Lanky, no more than 4.9”-tall, Amelia is seriously roasting peanuts in her Pedicab-Stall-Cart. She is set up at a corner street way fronting a 7-Eleven Convenience store. I approach her and start a friendly conversation while she prepares my peanut orders. Amelia tells me life is hard in metro-Manila, but she and her three kids get by with the help of her chosen snack to peddle. With only an investment of Php900.00 (roundabout twenty dollars), she is able to daily net Php600.00 on a bad sale day, to Php2000.00 on a good sale day. With profits, she is able to pay basic bills, put food on the table, and clothes on her family’s backs. She is also able to send Anton, seven, to first grade; Don, four, to pre-school, and William, two, to daycare. She tells me as well that peddling is really a good living were it not impeded by time-to-time fines from police who tells her she could not squat at the corner street and peddle her peanuts. I tell her I was sorry she must deal with ordinances and laws, and thanked her for her resilience and determination to serve her family. I bid her goodbye and munch my freshly roasted peanuts. It surely satisfied my hunger!
Friday, June 19, 2015
Backbones: Magmamani
56 …
Lanky, no more than 4.9”-tall, Amelia is seriously roasting peanuts in her Pedicab-Stall-Cart. She is set up at a corner street way fronting a 7-Eleven Convenience store. I approach her and start a friendly conversation while she prepares my peanut orders. Amelia tells me life is hard in metro-Manila, but she and her three kids get by with the help of her chosen snack to peddle. With only an investment of Php900.00 (roundabout twenty dollars), she is able to daily net Php600.00 on a bad sale day, to Php2000.00 on a good sale day. With profits, she is able to pay basic bills, put food on the table, and clothes on her family’s backs. She is also able to send Anton, seven, to first grade; Don, four, to pre-school, and William, two, to daycare. She tells me as well that peddling is really a good living were it not impeded by time-to-time fines from police who tells her she could not squat at the corner street and peddle her peanuts. I tell her I was sorry she must deal with ordinances and laws, and thanked her for her resilience and determination to serve her family. I bid her goodbye and munch my freshly roasted peanuts. It surely satisfied my hunger!
Lanky, no more than 4.9”-tall, Amelia is seriously roasting peanuts in her Pedicab-Stall-Cart. She is set up at a corner street way fronting a 7-Eleven Convenience store. I approach her and start a friendly conversation while she prepares my peanut orders. Amelia tells me life is hard in metro-Manila, but she and her three kids get by with the help of her chosen snack to peddle. With only an investment of Php900.00 (roundabout twenty dollars), she is able to daily net Php600.00 on a bad sale day, to Php2000.00 on a good sale day. With profits, she is able to pay basic bills, put food on the table, and clothes on her family’s backs. She is also able to send Anton, seven, to first grade; Don, four, to pre-school, and William, two, to daycare. She tells me as well that peddling is really a good living were it not impeded by time-to-time fines from police who tells her she could not squat at the corner street and peddle her peanuts. I tell her I was sorry she must deal with ordinances and laws, and thanked her for her resilience and determination to serve her family. I bid her goodbye and munch my freshly roasted peanuts. It surely satisfied my hunger!
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