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Tambayan ng mga Chicx at Tsonx => General Discussion => Current Events => Topic started by: Zurca on March 27, 2014, 11:40:50 PM
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found this article on the internet, anong masasabi nyo?
By Raul Dancel, Philippines Correspondent In Manila
A month in Manila, and I am dazed and confused - even terrified.
For seven years, Singapore was my home, and it was very good to me. It kept me safe and comfortable, and I knew I could always count on it.
I could always jog around Yishun park in the wee hours of the morning, certain no one with a gun in his hand would jump out of a bush to relieve me of my iPhone and running shoes.
I knew that when I turned on the tap, water would flow from it - sweet water I could drink. I never had to worry about an hours-long blackout in the middle of a hot, humid, mosquito-infested night.
Buses mostly arrived on the dot, and the train schedules were so predictable I could arrange to meet someone right inside the train. All I had to do was provide the time I'd get on the train at my station and which carriage I would be in - near the front, somewhere in the middle, or further back.
Then, last month, The Straits Times sent me to Manila to work from there as its Philippines Correspondent.
I grew up in Manila. I spent more than three-fourths of my 40-odd years there.
In the past seven years, however, Manila had been more or less like Las Vegas or Disneyland: I returned to break the monotony, enjoy the place, even when I suspected I was being had.
I could stand all the inanities and profanities Manila could throw at me because I knew that, in the end, I would be heading back to Singapore.
In Singapore, I always enjoyed the cab ride from the airport to my humble flat in Yishun after each long vacation in Manila.
In that precious hour, I'd peer out the window and take in everything I missed about Singapore: the clean streets; the wide, smooth roads; the Lego-like, perfectly stacked HDB blocks; the magnificent skyline; and the uncle behind the wheel talking about everything from the weather to politics and foreign affairs.
I left Singapore on Feb 18, and I don't think I'll be back any time soon. The uncertainty has been particularly jarring.
I know Manila, and I speak its language, but having been away for seven years has frankly made it somewhat a stranger, and I think it finds me odd as well.
I sometimes speak in a funny way, for instance.
Here in Manila, words like "take-away", "having here", "lift" and "going back", not to mention "tapao" and calling any senior citizen "uncle" and white guy "ang moh", are taken differently.
Here, it's "take-out", "dine-in", "elevator" and "heading home". "Uncle" is reserved for your father's brother. "Ang moh"? That's just an alien word.
The other day I told a cashier at a KFC outlet that I'd "take away" my two-piece chicken with rice, and she insisted I meant "take out". I said "take away" three more times before I gave up when she started looking at me like I didn't know how to speak English properly.
"Take out," I conceded.
So far, I have managed not to say "lift" when looking for the "elevator", and I haven't asked anyone packing their bags and getting ready to head home if they're "going back".
But I still ask for the "toilet" or "loo" whereas people here say
"restroom" or "comfort room". The euphemism, though, is misplaced because over here, these rooms rarely offer either "rest" or "comfort".
The toilets at the malls are fine, but anywhere else, it's pretty much a lottery draw: You'll be lucky if you can find a cubicle with toilet paper or one, just one, unclogged receptacle.
Over the past month, I've been trying to stay true to my Singapore etiquette, but it just makes me look like a self-righteous weirdo here.
Here, a moving escalator is meant to be stood on. People don't clear the right-hand side to give way to others in a hurry. The escalator moves so you won't have to - that's the philosophy here. Anyone trying to hurry on an escalator is considered boorish and pushy.
Out on the street, zebra crossings are little more than street art. Pedestrians don't use them. They cross the road whenever and wherever they like and as if they just woke up with a hangover and are heading for the "comfort room", half-asleep.
People are often seen crossing the road right below an overhead bridge, too.
Motorists who honk at jaywalkers are lucky to get the evil eye. More often, the response is a sharp rebuke: "Go fly!" Or, "Buy the road, jerk!"
Manila's many other peculiarities are now becoming familiar once more.
Like the security guards. They're everywhere, guarding every doorway they can plant their shiny, black, plastic boots on.
They stand at the entrances of malls and carparks, in their white and blue uniforms, poking through bags with little sticks and metal detectors and patting everyone in a manner that verges on groping.
They guard banks, restaurants, schools, grocery stores, Internet cafes, street corners, gated communities. I have yet to see a pair, though, in front of a comfort room.
The irony is that, despite their ubiquitous presence, they seem to do little more than impede the flow of human traffic. They mostly just stand at their posts and go through the motions.
