  I wish I brought a pillow. Sleeping on wood planks suck but I bet my back is better for it. We take so much for granted in the U.S. where the middle class is so large and that we're able to or have the opportunity to live with so many amenities.
In the Philippines there is a huge poor population (maybe up to 70%) with a small middle class and an even smaller upper class (as usual, it's the relative few that dictates the direction of the masses). I was curious how much my companions earn. One makes about PHP 7,500 (about $150) a month while the other makes PHP 10,000 (about $200) a month. I figured they would be making about $500 U.S. a month. I felt awkward when they asked me how much I made which is about PHP 180,000 (as a student).
But then the cost of livining in the U.S. is so expensive. You can rent a nice house in the Philippines for about PHP 9,000 where in the U.S. my shared rent for the house is about PHP 35,000. I need to go CD shopping. One good way to learn about a culture is through it's music... 
