Who is more Filipino?

Between Feyma and myself, who do you think is more Filipino?  Of course, since Feyma was born and raised in the Philippines, I am sure that almost all of you will say that Feyma is more Filipino.  Many would argue that I am not Filipino at all.  Am I, though?  Let’s see.

About a month ago or so, our microwave oven broke.  There was something wrong with the keypad, and when you typed in keys, it didn’t register in the unit.  Basically, the microwave was not useable at all.  Well, in the USA, when I lived there, when something like this would happen, we would think to ourselves, “it’s time to get a new microwave!”  However, here in the Philippines, people get things fixed instead of throwing them away.  So, really, getting a broken item fixed is, in my opinion, the Filipino way!

Well, when the microwave stopped working, I told Feyma that she should tell our nephew to bring it in to the repair shop and have them take a look at it.  Feyma responded by saying that she didn’t think it could be fixed.  She said that if it could be fixed, she thought it would be too expensive to have it fixed.  It was, she said, cheaper to just buy a new microwave!

Well, this didn’t sit well with me.  The microwave was only a few years old, maybe 5 years old at the most, and it is a really nice microwave, not a low end unit.  Feyma and I were at a store a couple weeks ago and saw microwaves there, and they were only P3,000 or less.  Not bad, but these were not of the same quality that we already had.  Feyma and I agreed that maybe we should go for a cheap unit, and just consider it disposeable.

I told Feyma, though, that first I wanted to have our broken microwave to be looked at by the service technicians.  Well, our niece took the microwave in to the shop, and we got the diagnosis about 2 days later.  It could be fixed after all!  How much?  P550, only about $11.  Now, that is exactly what I expected it to be!  So, the microwave was fixed.  It worked for a few days and went out again!  But, the technicians fixed it again for free.  Now, it is acting funny again, but we have been told that for about $35 they can replace the whole keypad module, and it should be as good as new.

What will be the final outcome on this?  I can’t be certain.  However, I find it quite interesting that Feyma has taken the more American viewpoint of “let’s throw it away and get a new one.”  Meanwhile, I have taken the stance that we should get the old one fixed!

So, who is more Filipino?

Podcast: Bob & Feyma

That’s right, folks, today I am bringing you a new Podcast!  Yes, it has been many, many months since my last Podcast, but I decided that I wanted to do a new one today, and wanted to do it with Feyma.  So, for today’s Podcast, Feyma and I talk about our decision to move to and live in the Philippines.

Making the move to the Philippines was a major life decision for us, and it was not an easy decision for Feyma to make.  It took probably a year or so of me talking about making such a move before Feyma decided to give her go-ahead.  You know, such a decision cannot really be made without the approval from the “Big Boss” if you know what I mean (all of you guys understand, I am sure!).

So, without further fanfare, here is the Podcast with Feyma and myself.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SIR: Pakig-Uban

Last week, I introduced the new series about Philippine Culture called “SIR” which means “Smooth Interpersonal Relations.”  After that, we talked about the first tenet of SIR, which is called “In Group” or Kita.  Today, it’s time we move on to the second major tenet of SIR, “Pakig-Uban.”  Pakig-Uban is derived from the root word, “uban” which means to accompany or go along with.

So, how is this related to SIR?  Pakig-Uban generally means “good public relations,” and in relation to SIR it means going along with the group, and adjusting to the group norms.

As I said in the previous article about In Group, pointed out that Filipinos really have a need to be part a larger group, and do not like being alone.  To remain part of the group, it is important for each group member to conform to the group, and to take on the group values.  If the person bucks the group norm, the person will not remain in the group for long.  But, by conforming to the values of the group, the person gets “backing” from the other group members, they will be behind this person through thick and thin.