Yet, through it all, despite the occasional aggravation and the mild culture shock, I know that after seven years away, I'm back home.
Manila may have its warts and quirks, but when I take a step back, I know that these are precisely what makes the place interesting. It's not Singapore, I know that too.
From The Straits Times (http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/philippines/story/back-home-manila-and-feeling-out-place-20140323)
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Kayabang akala mo di na pinoy porke tumira lamg sa abroad ng 7 years. 3/4 of his life na lumaki dito pero ayaw nya tanggapin na ganyan ang pinas. Kahit san ka pumunta you always adapt sa environment and culture and if you will go back to your home country then ibalik mo lang sarili mo. He thinks he became a better than us porke nakatira lang sa mas mayaman na bansa. Dapat kanselahub ang passport at citizenship nya
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Relax uy.. Puso mo dyan!
Ganun talaga after seven years pagbalik sa pinas may culture shock sya...
Oh well... Hmnnn...
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
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Di dapat sya maculture shock since lumaki sya sa pinas for more than 30 years.
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Well that's the irony of it... Three fourths of his life .. He said, sa pinas .. And yet... He felt that way.
Isn't that... Really uhmnnn ..unpatriotic?
I guess he just love Singapore so much He forgot everything about the Philippines...
In just seven years. Haha!
Unusual ? I think not...
It's just his way of life.
Ganun lang talaga, kung minsan may ibang pinoy.. Nakakalimutan ugat na pinagmulan... Ng dahil sa karangyaan...
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
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Sabihin na nation may konting pagyayabang gun writing nya pero in part to too naman mga sinasabi nya. Naobserve ko lang kasi may disiplina naman tayo kapag strictly implemented talaga yun mga laws. Kung titingnan no nga ang subic, disiplano ang mga driver pagdadating dun. Mapapansin mo pa nga na over cautious yun mga baguhan pa lang nakapag drive sa subic. Kaya nga sana kung ganun napapansin nya, I maintain nya na lang yun disiplina na natutunan nya. And hopefully everyone else would follow.
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Actually the author of the article is just telling the truth. What can we say, truth hurts right?
If you've been to Singapore, Taiwan, or even L.A. masasanay ka kasi sa system nila, ma absorb mo agad yung order, & discipline nila kahit saan. Walang nagtatapon ng basura kahit saan, walang dudura o iihi kahit saan. Walang nag iinspect ng bag kahit saan, kahit sa mall or train station nila, walang mangtutulak sa mrt sa iyo pagpapasok ka, hindi sardinas ang mrt nila, yung heavy traffic sa kanila, dito moderate traffic lang kung tutuusin, partida wala pang coding number sa kanila, at higit sa lahat pwede mo iwan ang gamit mo kahit saan at walang gagalaw at walang magnanakaw, at walang mangbabastos sa iyo lalo na kung babae ka, bakit kamo?
Kasi may discipline ang tao, alam nila pag gumawa sila ng katarantaduhan, masisira buhay nila, ma public shame sila, dito magnakaw ka lang ng cellphone, next month laya ka na e. May sistema sila that works well that both locals and foreigners respect well. Dito bastusan, dayaan, nakawan, ultimong gobyerno ninanakawan ka.
:suka3:
Everytime na uuwi kami galing ng kahit saang bansa, ma feel mo talaga yung difference. It's not unpatriotic na criticize mo ang sarili mong bansa, lalo na totoo naman diba? You criticize to suggest improvement, kung wala nyan napaka apathetic pala ng pinoy, napaka defensive, kahit sampal na sa mukha nya na bastusan dito at di sinusunod ang batas, wala just for the sake of the illusion of Patriotism, and culture of Pinoy na matiisin that the government takes advantage.
Kaya guys I suggest na don't be a BUTT HURT. Instead we should do something about it.
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First time ko mag abroad year 2002 sa dubai .. di ako umuwi ng pinas for 5 years ... grabe ang pag ka miss ko sa lupang hinirang .. ang problema .. 1 month vacation ko sa pinas eh nag kasakit ako .. wala akong hika pero grabe ang ubo ko dahil sa sobrang alikabok at usok sa maynila .. gumaling lang ako nung nakabalik ulit ako ng dubai ..
