Plus ça change

I came across this remark in Jan Dalley's The Black Hole where she writes about the economic situation in 19th century India (which then included Pakistan and Bangla Desh). After describing the way the odds were stacked against the ordinary worker on the shop floor she says

"It was hardly surprising, given the number of people in this chain, each making a profit from the weaver's work, that the weavers themselves should be in terrible poverty."

Jeepney

The Jeepney is a distinctly Philippine phenomenon. You can read about them here. A magazine styled after the Big Issue seen in London has been launched recently called Jeepney. One of the girls in the church sells it. See here.

Philippines 02

Got through the hot night despite cockerels crowing, etc. You see cockerels everywhere. Cock fighting is a big thing here. Lito, a GMA graduate called for me around 8 am and we headed for Brian's house (where the church originally used to meet). Lovely to meet Nece and Brian in their home and take a quick look at Brian's amazing shell collection. We then drove with others through sometimes heavy traffic (caused by work on the extension of the ELR) to Valenzuela City where there was a meeting of messengers from the newly formed Reformed Baptist Association. It was good to be there and get the flavour of a new and young movement. Part of the flavour is the bilingual situation (something I am fairly familiar with). The pastor in Valenzuela is Aries Liboro. It was good to meet him. His wife put on a lovely spread for around 20 of us present.
We went then to the CCM offices and Alex showed me around the squatter slums. I won't attempt to describe the utterly amazing poverty. Only if you are in it can you grasp it and even then only faintly. My only hope is that such places existed in London in Spurgeon's day and are no more. Several of the children we met are sponsored by CCM. What a work is being done. There are no easy solutions though. Eleri was watching slum dog millionaire before I left. What horrible things there are in this world.
And so back to what now looks like a luxury flat and some time to read. I'm enjoying Selderhuis on Calvin which I bought at EMA and started to read on the plane.