Finding Humor

Creative Street Art in Manila - Girl with Spray-paint Admiring Her Flowers

I have been lax in writing and for my return, I thought long and hard on what I would like to write. In light of the pandemic, I don't want to focus on the obvious reiterations of the new normal. Instead I will talk about a few instances where I found humor in the mundane while in Manila and hope it brings a smile to your day.

Filipinos are known for their...what I like to call...subtle bluntness. They are quick to tell you if you are gaining weight, dating the wrong person, or looking tired. I was prepared. The worst I ever got was a mild, "Why are you so white?" I hear that when I am in the States, so I was OK with it. It's no big secret that after 18+ years in Florida, I now avoid the sun. The first two questions I am always asked when meeting a new Filipino are, "How old are you? Do you have any children?" I kept wondering what was the fascination with age? I knew about the having children question. Family is very important to Filipinos traditionally, culturally, and religiously, regardless of your socioeconomic status. Even when I told my father that my husband and I decided not to have any children, I remember he said, "Well you can still try." As a newlywed my mind raced for a witty comeback that wouldn't sound disrespectful, but I just had to let that conversation go with a perfunctory, "Yes, Dad." With the age question, I thought maybe it was so people would know how to address me, as either ma'am or ate (pronounced ah-tay) for older sister. No surprise, as a sign of respect I was called ma'am Jackie by most because I was a lot older than their sister might be. On a couple tours I attended, the tour guides would invariably refer to the tourists as "ma'am-sirs" a uniquely created form of address. So long segue to when age became funny for me - I was registering online to take some indoor cycling classes (I can feel a few of you who know me well, smiling right about now), and I got a chuckle filling in the profile. When it asked for Age, the options in the dropdown menu stopped at 50. Like no one over 50 was supposed to take the class?? For kicks, I indicated I was the youngest choice, I think it was like 18. No ma'am here.

I have always thought my father was a MacGyer-esque character before his time. If he was lacking a tool, he would fashion a contraption to make-do. Since spending time in the Philippines, I realize this is not just a trait of my dad's, but of most Filipinos. They get by with what they have on hand. While volunteering, whenever we would pile in the van and as we slowly backed out of the gate, the front passenger would hop out and go to the back of the van, where he would literally serve as the back-up sensor, knocking against the vehicle. As the van got closer and closer to an object, the knocking would get faster and faster. Who needs a fancy camera with beeps and green lines? All you need is a passenger.

I was in Manila during the "cool" months. This is all relative; however, it is true 90 degrees is better than 100. Filipinos will do what they can to stay cool - carrying umbrellas, fans, and staying in the shade as much as possible. It is not unusual to see Filipinos standing in the shadow of a lamppost at a crosswalk, waiting for the signal of the green man that it is OK to cross. It wasn't long before I would do the same. Whatever it takes.

Lastly, I will leave you with a comment made by some of my Filipino friends, where Tagalog (or Filipino as it is now called - though I am a traditionalist) is their first language. They would say to me, "English gives me a nosebleed," and then go into a fit of giggles.

Discreet Photo of People Lining Up in the Shade