions of the poor, and an illness or death in the family is a financial disaster, although I should add the entire family tends to chip in to help.

there is however a growing middle class, of which we are one. Not to be confused with the uberrich living in gated suburbs in Manila.

I just saw a preview of "crazy rich asians" and was aghast. Of course, the elders lived in poverty, so tended to overdo the conspicuous consumption...