Filipino Facts
Here are some things I've learned in my 3 months in the Phillippines.
1. The language is pronounced Ta-gal-og, not Tag-a-log, as westerners are fond of saying.
2. Filipinos are very respectful of their elders. As a sign of respect, the younger person lifts the hand of the elder, and presses the top of the hand to their forehead. Whenever I'm introduced to an aunt or uncle or grandparent of Ghay, I do this, and it's starting to seem natural!
3. Filipinos also use titles with each other. For instance, Ate (ah-tay) means older sister, so when you want a woman's attention, you say Ate. Ghay's cousins also all call me Ate Kathleen. Haha. The shortened word for uncle is Tito. So I call his uncle Tito Ray.
4. Families are often huge - up to 10 children. The population is around 90 million I think. The successful family members end up supporting the children of the poorer parents. For example, Ghay's uncle, who owns the restaurant in El Nido, supported Ghay monetarily so he could go to high school. Now that Ghay has a job, he sends most of his pay check home to support his 5 younger brothers and sisters. It's a cycle they don't even blink at. It's just what is done, and I'm very impressed by it.
5. Not everyone speaks English. In fact, you're considered pretty lucky (at least in El Nido) if you have learned English enough to talk to tourists. Generally, the more money you have, or the more connected you are to the tourist scene, the more English is spoken. The kids at the private school speak wonderfully. The kids at the public school hardly speak any. Hm.
6. The houses are often made with bamboo floors and interwoven walls and thatch-style roofs. They are raised off the ground so that the air will circulate underneath and make it cooler.
7. Alcohol- the only national beers are San Miguel, San Mig Lite, Red Horse, and the elusive Happy Horse. The Happy Horse is coveted because it is 9% alcohol, not the 7% of Red Horse. And the fun part about it is that in every case of Red Horse, there is an unknown number of Happy Horses put inside. Maybe 1-3, or none! The bottle label is slightly different, because the horse looks like it's smiling on the label. It's not always possible to order a Happy Horse, because either they don't have any, or, the staff is hoarding them for themselves and their friends. AKA me.
8. Tanduay is the national Rum. The popular way to drink it with your friends is with Ice Tea. It's done 2 ways. 1) It's mixed together and there's an official pour-er. Only one glass is used. A small (or large, depending on who's in charge) shot is given to a person. They toss it back, and then hand the cup back. Then the next person in the circle gets one. Continue until all is gone. Or 2) Have 2 glasses, one filled with rum, and one with mixer. But only 2 cups for the whole group. You pour your shot, shoot it, chase it, and then pass to your left. It's a fun way to drink!
9. Filipinos are very superstitious. I have learned from Ghay that if you bite your tongue more than once, it's because someone is talking about you. If your hand itches, you will be coming into money. Evey time he says something like this and I give him a WTF look, he shrugs and says, "That's Filipino." Okay, I will accept that.
I'll add more when I think of them!
1. The language is pronounced Ta-gal-og, not Tag-a-log, as westerners are fond of saying.
2. Filipinos are very respectful of their elders. As a sign of respect, the younger person lifts the hand of the elder, and presses the top of the hand to their forehead. Whenever I'm introduced to an aunt or uncle or grandparent of Ghay, I do this, and it's starting to seem natural!
3. Filipinos also use titles with each other. For instance, Ate (ah-tay) means older sister, so when you want a woman's attention, you say Ate. Ghay's cousins also all call me Ate Kathleen. Haha. The shortened word for uncle is Tito. So I call his uncle Tito Ray.
4. Families are often huge - up to 10 children. The population is around 90 million I think. The successful family members end up supporting the children of the poorer parents. For example, Ghay's uncle, who owns the restaurant in El Nido, supported Ghay monetarily so he could go to high school. Now that Ghay has a job, he sends most of his pay check home to support his 5 younger brothers and sisters. It's a cycle they don't even blink at. It's just what is done, and I'm very impressed by it.
5. Not everyone speaks English. In fact, you're considered pretty lucky (at least in El Nido) if you have learned English enough to talk to tourists. Generally, the more money you have, or the more connected you are to the tourist scene, the more English is spoken. The kids at the private school speak wonderfully. The kids at the public school hardly speak any. Hm.
6. The houses are often made with bamboo floors and interwoven walls and thatch-style roofs. They are raised off the ground so that the air will circulate underneath and make it cooler.
7. Alcohol- the only national beers are San Miguel, San Mig Lite, Red Horse, and the elusive Happy Horse. The Happy Horse is coveted because it is 9% alcohol, not the 7% of Red Horse. And the fun part about it is that in every case of Red Horse, there is an unknown number of Happy Horses put inside. Maybe 1-3, or none! The bottle label is slightly different, because the horse looks like it's smiling on the label. It's not always possible to order a Happy Horse, because either they don't have any, or, the staff is hoarding them for themselves and their friends. AKA me.
8. Tanduay is the national Rum. The popular way to drink it with your friends is with Ice Tea. It's done 2 ways. 1) It's mixed together and there's an official pour-er. Only one glass is used. A small (or large, depending on who's in charge) shot is given to a person. They toss it back, and then hand the cup back. Then the next person in the circle gets one. Continue until all is gone. Or 2) Have 2 glasses, one filled with rum, and one with mixer. But only 2 cups for the whole group. You pour your shot, shoot it, chase it, and then pass to your left. It's a fun way to drink!
9. Filipinos are very superstitious. I have learned from Ghay that if you bite your tongue more than once, it's because someone is talking about you. If your hand itches, you will be coming into money. Evey time he says something like this and I give him a WTF look, he shrugs and says, "That's Filipino." Okay, I will accept that.
I'll add more when I think of them!
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