Blessings on top of Blessings
I had recently went backpacking throughout Asia for my entire summer break in 2015. During my experience in Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Thailand, I had stayed for about 2 weeks in each country. The reason for me to stay in each country with a minimum of 2 weeks, is to feel like I have lived there for a good amount of time to where I can truly live the experience of the countries themselves. This trip was one that I had been looking forward to my whole life. I was eager to experience every culture and lifestyle in these countries. Everyone told me before I left that I am going to have the time of my life, and that I should enjoy every single bit of my journey. This trip was definitely fun, but little did I know that it was going to be life changing.
Being that I am full Filipino, I had started my trip with the motherland, Philippines. It was a must that I visit all of my relatives that I haven’t seen in awhile. Right once I had touchdown to Manila in the Philippines, I already witnessed the change in everyday life of Philippines compared to Los Angeles. I had a culture shock within my first few hours of being in Manila when all I see were very young children selling things that I would find in the dollar store, but they are selling them on the street just to obtain some currency for food or water. An example would be one of a 5 year old boy selling rags for 5 pesos a piece. In US Dollar that would equal to only 10 cents! I was utterly shocked that this kid is walking around the dirty streets of Philippines bare-footed trying to make a little money just for him to eat that current day. Which gave me a different perspective in life and in the way I value things till this day.
There were similar situations where I saw young kids trying to make a living on the streets of Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan, just like in the Philippines. I had witnessed citizens of each country go through the same struggle of trying to live and maintain. Fast forward to myself arriving back home from Asia, I quickly realized how grateful I am to be in the position I currently am in. I don’t have to stress everyday thinking if I will be able to eat or not, and if I do, what will I be eating? The value of my dollar to myself mentally, isn’t as important as it is to an average young vendor in a third-world country of Asia. To me, the value of how much income I make does not alter my actual way of living. It only determines if I am going to be able to go out more on the weekends, or if I am going to be able to buy the new and latest Nikes. As Karl Marx states in his article Capital Volume One, Chapter Two : Exchange , “ It is plain that commodities cannot go to market and make exchanges of their own account. We must, therefore, have recourse to their guardians, who are also their owners Commodities are things, and therefore without power of resistance against man,” he recognizes the discussion of commodities and explains the characteristics of the process of exchange.
From what I had understood, Marx meant that to the owners of commodities should distinguish one another as the owners of commodities that embody worth. There is more to than just exchanging items, but treating it as if there is a indenture between the items. Marx insisted that the exchange of value paves the way of use value because one must attain the item before its actual utility is realized.
The commodities that I am used to in Los Angeles have such different value to those commodities within Asia and the citizens over there. My value in such items have been taken for granted, than to what it would of been placed at if it were in Asia. Opportunities that I have came across through my lifetime had not only given me evidence on how grateful I should be, but should also serve as a deeper understanding of the hardships other people in this go through that I may never get to experience.
