McWorld

Exploitation: Taking advantage of an individual or situation for one's full benefit. It often has a negative connotation to it.


I'll admit to succumbing to the KFC down the street a few times a month when I'm pressed for time, but there's a lot of guilt involved in paying twice as much for less tasty food that's twice as expensive. A typical value meal at KFC is about 23元, 230% more than much tastier and fresher Chinese fast food. It's almost always packed for dinner and lunch. I assumed that because of the higher prices, they'd also be paying higher wages. Of course, I was wrong.

The claims first surfaced in a report by the local newspaper New Express Daily, which said its reporters... found that McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut were paying part-time staff as much as 40 percent less than the minimum wage for Guangdong. Minimum wages vary from region to region in China. The minimum wage for Guangdong province is 7.5 yuan ($0.97) per hour.The New Express Daily report said McDonald's was paying part-timers only 4 yuan ($0.52) per hour. It said part-timers at KFC earned as 4.7 yuan ($0.61) and Pizza Hut 5 yuan ($0.65).
Washington Post

There excuse wasn't that they weren't paying that low a salary, they were merely confused by just how low they could pay people:

"This was caused by a newly introduced regulation. We are working with the government to seek clarification of these laws," it said. "Yum has always strictly adhered to Chinese laws and regulations."

To be fare, it is almost assured that every restaurant in my neighborhood pays below minimum wage. In many ways China offers one of the freest markets on the planet, and the supply and demand curve for all labor - skilled and unskilled - is clearly in the employers favor. Even with connections into a family or friends business, a college graduate might only expect nine or ten RMB per hour. That comes out a little over $220 for six days a week of work. For the 工人, the workers, it's relatively well documented that the minimum wage often acts as a ceiling to the amount you can make in a week. The pay difference then amongst workers is how many hours you have to work, uncounted, to get it.

Yum! Brands and McDonald's clearly can afford to pay higher wages without significantly cutting into profits. It's a niche market and their restaurants are always packed. So why should it take a part timer almost five hours to buy one value meal. It would take an hour just to buy a single egg tart, nearly two hours for a cup of coke.

Bottom line: Western-run companies shouldn't try to cheat the infantismal Chinese minimum wage. That's low on too many levels.

Skype = Awesome

Friends and fellow ex-pats, lend me your ears!

(904) 302-7336. If you dial it, my cell phone here rings. If I pick up, I get charged about 2.5 cents a minute.

How'd I do it? SkypeIn. For 30 euro you can buy a number anywhere in the world for a year to make your computer ring. With a quick adjustment, it can make your local phone ring too [goto Tools > Voicemail > Call Forwarding and set it to your local cell] .

This is how to reverse the process so I can call you back home: Buy your own SkpyeIn account with a number in China, set the forwarding to your preferred number and WHAM! I can call you from here for next to nothing. It costs 10 Euro for three months, and drop another 10 or so for our own calls and $20 or so will let you talk to Trey with infinite ease.

The Count

Photos: 1,308, 3.5 gigabytes
Days: 25
Trains: 25 hours
Buses: 16 hours
Planes: 8 hours, 7 airports
Ferries: 6 hours, 7 boats
Islands: 9
Waterfalls: 3
Backpack: 9 kilos [20 pounds]
Types of Beer: 6
Cockfights: 1
Taxis, Jeepney's, Tricycles, Motorcycles, and Tuk-Tuk's: It would take an hour to count



My trip is over. Pictures and more to follow, but I've been launched straight into the classroom. It feels good to be back in China. It almost feels like home.

Waterfalls

The rocks were the size of apples first. As we got higher they became the size of potatoes. They got bigger and bigger. Twice the rear wheel of the motorcycle lost traction and slipped and Tata and my feet raced down to prevent a fall. But the views were stunning. Behind us was the straight separating Mindanao from Camiguin Island. To the left was the cinder cone of Mt. Mambajao, we were climbing Mt. Timpoong, and a treeless older volcano was to the right. Above us clouds would come and engulf, curl, or slide down the cinder cones. Every now and then the white baby blue blue beaches wrapping small Mantique Island would flash out. We were mountain climbing with a 125cc motor.

I'd get off and walk and let Tata, my driver, go up a steep cliff, we'd drive together for another minute, and separate again until he wouldn't take his bike anymore. And then we walked. My 25 cent hotel map was bad. Real bad. It showed the falls being behind us, but we hadn't even crossed a river. We could hear water streaming below us though. We walked up a path for ten minutes before abandoning it, assuming it was only a path to the top of the mountain. Later I found it began an hour hike going to our cloud-forest falls. He knew another waterfall so we went there.

The road was easier getting there, the hike scarier. At one point the trail drops about 20 feet. The trekker holds on to a metal pipe running away from the cliff while using stones to descend. Boulder hopping across the river was also a bit tricker than I'm used to and at least twice my right foot landed in the water. Two local children acted as our tour guides, taking us through the trail to the falls.

Tomorrow: Cock fighting.

Tuawasan Falls


Tuawasan Falls


The 70m Katibawasan Falls