this entry made me laugh, for all good reason. however, it is a big mistake to draw a parallel comparison of social and domestic lifestyle between the Philippines and Denmark - one will never appreciate another country's ways and culture unless you study and comprehend its grid and structure. okay, she says "15 things she will miss about the Philippines" - but if she manage to endure a 5 to 10 year stay in Denmark, she will definitely appreciate the Scandinavian ways and will see Philippines in a different light.
my unsolicited comments are in red marks - sorry, i just can't help it ... :-)
Countdown to 15 things I miss about the Philippines12/26/07
Posted under Culture
By Lurenda Suplido-Westergaard, M.D.
INQUIRER.net
Editor’s Note: The author migrated to her husband’s Denmark with their toddler just this year.
15. Taking a taxi out of the supermarket — First of all, taking a taxi is very expensive (more about public transport later), but what I really miss is having an attendant actually carry the stuff out, wait with you as you enter the taxi line, and load up the goods. That kind of service doesn’t exist here. Heck, they don’t even give you free shopping bags at the supermarket: You have to bring your own, or they charge you for each one you take.
Taxis in the Philippines is a luxury as shopping in Europe is a luxury enjoyed by a great many. And if I may add, Europeans are wise and conscious shoppers - most of them knows the value and importance of recycling and consumers' impact on our environment.
14. Being able to drive — First, no license. Second, can’t afford to buy a car (at 200-percent tax, never mind). Third, I easily get lost (one open field looks just like any other). Fourth, I can’t imagine myself filling up at a gas station (me holding the gas nozzle? Ewwww!). Fifth, I wouldn’t know what to do if there’s a solid sheet of ice on the windshield.
Driving a car in Europe is a necessity, it is not a luxury. If one cannot manage to take care of their own car, you simply do not buy one. Console yourself that traffic is not as bad as the Philippines - with too many cars with very small roads, and don't forget the pollution.
13. Taking two minutes to dress up Alex in sando (undershirt), shorts, and sandals — Here: underpants, long socks, normal socks, long pants, t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, sweater, gloves, winter coveralls, boots, hood. Minimum: 30 minutes. If he’s not cooperative, this takes an hour. Pagod na ako, hindi pa kami nakakalabas ng pinto (We’ve not gone out the door and already I’m tired)!
People in Europe always dress according to the weather. Unlike the Philippines with only summer and rainy seasons, Scandinavia has winter, spring, summer and fall.
12. Being able to blend in — Almost the entire indigenous population is blonde, and I get a sense that all women are at least 5′8″. People don’t stare (as we do at foreigners in Pinas, out of a naive curiosity rather than rudeness), but it is not possible to just pass through here unnoticed. This is especially uncomfortable for someone with a self-conscious streak. Of course there are deeper issues here: It’s about being in the minority. The last place where I lived abroad for an extended period was Singapore, where I could pass myself off as a local. There are very few Asians from the south, south east, north east, far east. Asia here means near east or middle east (think Turkey and Iran). Naku, the only time I see people of Chinese stock is when I’m in a Chinese restaurant (the waitresses). Here, there’s a Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs, which tells me there are issues that need an entire government department to address.
Believe me, you're hardly noticed - you're just imagining yourself being watched. Denmark is very cosmopolitan in many ways. Next to Amsterdam, your Denmark is the next country who have the most immigrants from Africa, Middle East, China, Japan - and Philippines. You probably need to go out more often to "see" people and "be" with people.
11. Long mall hours — Everything is closed by 6 or 7 p.m. on weekdays, by 3 p.m. on Saturdays. And there’s nothing open on Sundays (except on eight Sundays of the year)! What happened to shopping after work? Or sitting in coffee shops till midnight? I’m told it’s because family life (being at home) is so central to living that commercial establishments have to let their employees go and enjoy it.
Unlike the Philippines, people in Europe "work" for a living, not entirely to "work to live". See the difference? Most Europeans will opt to spend their free time to be with their family and friends after work and not park themselves around the shopping malls killing their precious time. They say that the only "kind" of people hanging around malls all over Europe are those in social welfare with nothing to do but "be seen" round about, spending "their" money to no end until the next social check to come around.
10. People with a more friendly sense of personal space — Having grown up riding jeepneys (and buses on pre-MRT EDSA), I think nothing of being packed like a sardine in public transport, thighs squished together on both sides. One time I sat beside an old man on a public bus, I swear he gave me an elbow (okay, he might have had Parkinson’s). But there was another time when I reached over to press the stop button and the lady beside me raised her arms in a defensive move, like preparing for a karate chop (okay, maybe she was physically abused in the past). In a half-full bus, I see people electing to stay standing. Those who sit together in the two-seater row are friends, not strangers.
