More on Aspects of Filipino Culture

- More gestures: obscene gesture is extending the middle finger out, arms akimbo is considered arrogant, a faux pas is indicated by scratching the back of one’s lowered head, when crossing a room put hands together in front of you and lower your head, beckon someone with hand out and palm downward rather than crooked finger (M).
- Filipinos are big on smiles. For many (maybe even all) reasons.
- Daily baths are the rule (definitely not M!).
- Here’s another good word – pakikisama – the ability to get along (in interpersonal relations).
- A common greeting among Filipinos is, “have you eaten?” If the person asking is eating, the person should invite, but the askee does not have to accept. The greeting I have been getting is also common – “Where are you going?” I don’t have to specifically answer (it would be like answering how I really am when people ask how are you) – but usually I have been.
- A day is divided into breakfast, lunch, merienda (afternoon snack) and dinner. With more snacks and coffee breaks in between. Oh – while I am on the subject – the Nescafe three-in-one is too sweet for me. Sugary coffee is as challenging as sugary tea. Or maybe more so. But it is common here to carry a toothbrush and brush after every meal – which is what I intend to do!
- Fiestas are big, but I don’t know if I will get to one. Each town has one, and there are some famous ones, but many occur in May just before the rains and the planting season. Holy Week has parades that sound like the ones in Seville. Christmas has lanterns, and January 6th is a big holiday too; children receive gifts from the Three Kings (also known as their parents). On January 9th, there is a parade of an icon in Manila’s Quiapo church. Chinese New Year is also big (in Chinatown). More if/when I see for myself, I guess.
- Cockfighting, horse racing, basketball and boxing are the big spectator sports. I looked up the Thrilla in Manila on wikipedia, cringing at the description of the heavy blows of Ali and Frazier more than 30 years later. Maybe I will go past the arena where the fight took place. By the way, that blog name was taken (by someone who, when I looked, wasn’t even using it!).
- Filipinos love Americans (!). And call every one, “Joe,” for G.I. Joe.
- The Filipino flag has two bands of equal width, with blue, symbolizing peace and justice, on top and red, symbolizing courage, on the bottom. On the left is a white equilateral triangle, for equality. At each of its corners is a small, yellow star – they stand for the three major geographical regions, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. In the center of the triangle is a sun with eight rays, symbolizing the first eight provinces that fought for independence against the Spanish.
- I’ll talk about language in another entry.