A few days ago, I saw a Japanese tourist at the front desk of the hotel. He was furiously angry that I could see his saliva flying out of his mouth while talking. He was furiously angry like there was steam coming out from his nose, ears and head.

        “The thing is, I have been asking this lady for many times already but she was not answering me.”

        The Japanese said this as he was pointing at the lady at the front desk. He was so angry like he was about to faint. Hahaha. I fully understand how you feel.

        The Japanese people living in Cebu gain this kind of experiences, undergo different changes, and grope for the solutions on different situations. They look for every method of adjusting to the life in Cebu. However, for those who are just staying in Cebu for a short period of time, I recommend that you make your motto in life as “try not to yell at anyone no matter what happens” while you are here in Cebu for a visit. Remember that if you have already started getting angry, there is no end to it anymore.

        Yes. There is no end. If you bring to the Philippines the common knowledge you have learned in Japan, you cannot help but say things like “That is ridiculous. That is wrong. You fool. Ora ora ora ora”. You will then be trapped in the Moebius circle of anger where you will continue on going around that circle.

         Here is the picture. You went out to shop. After you confirmed with the staff the availability of the stocks, you went to look for it. As you went to look for it, you also went for a lunch. The staff then tendered his resignation and said “Because my tooth is aching”. When you asked the carpenter to put on the curtain rail, the rail he set up was positioned diagonally to the right for like more than 5 degrees. (This is just an exaggerated expression.) The nurse crushed the ant walking on top of the desk with her finger and used the same finger to inject you. The school teacher who gathers the notebooks of all the students did not return only the notebook of your child. So you went to the teacher and asked her about it. “You just check the notebooks they submit to you, right? Then what happened to my son’s notebook? You lost it?” Then she answered “No. I placed the notebook on the desk in the staff room. Then it got lost. Someone might have brought it out. I properly placed it on top of the desk. I really manage my things properly." The holes of the teacher’s nose widen while explaining this with full confidence. “It’s alright. For now, try to listen. Take a seat here.” There are just so many things I wanted to say. One sermon, two, three. If time will permit, then 100, 200, 3000. But I don’t think it will make things better.

        I recommend this one to the tourists. You are traveling abroad and you are experiencing a different culture. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So if you are in Cebu, enjoy fully the Cebuano way of living. If you feel that you are about to lose your temper, just remember that you are in a different place with a different culture. Just imagine that your views have broadened. Thank you for it!!... Think positive. In this way, you would be able to enjoy your travel abroad just the way you wanted it. If in Japan it takes only minutes for a particular procedure in a public office to finish, it’s different in the country where you are right now. It takes months or even more than a year. This is true.

        Read the conversations below of Hahira Isono and Katsuo Isono in the national comic “Sazae-san”. I cannot remember exactly their conversations but it was almost like this:

        Hahira: “Katsuo! You don’t greet Good Morning.”
        Katsuo: “It’s not a need to say greetings like Good Morning.”

         Would you think that the conversations below show a difference in awareness between a Filipino and a Japanese?
        “Why is it that you cannot respond properly?”
            “If I do not respond, why does it piss you off that much?”
        ‘Why cannot you be on time?”
             “We still have tomorrow. Why are you so particular with the time?”
        “Please put on the rails straightly.”
             “It’s not a problem. The curtains can still be closed properly.”

        Yes. Filipinos are certainly not particular with details. However, on the brighter side, Filipinos have always a room for generosity. They are just peaceful to be with. This is the reason why they have wonderful smiles on their faces. It’s like their smiles are radiating smile beams that warm the hearts of the people around. In the Philippines, if you deviate from the normal course, you don’t get bullied; the children do not commit suicide; and the adults do not die from overwork.

        As Japanese people, we would get irritated and furiously angry with the different things happening in the daily life in Cebu. We are here in Cebu but we have left a lot of important things somewhere.

        If we try to think about it, your stay here in Cebu could be a positive 180 or negative 180 depending on how you view things. This is your tour abroad and experiencing cultural differences is just part of it.