Naging maingat din ako sa sarili ko at sa mga gamit ko .. yung attention ko kapag naglalakad ako sa recto at sa quiapo eh hindi don sa pupuntahan ko kundi sa dalahin ko .. yung kaba na baka bigla ka nalang akbayan sabay tutok ng patalim .. kapag sasakay ako ng taxi yung metro ang bilis .. mapapabugtong hininga ka nalang dahil may batengteng yun taxi .. yung mga bagay na ganyan kasi kabaliktaran sa ibang bansa .. kaya di din natin masisi kung ganun talaga ang reaction nila .. for me i love my home land .. yun nga lang may sakit ito na mahirap ng gamutin .. nakakalungkot lang ..
dugo'y inialay para sa bayan .. sayang naman ang kanilang pinag labanan .. dugo'y bumaha at naging pataba .. bulok ang bunga tumulo ang luha! - francis m.
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Yes I have been to Singapore... And other places too... Para saken sa lahat ng countries sa Asia pinaka malinis at maayos sa Singapore...there are also other places in Europe like Austria and Germany na napakalinis pwede ka gumulong at humiga sa kalsada...
Hindi naman sa binabatikos mo ang nagpost ng nasa taas... If seven years pagbalik nya sa pinas yan ang pakiramdam nya... What's wrong with it? Culture shock ? E na culture shock sya sa kababayan nya at sa paligid e.... Anong masama dun ? True.. Magulo sa pinas sa mga tinukoy nyang kakulangan sa pinas... Sino sasalungat dun? TAMA naman sinabi nya....
But weird though, ang terminong TAKE OUT at TAKE AWAY... Kailangan pa bang paulit ulitin yun e simpleng cashier lang kaharap nya?
Take away is a term used ( here) usually ng mga Chinese , japs and italians as pertains sa bento box ... At sa pagkaka alam ko.. Sa pinas Take out talaga ang partikukar na gamit sa lahat ng fast food chains or resto...
So what's the fuss about it? Kung napaka sopistikado nya at intelehente sya... Por dyos! Simpleng kahera kaharap mo why insist sa isang term na madalas nde magamit sa lugar kung nasan ka? Wala naman sya sa call center diba? Nasa fast food chain sya... Maaaring masita... Pa siguro kung nasa resto sya ng isang hotel ... But it was a fast food chain...! And to think na nasa manila sya wala sa Singapore .... Kung nasan ka i adapt mo ang ways...and I don't think seven years of absence will make you forget the old ways...
Lalo na kung simpleng words like lift? Elevator?? Take away?
Hmnn tama we all should do something about it.. Problema sa pinas... Yeah! I guess we all need to think about it...
And not 'lament' about it...
Tsk!
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
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HAHAHAH lol I'm guilty of not reading the whole article and presumed article's about the Philippines' lack of system and the like.
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Ayun naglitanya na si miss schy..
Kahit saan ka naman mapunta mgaadapt ka, at masasanay..
Pero kung sa pinas ka lumaki, well alam mo na dapat yun..
7 years macuculture shock ka na???
Ang LIKE icon di lang ginawa para pang-decorasyon, pwede mo rin i-push yan!
LiKe nA LiKe!!
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Pardon me , if i sound so... Mellow dramatic! I must admit i am quite passionate about certain issues... Kung litanya pag uusapan im sure marami kababayan dyan who have the same predicament as mine...
I just want to prove a point here... If the said writer of that article claims that he is a 'correspondent' well.. Obviously he's something like a journalist ... A feature writer/ contributor perhaps? Well then.. I could not blame him for writing such things about My Philippines... He was just doin his job and being paid for it... Normal lang diba?
But at least ... He must have the decency to cite and to give emphasis on the positive side... And be fair with his observations ...
Hmnn... Sana mali ako at nde sya journalist.. Kase kung journalist sya.. Napaka biased naman ng sinulat nya...
Totoo maraming slums area sa pinas at ang traffic talaga naman terible! But napansin ba nya yung ibang kalsada?? May time sya pansinin ang toilet, loo ... Comfort room sa manila... Marumi? Kahindik hindik ba? Im sure meron den nyan sa Sinagpore! Bakit nya hahanapin ang salitang banyaga na sa translation ay 'uncle' ??? Baket wala ba sa tamang level ng respeto ang salitang manong?? Apo? Atang? Tatang.. Manang at ate at Kuya??
Again must i say...? Wala sya sa Singapore nasa pinas sya! Kung ako naku culture shock normal bang hanapin ko ang salitang po at opo sa salitang italyano kung alam ko naman na wala yun katumbas sa lingwahe dito??
.... Aba naman kahit si Donya Ina tataas ang kilay sa ganito devah?!
Kung ang justification nya ay culture shock...
Aba! Maari kaya akong maculture shock den? Dahil every three months e nagapang ako mula Roma papuntang Sicily ?!
