|
When you go into any restroom in the Philippines like the airport or a restaurant, the mirrors on the wall are so low, if you're 5'8" or taller you'll have to bend over to see your face in the mirror.
They invited me to stay in their home while I got to know Rowena. I thought that was incredible. Here I am, almost a total stranger, and they are welcoming me with open arms. But this is normal for the Filipino people. When you think of the word hospitality, just think of the Philippines. When I go see my own parents in Las Vegas, I STILL have to ask if its o.k. if I can stay in their extra bedroom, especially if I want to bring my dog along.
Rowena's sister, Maria, owned the house. Maria gave me her own daughter's room to sleep in. I tried to refuse but its like trying to tell a 60 year old Jewish mother that you don't want second helpings of chopped liver during Passover. I don't care how poor a Filipino person is, they will always offer you food, drink, or whatever they have in their home. It's "that hospitality thing" that will always show up somewhere. The bedroom was about 5 feet wide and 5 feet long. I had to sleep diagonally so my feet wouldn't hit the walls. "Yeah, being a big 5'8" tall man like me still has its drawbacks." (But ONLY in the Philippines)
|
|
|
The first night I was there I woke up about 5:00 a.m. I went downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. In the far corner of the room I saw something big, black and hairy! It couldn't have been a cat or a dog because I think we had that for dinner. It was too dark to tell but it looked like a rat the size of a Buick. Then I heard a noise in the other corner of the room that didn't sound human. This place was like being in Jurassic Park. Bugs and rats and other creatures like that are common in the Philippines, especially inside most of the homes in the poorer areas. I grabbed a broom that was at the foot of the stairs and bashed it a couple of times, as hard as I could. I got my glass of water and went back upstairs to sleep.
Besides the hand-to-hand combat with "Species," and sleeping on the floor, with my legs up in the air against the wall all night, my first night was very pleasant in Maria's house.
Rowena's family was exceptionally good hosts and I was treated like Royalty. Maria was an excellent cook and made me breakfast
each morning and Rowena hand scrubbed and ironed my clothes every day. Not once did anyone ever ask or hint to me for money. However, Maria DID ask me if I could take a look at their dog Bo BO. She said the dog acted like it ran into a wall.
|
|