One of the first things that we have to be comfortable when we arrived New Zealand were the commonly used VOCABULARIES. We ordered a meal at an Asian food shop and the staff asked, " eat here or take away ". It was easy to understand what she meant as there was a previous phrase to consider "eat here or " although we expected to hear "take out " ... There were more terms to consider ... tap for faucet, cupboard for the usual cabinet, tram for train or top up to mean adding credit to one's mobile account. When the flat manager made her orientation on the night of our arrival she was talking of "whites" which somehow included the refrigerator, stove top with oven, washing machine, microwave and etc. Flat was what could have been called an apartment unit where we were to stay. The weather was cold and there was not much use for the word aircon or a/c; or brown out ( black out) as there was no power outages. Although when caught unaware I am still comfortable saying ay/ oy and opps. Somehow I learned to use toilet rather than comfort room. Otherwise, personally I continue to say ... ref ... aray instead of ouch ...ahh ching to sneeze ... start a statement with actually if I want to stress a point ... associate a DOM for a rich, elderly man who offers indecent proposals, calls OA the drama queens and princesses, but would rather NOT go TNT if worst turns to worst. When lavishly praised, I feel more comfortable to say ... di naman ... yet a thank you is always ready for any kind words.
What I never dared to use even when I was home were these terms: Colgate, Kutex, and Betamax for their generic names. Being called hoy and a pssst simply upsets me. I only typed pssst when I playfully get someone's attention in the chat but do not actually say it. I loved my very first New Zealand boss' accent, and I just could not take my eyes off her lips when we talk ... when I listened to conversations in public, I realized the locals normally sounds like asking a question when they end a phrase - yet it makes me feel weird listening to my friends trying so hard to mimic the local accent - it just does not sound right. It is better to be natural and I made it a rule just for myself. Correct gender is a must in every sentence but I do have the tendency to interchange the pronouns especially when the conversation get going fast. At work, I do ask the residents/patients " do you want me to close the light ? " or would you like your lights on or off?
As to Home Furnishings: I did go around looking for a tabo and I got mine for NZ$3.00 which translates to Php 90.00. You bet, I do not leave my dipper wherever I go and surely every Filipino woman could imagine what I use it for unless they do not do it for themselves. Life would not be the same without a video microphone - it is part of my treasured possession. I may not have a fly swat but I do roll a newspaper to hit all the flies that catches my sight. Rice dispenser can just be anything but a rice cooker is definitely indispensable.
Icons and religious portraits are not found in my place. Quilted covers on appliances I do not bother anymore as I do not get much dust here.The big wooden fork and spoon was never a part of my wall even when I was home and a pail is definitely an extra useless item in the bathroom here. What I found hard to handle, harder than the vacuum cleaner was the local broom ... it is too bulky and heavy.
Mannerisms/Personality Traits: I do nod my head upwards to greet someone and kiss relatives and friends when seeing them in a certain place. What I wanted doing is kissing the hands in blessing like what I used to do to my old folks when I was very young . I love the sun, unfortunately the sun dehydrates me too easily and gives me chills at night. I am not very gracious as to be offering my food to everybody, but I do share my M and Ms and Eclipse mints. I got my mother's name for a middle name yes and I do have my own way of scratching my head for some reasons not just on the chat windows but in person as well. I am comfortable hugging my gay friends and walk with them arm to arm ... but I prefer to be held by the waste rather than carry anyone's arms on my shoulders .... ngehhhh heavy . As my personal rule I never sit on bowls of public toilets neither do I squat over it and I never flushed the toilet with my feet.
I do twirl my pen between my fingers ( I do not know why). One lesson I have known by heart from my childhood is never to waste food and I do squeezed my toothpaste tube paper thin. I do not mind sending money to relatives or friends in the Philippines for as long as it is not dictated on me. I do not mind leaving my shoes at the door if it must spare my host's carpet getting soiled. I am confident having to use my fingers to measure the water when cooking rice rather than using the measuring cup. I do use grocery bags to hold the rubbish. It makes me uncomfortable to have someone pay for my dinner bill more I mind paying for others bills unless I invited them and offered a treat. I do not bother passing messages although I do make it a point to say something to a friend if just to let them know I care.
FAMILY AND RELATIVES: Most of my relatives are in the medical field, I am a nurse and so are most of my cousins.others are in business but not real estate. I may venture into it someday ... it is my wish. Friends call me with a name that is repeated but I can do with just one syllable of it. I know my relatives till the third degree but we were never as closely knitted. My father was definitely not from the navy. Smelling kisses from grandma is one of the things I missed . I did not have the chance to live with my own parents I do not have an idea how call each other. I would prefer to call my partner "Ga" .
FOODS: This category should make me very Filipino and let me tell you how far. I love eating chocolate rice pudding but dried fish has to be a particular specie of fish not just anything for it to be a good morning meal. I am not much of a softdrink user but yes I get it instead of a soda. Fresh pot of hot rice is always appreciated. I will order breakfast item eg., tapsilog,longsilog, tocilog and I missed it already. I may fry Spam and hotdogs and eat them with rice and if I ever bring baon it may be over rice still. I would understand goldilocks mean more than a fairytale character and would bring some of its products if I can. I missed eating purple yam flavored ice cream but I do not go out looking for one. I will put hotdogs in spaghetti, have supply of frozen lumpia in freezer, eat rice for breakfast and definitely prefer my shrimps with the head and legs and even whiskers on it.I do not dip bread in morning coffee, tea or chocolate drink. I am not happy bringing messy things in my bag and that includes hot containers that gets wet with its moisture. I bring energy bars, cookies and the like and yes it is still baon. I used to think that half hatched duck egg ( balut) is delicious but I can not manage to swallow it now. No I am not very fond of halohalo and I do not have an ice shaver. I know that chocolate meat is not made of chocolate but I can not eat it. I do not drink beer but if ever I do I might just have it refrigerated rather that with ice. It alters the taste.
Regardless of what I am or what I will become I am still a Filipino and proud to be one. The prose I AM A FILIPINO by Carlos P. Romulo should inspire everyone with the tinge of Filipino blood in him/her.
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