How about some examples of this, by looking at the foreigner’s viewpoint of a subject, and then how the Filipino will view it:

1. American/Foreinger View: The individual manipulates his environment.  Man studies the laws of nature and takes advantage of them.
   Filipino View: The individual has to placate the powers that be.  There is no individual control of what happens in life.
   Wow, how interesting.  As an American, I could never bring myself to think along the lines of the way that Filipinos view this.  It simply is so far outside my way of thinking that it is incomprehensible.  See what I am saying about the group - the individual Filipino fees that he must conform to the group because it is only the group that would have enough power to have any control of any situation.  Even the group, though, would not have control over something as large as life itself.
2. American/Foreigner way: Open to change, flux and movement.
   Filipino way: Follows the traditional way.
   For the Filipino to even breach the topic of changing the way something is or should be done, it breaks with the group thought.  Filipinos, as a large group, have done things a certain way for generations, and to think of a new way would be to say that the old way of doing it is wrong, so it is not natural for a Filipino to bring new ideas to the table.
3. American/Foreigner way: “My fair share”.  The American or Foreigner wants to make sure that he (and his family, of course) always get their fair share.  If something is to be divided, it is important that he gets (at least) what is due to him.
   Filipino way: “Everyone’s fair share”.  Instead of looking out for himself, the Filipino is interested to see that everybody involved gets his fair amount.  It would not be fair to the entire group, after all, if one person in the group got more than he should, because that would mean that others in the group did not get what they should have gotten.
4. American/Foreigner way: Work hard to keep up with the Jones family.
   Filipino way: If the “Dela Cruz” family has a stroke of luck or fortune, they should share it with the rest of the group.
   This a major difference between our cultures.  It is also something that causes a lot of heartache among us foreigners.  When you have more than the others, you are expected to share the wealth.  Filipinos who get a raise at work or get promoted to a better job will often throw a big party for their group of friends, and will spend a huge amount of money.  To do less would be to abandon the group.

These are just a few examples of how Filipinos must defer to the group, and always uphold the values of the group.  Most of us westerners would have long since told the group where to go if the group expected conformity from us.  That is not the Filipino way, though.

It’s just one more part of SIR.  Don’t take me wrong about SIR, I am not saying that we should all live our lives by SIR, I could not do it.  I can, though, accept parts of SIR into my life, while not conforming with others.  Even if we don’t conform, it is still useful and helpful to understand it so that we can make an easier life for ourselves in the Philippines.

How did “Mindanao Bob” come about?

Regular visitors of any of my websites will see me called “Mindanao Bob” and if they don’t know the story of the name, they may wonder where it came from.  Do you know?  If not, I plan to explain a little bit about that today.

As I recall, I believe that I first got that moniker in November or possibly December 2006, so it is 2 years old now.  I was at NCCC Mall in Davao City one day and had a haircut at Big Tom’s Barbershop there. After my haircut, I was walking around the mall doing a little window shopping, and after I had walked all through the mall, I was ready to go home, so I started walking toward the exit.  Before I made it to the exit, though, somebody came running up from behind me and sort of jumped in front of me.  Honestly, it scared me a little bit, because I was not expecting anybody to jump in front of me like that.  The guy said “Are you Bob?”  “Well, yes,” I responded.  The man kind of looked at me and paused, then asked further, “Mindanao Bob?”  I said, “Well, I guess so.”  And a new nickname was born!

After about 30 seconds, a lady came running and the fellow exclaimed to her, “Yeah, it’s him!”  Hmm… I was feeling kind of strange, and not sure what was going on.  The fellow introduced himself as Scott, and explained to me that he and his wife were regular readers of this site and also my Mindanao Blog (now relaunched as Mindanao Magazine) and it was because of my Mindanao website that Scott came up with the name “Mindanao Bob.”

I had never thought of such a name before, but upon reflection it seemed to kind of fit, because I have had a sort of love affair with Mindanao for many years now.  I fell in love with Mindanao before I even set foot on the Island, in 1990.  When I was flying over Mindanao to land for the first time in General Santos City, just looking at the scenery, the lay of the land, I felt a special feeling in my heart, and it has only grown over the years.  So, to me, it was kind of a special thing to be called “Mindanao Bob” for the first time.  After that, I told the story a few times, and people picked up on the name, and it stuck.

