Manila, Philippines
A Dutch woman who moved to the Philippines 9 years ago. Initially, she worked as a housemother with 19 former street children in her care. She learned Tagalog. For her, the most challenging aspects of living in the Philippines are the heat, traffic and lack of privacy.
Metro Manila
No not when I arrived on my own in the Philippines, 9 years ago. I was not prepared I started volunteering as a housemother, with 19 former street children in my house. I didn't understand a lot in the culture, what is accepted/normal and what is not.
I speak english, also widely spoken in Metro Manila. I learned tagalog after my 4th year in the Philippines.
I was not worried or concerned. I thought it would be a challenge.
I felt lost, and confused. Didn't know what was right or wrong, how to respond to people. And to show or not show my emotions to filipinos.
Yes, I was mainly in the honeymoon state. I loved the Philippines, with the beautiful nature, the way people can make something out of nothing. Live in the now and trust.
I felt overwhelmed, full of joy, happy, fearless in the honeymoon stage. I think it had to do with the culture shock.
I appreciate most the flexibility and spontaneous ways, in the Philippines a lot of things are just different than you think/than you have planned.
Most challenging, indirect way of communication of the filipino, traffic and high tolerance, the temperature and the way that privacy doesn't exist in filipino culture.
I am very careful, I must have made blunders, but would not know, I might have laughed it off, like they do here. After a while you know what to say and how to say it, which jargon to use so a lot of filipinos will understand.
Be who you are and try to be open, adapt and always smile (in every culture) non-verbal behaviour is very important.
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