This blog is gonna be all for the parents coming to pvt( and all the people reading this who might think its a little funny haha). So, for all those who are coming to the Philippines to visit all their kids, including you mom, here are some things that you might want to remember. Take notes now.
First things first, restrooms. Most people here speak at least a little english so they will understand most of what you say but you can’t ask for a rest room or a bath room. They all call it a Comfort Room here (CR for short). If you ask for a CR they will point you in the direction for the closest one. Don’t get your hopes up for an American bath room though, these ones are not very nice here,even though there are some very trashy ones back in the states too. Most of the CR’s here don’t have toilet paper so they always tell you to carry some around with you at all times. Also, there most likely isn’t a toilet seat, so you either get good at squatting or you brave the bowl and sit on it anyway. Lastly about the CR’s, they shower in the same room so the floor can be very wet, there might not be any soap, there probably isn’t any hot water, and there probably isn’t anything to wipe your hands off on either.
Next on the list is transportation! This one is a fun one and can also be a nightmare. If you are going to Manila expect bumper to bumper traffic 100% of the time. There is no way around it unless you are on a motorcycle and just weave through the cars. Everywhere else is most likely going to be like city driving. Jeepnee’s are the kings of the road. Those are the big truck looking things with graffiti all over them and random horns on the hood and maybe horns. They are everywhere at all times of the day. They will get you where you need to go….as long as you get on the right one which can be very confusing. Look for where their destination on the windshield when they are pulling up. Random drivers WILL try to get you to go onto their Jeepnee, but I wouldn’t just jump on any random one because they cost money. I still don’t know how to determine how to tell how much it is to go places, it changes every time haha so ask someone next to you.
The Tricycles are the most fun way to travel for me. You can hang off of them, or sit in them. They will take you to any address if you are in their range. If you are sitting on the back of one and you feel like your gonna fall off, then you probably will haha so make sure to hold on. When ever you travel remember that there is very very much pollution over here and if you keep ur mouth open to long or if you open it at the wrong time then you will get a sore throat. A lot of natives here put something over your nose and mouth when you are on the road so they don’t get sick or a sore throat so I would recommend a bandana or something.
FOOD!! This is what a lot of people are really afraid of over here for some reason. I have tried a lot of things and have only gotten sick once….I know that doesn’t help you feel any better haha but nothing I say will help very much. They eat everything over here, all parts of all animals. You don’t have to try any of that if you don want to because they have fast food places and everything like that but I would recommend trying some things. Its always good to try new things and if you aren’t gonna try it here then you most likely won’t try it anywhere else. Get out of your comfort zone, thats what your here for. Also, they say that you have never been to the Philippines unless you try Balute. It isn’t bad at all, actually pretty good. Another thing you want to remember is to not take any ice from random places or people, don’t drink water unless your in a good restaurant (and yes McDonalds counts as one over here) or its out of one of the blue bins or form a water bottle that you open yourself, don’t eat random food form any street vender unless someone you know says its good.
The people here are very nice people and might even come up and say that they love you or want to take a picture with you. They love white people because of the lightness of our skin, they try putting powder on and make up on to look more white like us. People will also stare at you for a very long time and you can give as many social cues as you want, they won’t look away haha. One girl stared at me for a good 10 minutes on a Jeepnee today and wouldn’t look away, its just what they do. Also, when you talk to them they add in a word every time they speak and that word is “Ano” I don’t know if thats the right spelling but it means “What” here. They say it like we say umm. So when you here it don’t think that they are saying no to you because they aren’t meaning it like that, they don’t even know when they say it. It might com out 5 times in one sentence.
Also, If you have a longer nose like I do, they will point that out. Don’t freak out, they mean it as a compliment. Also, they might call you big, fat, tiny, tall, skinny, manly, womanly, or anything else they can find to say about your looks. Dom take offense or think about it for to long because no matter what they say its a compliment haha even if they call you fat….
Lastly, the people here are very very touchy. Not meaning that they take things to offense but that they will touch you all the time. If you are sitting and eating, they might decide that its time for a massage. If you are standing looking at something or talking to someone, they might come up and hold your arm or put their arm around you. If you are on a couch and its only you there and there is a lot of space next to you, they will choose to pretty much sit on your lap and talk to you haha its just how they are. It shows that they like you and are comfortable with you I think. If your don’t like being touched….your gonna have to let that one go for a week then haha.
There are people everywhere here. No matter where you go at any time of the day there will be people there. Also, that goes along with chickens, dogs, cats, and cockroaches. Those are the norms here. The dogs and cats most of the time won’t mess with you, just don’t make eye contact and keep walking. If you come around a corner and you all alone and there are more than five down the road…..then you might want to start thinking about taking a different way home. Cockroaches will find their way into anything that they want to and they will fly right at you. Those things are big and freaky especially when airborne haha kill them on sight!
On a serious note, don’t go to random places without making sure they are safe first and don’t be around people on any drugs. You don’t want to wonder into random places because there are some indigenous people on the mountains who might not be very nice and there are towns that have a dark power over them because of all the voodoo worshiping happening there. My pastor told me about some towns that if a Christian walks in there they can feel the hate and they get very very hot and stiff and pain all over their bodies. He isn’t kidding because he has been there and has felt it for himself. Christians don’t go out there very often unless you are a certain group going to try to reach the unreached people that town who aren’t messing with voodoo. Spatial warfare is very real. The reason why you don’t want to be around people who are on drugs or doing drugs is that ever since they have a new president they have been arresting anyone even near drugs. But since the prisons have been filling up an dover flowing with people, they don’t have room for anyone else so they just have been killing the people on drugs on sight. I have heard this from very many people here including street kids. They told me that is why they quite drug usage because they will be killed.
Im sure that most of you parents won’t have to deal with most of this because you are only gonna be here for a week and stay in a hotel and everything but I would encourage to try everything that you can while you are here because you might not be able to ever come back here. Don’t be nervous about anything because noting is as bad as it seems. Everything is very safe here, every time you walk into a mall or a big building there is a cop checking everything. They have more security here than in America in some ways. I would say its very safe here but just like anything else you have to use your brain. Its a great time here and your gonna love it!