Now, there is another thing that kind of ties in with this.  My haircut.  I never had really short hair until we moved to Davao.  Even when we lived in General Santos, I had longer hair.  Not too long, but much longer than now.  When we moved to Davao, just a couple weeks after arriving, I decided I was going to get a really short haircut.  I told Feyma, and she was not too fond of the idea.  But, I wanted to do it.  Ever since then, I have had the haircut, which I call the “Mindanao Bob Haircut” these days.  My main reason for having extremely short hair is that it is comfortable, and it is also cooler.  The weather can be quite hot here, as we all know, and having such short hair helps keep me feeling cooler, I find.

I get teased by people about my hair being so short, but it’s OK.  The main people that tease me are my kids.  I still tease them, when they are going for a haircut, I always ask, “are you going to get a Mindanao Bob cut?” They laugh at me on the way out the door.  I especially like to tease my daughter, Jean, about this, and she gets a kick out of it.  A while back, Migs wrote an article saying that he gets a “Dos” cut, meaning that the barber uses the “number two” setting on the clippers, which regulates the length of the hair.  Well, for any of you who want to get a “Mindanao Bob cut,” I go with a “Dos” or number 2 on the top, and number 1 on the sides!  Go for it, you won’t regret it!

So, anyway, this is the story of the name “Mindanao Bob” and I’d like to offer my thanks to Scott, if he is still reading, for pinning this moniker on me!  Thanks also to Macky, a regular reader and commenter, who drew my “Mindanao Bob” caricature that you see often on my sites.  That caricature that Macky drew for me is part of the whole “Mindanao Bob” character these days!  Thanks again, guys.

We’ve been here before

It’s a great feeling isn’t it?  P50 for every dollar! Imagine, just a year ago, the dollar was only worth 40 Pesos, and now we have made a huge jump back to P50.  We are not all the way back to where we were a couple of years ago, but it seems to be headed that way.  Remember, we peaked out at a little over P56 to the dollar.  As far as I can recall, we never quite made it to 57, but we got into the mid-56 range before the bottom fell out.

So, indeed, we have been here before.  This is not new territory for us.  But, we should not forget that even when the dollar was at it’s peak, things were not rosy.  The falling peso does create some inconveniences for us expats too.

How is it bad?  Let’s think back and see.

When the Peso was this weak before, the prices of imported products skyrocketed! Of course, how could those prices not skyrocket?  After all, when items are imported from abroad, they must be paid for in foreign currencies, usually the US Dollar.  It is more expensive to buy those dollars now with pesos, so that makes the price of the import higher for us.

In fact, I believe we are about to see a “double whammy” when it comes to import prices.  How?  Let me relate a little story about a particular import that I used to enjoy several years ago.  It was a bottled juice which was imported from the USA.  They had all kinds of flavors.  I particularly enjoyed the cranberry juice and the grapefruit juice.  Those are two types of juices that you cannot get a local equivalent of.  There are lots of good juices here in the Philippines - mango, pomelo, pineapple, etc. - which are all locally harvested and produced, but some of the juices that I drank regularly for most of my life are not available here, and I enjoy having some from time to time.  So, if you want some cranberry juice, you buy an imported product.  On this particular brand of juice, it came in a 1.9 liter bottle.  When I first started drinking the stuff it was just slightly over P100 per bottle.  It rose dramatically as the peso declined in value.  I remember one time when a bottle of this juice was P150 per bottle or so, and in two weeks time we went back to buy more from the same store, and it was P220 per bottle!  That is nearly a 50% price increase in just two weeks.  When it hit P220, I decided that it was a luxury item that I could do without.

Back when the Peso was at it’s weakest, we pretty much decided to give up on almost all imported products and chose to go for local products as much as we possibly could.  Economically, it was simply the way to go.  On some products you would give up a bit of quality by doing this, but in most cases there was not much difference.

