It is always
good to pick up where you left so let’s do a bit more of shopping. It is a bit
tricky but in the Philippines, the letter o sometimes is pronounced as a while
that sounds like u as in hut. As a foreigner, you might feel like having a hot
dog but if you ask for it all you will get is staring eyes with a question mark
above it. It happened to me as follows. Close to my apartment in San Fernando,
La Union there was this small shop (sari-sari store) where also hot dogs and
hamburgers were sold. Since we were almost neighbors I knew the lady and I
asked her for a hot dog. She was puzzled and then said, “I don’t have that”. I
laughed and said it again but no, she couldn’t help me. By the look on her face
I knew she hadn’t understood my question and I went inside, pointed the sign
and said “See? It’s here”. “Oooohhhh! You mean hut dog?”
After my the partner left (and that was around the same time) I felt I needed new padlocks
and went to a store to get a pair. A friendly saleslady asked me what I was
looking for so I told her I needed two padlocks. Her eyes grew bigger and
bigger and for a moment I thought “I must have turned green and grown radars on
top of my head”. The lady started walking towards a male colleague of hers.
While I walked with her I saw just what I needed hanging on the wall behind the
counter desk. “Ah! There they are” The lady looked and replied, “Oh, pudlocks!”
As much as
people like you, being a foreigner, to talk the Filipino language, it can be
the cause of misunderstandings as well. Once, a few years ago, we needed eggs.
Fortunately, the sari-sari store nearby sold them. The woman asked me what I
wanted. “Sampong itlog po” (Ten eggs please). She looked a bit puzzled so I
repeated my request. She then went to the refrigerator, took out a small
bottle of Coca Cola. Just when she got an opener I asked: “That is not for me I
hope?” Yes, she was just about to open it for me. “No, I want ten eggs please”.
The poor woman didn’t understand it as I could tell by the look on her face but
at least I got my eggs. My housemate explained it as follows: “Most people
think that white people don’t speak our language so perhaps she heard you ask
for one Coke”. Yeah! That makes sense. Sampong itlog sounds almost like one
coke. When I went to the same store to get myself a Diet Pepsi she told me she
didn’t have that. Well, the diet sodas are not sold everywhere anyway. There
was another store a bit further up the road where I knew I could get one. A few
weeks later I saw the woman handing someone a diet Coke. She could have told me
she didn’t have to diet Pepsi but she could offer a diet Coke. You don’t need to
be in business to understand that. Anyway, the store was gone within 6 months.
My partner
went to Quezon Province and needed important papers. “Please text my father to
hand the papers to you. Then you can bring them to me.” That sounded like a
plan and indeed I was eager to go there. We checked on the computer what buses
from Manila going to Quezon Province. The best company would be Philtranco. I left
on a Thursday evening at 11 PM. I like to travel during the night so I won’t
lose too much ‘daytime’. At around 5 I was in Manila and was lucky to learn
that the Philtranco bus station was only 10 minutes walking away. The office
was to open at 6 AM so I sat down, had a snack and a soda. I was number 4 in
line and the people in front of me seemed happy with their tickets. Now it was
my turn and I asked the lady a ticket to Lopez City in Quezon Province. “No
sir, we don’t go there.” “Excuse me? We checked it on the internet. Look
outside at the big sign. It says, Quezon Province”. “No sir, we don’t go there.”
Then I was sent from one bus station to another and frankly, it drove me crazy.
Finally, I was at a bus station where nobody could help me and then I demanded
to see the manager. The man came to talk to me and he then sent people out to
find out where I would have to go. A cab driver was brought in. “Sir, I am from
Lopez City. I will bring you to the bus”. Happy to be on the bus I looked
outside because this was going to be a part of the Philippines I had never been
before. At some point, I stopped counting all the Philtranco buses that passed
by until Lopez City! “No sir, we don’t go there.” My housemate later called me
an idiot. According to him I should have asked “Are you passing through Lopez
City?” because that is not the final destination. Sure! That’s why I always get
a ticket to San Fernando, La Union when I ask for it. Even though it is not the
final destination for the bus.
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| part of the farm in Quezon Province |
Last year I
got sick and that turned out to be dengue. A friend of mine started a
conversation and in the end I had to stop it. Partly because it was going
nowhere and partly because I felt sick and wanted to rest. Here’s how it went.
E: Hello, how are you? Me: Not good. I am having dengue. E: Ok, but how are you?
Me: well, not good of course. E: Yes. How are you? Me: for the third time: I’m
sick. Dengue. E: are you ok? Me: No I’m not. My load will expire. This is my
last message. Bye for now. Now that we are talking about being sick: It is such
a good thing that that are so many pharmacies and many are even open 24 hours a
day. If you need medicines but a box with 100 tablets is way too much there is
no need to worry. You can buy just the amount you need. But I never buy the
paper handkerchiefs anymore. I did that only once and guess what? They are too
small for my big white nose.
Love the ones you’re with and be
loved in return
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