This is my weekly column that appears in SunStar Davao every Friday. I am publishing a copy of it here for LiP readers to enjoy too. Much of this information has been covered in my many previous LiP articles on the subject of Language, but perhaps this has a bit of a different angle that […]
Cultural Adjustment
Since it’s Friday, today I’m featuring my column from SunStar Davao Newspaper. While my LiP Web Magazine is targeted toward foreigner readers who have an interest in visiting or living in the Philippines, my newspaper column is targeted at Filipino readers and trying to foster more understanding toward foreigners who are here. Because of this, […]
Putting it to use
For years, I would try to speak to Filipinos in English, because that was the only language that I knew. I mean, English is a “second official language” of the Philippines, and almost all Filipinos can speak English, right? Funny thing was, though, that many times I found it difficult to have a meaningful conversation […]
Have you taken advantage?
As I have mentioned many, many times on this site and other places where I write, the Philippines, culturally, is a very different place compared to our homelands. I mean, if you are a westerner – American, European, Australian, etc., the Philippines is not the same as where you come from. So many things are […]
Asking I’m Sorry
What? Asking I’m sorry? What happened to Bob today? That doesn’t make sense. OK, calm down, don’t get too worried. I haven’t blown a gasket or anything. As I’ve said many times on this site, the Philippines and the rest of the English speaking world are separated by a common language, borrowing from a famous […]
It’s a disease
You know, over my lifetime there have been changes in the way we look at things. I remember, when I was a kid, if there was a guy who drank too much alcohol, he was a drunk, and alcoholic. He was not looked at kindly. Now though, alcoholism is considered a disease. Well, there is […]