Faith, family and friends in a nutshell
The jeepney is where it all happens. You squish yourself between total strangers everyday. No social distancing. Pure invasion of your so-called personal space. You can smell each other there. Then, you have to be patient with the endless stops along the route and the traffic jams. You need to be kind and understanding by handing over the payment of the persons near the exit to the driver and back (for the change). You need to shout “para!” (stop) in case the driver did not hear the soft voice of the passenger near the exit.
Even some houses are squished together so next-door neighbors know the troubles of each other which they can easily hear through the thin walls that separate them. “I know what happened yesterday” smiles when you see each other the next day. Chitchats are common in the neighborhood store called sari-sari.
A regular Church goer will be taught to love God with your whole heart, mind and soul and then to love your neighbor as yourself. Even love your enemies!
Families, when they can afford, celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduation, baptismals, job promotions, baby showers, baby’s gender reveal, etc. Eating together is bonding time. We are the only people who eat as much as 6 times a day!
However, we do have a mean shadow and it is the exact opposite of all of those traits. So, be gentle as doves but be wise as serpents. Especially when ìt comes to money.
In the Philippines, nobody gets jailed/arrested for not paying personal loans without collateral and promissory note. So, be very very careful in lending money to so-called friends. Only lend money which you can afford to lose, i.e. not be paid back no matter how hard you try to collect.
Overall, welcome to the Philippines and I hope you enjoy your stay in our beautiful tropical islands!
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