Diigital Nomad - Episode 5 - More Quirky Habits

I have been here in “sunny” Sabang province for four months now. Actually, the months of July, August, September and October are traditionally the rainy season in the Philippines – the complete opposite of the European summer. We did have quite a lot of rain – the “monsoon” season – and a few super typhoons threatened, but never actually made it to shore. Most of them stayed to the East, and ended up hitting Taiwan and China. But it was very humid – A/C required, and electricity is the most expensive utility here!

Because I have not been out and about and “sight-seeing” as such, and have been focussing on computer work with business projects and “getting to know” AI, I thought I would pass on some insights into the Philippines (PH) culture and language . 

Food is very important to most Filipinos, and rice is a staple food: quite often, rice is served (with some other food) for breakfast, lunch and dinner at 7 a.m., 12 noon and 6 p.m. In between there are “snacks”! Meals like lunch and dinner do not consist of  one main course – like English pork chops and mash potato and vegetable – but have a variety of different meats (and  even fish) that is eaten at the same time. Some dishes even have 2 or 3 different meats mixed together (pork chicken and beef for example) AND rice AND pancit – the traditional Filipino noodle. 
Knives do not exist in the cutlery tray (much to my frustration) – only one sharp kitchen knife for cutting meat and preparing vegetabes and fruit. Standard eating utensils are spoons and forks – and fingers!  I have to say that my inceasing weight is a cause for some concern!!

And here are some more examples of Filipino language peculiarities.
In Philippine English, you don’t just speak the language—you ‘open’ the lights, ‘close’ the aircon, and put everything in ‘bottomless’ refill!”
“CR” = (Comfort Room) Standard English: Bathroom, restroom, or washroom.
Usage: Filipinos almost exclusively use “CR” when asking where to wash up or use the toilet (“Where is the CR?”).
“Open/Close the light (or aircon)” Standard English: Turn on / turn off the light (or air conditioner). Origin: Direct translation from Tagalog (buksan = open/turn on; patayin/isara = close/turn off).
“Bottomless” Standard English: Free refills / unlimited refills.
Usage: Restaurants frequently advertise “Bottomless Iced Tea.”
“Take home” Standard English: To-go or takeaway food.
Usage: Instead of asking for a “to-go box,” a Filipino might ask, “Can I have this for take-home?”
“Commute” Philippine English Meaning: To take public transportation (buses, jeepneys, trains). Standard English: The journey to work/school itself (regardless of whether you drive or take public transit). In the Philippines, if you drive, you don’t say you “commuted.”
“For a while” Standard English: “Just a moment” or “Hold on please.”
Usage: Commonly used by customer service agents or when answering the phone (“For a while, sir, I’ll check that for you”)