As the peso gained strength over the past 2 years or so, a funny thing happened.  Prices of US products did not drop.  Logically, it would seem that these imported products were now cheaper to buy for the merchants, since the peso was worth so much more, so the retail price should go down.  It never did, though.  That P220 bottle of juice stayed at P220 instead of going back down to P150 or so.  I mean, if a product costed $1 for a Philippine company to import, that means it used to cost them P56, and then it only cost them P40, so selling it in Pesos should have reflected a lower retail price too.  They didn’t lower the price, though, electing to take a larger profit instead.

Now that the Peso is at 50 again, do you think that prices on imports will go up more? I think that it’s a virtual certainty.  That’s why I am calling it a “double whammy” - because the import prices were already adjusted for a Peso at 56, never brought down, and now will be adjusted upward again!

So, yes, overall, I am very happy that the dollar is regaining strength against the peso.  But, don’t forget there are downsides too.  Luckily for us, we don’t use many imported products any more, so we won’t be greatly affected.  It’s something for you to watch out for if you live in the Philippines and use a lot of imports.

SIR: In Group

SIR is the basic system that guides Philippine Society, it is the foundation of Filipino Culture.  SIR stands for “Smooth Interpersonal Relations.”  Continuing on with my series of articles about SIR, today I want to look at the first Value that comprises Sir:  In Group.

“In Group” is also known as “Kita” in the Bisaya parts of the country, in other areas it is also known as the “Barkada” system.  Basically it means that Filipino hangs out in a group, rather than individually.  It also means that the individual tends to take on the group dynamic, rather than the group taking on the personality of it’s members.

The study material that I have defines the “In Group” concept this way:

Americans tend to value privacy and individuality.  Filipinos, on the other hand, stress the importance of the group.

When it says “Americans” you can substitute “Westerner” for that.  This study material was written by a Filipino, and the tag “American” tends to apply to all westerners.  I believe that it is true that Europeans and Australians tend to match the Americans when it comes to valuing privacy, and prizing individuality, so making the word substitution is not a big leap.

Because of this group culture, the feeling of the Filipino is that if you shame one person from the group, you shame the whole group.  To cause shame for a Filipino is the worst thing you can possibly do to him.  Now, think about this.  The worst thing that you can do to a Filipino is to cause him shame, and if you cause shame to an individual, you have shamed the entire group.  Let’s say that the group is 10 people.  If you are out in public somewhere and you do something to somebody to cause him shame (i.e. cause him to lose face), you have just shamed this entire group of 10 people.  Suddenly you have 10 people against you!  At this point, each and every one of those Filipinos feels a need to save face, or to recover the pride of the group.  If you are in the wrong sitaution, or against the wrong group, this is a potentially very difficult situation for you.  It could be life threatening, so you need to look out.  Your best thing would have been to avoid this sitaution all along - SIR.

Part of this whole group concept is known as “Pakikisama” which comes from the Tagalog word “kasama” which means companion.  Pakikisama means companionable - in other words the individual conforms to the will of the group so that he can become companionable.  Individuality goes out the door, and the group opinion takes the lead.  The Filipino will do all he can to maintain pakikisama.  However, Pakikisama is really more closely tied to the second tenet of SIR, which we will talk about next time.

If you go to the mall, or go out anywhere around the Philippines, did you ever notice that it is rare to see Filipinos by themselves?  They are almost always in large groups, or at a minimum with another person.  In my business here, I often get frustrated that if I send a person to go to do a certain job for me, they always want to bring along another employee with them.  A job that can easily be done by a single person almost always takes two people, because of the need not to be alone.  Over the years, my employees and I have kind of reached a middle ground - I am more willing to let them do things in pairs (or more), and they are also willing to do things alone when need be.

If you go to a restaurant here, you always see big groups of people dining.  In the States, probably the most common sight in a restaurant would be a couple, followed by a single person, I’d say.  It is very rare to see a single person dining in a restaurant here in the Philippines.

Anyway, this is a look at the first part of the SIR system - “In Group”

News Headline

Filipinos love to shorten words, come up with combinations of words and such in ways that make me crack up.  Frankly, I guess that some of the stuff that they come up with would crack up just about any westerner.  Most of the time, I don’t think that Filipinos make up these names and such in ways that are meant to be humerous, they just are not used to the same meanings for certain phrases that we are, and that is why we see humor, even when they are very serious.

Ever since we moved here in 2000, there has been a movement to modify the Constitution of the Philippines.  Mostly, a lot of people want to put the Philippines under a Parliamentary System of Government instead of a US-style Presidential system, which they have now.  So, the process to change the Constitution is also known (more widely) as “Charter Change.”

How do you think most Filipinos call Charter Change? Cha Cha! Yep, just like the dance!  I guess it makes sense… Charter Change.  Adds a little life to the process, don’t you think?

Now, under the Philippine Constitutions there are two methods that can be followed to Change the Constitution:  Constitutional Convention or Constituent Assembly.  Wait until you see how those two processes are shortened!

Here is a headline in a major Philippine Newspaper this past weekend:

“LP (Liberal Party) is for Con-Con, not Con-Ass”

Ha ha…  Con Ass? Yes, I kid you not.  Con Ass is the name commonly used for “Constituent Assembly”!  It cracks me up every time I read it.  And, it is used in all seriousness too.

Almost everything has a “code name” so to speak.  Just look at the short newspaper headline above, just in that one sentence there are three:  LP, Con-Con and Con-Ass.

The President is GMA.  The former Speaker of the House is JDV.  A City Government is called an LGU (Local Government Unit).  Compostela Valley Province is ComVal.  Everything has some kind of moniker.

Do you know some of these monikers that you find humorous?  If so, share them with us in the comments below, I’d love to hear them!

Let me just say this…. if the Con-Ass does come about, it will really be something to watch!

Missing the big stuff

A lot of times, people from back in the States, or other parts of the world will ask me when they meet me - “Is there anything you miss from back home?”  Or, people who follow me on the Internet will often e-mail me before they are coming to visit the Philippines, one of the things that they almost always ask me is - “Can I bring you anything that you need there?”  I always appreicate people being so thoughtful, but my normal answer is that there is really nothing I need which I can’t get here.  That is generally true, although I guess usually there are a few items that perhaps would be nice to get ahold of.  For the most part, though, everything we need or want is available in Davao.

While I can think of a few items that we can’t get here, I have lived here long enough that I am not still feeling that I am desperately needing those items.  When we first moved here, there was a lot of stuff that we could not find here and felt that we really needed.  Over the years, though, you get used to not having those things, and thus you don’t need them anymore either.

Lately, there is one thing that I have found myself really missing.  Nothing critical, but just a little pet peave I suppose.  What I am talking about is being able to get large sizes of various items that you want or need.  A few of the items that I am thinking of are things like Shampoo and other such items.  In the States, if you would buy a bottle of shampoo, you generally had enough shampoo for you and your wife to wash your hair for a month or more.  If you made a habit of shopping at one of the “big box” stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, a bottle of shampoo might last you for several months, maybe even 6 months, as the packages at these places are “industrial size.”  Here in the Philippines, you’re going to get something different though.

Most people here buy “sachet” packs of shampoo.  I hate the things.  If you don’t know what a sachet is, it is generally enough shampoo to wash your hair only one or perhaps two times.  Think of like a little plastic package of ketchup that you would get at McDonald’s or some other fast food place - that is the type of pack that a sachet is.  If you buy a bottle of shampoo instead of a sachet, it is generally still only enough for you and your wife to wash your hair for a week or so.  Certainly not very long!  Sure, you can buy a dozen sachet packs, or even a hundred if you like.  I find it a pain, though.  I would like to have the option to buy a large sized bottle of shampoo in the store, but it’s not available.

