Filipino Hospitality
I agree that when it comes to hospitality, Filipinos emerge to the top. You can never see a more cheerful demeanor from the other nationalities. Perhaps it's our nature to be courteous and smiling till our facial muscles ached!
I went to Starbucks the other day just to buy my usual green tea latte. I went in line and noticed about 3 foreigners ahead of me. The barista took their orders while they're still waiting in line and so I prepared myself and waited for my turn. But the barista never took my order! And so I waited further till I was already right in front of the cashier. To my slight dismay, that's the only time they bothered to take my order. After paying the cashier, I observed the people behind me. There were about a couple of Filipinos after me who also suffered the same fate. Whereas I could see the barista rushing over to get the order for the tall blonde who was right after the 2 Filipinos behind me.
What does this tell us? It might seem such a small thing that can easily be overlooked but if you think about it there is something wrong with this picture.
Going back to colonial times, we've been under both Spanish and American rule. In a way, we've regarded these white people as the "superior race" and sadly that mentality stuck. I don't see anything wrong in rendering extra hospitality but to discriminate that between your fellow countryman and a foreigner is I believe not a very wise act. We've been discriminated enough in other countries already, do we also need to feel like an underdog in our own country?
No wonder our race is taken advantage most of the time as we seem to lack the ability and confidence to uplift our nationalism. Sad to say, the freedom that our heroes had fought for so hard hundred years ago has only gone to mere waste.
I went to Starbucks the other day just to buy my usual green tea latte. I went in line and noticed about 3 foreigners ahead of me. The barista took their orders while they're still waiting in line and so I prepared myself and waited for my turn. But the barista never took my order! And so I waited further till I was already right in front of the cashier. To my slight dismay, that's the only time they bothered to take my order. After paying the cashier, I observed the people behind me. There were about a couple of Filipinos after me who also suffered the same fate. Whereas I could see the barista rushing over to get the order for the tall blonde who was right after the 2 Filipinos behind me.
What does this tell us? It might seem such a small thing that can easily be overlooked but if you think about it there is something wrong with this picture.
Going back to colonial times, we've been under both Spanish and American rule. In a way, we've regarded these white people as the "superior race" and sadly that mentality stuck. I don't see anything wrong in rendering extra hospitality but to discriminate that between your fellow countryman and a foreigner is I believe not a very wise act. We've been discriminated enough in other countries already, do we also need to feel like an underdog in our own country?
No wonder our race is taken advantage most of the time as we seem to lack the ability and confidence to uplift our nationalism. Sad to say, the freedom that our heroes had fought for so hard hundred years ago has only gone to mere waste.
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