Cebu, Philippines - March 11, 2008
Back in Cebu again. We only spent a day here trying to get general things done. Basically financial things (going through money too quickly here and really need to take out some cash advances, and will probably end up financing the rest of the trip by slowly trying to pay it off over the next few months!)
Everytime in Cebu, I've always stayed near the Ayala Mall, and it's always remarkable how many comfortable seemingly long-term foreigners are living here. You can tell because many are walking around with a wife and a kid or two. Again the opposite of Manila where it seems people assume you just arrived and they can take advantage of you. Down in Cebu, they treat you like you've been around for awhile and are more like a normal person.
We didn't do much more than just basic stuff here. Our time at Citibank was interesting as this Cebu branch doesn't have any real connection with the U.S. branches (or anywhere else it seems). So therefore pretty much every foreigner was told to either try the ATM machines or go to another foreign bank down the street for any banking needs. Customer after customer were showing their Citibank Card and feeling pretty irate over the circumstances. Actually we had the same circumstances with our card as well and referred to another bank, etc. Ultimately I called Citibank U.S.A., and the next day I was able to take out emergency cash. They also had a weird system at Citibank Cebu where the 'information desk' basically ends up doing all the work for the complaining foreigners banking needs and answering everyone else's questions as well. Leaving many clerks at desks chatting online or doing whatever they wanted (taking early lunches or whatever). A fairly insufficient place and confirmed I really need to cancel my Citibank accounts as they do NOTHING for me abroad. There is also a Citibank in Seoul which refuses to do anything for foreigners whatsoever, and insists they are only Citibank in name, and offer no services whatsoever to American Citibank holders. Well, fortunately due to the information desk, who probably gets overwhelmed by these special needs dozens of times a day, did help us out and was the only one able to do the 'emergency cash' procedure for foreigners. As everyone in this country asks for tips all the time for me, I wanted to actually tip this deserving person, but we decided not to as it might be taken by cameras in the bank as a bribe.
Continued journal entries in the Philippines:
March 13, 2008
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