Local life in the Philippines - Philippines Village Life - Vlog - Foreigner in Lucena City
Hello everyone, today's episode is about 11 signs showing you, you might be in the Philippines. Before I start, let me tell you, that I'm very sure, some of you will say: Yeah, this is also something, what we have in our country ... this is something, what I know, when I have been for vacation in Asia or in South America or somewhere else. If it is so, please put it in the comments, I'm very curious about that. But i'm very sure, if you will find all these 11 things what i'm going to show you now, it's very very likely, you are in the Philippines.
The first thing, what i want to show you now is 5 ... let's say ... devices ... and if you have this in your household, it's very likely you are in the Philippines. Number 1 is this ... I mean, maybe you've seen that also somewhere else and also in some other Asian countries. It's a typical thing, this one is called: WALIS TAMBO ... and I mean it's like ... for inside the house, not
for outside. Just for cleaning, if you, for example, don't have a vacuum, what it's not so likely here. That's maybe the most common thing, what you maybe also know from other countries. Then, this is a little bit more special ...
This is called: WALIS TING-TING. This is made of the leaves of the palm tree and it's very much used for cleaning outside. So ... you have it like this here ... and ... okay, you have a lot of sand, like here on the beach, a lot of sand and you want to take the sand. And also very typical, I already showed that in the first episode, that's the so-called: TABO. And this is for, I mean, like ... you know, washing your hands, taking a shower ... in every case, you don't have running water. That is very very useful.
And if it's very hot and you don't have water to cool yourself down, you can take this one, this is called: ABANIKO. Also very typical. And ... if you don't have this, you can also use the PAMAYPAY. I think this is a little bit more effective because it really gives you a lot of wind. Okay, only now it doesn't make a lot of sense, because there's a lot of wind coming from the back. So I don't really feel anything.
But if you really are in a situation, you need some air, this is really very very helpful. I think, that they take it like this here ... that's the typical move, yeah I think, this is like you hold it. For example, I saw a woman in the market and she was using it like this. This thing, I actually also know a little bit from America. It's ... for example, when you are somewhere and there is a guy, he wants to ask me ... and we don't know each other ... for example, where to go, where to find something, he would call me Sir. If I'd be a woman, he would call me ma'am. And they also have this
in the Philippines. Here it's just called SIRRR and MAM ... with a little accent ... but they also have something different and this is ... if you have the same level, you are the same age, for example, a guy is calling another guy KUYA and another woman ATE, which means like: Brother or Sister. The reason is very simple: It just shows respect! Within the family, you have TITO for Uncle or TITA for the Aunt ... LOLO for the
Grandpa or LOLA for the Grandma. So that's actually also similar like in other cultures. Another thing, what is also showing respect, is, that people here in the Philippines, cower before you. The first time, it happened to me ... I was standing in the supermarket, in a queue and there was a woman coming and suddenly, instead of just ... like in Germany ... walking like this, in front of me, she just went here and suddenly ... did that. And I thought,
very nice, maybe she thought, I'm looking at something and she didn't want to block my view. Actually this is a nice effect of that, but the main reason actually is only: Showing respect! At the beginning of the relationship with my ... now ... wife, we sometimes had some little misunderstandings, when we were going by car and she was sitting beside me ... and it was about, that she tells me, where to go. Because sometimes, I said: Why you're not telling me ... I mean, I just ask and now ... I took the wrong turn, I took the wrong exit ... Why??? I mean, just ... please ... tell me!!! And she said: "I did!"
Me: "No you didn't!" She: "Yes I did!" And then we had a little fight ... yes, she did, I did ... and then I noticed what she was doing ... Sitting beside me ... well okay, please tell me, where? Right? Left? And she did it like this: I'm not so good at that, but that was what she was doing. Pointing with the lips! And I thought ... uh I mean ... yeah, okay that's a Filipino thing ... But in the car, maybe, it's not so helpful, because ... I'm facing the street and she's sitting there. It's not really helping, but there are a lot of situations where it really works! Ma! Where's my phone? When you now think, that this pointing lips is maybe a little bit weird, in giving a signal ... have
a look at this ... for me this is a little bit more weird but it's also very effective It's called: Normally, I didn't react on this, when I heard that, but after a year in the Philippines, if someone would stand here and is doing like ... I automatically have ... really ... I have it in me ... I have that reflex also now ... it's like a trigger, I'd look there! But what does it mean? it's just,
it's just about: Getting the attention of someone ... and ... in action it looks like this! Where are you going? Actually, I don't know. Maybe over there! Okay, take care. Thank you, sir. The only thing is, when you are foreigner, normally you don't react on this, because you don't know, what it is, what it means ... so for the foreigners, they have something else! Where are you going? Actually, I don't know, maybe over there.
