Big Parties, Fiestas, Fireworks and Parades are an important part of the lifestyle in the Philippines. It always seems that the whole City meets on the streets and everybody invites on top all friends and relatives from the other 7106 remaining Islands.
Dumaguete is famous for the big parades during Kabulakan Festival or Buglasan. Less famous but in my opinion with more spirit and feeling are the small Fiestas in each Barangay. I was invited in a rather basic (not to say poor) Barangay to celebrate Santa Cruzan with them. I was the only “long-nose” there and some looked at me like I have 2 heads and 3 arms. I am usually a quite tough guy, but seeing the love and pride in the preparation and celebration of the Fiesta and the Parade was touching. I could not decide to be happy or to start crying. Actually I had to sweep some tears out of my eyes before I smiled and enjoyed it even more than the big festivals. All the people were in their “Sunday-church” outfit and the girls and women participating in the parade, rented beautiful gowns. It was a kind of strange picture to see them walking proud and smiling through some dirty back-roads of the Barangay.
When I came back home I looked at the pictures I took and went into a very sentimental mood. Many thoughts are running through my mind as I write this article. An experience like that brings me back with my feet on the ground and make me thinking of the way we “exist” next to each other here in that small town. I know many Expats and foreigners here in the Philippines who lost the view for reality. Nothing bad in general, but go out of my way and don’t bother me with your complaints. …Bad internet…. Lazy Philippinos… No coke Light… brownout… and many many more things everybody can listen to.
Serious if you guys only complain …
…go back where you come from!!!
… Or maybe they can’t as they are looser in their own country and in life. Where else can you be a 55+ year old ugly unhealthy alcoholic, but still have a loving and caring 25 year old beautiful woman with you. (I am also alcoholic, fat, ugly and unhealthy, but at least only 37… hehe). Watching and listening to those guys make me vomit.
But there are exceptions too… Mike Feeney from the Adventure Diveshop in Dumaguete buys for the Peanut-Kids at the Boulevard their school-supply like notebooks, pencils and helps the school on Apo Island. Some Bar-owners in Angeles City organizing charity events to support local hospitals, orphanages and much more. Some don’t forget where they are and try to give something back to this lovely country and the people here, who provide the surrounding for us to be here.
I love the Philippines, the country, the diving, the people. I want to live with the people of this country, participate in their lifestyle, laugh with them and try to give something back, even it is just a fraction of the love and joy I received here in the Philippines….
Amen for today, promise my next article will be funny, insulting and/or about diving again…
Rhoody
I like this article not only because I’m also Filipino, You and other foreigners have points and reasons why to complain,…like every people everywhere in the wold…Its only observations comments about people in this country more comments more observations become complaints, and thought experience of while living in this country, maybe you see some reasons and points why you still love to stay here….even some Filipinos are lazy as what you mentions, low enter net connections, Brown out…I agree to those reasons and sometimes I complain too.
as you mentions about 55+ years old alcoholic unhealthy fat ugly, but with young beautiful woman,for me its sounds that the young woman is victim or ether she is user because of her own reason why ???…. why to be with in that kind of old person… he!!!he!! no love to each other. just taking advantage for both sides, using each other,… for it’s there personal reason….. but i dont feel vomit about this … that is life,….
its seem’s like…
THEY LOVE EACH OTHER,BECAUSE THEY NEED EACH OTHER….
BUT NOT THEY NEED EACH OTHER , BECAUSE THEY LOVE EACH OTHER….
NO VICTIM IF THERE”S NO USER….
NO USER IF NO VICTIM…..
Rhoody thank you that you love our country,, I’m proud of that as a Filipino. after all of those complaints around….. he!!!he!!!he!! thank you for sharing your experience here in my country…thank you to this site that i can voice out also my opinions.
MORE POWER TO YOU AND TO YOUR SITE….
hmmmn… Ok nice thoughts and Observations.
any other article about the Philippines?
Hello Cris,
thank you for visiting my little side.
If you look a bit around, you can see many articles about the philippines on my blog. Some are critical, some funny, some honest. I hope you enjoy the reading. Feel free to be my guest on my blog and drop by anytime you want.
cheers from Dumageute
Rhooody
what a refreshing post! i know a lot of expats love what they have here in Dumaguete, but I also know that there’s a lot to complain about in this city. It is just so refreshing to hear a ‘long-nose,’ as you called yourself, appreciate the people and the poorer communities which i know most foreigners who are here looking for a good time tend to avoid. It is also good to know that a lot of foreigners who came here for fun and to enjoy the sun take time to to help the kids and hospitals etc. Keep up the good work rhoody! 🙂
Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
dumaguete is in terms of foreigner a bunch of grumpy morons and a lot different to other cities in the Philippines. I read thousands of complaints about everything on Dumagueteinfo.com and many are not wrong. However, a lot of those guys simply hang around at certain spots and do nothing else than complaining.
I think I am well know in the foreign community here, so I try to avoid them like dried fish…. hehe, that helps me to keep my bad reputation on a high status…
Before looking at that rotten, old meat floating of the chairs in MC Donalds, Sans Rival or certain spots at the Boulevard, I prefer going with my 2 Monsters to our barangay basketball court and throw some balls until we are sweating and tired 🙂
cheers
Rhoody