I know it’s a trick question or at least an oxymoron to include time and the Republic of the Philippines within the same sentence. For the most part time is your friend here in the Philippines as it passes at your speed and no one else’s. And the funny part about time here is, if you do show up on time for an appointment, nobody will be there to see it.
My career in the Navy was ruled by time; it was so strict that a Quartermaster (Navigation kinda’ guy) would walk around the ship once a day and set the chronometers so we were all synchronized and marching in step. We also used a 24 hour clock so that 6pm was now 1800 hours. If that wasn’t enough during the day watches, they rang bells to further let you know what time it was. (BTW 7 bells in the morning was lunch time 7 bells in the afternoon was knock off ship’s work)
My break with time started in Puerto Rico, who like the Philippines find time a boring concept that interferes with a happy state of living. I’ve learned to agree. I found that the Spanish word for tomorrow is manana (Sorry my keyboard doesn’t have the do-dad to put over the “N” in manana) Then I found the true definition of the word “MANANA is simply “NOT TODAY” So Puerto Rico aided me in the time adjustment to living in the Philippines
Upon retirement from sailing I arrived home and removed my Swiss made RADO watch and handed it to my Father-in-law who had always admired it. Mt first retirement in Puerto Rico I gave my Swiss made Rolex watch to my Father. (Little did I know about Hurricane Hugo seven years later?)
So it’s about “time” I got to the point about this article. A week or so ago I received an e-mail from a LiP reader named Billy Smythe asking if I’d join him and his lady at Texas Joe’s for lunch and a few adult beverages on Friday 5 April 2013. I of course responded in the affirmative as you don’t have to twist my arm to meet a LiP reader and then throw in good food and need I say it; “SMB’s? I’m as happy as that New England Clam I told you about a while back. (Is that another reference to time?)
Oh I’m not done yet, Thursday morning I’m sitting away at my “Puter” when I glance down to the right hand corner and noticed that it’s not Thursday morning but Friday morning, the same day in fact that I’m to meet Billy Smythe for lunch, it’s also the day I write my weekly missive to my “Fearless Leader Mindanao Bob” and I had not put any thought into this week’s subject, as I normally get an inspiration on Friday mornings And now it is Friday morning a day early, do to my poor timekeeping practices. But I was quickly inspired to write.
But it’s not quite that simple, I had planned on telling Mayang about our lunch plans 24 hours ago, but didn’t as to my mix up of days. Also my friend Loren Pogue and his bride that I was going to invite to join us yesterday will now be a last minute deal, which is a tad rude of me, but I think he’ll understand. We’ll see!
So there you have it, time and the tide waits for no man, except if you live here in the Philippines. Am I panicked? Not so much, I’ll get to meet Billy and his wife, I’ll find out if Loren will be able to join us. I will catch some major-major hands on the hip, right foot tapping from my darling wife, but time (There it is again) will heal all, and I take some pictures to prove that I survived the day.
Okay high noon at Texas Joe’s, Billy and Loren were there and I was there, of course our three ladies were there, but my camera was home on the counter, so no pictures from me this “TIME.”
Very good Paul
I recently went to two Pinoy parties one in Samar and one in Cardiff. In Samar the Invitations said 18.00 start. The host arrived at 19.30 and the party guests at 21.00 a great time was had by all.. In Cardiff the invitation said 19.00 the host arrived at 17.30 the guests at 18.30 (all Pinoy) Another great night…I guess that Philippine time is more dependent on location than nationality. Just an observation.
Corjo:
There was a time when I lived in Puerto Rico that would have driven me up a wall, but I learned, and became quite good at operating on “Paul Time” I’ll get there when I get there, and not a minute before. So I’m happy living where the watch is nothing but bling, and has no other purpose. Time is precious … waste it wisely!
Went to the movies last month here in Tagum City. I went up to the counter to buy the tickets and was told the tickets were not ready yet. I was very nice and told them that the movies started in 10 minutes. They got the tickets ready and sold me two. Then I went enter the theater and was told it was not ready yet. I was very nice and told them the movie started in 5 minutes. The lady looked and yes it was ready so my wife Meriam and I went in and enjoyed the movie. It started 5 minutes late…… It is more fun in the Philippines
BTW – No popcorn was made yet!!! 😛
Gary;
Now that sounds like a pleasant movie experience, while at a movie recently, my wife decided she wanted popcorn, while she got the tickets I went to the concession stand and there was a huge batch of freshly made hot popcorn, the aroma was filling the area activating my taste buds in anticipation. Then the young lady explained that they were out of packaging normally used to distribute the sold popcorn. While smiling at her, I went to the fast food place across from there and for one peso purchased a brown paper bag, came back and had her fill it for me. She looked at me like I was a genius. And we both got a smile out of it. (No one else bought popcorn)
My step sister is from Laos and raised part of her life in refugee camps in Thailand. With both her and my Philippine friends when we agree to do something at a certain time, I always ask, “Asian time or US time?”
We all laugh and agree if it is important to be ON TIME US time, otherwise my little sister does the sister eye roll and tells me to get real.
They all understand that I am not trying to be rude but simply to be sure I understand. If they say Asian time, I am there when I get there. US time, 5 minutes early is on time.