Last week, Feyma was going grocery shopping, and I told her I needed a stick of deoderant.  What she brought home was a deoderant that was maybe 1/3 the size of what you would buy in the States, and the 1/3 sized bottle was only half full, to make it look bigger than it actually was!  If I could buy a big size, I find it more economical, less of a hassle, just better all around.  Maybe it’s an American thing, but even if it is, it’s something I miss here.

These sachets are not just for shampoo either, that is just the example that I am using in this article.  Lots and lots of products are sold in “single use” sachet packs.  I just find that this complicates life, makes you feel like you are constantly having to run to the store to get another sachet of whatever it is you need.  Yes, there is a solution - just buy more on each trip, but it is just a little nit picky thing that tends to get under my skin.

Sachets are great for travel where you need a supply for a single use, and don’t want to carry around a weeks supply for a 2 day trip.  For regular home use, though… it’s not for me!

Of course, the reason for these single use products is because a lot of people here can’t afford to buy a six month supply of shampoo in a single bottle.  I understand and accept that.  Just thinking about little inconveniences that are a hassle, and this is one of them.

What do you think?  Are sachets a convenience, or a hassle?

Moving to Bukidnon to Retire

Today’s Guest Column is from our friend, Jim Cunningham.  Jim and his wife, Marilou are soon to embark on a trip to a new life.  In just a day or two they will move permanently to Talakag, Bukidnon.  Jim retired just a couple of months ago, and this trip is something that he has been anticipating for quite some time now.  All the best of luck to Jim and Marilou as they embark on their journey toward retirement.

The last two months have been a blur in so much that there has been so much to do pending our imminent move to come and retire in Bukidnon.

Since leaving our respective jobs at the end of September  Marilou and I have hardly had a minute to call our own. From arranging our container to be shipped and visiting the Philippine Embassy in London to obtain my visa as well as travelling to Germany at the invitation of my former employer.

For me the travelling started the week before I officially retired. I had arranged to attend a meeting in Budapest, Hungry as part of a European Union joint venture between my company in the UK and companies in Hungry, Lithuania and Germany. This joint initive is to foster  relations between European companies in order to solve workplace problems using multicultural thinking. Although this venture started last year and I knew I would not see it to its conclusion I could not give up my interest just because I was due to retire. If I’m still in the UK next year when the project concludes I will attend the last seminar in Frankfurt as the whole process has been so interesting.

The following and last week of working I travelled with a colleague to Hemel Hempstead on the outskirts of London with me driving I may add, almost 600 miles there and back in the same day. Enough of the boasting it was all in the name of work and nothing out of the ordinary for me at least. That week culminated in a presentation in our company premises on the Friday and a fine dinner organised by my colleagues where I was given lots of farewell gifts too numerous to mention. However one gift I must mention was from the brother of my sales manager and good friend David Mackenzie. David’s brother Murdo a fellow Scot wrote a Bagpipe tune especially for me called “Jim’s Farwell to Peterlee” he even recorded it on a CD so I could play it every New Year and cry into my whiskey.

Not to be outdone Marilou was being given the royal treatment by her colleagues at Durham University Business School where she has been the Editor for the MBA and MA Distance Learning Faculty or almost 18 years. Her farewell concluded with a lunch with all her colleagues and I’m lead to believe lots of tears were spilt.

Having worked in Peterlee in the region of East Durham for almost 18 years you can begin to imagine I have met a lot of people as Works Director of BHK(UK)Ltd as well as Chairman of East Durham Development Agency, Chairman of the Joint Executive of East Durham Business Services, Member of the Board of Governors of East Durham College and latterly Chairman of the East Durham Engineering Forum. You guessed it, yes they all wanted to say their farewells with a dinner and presentation. To be honest this has played havoc with my normally average waistline and not wishing to offend anyone I will have to get stuck into my gardening duties when I get to Talakag in order to get back to something like normal otherwise none of the clothes I currently have will fit me.

