Kumusta Philippines: Part 2

One of the first things that struck me on arriving at the Philippines was just how overwhelmingly friendly everybody is.I wouldn't  say Korean people are unfriendly (although I have heard this said, including by Koreans themselves), but  I have said before they generally tend to be more reserved and shy about  certain things. One of these things being speaking to foreigners. So unless they know you, it's unlikely that they're gunna speak to/smile at you if you're passing in the street, or cross paths in the hallway. Even if you live in the same building, and see each other every single day but haven't been introduced to each other. A lesson I learned the first few times that I attempted to greet my elderly neighbours when crossing paths on the stairwell, and received a look of such stunned confusion that I can only assume I crossed some kind of weird Korean social boundary that I didn't know about. A feeling that  will probably be way too familiar to my fellow Korean expats. An exception to this rule is the few brave adjummas (the korean word for a stereotypical middle-aged, working class ladies who are stereotypically very loud and cankerous), who sometimes run over to me to tell me how pretty I am and how small my face is. A bizarre compliment, but one I have grown to appreciate none the less.

In stark contrast to this, the Filipino people will talk to pretty much anybody and everybody. Tricycle drivers, hostel owners, waiters, random people you meet in the street: everybody has some kind words to offer and by no stretch of the imagination could the Filipino people be generalised as being 'shy'.

 Never was this more apparent than on our last day in the Philippines, on which we visited Pristine Beach, Puerta Princessa.

 Posing for some snap shots in the sea, we suddenly became very conscious of 7 little pairs of eyes on us (the only foreigners on the beach)...

Quickly, we were surrounded by a group of the sweetest little Filipino kids, giggling and laughing, with a hundred questions for us on their lips. 

They were not impressed by my inability to jump at the same time as them, haha!

New little buddies!

The little boy in the yellow shirt to the left of the picture is Johneil :)

After a question and answer session that would rival the Spanish Inquisition (although  they may have been a tad more cute about it), one little boy called Johneil, asked me 'Do you like starfish?'. When I answered that I did, he sprinted off in the direction of the beach, and I just kept talking to the other kids thinking nothing of it. Ten minutes later he returns, grabs my hand and put a little dried starfish in it, then asks his brother to translate something.

'A remembrance of meeting us and the Philippines', his brother said. :'(

My prized starfish <3

As if this wasn't heart-breakingly sweet enough, their families then invited us over to share their celebratory feast. It was their baby son's Christening and in honour of the occasion they had roasted a whole roast pig (or Lechon), chicken feet Adobo (obviously, my favourite, me being partial to a bit of chicken foot and all :p), a never ending stream of wine and of course Filipino dark rum.

Sally, me and the rest of the family!

Full roast pig, or 'lechon' as the Filipino people call it.

 My friend Sally and I both agreed that our new friends had made us feel so welcome that we could have happily sat there and drank, talked and danced with them all day. But unfortunately we had a plane to catch :( So with a little too much wine in our bellies and sand still in our hair, we made the mad, last-minute dash for the airport.

Back to reality !

Kumusta Philippines: Part 1

So after 16 months in Korea, I finally got the opportunity to explore a bit of Asia! Hello the Philippines!

First stop: Manila

So for the past year and a half I've lived in the very prim and proper society of South Korea. Not that Korean people don't have sex. Between the Love Motels, Hostess bars, and 'Coffee' Girls (prostitutes who deliver coffee to your door, because who doesn't want a blowjob with their latte?)  it seems that everybody's doing it (or at least the men are). But they're kind of Victorian about it, in the sense that, everybody's doing it... *hushed voice* but nobodies talking about it. 

Oh My God! She said the 'S' word!!

After a year of censoring everything I say and do so as not to offend the tender ears/minds of my Korean friends and coworkers, it seems that I have become quite the prude. Just call me Snow White.
Walking the streets of Manila to a chorus of men wolf-whistling, meowing (wtf?!) and shouting 'sexy lady' at us, I am surprised to say that I was actually a little bit shocked. God knows why, I've had MUCH worse said to me working behind a bar in Maltby, but this kind of stuff does not happen in Korea. I think I might have even felt a little blush coming on!
Later  our naivety was confirmed when we noticed a massage parlor next to our hostel:
'Do you think it's an actual massage parlor or it's a 'special' massage parlor?'
Hmmmm, well... any doubts about this were swiftly eliminated when walking past the massage parlor again later that night. Huddled on the steps outside were a gang of prostitutes:

'Hey girls! You're so sexy and so pretty!' they shouted at us.

Not sure if they were trying to recruit us (exciting new job opportunity) or get our custom but either way I'll take that compliment. Who knew prostitutes were so nice and friendly :p

We spent the rest of our evening drinking dirt cheap cocktails at the lively bars of Manila Bay.
 And finished off with yet more cocktails and a little sheesha at one of the street bars outside our hostel. Not a bad first evening ;)



Next Stop: Puerto Princessa