Dutch bicycle culture

In the Netherlands, especially in the major cities, they actually use their bikes everyday: going to the supermarket, bringing their kids to daycare, or even having a date. It's the counterpart of what automobiles are in America.

The Dutch bicycling culture is one of the many aspects that reflect Dutch pragmatism in daily life. Their reasoning is both simple and practical. Riding a bike gives them the physical exercise which is integrated in their daily routine. This also saves time and money from monthly fees to the gym and as well as the money to pay for public transportation.

Children are taught to ride bikes very early and as soon as they can go to primary school. They go on separate bikes alongside their parents each day to go to school. It is also interesting to note that the Dutch are not as over-protective as other countries, such as let's say the US or Canada where everyone needs to wear a helmet. I do not see anyone wear helmets here. Not even children or babies. Babies as small as 8 months I've also seen being brought in sidecars or in small seats in front of their mothers. I also see dating couples sharing one bike: where the lady usually sits on the back seat sideways (ouch!). Some even bike as long as 20 kilometers daily to work. That is around an hour of biking I think. They are pretty tough and their sturdy, muscular bodies show it. Drinking a lot milk and having cheese sandwiches everyday contributes a lot to this remarkable physique.

By the way, did you know that some Europeans have been doing cycling trips in the Philippines lately?

The Taxi Line at Dusseldorf Train Station

This is a short story of a disturbing behavior I've seen in one of my trips last year. I was then sent on a business trip to Dusseldorf, Germany. I took the train from Amsterdam and arrived at the Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station). At that time I needed to get a taxi to Meerbusch because the regional train was too far from the office.

It was not really that hard to find the taxi line. Turning left from the entrance, I could already see a well organized queue composed mainly of suit-wearing middle-aged men. The queue was around twenty or so. Immediately I took my spot at the end. After around twenty minutes of waiting in the cold there was a big turnout of taxis arriving.

Nothing had prepared me to what I was about to see. The same people that were 10 minutes ago quietly waiting and lining up suddenly CRACKED UP. It was total anarchy as the whole line broke up and everyone was fighting for his own taxi. And to make it worse, I was already the one right in front of the line when that happened. Even the sweet old lady who was behind me turned into a crazed maniac and almost shoved me away from getting the next taxi. Meanwhile, I saw two grown men almost at the point of hitting each other and shouting because they were both fighting for the same taxicab. I don't really understand German but I think I heard the taxi driver scold both of them for their shameful behavior.

And I thought riding the jeepney in Manila was tough! But at least I didn't see people turning violent like this one.

When Filipinos meet Filipinos

I think this is a bit of a touchy subject as I have realized and observed that by nature, Filipinos have a more sensitive nature or frail ego or low self esteem at times. I think this is the sad result of us being colonialized for many years and we had not yet totally developed a strong sense of national pride. I think it is also caused by our country having a wide gap between the haves and have-nots that there is so much elitism that you would only notice that it is actually that bad when you come back from abroad where somehow the majority has more or less the same economic backgrounds. But back home words like jologs, conio, promdi, bakya, masa, the so called A,B,C,D, and E crowds connote some kind of division between classes and everyone wants to emphasize that they are on the elite crowd by speaking English or Taglish with that accent. I know many balikbayans have noticed that too. And instantly one could judge you just by hearing that your Tagalog has a provincial accent. Not that there is anything wrong with it but somehow popular mass media has ridiculed people who are in this crowd which makes me question why!?

I don't know if it's just me but abroad I am much more conscious of the way I act when I meet other Pinoys because the first thing I feel is that others try to size you up immediately and evaluate where you come from and your status in life. I am also making sure that I remain modest in all ways to not boast like others I have met and heard in a South Jersey Filipino restaurants talking about their MBA degrees in Harvard or their kids going to this school and that Ivy League school and their Mercedes. Believe me this is true! I try my best to speak modestly and relate to others because not all of our countrymen abroad hold professional jobs like I do but they are honest and hardworking. Somehow, I want to emphasize the same-ness and not our differences. Especially abroad, where equality is much more emphasized, especially if we live in countries where egalitarianism is strong such as here in Holland. If you don't speak Tagalog, but rather speak another dialect in our country and a countrymen approaches you in our national language-- please don't immediately speak English and have that condescending "huh!" in your face but politely explain that you are from this province or you grew up abroad and that is why you can't speak Tagalog or something. I do not care whether you are a housemaid in Italy or a Vice President of XYZ Bank in Manhattan. You should neither feel exceedingly superior nor ashamed of what you do because we are all the same here -- people who just want to earn an honest day's work. Don't be afraid to approach or talk to other Filipinos (with care of course). If they snob you or look at you from head to toe, who cares! Maybe they are just bitter with their lives anyways. However in light of this, my advice is to stay away from these people who are negative and bitter -- those who give the slightest signs of crab mentality. Also be cautious also of those who pose as genuinely friendly and helpful but would later sell you something or recruit you to an MLM or Ponzi scheme scams. But that is another topic in itself.

Those are not really the majority. Most are just genuinely friendly people who want to network and are lonely or just wants to help. I have seen a lot of these great brothers and sisters of ours too who have generously gave car rides to newcomers and took them to places they needed to be and helped them start out by giving great advice. These contacts are quite valuable. I've met and made friends with a lot of these people.

Why I left the Philippines

Many Filipinos now live abroad. We indeed have our own true version of diaspora just like Africans, Chinese, Jews, etc. I see Filipinos everywhere: bartending in cruise ships, singing in a restaurant in Amsterdam, sailors/seamen, US postal workers, card dealers in Nevada, medical doctors in Jersey, programmers in mutual fund companies and big financial firms in Manhattan, hotel cleaners, nurses, and nannies of high government officials in Arabic countries. I think I've seen them in all kinds of jobs that I believe no one can really give a stereotype of what Pinoys do overseas!

But anyways, I think for me, the main reason for me wanting to go abroad was not only for the potential to earn substantially more than staying home but also it's my adventurous spirit and wanderlust. I wanted to see the world! And besides, I think actually living in a certain place is so much different from just being a tourist. I believe one can learn so much from immersing into unfamiliar cultures and that you also pick up a lot of useful skills.

I think this is shared also by many of us. We want to try every opportunity that opens for us. At that time I thought that I don't want to see myself 50 years from now regretting and wondering what would have happened had I taken that job offer from the US. Inspite of the offers from family in the US and Australia, my father passed on the opportunity for us to immigrate. He was anyway, enjoying a stable job as a Vice President of a bank and was able to go abroad for short consulting assignments. He knew well enough that if we moved abroad, things may not go well for him professionally. He had seen some examples of people who ended up taking up jobs in the US that they would not otherwise be seen doing in our own country. And he has seen how hard it was for new immigrants to get established not to add the homesickness and difficulty of the cold weather in the States. At least that is how I try rationalize it now since he is no longer with us now to explain why. But during that time, I was quite puzzled and very disappointed why he did pass it up. Most of my cousins were abroad -- and that was even on both my father and mother's side!So anyways, looking back at it now I have no regrets about going abroad. I have met a lot of interesting individuals, both Filipinos and foreigners alike. It was such a great learning experience. In this blog, I will try to recollect on things I have learned, seen and heard while living abroad and while traveling further across the globe.
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I have moved my blog. Please see my other articles at BackToThePhilippines.com and Spy Pinay.