Why I Like the Philippines Part I

Some things I have added or re-emphasized in my 'This is what Filipinos are like' reference guide:

Text messaging. They claim they text more than anyone else in the world, much less Asia. I was at dinner with my Ninangs (godparents) who are easily in their 60s and they were going nuts at the dinner table with the texting like 14 year olds trying to vote for their favorite American Idol.

Light rock heaven. Basically, songs that are good for karaoking. More on this later.

Uniforms for everything. Nice ones, too. College kids in intramural basketball have clean pressed, custom designed basketball unis with their names on the back and everything.

Immaculate laundry. I am told the local Tide rep says the Philippine market is the hardest one to crack because everyone is so picky. People hardly use washing machines here, paying instead to have their mades or laundry people handwash everything. Everyone's t-shirts are always ironed (Look for the tight crease on the sleeves) and when you stay in a hotel - even a fairly cheap one - you can be pretty assured the bedspreads and blankets are going to be washed (unlike just about any hotel you stay in in the U.S.)

Eating is part of Filipino culture FOR SURE. Awesome food. Give anyone here a sauceapan/skillet and a hot plate, and you can have a gourmet meal in minutes.

Did I mention that Filipinos are EXCELLENT at cooking and eating? My food intake today (it's 10:45am right now):

Pre-breakfast merienda (snack)
Meatballs made by wrapping meatball meat around quail eggs. (It's like meatball with a mini delicious hard boiled egg inside)
- Pandesal (fresh sweatbread rolls)

Breakfast
- Rice
- Salted fish
- Menudo (Pinoi style. Pork and raisins sauteed in a tomato-based sauce with pineapple added for sweetness)
- Breakfast meat (local Spamlike substance. Milder and better than the real thing)
- Fresh Papaya
- San Miguel 3 in 1 (Instant coffee with the right amount of sugar and powdered cream premixed in)

Writing this to you from an Internet cafe where the going rate is 20P (around 40 cents) an hour to use the gear.