As I previously mentioned Marilou and I have had our share of travelling over the last few weeks. My former boss and joint owner of the BHK Group of Companies Peter Kottmann invited Marilou and myself over to Buren Germany for yet another farewell dinner. As usual we took the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam as this has always been my preferred method of travelling when visiting our HQ or customers on the continent. The drive from Rotterdam to Buren was uneventful apart from my customary clearing of the carbon from my engine as soon as we crossed the Dutch border and I was able to let my Mercedes hit 130MPH at least for a few miles. Marilou’s eyes were firmly fixed on the rubber mat at her feet I might add during this part of the journey.

The dinner that evening was superb with all the Kottmann family whom I have the greatest respect for in attendance along with all my good friends and colleagues within the company. During the course of the evening after the numerous speeches and presentations the Kottmann family sprung a surprise on Marilou and I by giving us a three day break in Berlin in a 5* hotel and a chauffeur driven tour of the city. Berlin was till then the only large German city I had not visited and the visit was superb as the Chauffeur was very knowledgeable and took us everywhere of any significance a truly wonderful city to visit. We could have done with spending a whole week there especially to see the museums which are magnificent.

Whilst driving back to Buren we decided to  pass through Potsdam and now we know where all the German tax payer’s money is going as everywhere we drove building works were going on. Continuing our journey back to Buren Marilou informed me that since we had already de-coked the engine previously there would be no need for a repeat performance as she wished to reach Talakag in one piece to retire.

Following our household effects being packed and the container being loaded for shipment to the Philippines the next day we were off to London this time by Coach (Bus) Marilou had still not forgiven me for the autobahn episode. We left Peterlee at 11.30pm and arrived in London like a bag of rags at 6.30am. I just hate buses they are like aircraft only slower with the same legroom. The weather in London was nice to compensate for the journey so we had breakfast then strolled along Buckingham Palace Road and took the customary pictures outside the big house on the corner, you know the one with the fancy railings and personal security guards in red tunics and hairy hats. Then it was up the Mall to Trafalgar Square and more sightseeing and picture taking. The Philippine Embassy is just off Trafalgar Square so it was easy to find and I must add a much more imposing dwelling for the Ambassador that the former one. The visa processing went very smoothly as we had to book an appointment previously with the Consul so no waiting. The consulate staff could not have been more helpful so just after lunchtime we were once again tourists wandering around the Smoke as it was once called. We took the chance to visit the Portrait Gallery and rub shoulders with Van Gogh, Rubens and Picasso to mention a few.

After walking around aimlessly and finding, yes you’ve guessed a Filipino Cafe we enjoyed coffee and cake, it was still too early for dinner. The bus did not leave London till 11.30 that evening by that time both of us has sore feet and even the bus was appealing by then. (Never again).

Last night Thursday 20th November saw the last formal dinner in our honour which was held in the old college premises of Howletch in Peterlee. The reason why I say old is pre the farewell dinner we had a tour around the new college facility that has newly been completed as part of a 35Million£ rejuvenation project for education facilities in East Durham. How proud I was to see this project completed during my tenure as a governor of the college. Incidentally the dinner, company and the gifts were superb and Marilou and I retreated home once again knowing my waist was nearing danger level.

Tomorrow sees the last of our dinning out experiences as we will go out with someone I have known since his birth as his father is a long time colleague and friend from my days in Scotland where it all began for me in the panel/furniture industry. Unfortunately his father cannot be with us due to work commitments in Birmingham, Alabama but I will be thinking of him as he eventually gets the bill from his son.

So as you can see moving to the Philippines has not an easy task in fact it’s been damn hard work but when I reflect back early planning was a god send its only a pity that the GB Pound took a dive recently but being the eternal optimist I’m sure it will come full circle again and like the canny Scotsman I am, I made contingency plans to cover shall we say the longer term future. So here’s to an England past and a Philippine future god and friends willing.

Series: SIR? Yes Sir!

