Today is my Grandma's 88 birthday.
It'll be nice celebrating with extended family.
Grandpa said this morning when my
sister and I were young, he used to make us chocolate oatmeal, and
we'd sit and eat together. He's making some now, and just like when I
was young, we will sit together and eat.
It's almost dinner time, and family is
starting to show up. It's always strange meeting extended family
because they (like all Filipinos) approach American's differently.
Not in a hostile sense. They are just very timid. For example, I've
been staying in my Grandma's room during my stay here and there is
always at least one care giver in the room (which, by the way,
they've done an amazing job. My grandma's skin looks great – no
skin tears or pressure sores.) They won't speak to me unless I speak
first and it's always very polite and formal.
It's a strange culture here. You can
see traces of western influence everywhere. In Oregon, most of the
places I've worked have fostered a more informal work dialogue. My
superiors prefer their first name. Speech is much less formal. Here,
in the Philippines, it seems like a throwback to 1950's Americana.
Lot's of “sirs” and “madam’s.” I have yet to hear a “yeah”
or a “nah.” I'm not saying it's a good or bad thing, just
different.
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