[slang]

Before I reply I'd like to say thanks for you quick responses. I'm very curious about your trip here and to hear about specific experiences.

Originally Posted by SparkStalker

I hope that wasn't it...it was always guys.

Well, there is an unusually large community of gays there but it sounds like that was not the case for you.

The Tagalog word for gay is "ba-ding" and they always try to catch my attention. Most likely just because I'm a foreigner, American, and they assume that my opinion of gays is better than the locals.

In any case, they fling their hair, batt their eyes and even take their tops down a bit. The gay men here seem to have quite large breasts medically, I'm assuming.

We've got a few in the family here. It's a very interesting community, I'll say that.

No Zippy, I'm not a switch hitter.

Originally Posted by SparkStalker

It could very well have been. It was just a bit off-putting...and when I did speak to them, they seemed really nervous. I'm not a big guy by any means, so I doubt it was my intimidating physical presence.

Ok, this is making more sense to me. If you came here without any family or friends that are pinoy, no natives walking with you, they are cautious but friendly.

Many of the first conversations that I had with people in this neighborhood were very cautious. There is a strong colonial mentality here and they are overall a bit passive.

Most have been verbally abused or embarassed by some foreigner at one time or another. Let's face it, their country is not nearly as developed as western countries. They feel that with new foreigners.

Another point is that they generally understand much more English than they can speak. Most are aware of their accent.

Many had thanked me in our second and third meeting for not being rude or making fun of them for living here in this culture. That many of the normal things for them everyday are somehow unacceptable by the Americans.

I've found this to be true with other Americans visiting the native areas. It's much different here in many ways. Some of those ways are scary.

So, back to your experience, I can imagine them wanting to be friendly to you, to maybe learn from you and to make a new friend. At the same time they might be nervous because you have no direct connection, say your wife growing up in the Phils, so you might have a bad impression of them for the condition of the country compared to the US.

Please understand me....all non-white Americans, if you are white in the Phils, you are a priviledged minority.

That's not to say that all other variations of Americans are not appreciated there but the whites have privilidge.

So, I cant imagine them keeping an eye on your for fear of you stealing something or the like. Curiosity most likely IMO.

Originally Posted by SparkStalker

It was an interesting place. I probably would have enjoyed it more had it been at a different time in life. But unfortunately, it came up shortly after my mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. That really put a damper on my excitement to be there.

I'm so sorry to hear that. In that same situation my excitement would be gone as well.

My mother passed very slowly years ago with various cancers. It was the most difficult emotional event in my life.

Originally Posted by SparkStalker

It's definitely good for the people there. Apparently, a degree is required to work in the call centers that my wife visited. It's a strange thought...over here, the call centers are usually staffed by the people not quite cut out for higher education.

We have nieces and nephews that work in them. They love it and although they have bachelor degrees or above it's a very viable option here for a career. Not at all like the US.

There are two very important factors to being employed there. Their job is to offer technical assistance for a variety of IT and engineering type tasks, so having a tech degree is a must. The other must is the use and understanding of the English language.

Yes, it is true, in the US if you have hit bottom, you're only option might be a call center job.

In those cases though, the position is just as a salesperson on the phone. The call centers here in the Phils are often tech assistance centers to be more accurate.

There are tons of ads in the papers here that if you can pass the English test ( I think it's called the TOFEL) then you can get a position selling on the phone.

I wouldnt encourage any of our family here to do that. Those people have done nothing but irritate me over the years. They bring very little value to the world IMO.

For those that have English skills though, I suppose it's better than what life has to offer here.