Have you ever been to the Philippines? I was born there and I still continue to live there except now I’m working in another Asian island. Like most places, the country has its good and bad sides. Well, as of late, mostly bad. I’ve always been curious about what other people think about the islands. Feel free to tell me what’s on your mind.
If you have any questions about the country, I’d be glad to answer them, too. Examples: Are we an island of dog eaters? No. Although in one part of the country (up north), a small mountain tribe regularly cooks the poor animal as part of their prehistoric tradition. Is adobo (a chicken or pork dish or a combination of both cooked with vinegar and soy sauce) yummy? Absolutely. What about balut (aborted duck eggs as seen on one episode of Fear Factor)? Tasted it once when I was a kid but it absolutely looks disgusting.
What exactly is an “aborted” duck egg? And why would someone wish to eat it?
I’ve never been out to the islands in the Pacific, and most of my limited knowledge of the area comes from either stories I remember from an old schoolmate who was born in the Philippines, or from a few Vietnam veterans.
Suffice it to say, neither exposure has been very positive… unless, of course, I were in the market for a prostitute :rolleyes:
Duck farmers harvest eggs with half-born ducklings in them, boil them in a salty solution and people eat the baby duckling, feathers, webbed feet and all. They look like aborted babies I swear. Everyone i’ve talked to swear how delicious those things are but i personally dislike them.
Prostitutes. Yes, we do have them lovely ladies. Most of them come from poor provinces whose parents couldn’t afford to send them to school, etc. In fact, I’m planning to meet one of them for a friendly dinner as soon as I finish my stint in this other country where I’m at. Okay, now that I can afford it, maybe I’ll get three. I’m just kidding.
Well, I guess you couldn’t blame them for making the most of the situation… but blech!
I wouldn’t think the feathers were digestible though.
Prostitutes are present everywhere, the world’s oldest profession and all. It’s sort of alarming though that, without fail, every serviceman I’ve spoken to that has done a stint in that area of the world waxes fondly for the hookers.
After a few of the stories, I must admit, it’s made me curious. Not quite curious enough to actually consider it, but if I were ever in the area…
The feathers are downy and soft. So are the ladies.
Stories abound (as shown on some local TV specials) about some servicemen actually marrying local bar girls. A few have led happy lives. Most have abandoned their Amerasian kids.
Hmmm… yes, we do know about Hawaii (and it being part of the US). Alas, most of the things I know about Hawaii I got from watching Hawaii Five-O when I was a kid. But I remember reading somewhere about how a bunch of Filipinos immigrated to Hawaii a long time ago (as far back as 1906) as plantation workers. There’s a big successful Filipino community now in the island, and if I’m not mistaken the governor of Hawaii is a Filipino American.
I think they just celebrated their 100th anniversary here. Ben Cayetano served two terms and left office in 2002 I think.
The reason I asked is a whole lot of Filipinos are coming here to work as nurses having gone through courses back in the Philipines. They also come here in large numbers to work here throughout our economy. In fact most of my coworkers came here in the last 20 years from there. I was wondering if Hawaii is a destination for them in and of itself being a part of the US and also tropical. Or if their goal is to work in the US and Hawaii just happens to be a choice some of them choose.
Oh, now I get it. It’s more of the latter I guess. Some I suppose wouldn’t care if they were shipped to Alaska as long as it’s part of the good old US of A. I’d rather be in Brazil.
Ex-serviceman here, although I won’t be waxing fondly about the hookers. I was on the same amphibious WESTPAC as Robert Clark Young when he gathered the material to write One of the Guys, but a thread about the PI doesn’t have to be about prostitution any more than one about Chicago has to be about Vienna Beef hot dogs.
IMHO, the Philippines are as much a tropical paradise as the Hawaiian islands, except there are thousands of square miles more of them.
The Phillipine people hare the nicest, most light-hearted people one earth, much more than people from much richer nations who could be expected to bear life’s burdens more easier.
Given their poverty, the people of the Philippines have an amazing literacy rate and in business an entreprenurial spirit that would melt Milton Freidman’s heart (if he had one). If there was a chess match between a Philippino and a Russian, I would bet on the Philippino.