Okay ... take care! Thank you, sir. But what does it mean? HEY JOE! Actually it was somehow created in the time, when for about 50 years the Americans had been here ... and it really means like: Somebody sees you
and notices, ah okay, foreigner, it's an american! Then they call you: HEY JOE! Even if you're European, like me, or German ... it doesn't matter, you are: HEY JOE! You are a Joe. To me it never was like, that I felt offended or something ... I think, it's just like a nice way, maybe also in respecting ... okay I know you're not from here, i'll just say hello to you. So, this is how I feel, when I hear it. Maybe, if you have another experience with that, put it in the comments. But for me, every time, it's totally fine. Well this thing, I really can't explain. I just can tell you, I noticed it, since I'm in the Philippines: People really want to be white. And how do I notice it? Actually, very easy, if there's a lot of sun ...
people using the umbrella as sun protection and of course, if you go to the supermarkets, I'd say, nearly every product, what you can use for the skin, has some whitening factor. Soap, body lotion, shower gel ... doesn't matter ... everything you can buy with a special whitening factor. So for me, it's a little bit hard actually ... I mean, I want to have a body lotion or something at least, but I don't want to be more white ... I mean, I'm white enough.
You know, what that is? Actually it's peanuts, green peas and corn. But it's also the only DING-DONG, what you have in the Philippines Because even, if some houses have doorbells, they're not really using it. When you have a look at typical Filipino houses, you will spot something and this is at the front door: Shoes, Slippers. Slippers and Shoes and Slippers and Slippers ... Because no one, even the guests, is entering a house with the shoes on. When you never have been to the Philippines, but maybe you've been in an Asian country, you also might think, in the Philippines for eating, they're also using sticks.
That's not correct! There are some areas, of course, they're also using sticks. When you go to a Chinese restaurant, or you go to "Chowking", that's like a "McDonald's" in a Chinese way ... of course they also give you sticks, if you want it. But the normal way in eating is with that. So, you know it, you have fork, you have a spoon, so if you're American or European, I don't need to explain to you, how you eat with this. The only thing, what is a little bit different here ... if you want to cut something ... you do it with the spoon, what actually also works. But there is also a very old traditional way, what a lot
of filipinos still do ... and this is simply: Eating by hands! And when I was first introduced to eating by hands ... I thought, wait a moment ... in the Philippines, eating rice is a very very big thing! And how can you eat rice with the hands, I mean, it just will go like that ... actually it works. Have a look! Before ... I thought, eating rice with hands is not possible, because it just will go ... but then
I learned, to just take it like this ... and you put it in your hand like this ... And you push it. That's the thing, right? Am I correct? ["Yes, you're right!"] If you push it, you can have it like this, here ... and then it's there that's the thing. Actually, it's not that complicated. And the kids ... are doing it automatically in a very natural way ... oh yeah, very good. And this is not for eating. It's for placing somewhere, okay that's decoration. This is the litle thing inside. Actually it's a classic finger food thing. Hm, very delicious! So, who needs spoon and fork, when you have your fingers?! You need to clean your fingers before you eat ... you need to clean your fingers after you ate
So that's the only thing, what to know ... something else? Think, that's it! So ... I think we're finish now, right?! It's okay now ... And now we come to my personal NUMBER ONE ... because for me ... it was very exciting, when I first was introduced to this kind of thing ... what again ... has to do with showing respect. More precisely with showing respect of younger people to older people.
Most common for kids or children to, for example, the grandparents. What I know from Germany is ... when you meet your grandparents ... maybe you didn't see them for a long time ... you just say: Hey hello grandma, hello grandpa ... you hug them ... or if it's very very formal ... not so common, but it's very formal, you just shake hands. Actually, this is the only thing, what I can imagine ... mostly, what I know, is hugging, isn't it ...
But in the Philippines it is much more different. You don't go to your LOLA, to your grandma, for example and just hug her. It's hard to explain ... so have a look! Well and that's it, these are my personal 11 signs, you might be in the Philippines. So, if you really find all of this together: Then it's very sure, that you
might be ... like me ... in the Philippines! And that's it for today ... bye bye, see you next time.
2021-10-07 21:43