Hahaha! Nakakatawa devah? E pano kung lahat ng flight stewards/ stewardess ay magkakaron den ng culture shock.. San ka pa ?!
E di maculture shock na den tayong lahat !
Juicekopineapple!!!
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
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Can't blame him to have a mild culture shock, it was 7 consecutive years for him, and he did said that he felt comfortable and made SG his new home. His mind set got used to those 7 long years dealing, eating, talking like most Singaporean locals do everyday. He simply attempted to correct the supposedly right term, system and ways that he learned in SG.
My friends who studied in SG for a couple of years, tried riding MRT here and had a literal face like this O_O when they saw how chaotic the system and saw people pushed themselves just to get in. Then muttered to themselves that they already miss SG now and appreciates it even more. I didn't feel offended when I heard them, didn't even thought about "Oh how unpatriotic they are at ang arte nyo, parang di kayo lumaki dito." because , I share the same sentiments with them.
The writer of the posted article did mention that this country is what makes it interesting, despite the flaws & being a third world country.
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Oh yes! That was indeed very true.. He said something like.. The Philippines is quite an interesting place...just before he put a dot at the end of that article.
Interesting eh?
Hmnnn...
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
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Its just the way they express their thoughts .. may mga negative issues din sa ibang bansa na masasabi din nila minsan na mas ok sa pinas!
dugo'y inialay para sa bayan .. sayang naman ang kanilang pinag labanan .. dugo'y bumaha at naging pataba .. bulok ang bunga tumulo ang luha! - francis m.
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Oh yes! That was indeed very true.. He said something like.. The Philippines is quite an interesting place...just before he put a dot at the end of that article.
Interesting eh?
Hmnnn...
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
That made me think of it, if he wrote it in condescending way.
Hahaha
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That made me think of it, if he wrote it in condescending way.
Hahaha
Sir Ozy! Napapa esep den ako e.. Ang tingin ko nga parang Domino e..
Nyahaha!
Sent from Schy's Coffeecup....
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sa pinas pala sya lumaki, it means na nung una syang pumunta sa singapore ay na-culture shock din sya.
pero sa opinyon ko lang, lahat ng tao kapag nakarating sa ibang lugar ay "FORCED" sya na mag-adapt sa kung ano man meron yung lugar na pinuntahan nya, at not the other way around. mangyayari lang yung the other way around kung nagtagal ng nakatira yung tao sa lugar na yun at may mga binabago na sya sa lugar but still, mas mauunang mangyari na magadapt muna sya. totoo na naging biased sya sa article nya, pero sana man lang sinulat naman nya yung naranasan nya nung unang dating nya sa ibang lugar, ano ano bang changes ang napuwersa syang gawin just to adapt to the situation. and to think na nakasurvive sya just to write the article, it also means that he also adapted the Filipino culture whether he/she like it or not. and proof of it ay buhay pa sya hanggang ngayon.
yun na agad ang impression nya, how about as journalist ay pumunta sya sa iba pang country, go to africa, arctic circle, middle east. baka kung sakaling makarating sya ay magrereklamo na naman sya, if that will be the case, much better na tumira na lamang sya sa isolated island, maybe what the author wants is be an island.
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Totoo naman yun mga sinabi nya but to find it odd na ganun eh ganun na nun bago magsingapore. At to make an issue about yun term take out, etc e alam naman nya na ganun ang tawag sa pinas.
It's not good to find it odd at masamain if halos lumaki naman sa pinas.
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Hahaha I agree with Schy. It is interesting to read pero the more I read it, the more I sense some colonial mentality there. You know the thinking na basta imported eh the best.
You spent 40 years of you're life here and and yet you speak as if the country is already entirely foreign to you. You must have an incredibly poor memory.
Culture shock? Sure Singapore is clean, but all you have to do is take a bus ride to Johor Bahru, Malaysia and you'll reminisce Quiapo in a heartbeat sans the jeepneys. I know JB is in another country, but it's a just a bridge away. Did he not ever attempt to cross that bridge in a very small city state like Singapore? Perhaps 7 years in Singapore he never attempted to leave? Anyway this is just nitpicking, like what he did wth our country. Even little things like the loo and the lift etc. Does it really matter what they call their stuff there? Call the TV a Telli, you may call a toilet the loo, lavatory or shit house. Whatever rocks your boat.
I hate the corruption and injustice here, but the way we call our toilets never bothered me, or our elevators and such. But thank you for writing this article, I'm sure a Singaporean newsletter would be interested to see how our own countryman glorifies theirs while on our soil. You should ask compensation for the awesome PR you've given them.
