Smiling faces.... Are Filipinos truly friendly? Do you have Filipino friends?

[stevewool]

58 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 You will be back, Trust me 

Indeed Jack , we will hopefully sometime this year but doing touristy things and seeing more of the Philippines rather then working .

[stevewool]

42 minutes ago, Eddie1 said:

Sad to say Steve but from what I recall of your visits here to the Phils, 'what is around you' is your wife's family... and she should have put them firmly in place during your first visit so that your subsequent visits could be properly enjoyed instead of all the hassle and crap they give you.

That’s what killed it for me Eddie , but we live and learn ,some quicker then others 

[Eddie1]

4 minutes ago, stevewool said:

That’s what killed it for me Eddie , but we live and learn ,some quicker then others 

I hope that you do come back Steve and find time for a reasonable length visit to our small gathering here in Dumaguete.  I genuinely believe that you will enjoy your time here, there are a few of us Brits here (not sure if that is good or bad, lol) and some of the other colonials are OK ish also, haha.   Apo Island, Siquijor Island and Cebu are all a stone's throw away, great coral and fascinating sea life here in Dauin, 10 miles south of Duma.  And of course you will get to buy a long overdue round of beer for us old gits. I think it will completely change your view of life here in the Phils.

[baronapart]

On 1/2/2021 at 2:23 AM, Gandang Smile said:

I think politeness is pretty much universal across every society in the world. Japanese might come across as weird in many different ways, but they're undeniably polite, especially GenX-ers and older.

 

I love Japan. It is just so comparatively expensive. Their airports are the best. They will even come looking for you if you are late for your flight carrying a little sign with your name on it. Don't get that at O'Hare))))

[baronapart]

Most people are at least courteous. I got some hard looks walking around some of the barangays in Manila with my wife. Cebu was not as bad. In my wife's barangay in Mindanao everyone seems genuinely friendly. Some are just shy because they rarely if ever speak English there.

[Gandang Smile]

2 hours ago, TerryP said:

U2 song springs to mind🤔🤔

Where the streets have no name (and no public lightning)? 

[Gandang Smile]

2 hours ago, stevewool said:

Yes I wore those same rose tinted glasses when I first came, was wearing them the 2nd and 3rd time too , but after awhile the lenses fell out and then you see what is really around you, 

Judging from @Eddie1's answer to your post, you had a very, very common problem with your acquired family. My business partner who came here to help me set up the company and left with a Filipina who went to become his wife, is lamenting something very similar.

Filipina mom has apparently got a nasty bunch of friends who somehow convinced her that his son-in-law is way too wealthy (he is still working in the City and is doing pretty well) to get away with the paltry 200 USD is sending to her and "the family" every month.

She has been nagging and guilt-tripping both my friend and her daughter for years now. So far he hasn't obliged but, obviously, the prospect to be back to see the in-laws and some of the better family members is tainted for good. Pre-travel ban, they had a half-hearted idea of celebrating their marriage in the Philippines but that is gone, too.

Don't want feel "special" but I had to wait 2.5 years to find a girl whose family will never even entertain the idea of asking me for emergency money. And I consider myself exceedingly lucky to have found her.

 

 

 

[Gandang Smile]

50 minutes ago, baronapart said:

I love Japan. It is just so comparatively expensive. Their airports are the best. They will even come looking for you if you are late for your flight carrying a little sign with your name on it. Don't get that at O'Hare))))

That Japanese are cold and indifferent, it's another myth. They are usually reserved with foreigners more because they are insecure about their ability to speak effective English (or French, etc.) than out of a personality or cultural trait.

Try to show off even the slightest knowledge of basic Japanese, enough to convince them that you'll understand them when they talk, and their attitude changes completely. You see that spark in their eyes. The mere idea that they can connect to you makes them feel almost proud of having met you.

They also tend to become quite friendly and open as soon as they get tipsy, which, for the average urban dweller, is at least a twice-a-week occurrence. One of my fondest memory of my visits to Japan was sitting elbow to elbow to some local punter in one of the many micro-bars, starting casual chats in English or my (limited) Japanese and getting that warm and fuzzy feeling that you might have found a friend for the next few hours. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Gandang Smile

[Gandang Smile]

47 minutes ago, baronapart said:

Most people are at least courteous. I got some hard looks walking around some of the barangays in Manila with my wife. Cebu was not as bad. In my wife's barangay in Mindanao everyone seems genuinely friendly. Some are just shy because they rarely if ever speak English there.

Most lower class Filipinos (the majority of the people you meet) treat foreigners with a bit of extra deference. Sometimes I think they're genuinely warm, sometimes I think they do that because "hey, he's a rich Kano, who knows what can come out of it".

[BrettGC]

3 hours ago, Eddie1 said:

I hope that you do come back Steve and find time for a reasonable length visit to our small gathering here in Dumaguete.  I genuinely believe that you will enjoy your time here, there are a few of us Brits here (not sure if that is good or bad, lol) and some of the other colonials are OK ish also, haha.   Apo Island, Siquijor Island and Cebu are all a stone's throw away, great coral and fascinating sea life here in Dauin, 10 miles south of Duma.  And of course you will get to buy a long overdue round of beer for us old gits. I think it will completely change your view of life here in the Phils.

Steve, I can verify they're not a bad lot for a bunch of Poms when I've visited there.  Some of us colonials are okay as well.