There’s nothing quite like growing up in the Philippines. In a country filled with great food, great people and amazing sights, it’s hard not to reminisce from time to time. Our little quirks are the best part about being Filipino, and if you grew up in the Philippines, you can definitely relate to a few of these things!
Rice, eggs, and meat, how can you go wrong? Tapsilog (or any of the other -silog variations) were definitely a childhood favourite breakfast and something you’d be willing to eat until the end of time.
A meal without rice is simply not a meal. If you grew up in the Philippines you definitely had a rice cooker (or two) lying around the house.
No way do you walk inside the house with your bare feet. Slippers, flip flops, tsinelas, whatever you call them, you’re totally rocking slippers indoors and trying to get visitors to put them on too.
Everyone is a tita (aunt) or tito (uncle) whether or not you’re actually related. That means family gatherings are full of hundreds of “relatives” — some of which you don’t even recognise.
Cheese ice cream is the best thing ever and you’re probably prepared to fight anyone who disagrees. The same goes for ensaymada and those Mary Grace cheese rolls…yum!
If you grew up in the Philippines, you probably have a savvy mother who taught you a trick or two about saving money. In fact, you probably have a stash of plastic utensils sitting in your kitchen right now.
It’s a common belief that Filipinos are great singers, and that might be owed in some part to the fact that every gathering turns into a karaoke party full of ’80s hits.
Mouth pointing? Give me the “ano”? Psst? You’ve definitely learned how to react to these strange habits, and know exactly what your mum means when she asks you to hand over the “ano”.
You probably chuckle to yourself when people abroad complain about traffic. Growing up in the Philippines, traffic was the norm.
There’s nothing like being able to ditch the city for a quick trip to the beach. White sand, clear blue water, growing up in the Philippines was the closest thing to paradise.
In the heat and humidity, the air-con or electric fan was your best friend. Heaven forbid either of these stopped working.
There’s absolutely no meal you can’t devour with a fork and spoon. The whole fork and knife combo is a mystery to you, but slicing meat with a spoon is a piece of cake.
When all else fails, a meal consisting of rice and corned beef or spam is the perfect, fool-proof option. If you don’t have cans of corned beef in your pantry are you even Filipino?
We’ve dealt with our fair share of typhoons in the Philippines, so anything less is but a mere drizzle to us. Seriously though, have you ever seen people so happy to be wading through a flood?
Whether it’s supporting Manny Pacquiao, rooting for the next Miss Universe or rocking the Philippine flag, you never miss the chance to share your pride for your country.
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