Read the newspapers why and you will understand. Danish people feels "invaded" by immigrants that they can't live their lives as they used to, thus the resentment against foreigners, and immigrants. And some immigrants are aware that they "unwanted". I feel that this observation lack common sense and better judgement. Your "Parkinson-comment" is way out-of-line, arrogant and insensitive.
9. Minimum fare of P7.50 — Here it’s P96.00 (that’s on buses/trains where you can have unlimited transfers within two adjacent geographical areas over one hour; but you still pay the same minimum fare even if you’re just going for a five-minute ride).
Europeans normally would opt to walk than ride a bus. The air is fresher in Europe than in the Philippines. It is said that those taking the short 5-minute rides are either old people or the lazy ones.
8. Temperatures above 20 degrees — This is a country where the average annual temperature is seven degrees Celsius. Haaaay! Apat na patong ng damit, nanunuot pa rin ang lamig. Bawiin ang Nobel Peace Prize ni Al Gore (Four layers of clothes and the cold still seeps in. Get back Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize)!
Give yourself a year in Denmark and you'll get yourself acclimatized - you'll soon realize you do not need your layers of clothes to survive a winter day.
7. Policemen — Never thought I’d say this, but I miss seeing policemen, armed security guards, traffic enforcers, and the “friskers” at the entrances of malls and LRT stations. Not that I long for their presence; it’s their absence that is disconcerting. In my one month’s stay here, I swear I’ve only seen one policeman (his partner, the driver of the police car, was female). At the police station where I had to report my presence, the staff were all women. There are lots of cameras on public transportation and highways, still, getting the personal touch is different (hahaha).
Policemen in Denmark are invisible to the good folk but very visible to the bad guys.
6. 12-percent VAT — That sounds good if you now have to pay 25 percent.
Given the high standard of living in Europe, most Europeans are trained to buy bare necessities - things that they need. They buy things that they want to pamper themselves and their lifestyle ... unlike most Filipinos who buy extravagant things they don't really need, it's just to show off.
5. McDo, Pizza Hut, Don Henrico’s, Jollibee, Max’s, and all restaurants who deliver even if you’re just ordering food for one. Corollary to that is having hot meals three times a day (at least). — Here, it’s buttered bread and yoghurt for breakfast, cold cuts sandwich for lunch, and a hot meal for dinner. Ack! Walang ginataang bilu-bilo na meryenda sa umaga at walang pancit malabon na meryenda sa hapon (No Filipino snacks in the morning and afternoon)!
Which only goes to show that Europeans don't go hungry. Less is more.
4. Going to the movies — This is a country with the most expensive movie theater tickets in the world, and the theaters are far from where I live (well not really far, but I would be spending more than minimum fare; add that to the cost of movie tickets.).
Not many Europeans go to the movies - they have homevideos in the confines of their homes, stack of DVDs and LCDs and loads of popcorns and hotdogs.
3. Filipinos — I’ve only seen one Pinoy (plus two on many previous visits) in the streets. This is not a preferred destination for overseas workers because taxes take out at least 40 percent of your income (closer to 60 percent total), and then there’s VAT. It’s great if you live here, retire here, and your entire family is supported by the social system (with free education and health care), but it’s near impossible to send money to relatives back home.
If you really want to meet filipinos in Denmark, go to the dockside (lots of filipino seamen there) or go to the local Philippine Consular Office and join a filipino group club.
2. Filipino the language — The sound of Filipino is heavy on hard T’s, K’s, D’s, and short A’s; what you hear is what you spell (and the other way around). Here there are all kinds of rolling R’s and soft D’s; H’s and V’s that are barely there. Sabihin mo nga sa akin kung paanong naging “mal” ang pagbigkas ng “meget” (Just tell me how “mal” becomes “meget” when spoken)? I’m told that everyone understands English, but they won’t volunteer that. They will speak their language until you say that you can’t speak it yourself.
I recommend that you try to learn Danish fast - that way you'll be much appreciated by the locals as one immigrant who's trying to adapt to your new homeland.
1. Daylight — Alas-tres pa lang madilim na (It’s just three o’clock in the afternoon and it’s already dark)! Now the days are at their shortest (supposedly seven hours, but it’s really not daylight, more like dusk all day). Losing light is like being hungry — I feel crabby, tired, and a bit sorry for myself. I never knew I subsisted on photosynthesis. There are gadgets for sale that simulate daylight. There’s a new alarm clock on the market that comes with a big wakeup light that’s supposed to be like the dawn. I think this is the hardest for me to get used to. It’s not about being afraid of the dark, it’s about not having the sun streaming through the windows when it should. Someone told me that when there is light, I should go out and soak up as much of it as I can. Pero kung balot na balot naman ako, eh di noo at pisngi lang ang pwedeng mag-sunbathing (But if I’m covered in clothes, it’s just my forehead and cheeks that get to sun-bathe)!
You haven't seen the rest of the winter season yet. Prepare yourself for 4 hours of light in a day - that's winter for you in Scandinavia. Goodluck!
