My Filipino Experience – Hospitality and Respect

28/07/2013 
‘Monggo, Tilapia and Chicharrón’ – Filipino Humour 

My lunch of Monggo, Tilapia and Chicharrón

I had assigned today as a recovery day before I had even fallen asleep the night before.  I awoke to brunch served by Ate Sabrina of ‘Monggo’, a savoury dish consisting of mung beans with various meats (usually pork or fried fish).  This is by far one of my favourite Filipino dishes, and I often request it from my Filipino friend back in the UK.  It really warms the tummy and soothes the appetite.  She also served this dish with Tilapia, a medium sized fish and Chicharrón, a dish made from Pork rinds.  All of the foods worked so well together, and the flavours really complemented each other.  I could tell that my growing Filipino family here were keen on giving me such an unforgettable experience.

I spent the day suffering from a bad stomach and Diarrohea, much of which I blamed on a culmination of exhaustion, dehydration, the multitude of new foods I was trying, and the tap water at Leslie’s restaurant the night before.  Regardless of this, I began making plans to cook food for the family here as gratitude of all they had given me so far.  Ralph’s mum loves Potato Gratin, so I set about purchasing all of the ingredients at the local supermarket (Eastwood is so convenient), and began to cook.

Potato Gratin with home-made burgers cooked by Tito Gene

Ralph’s dad also contributed by making homemade burgers that quite frankly out-shone mine.  I was pleased to discover that post-dinner, the family, including Ate Sabrina, were rummaging the refrigerator for extra portions of the Gratin.

An image of Ralph and his Father, Tito Gene

At this point in time, I am developing such a good relationship with Ralph’s father.  Unlike the majority of Filipino’s, he is very sarcastic and enjoys making people laugh.  Filipino comedy tends to be much more slap-stick than our British tastes, so enjoying his jokes (often cheeky) made my time at their home very relaxed and welcoming.  I have to say that Filipino hospitality is by far the best I have received anywhere in the world… I have not once felt that I was unwelcome or in the way.

Tito Gene introduced me to Cheese flavoured ice cream, a well-loved delicacy here… I can’t say I felt the same.

 

29/07/2013 
Filipino Hospitality – Respectful Conversations – Driving 

Once again, my day started with more excellent Filipino hospitality.  When looking for a ‘Thank You’ card for Ate Sabrina, shop workers greeted me with ‘Hello Sir’, ‘Morning Sir’, or ‘Hi Sir’.  Although some people might consider this annoying (especially us Brits who prefer to be left alone when out-and-about), their positive attitudes and friendly smiles really help to lift your mood in the morning.

The flag of the Philippines

Having only been to New York in the U.S.A, I cannot speak for all States and American attitudes, but when shopping there, the level of intrusion in to your personal experience is too excessive… here in the Philippines, it’s just right.  You also know that they will do anything to make your experience smooth and enjoyable.  Nothing is too much to ask for your average Filipino worker, and I admire this when contemplating the low wage that they are probably earning.

With this in mind, I really aim to make them equally happy.  I always reply to them with a genuine smile.  Sometimes this may be in English, or if I am feeling extra polite, I will use phrases in Tagalog, such as ‘Magandang Umaga’ (Good morning) or ‘Magandang Hapon’ (Good afternoon).

Mano Po, between a child and her elder. Image credits to Jim Bonner

One of the most polite and respectful ways to converse with someone in Filipino culture is to use the word ‘po’.  This would usually be used at the end of a sentence, but can also be used after the word which poses a question, i.e. ‘Sino po siya?’ (Who po is he/she?).  This is commonly used to show respect to elders or someone of superiority… however, shop-workers often use ‘po’ with their customers.  People might also use the ‘Mano po’ to greet elders, which includes touching the back of their hand upon your forehead.  This is considered a mark of the utmost respect, but is a tradition that is dying out with the younger generation.

I frequently use ‘po’ with anyone who offers an element of kindness or respect to me.  For example, a security guard who sacrifices his umbrella in the rain to walk me to a shop door (this actually happened), I reward him with ‘Salamat po’ (Thank you po).

A typical Security Guard in the Philippines – they are stationed everywhere

Or I may say to a shop-worker who goes out of his way to find the best purchase for me, ‘Magkano po’ (How much po?).   However, for anyone who travels to the Philippines and has no knowledge of Tagalog, there is no shame in using English phrases with a concluding ‘po’.

As I went about my daily business soothing my love-affair with Air Conditioning, I soon came to realise that I am far too ungrateful for my work back at home.  I am constantly complaining about the stress and pressure I am under with my job, and how badly paid I feel it is.  However, lots of Filipinos do their jobs so well without any complaint for long hours and barely any money… Security guards stand there for hours on end, not moving, simply to ensure that I can relax in safety.

With this in mind, I gave Ate Sabrina a Thank You card with P2,000 inside, as gratitude for the hard work and effort she was putting in to making my stay so comfortable and enjoyable.  I was told afterwards that she was incredibly grateful and this made me very happy.

Ralph, his friends and I, saying goodbye to Adri

Later that evening, Ralph and I visited Café Breton with some friends to say goodbye to Adri as she was leaving for a new life in Melbourne.   This was a sad moment, however I have promised to stay in touch with her through Facebook.

The evening provided me with the opportunity to drive for the first time in Manila.  Anyone who knows me will understand how much I love driving, and this wasn’t going to change now, in a City that is considered the worst place to drive in the world.

Me having the opportunity to drive in Manila

Although it was a little tricky at first to adjust to driving an automatic (I kept using my clutch foot for the break – idiot me), I soon grasped the technique and was driving confidently back to Eastwood.  Although it was at 10.30pm in the night, the traffic was still incredibly busy in parts and I felt proud that I had driven for at least a short time as a Manileño.

Little did I know, that was not going to be my last experience at driving in the Philippines…