Maybe you weren't expecting to see a post like this in a blog that teaches you about Filipino culture but I'll put this on here anyway. It's no secret that many Filipinos (dark skinned or not) are ashamed of who they are, where they came from and the Philippines being a 3rd world country. I'm Filipino and it hurts when I meet fellow Filipinos who blatantly say how much they hate being born in this country. It's bittersweet when you meet foreigners who truly appreciate this country, its culture and people. It feels great but at the same time it makes me think, most of these people were not born here and spent a smaller amount of time than the locals and yet they managed to accept this country the way it is, they managed to see the beauty behind all the tragedies, scandals, racism, etc. I made this post with no intention of making the Philippines and its people unattractive to foreign visitors who might stumble upon this blog. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna tell you that the Philippines is a paradise full of holy beings. I believe that to make something attractive, you shouldn't cover its flaws with lies, instead you should show it the way it really is and hopefully people would accept it anyway. Most Filipinos are very friendly and are very proud of who they are and where they came from but expect to meet some who are the opposite.
WACKY
You better practice your smile if you're planning to hang out with Filipinos. They just love picture taking except for a few (including me :|). If you've ever had one of them as a friend on Facebook, Friendster (yes, they are dominating that site) and other social networking sites, you'll see a lot of albums. Here are a few things I have noticed:
A. There's a minimum of two albums. One having the title "Me" and the other is either "Friends" or "My Family".
B. There are more close-ups than full body or half body shots.
C. If the picture is taken in a restaurant or food chain, there's gotta be a picture of them in the 'act' of eating.
D. A mirror photo. You know, that global phenomenon, people holding their camera or camera phone while standing in front of a mirror.
E. The peace finger or 'V' sign photo.
F. Lots of side views.
G. The serious, telenovela pose.
H. The blowfish.
I. The top view.
J. Of course, the I-just-had-my-coffee-in-Starbucks photo. Just a picture of them holding a cup with the Starbucks logo on it.
Last one and probably the most popular among Filipinos when taking group photos is the wacky shot. When taking group photos, expect someone to shout "WACKY! WACKY!". Just make a silly, funny pose. Some do this solo too.
I'm not making generalizations here, not all Filipinos are like this but most of them are. The things listed above are not exclusively done by Filipinos, others do it too.
A. There's a minimum of two albums. One having the title "Me" and the other is either "Friends" or "My Family".
B. There are more close-ups than full body or half body shots.
C. If the picture is taken in a restaurant or food chain, there's gotta be a picture of them in the 'act' of eating.
D. A mirror photo. You know, that global phenomenon, people holding their camera or camera phone while standing in front of a mirror.
E. The peace finger or 'V' sign photo.
F. Lots of side views.
G. The serious, telenovela pose.
H. The blowfish.
I. The top view.
J. Of course, the I-just-had-my-coffee-in-Starbucks photo. Just a picture of them holding a cup with the Starbucks logo on it.
Last one and probably the most popular among Filipinos when taking group photos is the wacky shot. When taking group photos, expect someone to shout "WACKY! WACKY!". Just make a silly, funny pose. Some do this solo too.
I'm not making generalizations here, not all Filipinos are like this but most of them are. The things listed above are not exclusively done by Filipinos, others do it too.
MassKara Festival
Not everyone likes the beach and the summer heat. If you're one of those people, there are a lot of festivals you can go to. Whether you're travelling with your friends or going alone, you won't feel lonely partying in the streets with the welcoming locals. The Masskara Festival is probably one of the most exciting festivals in the Philippines. It takes place in Bacolod City during the month of October every year and lasts for almost 20 days. There are dance competitions, pageants, food, etc. You'll never be out of place 'cause there are many events you can participate to. Bacolod City isn't dubbed "The City of Smiles" for nothing. The locals are jolly despite the hardships and tragedies they have encountered in the past. The people here believes that everyone deserves a good time after all the hardwork and no soul is ever too tired for a party. Just looking at the colorful costumes and the masks with the smiles already gives you a nice impression of the festival.
Pandesal
If you want to eat breakfast the Filipino way, the first food you'll have to try is the pandesal. Sure, not all Filipinos eat pastry in the morning but most of them can't let the morning pass without pandesal.
How do you eat pandesal? You chew it, lol, just kidding. I'm sure that's what you had in mind when you first read the question. Well, there are different ways to serve and eat the pandesal. I'll list a few.
A. You can put some butter on it like a hotcake.
B. Slice it in half and put some cheese, fruit jams, chocolate, peanut butter or pan de coco. (It's not very Filipino but Nutella works too.. :D)
C. Dip it in your coffee, hot milk, or chocolate. (just like cookies and milk).
D. Depending on where you buy it, most pandesals can be eaten by itself and still taste good.
E. You can pair it with sardines or tuna.
F. If you love ice cream, you can use it as a filling for a pandesal.
G. Eat it with taho or tsaa (tea).
H. With the secret egg mix.
I. With scrambled eggs, maling, bacon, hotdogs, sausage or burger patties.
J. With your favorite sopas (soup). It fits with almost all kinds of soup, even the ones that originally came from countries outside the Philippines.
K. With noodles, pasta, spaghetti, etc. One of the most popular noodles is pancit canton and it's not that hard to find or make. You can follow the traditional way of cooking it or just buy the 'instant' ones in a pouch.