And yes I like Singapore, it's an amazing place. The people are friendly, and yet somehow automaton like but still I don't take that against them. It's their culture. Manila does not mean the Philippines, nakita mong puro slum area doon eh what did you expect?
Maraming lugar sa pilipinas na ubod ng ganda, and people not as cynical as the ones in Manila. In many capitals and big cities this is the case. This is what many uninformed foreigners think na just because we are a third world country we are like Somalia or something. Ridiculous nonsense.
One thing that irks me are fellow countrymen who seems to take pleasure in showing foreigners how poor and destitute our country is. I saw this interview of a Pinoy who runs a pinoy tv station in a foreign country, the person seems to take pride in showing our slum area, then interviews a drug addict and such to be shown there. Wtf is that for? Anyway that's an entirely different matter but still pisses me off nevertheless.
Manila is crappy, no doubt about it, pero you don't need to go out of the country to see what a shitty situation Manila is in. Common sense lang alam mo na, na may problema. No need to glorify other countries para lang pintasan ang bansa mo, after all pilipino ka pa rin.
The pedantry is incredibly strong on this one.
I also find the pampalubag look bit in the end quite hilarious.
Anyway thanks for the post mate.
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nosebleed ako dun ah... :hilo: :hilo: :hilo:
pero masarap basahin..
twice ko nga binasa... :suka3: :suka3:
like na like ko yan boss prime.. :-X :-X :-X
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kailangan lng ng atensyon ng writer na iyan. Kailangan nya ng webhits, mapansin at maging relevant para hindi mawalan ng trabaho.
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kailangan lng ng atensyon ng writer na iyan. Kailangan nya ng webhits, mapansin at maging relevant para hindi mawalan ng trabaho.
My point ka dito pre. Kung online article nga to, hits lang ang habol nito. Syempre kung maraming magcocomment sa article nya online, eh di marami rin ang bibisita dun. Lalo na kung facebook linked comments pa.
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When I read this article, nagfocus lang ako dun sa mga comparison niya between SG and our country
wala akong pakialam dun sa mga ibang sinabi niya,,opinion niya un eh,,tayo naman kahit sino pwede ring gumawa ng ganitong article against other countries
like blogsite or forums like pt
minsan kasi masyado lang tayong mapagpatol..gustong gusto pa naman nila yan dahil sumisikat sila ;D
minsan lang talaga masakit mapakinggan ung totoo
I for once kahit panu nakaaapak na sa SG kahit ilang araw lang ako nagstay dun nakita ko na kagad ang napakalaking kaibahan dun at dito..siguro kaya maraming mga pinoy ang nahuhumaling magtrabaho or tumira ng permanente dun,,hinde lang dahil sa magandang kita bagkus sa maayos na sistema nila
una ko kagad napansin yung mga malls at establishments na walang guards, once lang yata ako nakakita ng pulis sa kalye o pulis trapiko/mmda version naten
ung napakasimpleng escalator etiquette
minsan talaga nabuburaot nako dito saten ,,napakaluwag naman minsan pero pilit pa rin nilang tinatakpan para wlang makalagpas sa kanila,,ikaw pa ang mahihiyang makiraan,,madalas sinasadya ko na banggain yung nakaharang,,bahala na kung mapaaway,,eh ang laki laki ng sign sa taas na stay on your right to give way to rushing peeps >:(
natawa pa nga ako kasi me bitbit akong basura and wala akong makitang trashbin, nakakatuksong itapon na lang kung saan tulad ng nakasanayan ng ibang tao dito sa pinas,,pero malinaw na malinaw na 1,000 dollar ang multa sa kanila pag nagkalat ka
mahaba pa lalakbayin ng pinas para mapagaya tayo sa SG or ibang bansa
but who knows?
tingin ko lang ung nagsulat neto eh wala na sa dugo niya ang pagiging tunay na Pinoy
kasi ang pagkakilala ko sa mga Pinoy, Resilient tayo at magaling tayong mag adapt kahit saan tayo dalhin,sige nga magbigay ka ng bansa na walang pinoy? meron siguro pero bihira lang ;D
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hanep ano, napalayo lang ng dalwang hakbang mula sa pilipinas akala mo kung saan na nakarating. hinakupo, paano pa kaya kung sa eurpoa o sa amerika sya napunta. baka gusto nya may tagasaboy na ng rosas sa bawat lalakaran nya. :(