SIR is the basis on which Philippine Society functions.  It is the very foundation of Philippine Culture.  It is also something that most foreigners don’t understand, even if they try.  I don’t fully understand it, although I have a pretty good understanding of SIR, I think, but there is always a need to learn more about a topic that is so important that it dictates how you need to live your life if you are living the Philippines.  If you can’t grasp SIR to some extent, and at least make some effort to live your life in a way that is compatible with SIR, you probably won’t be very happy Living in the Philippines.

Who is this “SIR” that I am talking about?  Actually, it’s not a person, it is a lifestyle, a culture.  SIR stands for Smooth Interpersonal Relations.  It is the main building block, the foundation of how Philippine Society operates.  “Smooth” being part of the name, let’s say that SIR is the way that things are kept “Smooth” in the society.  SIR dictates how a person should act, how others should be treated, where your place is in society, how to interact with others, just about everything about life in the Society of the Philippines.

Many foreigners like you and I may just laugh this off, think that the culture of the Philippines is inferior to Western culture, etc.  But, if you plan to live in the Philippines, it’s best to put that attitude behind you, and at least try to adopt to the accepted culture of your new home.  If you choose not to, it could cost you your life in extreme cases.  So, I don’t laugh off SIR, I believe it is something that I should learn more about, and show deference to.

Last year, AmericanLola wrote an article on this site about SIR.  She had been to a conference where Intercultural relationships were discussed, and she told us a little about SIR. For those who don’t know who AmericanLola is, she is an American who lived in the Philippines for over 20 years, as I recall.  She is currently on a sort of haitus from the LiP site, and from the Philippines.  She is back in the States, but she expects to return to the Philippines sometime next year, and I fully expect that she will return to writing on LiP at that time too.

Recently, my teacher, Bebe Metillo gave me two sets of papers about Philippine Culture.  One of the items spelled out the Eight Basic Cultural Values that make up SIR.  The other item she gave me goes into more detail in explaining cultural norms in the Philippines.  When I looked over these materials I immediatley thought back to AmericanLola’s attendence at the conference about SIR, something which I had kind of forgotten about.  I believe that AmericanLola and I may be using the same materials, because AmericanLola also has some relationship with the group that Bebe works with too.  Whether the materials are the same or not, I find this subject to be very enlightening.

Many of the aspects of SIR are things that I already knew about.  But, in reading the materials, I find that new concepts are introduced that I had not understood or thought of before.  This particularly happens when concept A and concept B are then related to each other, which creates a whole new concept.  I may have understood A and B, but never considered how they interacted with each other to create totally new concepts.  In reading these things, I find that I can look back and see how these dynamics were present in different situations that I have experienced in my time living in the Philippines.  I believe that learning this to a deeper extend, and applying these things to my life as much as I can will have a positive effect on my future of living in the Philippines.

So, what are the 8 Basic Cultural Values that make up SIR?

1. In Group
2. Ability to get along
3. Shame, Loss of Face
4. Debt of Gratitude
5. Go-Between
6. Self-Esteem, Self-Worth
7. Compadre/Kinship System
8. Time-Event

In the coming series of articles, I will address each of these Values, how they work, and how they interact with each other.  I will also address things that we, as foreigners may not understand.

So, consider this as the first article in a series of articles that I will be writing about SIR over the next couple of weeks.  I won’t write about this every day, some might find the subject boring, but I will write a number of articles on this over time.  If you find that you have questions about SIR, ask away!  If I don’t know the answer, I will ask Bebe about it and will get back to the discussion with her answer.  She teaches the subject in school, after all, so she has expertise on this, and would be happy to share it.

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Announcement: I have launched a new website that I want to tell you about.  For any of you who are interested in Davao City and the Davao Region, you might enjoy visiting my new site!  WowDavao is now launched as a Davao City Portal.  It features all kinds of information about visiting Davao.  Davao Restaurant Reviews, Davao City Coffe Shops, Safety in Davao, Shopping in Davao, and lots of other such information.  Give it a look and see what you think.  As with any new site, it is not a huge wealth of information yet, but it will grow as time goes by, and I hope it becomes one of the best repositories of information about Davao on the web!  Have a look!