This opens a question to me. Since in some ways the Philippines is a melting pot like the US, does the average Philippine person consider them to be Asian or simply Philippine? The ones I know here in the US seem to have different opinions when I have asked the question and it seems to depend on the locality raised and other similar influences.
LeRoy
With the large Spanish influence (500 years and the 100 plus American) I’d say they are Filipino’s who live in Asia. But I could be wrong, because there is also a large Chinese population here also. I’ve spent much of my sailing career in Asian waters and all I know is the Pinoy is their own person. Maybe I’ll start asking them. Filipino/Spanish time seems to me to be one of the same thing.
.
One of the girls (very young ladies for the PC people) that moved to the US from Sindangan on Mindanao used a word that I have forgotten and explained that it referred to time like the Spanish “mañana” but without all the silly urgency.
LeRoy:
By all means remain “PC”, I might have said chick, but at my age they can shove PC. Silly Urgency, now that is a term I like, that applies to American time!
In a John Wayne movie the old indian said “Fine party -No whisky”. It was a fine party at Texas Joe’s, plenty of rum and SMB’s. As for the late notfications it’s better late than never; thanks for the god time Paul.
Hey Loren;
It was good to meet Billy and his Lady, See you Monday at Baloy Beach.
When we are on Daylight Saving Time here in New York, it is 12 hours behind Philippines time so there is no reason to have to reset my watch when I visit. A couple of visits ago it seemed like every time I saw a clock there it was different from my watch. I was beginning to think maybe the battery in my $10 ( USD ) BigBox Store watch was starting to go. When I got home I found my watch still to be on the correct time. I must add that when ever my friends there were to meet me at one place or another they were always on time and I took that as a sign of respect they must have had towards the Kano visitor. Time seems to go by so fast for me when I am there. It seems soon after my the last flight of the long journey lands in Cagayan De Oro, it seems I am back on the departure flight headed to Manila and Back to New York. I guess that is a form of proof that I have More Fun in The Philippines !
Hey Bob….when were you in cagayan de oro? I just got back to the states April 5th, and was in CDO for 30 days visiting my wife.Keep in touch and we’ll hookup sometime while in CDO. Take care….
Hi Skip,
I was in CDO and Iligan late last year. With the new Lagudingan ( spelling ? ) Airport due to officially open at the end of this month, on future visits I may just go directly to Iligan from the airport and not have a one or two night stayover in CDO as I have on past visits. I’ll have to see how things look a few months from now in planning another visit.
Bob;
Daylight savings time was tried here in the past, since it was found that no two places were in sync or even in the same time zone, it was dropped quickly. Not all of Ben Franklin’s ideas were good ones.
Hi Paul – As an avid practitioner of Philippine Time, I’m often presented with little round “Tuits” by my US counterparts. Seems as though I always tell them that I’ll do something when I get “a round tuit” – they comply. 😆
Paul;
I had a box of wooden “Round Tuit’s” we used to give out on recruiting duty in Florida to kids trying to make up their mind.
The one event I can think of where Pinoys are remarkably on time is at the start of a funeral procession originating from my barrio Salaza. Given that the municipal cemetery in Palauig is ten kilometers away from Salaza, it takes nearly 5 hours for the funeral procession to reach the cemetery, which includes the obligatory stop at either the Catholic or Aglipay church for the last rites. To mitigate the heat of the day, the full-barrio funeral procession led by a band up front and another one bringing up the rear starts out promptly at 7AM. On the band’s cue, the coffin is brought down from the home of the deceased immediately following the Ilocano tradition of throwing a freshly-decapitated, still-quivering chicken down the flight of stairs, thus signaling the start of a unique Salaza funeral procession, composed practically of the entire barrio and the high school’s student body. The procession is a lively shuffle and dance that closely imitates the New Orleans-style funeral procession down to where the procession comes to almost a stand-still as the dancers leading the procession basically shuffle in place on the lively up tempo following the soft, somber portion of the band’s music. It is also one of the reasons why it takes nearly 5 hours for the procession to reach the Palauig cemetery, as coins are tossed at the procession from passing vehicles along the way. The procession’s lively up tempo following the soft somber portion of the music is best illustrated in the video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQUs8RlsQ14
John;
Where I live off on a secondary road is the church and a little further down is the graveyard. But moving the interned from their house to the church is the major-major production involving tying up traffic for a few hours. But in my 20 years here I’ve never heard anyone complain.
I have a 11×20 party tent that has been used at many wakes and weddings here on the mountain. That always seems to be on time.
Paul,
My last day of work will be May 27th, Memorial Day. Than i will be on my time. The only time i’ll worry about is making our flight back to the Philippines to begin Filipino Time. Texas Joes sounds really good now. Take care and stay safe
Randy;
Memorial Day, a day to look forward to.
No one would believe me during my last couple of months at sea, that I wouldn’t be back. I smiled and thought; “They’ll figure it out in time!”
Paul holding down Alt then pressing 164 on your number key will produce ñ 😀
I live in Humacao Puerto rico and am now here in the Philippines. small world.
Alan;
Humacao the county seat, that’s where I had to pay the grease to get my liquor license. I knew a lady judge at the court house there, but I met her in the Club House at El Commandante Race Track. Bless me I loved that place. I’ll pass on the do-dad over the “N” I tried the Alt 164, a few times and then went and got a beer.