Is there justice in the Philippines? Maybe so. But, perhaps justice is different for those with money, compared to those without. Bilibid Prison is a national prison of the Philippines, located up in the Metro Manila region. People who commit crimes all around the Philippines are often held at the Bilibid Prison. In the past […]
A debt of gratitude – Really?
Anybody who has been reading this site for much time at all is aware that I take lessons in the Cebuano language, and that my teacher is Bebe Metillo. Bebe and I are quite close, and I really consider her like a sister. In addition to teaching me the language, Bebe also teaches me cultural […]
Pssst…. did you hear about?
Gossip. Tsismis (the Tagalog and Bisaya word for Gossip). It’s rampant in the Philippines! Filipinos love to make tsismis. There are even lots of TV shows devoted to tsismis. Gossip shows. Mostly, that’s showbiz stuff, which I really don’t care about and don’t watch, but from time to time I find myself stuck in a […]
Pasalubong
What is “pasalubong?” It is a travel gift. In other words, if you travel from a far away place, you are kind of expected to bring your close friends and family a gift of some kind. I am talking about Filipino friends and family, of course. For example, if you come from the USA to […]
Knotty Filipinos
Knotty? Bob, don’t you mean naughty? No, indeed I mean knotty. Filipinos are knotty, and it bothers me! 🙂 What am I talking about? Filipinos like to tie knots in everything. You go to the grocery store and buy some groceries, when you get home every single bag is tied into a knot on the […]
The real skin tax
A lot of foreigners will mention the “skin tax” when talking about the Philippines. What they mean when they say “skin tax” is when Filipinos overcharge them for products or services based solely on the color of their skin. In other words, when the Filipino taxi driver or shop owner sees a white or black […]