I've had people ask me how living in the tropics is different than living in Michigan.
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Well, for starters it is much hotter here. Right now it is 82 degrees and 75% humidity. (and it's 6p.m. as I write this - which here means the sun is about down.) Real feel is closer to 87. But the real feel for this afternoon was 109 degrees according to Accuweather.com (actual temp was 93 degrees farenheit.)
The hot translates into taking more showers ( 1 - 3/day on average) and using lots of powder!
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The sun comes up around 5:15 each morning and sets around 5:30 each night. There is a consistent amount of daylight and dark time hours. No day light savings time needed here!!!!!!
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For the kusina (kitchen) the heat and humidity translates into this:
Stove top cooking or microwaving is preferred to turning on the oven.
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All flour based products (flour, wheat germ, corn meal, oat meal, spaghetti, pasta of any sort, rice, etc.) need to be frozen for at least three days to keep any little critters from materializing in the product.
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It is better to store all grain-based products in freezer or fridge but since room doesn't allow for that, the second best option is to keep everything in plastic seal-tight containers (where is tupperware when you need it!:)) (Actually, the Philippines has an excellent supply of plastic ware and storage containers!)
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Eggs are purchased off the grocery or market shelf, not refrigerator section. The eggs are not cleaned for selling so it is important to wash the eggs before using and also crack the eggs into a small container before adding to whatever you are using the egg for...you never know when you'll come across a bad egg!
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When you are at a restaraunt you have to specifically ask for brewed coffee, no sugar, no cream. Otherwise you get instant coffee along with cream and sugar.
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A 'three-piece sheet set' is likely to contain a fitted sheet and 2 pillow cases. If you want a traditional 'American' sheet set you need to purchase sheets from a store that stocks 'American' or 'Canadian' sheet sets.
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That's it for now.....I'll list more differences later.