Philippine Surprises

[TeapotGirl 66]

Wow fish here has the head on, esp when caught fresh from the ocean. Also we get the shrimp with the head too. The one thing here is that no one mistakes me for being Filipino here, but in PI I get spoken to in Tagalog all the time.

my fiance hates that he still needs to peel off the shrimp.

[Hank_ 9,174]

I have no issue with the head being on the fish or shrimp. Just the same rarely has a shrimp hit my plate with it still there... someone spoils me... now that takes some getting used to.

Edited November 26, 2011 by Hank_Amy

[B_J 2,752]

I am not sure about the very poor and not educated. I met rich and educated people who cannot speak Tagalog properly. There are still many places in the Philippines where English and their respective native languages is preferred over Tagalog. They may understand Tagalog but speaking and fluency is a different story. I personally know people like this. Has more to do with tradition than education and financial status.

I agree with you about people not speaking Tagalog. I encountered many people who rarely spoke Tagalog; and they admitted to not speaking Tagalog well. They were able to understand Tagalog on TV; but they spent most of their daily lives speaking either Bisaya or English, when talking to Americans. Maybe, since they didn't speak Tagalog well, they chose not to so that they wouldn't be labeled as poor or uneducated.

[Kang 22]

I agree with you about people not speaking Tagalog. I encountered many people who rarely spoke Tagalog; and they admitted to not speaking Tagalog well. They were able to understand Tagalog on TV; but they spent most of their daily lives speaking either Bisaya or English, when talking to Americans. Maybe, since they didn't speak Tagalog well, they chose not to so that they wouldn't be labeled as poor or uneducated.

It's really a matter of local environment, for most part. It doesn't help that many people who are fluent in Tagalog mock those who are not so good, especially when they speak heavily accented Tagalog. In attempt to escape the ridicule, they do not speak Tagalog.