L. Oh, how can I forget the kesong puti? (white cheese).
Those are just a few, there are so many ways to eat pandesal. I think that's why pandesal is very popular in the Philippines. It's cheap and since you can eat it in many ways, it doesn't get boring and you can always explore and create different tastes out of it.
So, how do you eat pandesal?
How do you eat pandesal? You chew it, lol, just kidding. I'm sure that's what you had in mind when you first read the question. Well, there are different ways to serve and eat the pandesal. I'll list a few.
A. You can put some butter on it like a hotcake.
B. Slice it in half and put some cheese, fruit jams, chocolate, peanut butter or pan de coco. (It's not very Filipino but Nutella works too.. :D)
C. Dip it in your coffee, hot milk, or chocolate. (just like cookies and milk).
D. Depending on where you buy it, most pandesals can be eaten by itself and still taste good.
E. You can pair it with sardines or tuna.
F. If you love ice cream, you can use it as a filling for a pandesal.
G. Eat it with taho or tsaa (tea).
H. With the secret egg mix.
I. With scrambled eggs, maling, bacon, hotdogs, sausage or burger patties.
J. With your favorite sopas (soup). It fits with almost all kinds of soup, even the ones that originally came from countries outside the Philippines.
K. With noodles, pasta, spaghetti, etc. One of the most popular noodles is pancit canton and it's not that hard to find or make. You can follow the traditional way of cooking it or just buy the 'instant' ones in a pouch.
L. Oh, how can I forget the kesong puti? (white cheese).
Those are just a few, there are so many ways to eat pandesal. I think that's why pandesal is very popular in the Philippines. It's cheap and since you can eat it in many ways, it doesn't get boring and you can always explore and create different tastes out of it.
So, how do you eat pandesal?
Suggestions! Not rules!
Suggestions, not rules! :)
There are several rules that some filipinos follow only when they feel like it. If you lived in the Philippines for a long time, you may consider this as a norm and just like what filipinos say "ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!". If this is your first visit in the Philippines, you might find it weird. Lack of discipline or whatever it is.. it's still funny anyway. Not all Filipinos do this.
There are several rules that some filipinos follow only when they feel like it. If you lived in the Philippines for a long time, you may consider this as a norm and just like what filipinos say "ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!". If this is your first visit in the Philippines, you might find it weird. Lack of discipline or whatever it is.. it's still funny anyway. Not all Filipinos do this.
EXPRESS LANE (Supermarket)
Even if there's already the sign "1-10 items only", why are there still some filipinos who push carts loaded with a lot of items to an express lane?
A. They didn't notice the sign."Wow, it seems that I'm the only one here who's not affected that much by the recession. These people can't even fill up a small basket."
B. They are pretending that they didn't notice it so they can pay and get out of the supermarket easily.
-"Ma'am/Sir, this is an express lane" (points at the sign)
--"Oh, I'm sorry.. I didn't notice it. But I've been waiting in this line for a long time, should I move somewhere else?"
-"No, it's okay.."
--"Thank you, I won't do it again next time I shop here."
C. They decided to ignore it.
"What's the difference? I'm still going to pay anyway."
FOOTBRIDGE
There's a footbridge so you can cross safely instead of taking a risk by crossing the road where cars and other motor vehicles are.
Why do some Filipinos hate the footbridge?
There's a footbridge so you can cross safely instead of taking a risk by crossing the road where cars and other motor vehicles are.
Why do some Filipinos hate the footbridge?
A. They are too lazy, will not walk to wherever the nearest footbridge is.
"I'm too tired, why would I walk all the way to the footbridge when I can cross here. The cars will stop when they see that someone is about to cross."
B. The women who wear skirts are afraid to cross the footbridge because there are bystanders below who look up to take a peek.
-"Oh my God, the wind is blowing.. If it lifts my skirt up while I'm on the footbridge, the whole world would see it."
--"Haha.. yes, it will cause traffic or a car crash."
-"Not funny."
C. On a very hot day, they feel like they are offering themselves to the sun, moving closer to it."I'm too tired, why would I walk all the way to the footbridge when I can cross here. The cars will stop when they see that someone is about to cross."
B. The women who wear skirts are afraid to cross the footbridge because there are bystanders below who look up to take a peek.
-"Oh my God, the wind is blowing.. If it lifts my skirt up while I'm on the footbridge, the whole world would see it."
--"Haha.. yes, it will cause traffic or a car crash."
-"Not funny."
"It's very hot, I feel like the sun is too close, why would I move closer?"
D. They are afraid of heights.
TRAFFIC LIGHTS
I've read a joke on the internet. Someone (a Filipino) said that "Here in the Philippines, traffic lights are only suggestions, not rules. Hehe." After I read that joke, whenever I go out and see pedestrians crossing wherever and anytime they want. Stop or Go, only people on the wheels care. Guessing game continues.
A. They are color blind.
B. They pretend to be color blind.
C. They are late for school/work.
D. They just don't care.
A. They are color blind.
B. They pretend to be color blind.
C. They are late for school/work.
D. They just don't care.
We know that it's discipline that we need but sometimes we can't do anything but laugh. We can't just go and start arguing with some stranger just because we saw him/her doing something wrong. There could be more reasons than just those A-B-C-Ds I gave. The reason could be stupid and funny or it could be a reasonable one. Maybe these things happen in other countries too or it could be "ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)