Nomads in Asia

Stuff yourself in the Jeepney and hold on for the ride

The Philippines was a great place to start out trip. Starting from the fact that everyone spoke great English, to the easygoing attitude and quirky sense of humor most people possessed.  As we moved to Malaysian Borneo, I thought about some of the most interesting things we heard and saw in our conversations:

• A lady rushing outside her house with a soup bowl to offer me lunch and telling me to take a break while biking in Siquijor.  (I must’ve looked like a wreck)
• People sayings “you have a great president” after hearing we’re from the US. How I missed this one for the last nine years.

• Asking if the oysters are fresh at Lab As restaurant (our favorite in the Philippines) in Dumaguete, and having the waiter smile and say “our oysters are alive”.  And confirming this in the taste and the fish tank later.

• Guy offering special “Filipino price” on trinkets, which I later notices was 10x the store price.

• Having a chat with a father and son team who ran a convenience store and gas station (which in siquijor equaled a stack of old bottles of coke filled with gas”.  Having the 70+ year father tell me, convinced that the giant sequoias of California are one of the seven wonders of the world.  (he couldn’t be convinced otherwise, so we let him stay with it.

• An old lady running a store asking “Are you part Filipino?” and the continuing later “because you’re very handsome”.  I’ll take my compliments wherever I can get them.

• “You don’t look like you’re from California? They have blond hair and blue eyes. “  (yes, and the streets are also paved with gold)

• Bars names like  “HayHay” and “Whynot”.  Why not?.

• The most soulfull version of Sean Kingston’s 911 (a huge hit here)  that make them sound like love ballads,  sang by a passerby.

• Manny Fever, which virtually shut down Manila for a whole day. (good thing he won).

Good times.  Thank you Philippines.

Here’s a photo montage of our Philippine experience: