Sorry, Sir! I Did Not Understand.

[JJReyes]

I am interested in stories about the Philippines that are based on cultural misunderstanding. Here's mine:

This happened many years ago during the era of Marcos Crony Capitalism. There were foreign exchange restrictions and only relatives and close friends of the Marcoses had access to US dollars to import merchandise. One example is the Tantoco family who own Rustan's. His son-in-law, Tommy Manotoc had the exclusive license to import apples. The imported goods were super expensive. Hong Kong was at the time the main source for all kinds of more reasonably priced stuff.

During a business trip to Hong Kong, I purchased all kinds of cheese. My favorite are the stinky ones like Stilton, Limburger, Camembert de Normandy and Roquefort. Upon my return, the next step was to invite our European friends (most Americans won't appreciate) for a weekend wine & cheese party. After everyone had arrived, we couldn't find the cheese in the refrigerator. One of the helpers had thrown them out after seeing the mold and smelling the pungent odor. Drinking wine was okay, but I really missed the cheese. On the other hand, how do you explain to the helper why anyone would eat rotten cheese.

Edited April 11, 2012 by JJR

[Dzighnman]

As some of you know, I operated a small resto while we were there for a year. As we tried to train our staff we, even my wife, encountered many "mis-understandings". One of those had to do with our main cook. After learning the menu, and cooking orders for 3 months, we were introducing food prep and storage techniques. Labeling and dating the prepared foods was a new task we were working on when I checked the work and found our "TACO MEAT" had been labeld as reflected in the attached picture.... I had no idea where to begin trying to figure out how this mis-understanding occurred not to mention how to correct it.... the menu, the recipes everything to date said, "Taco Meat"...still this is the label they came up with....all high school graduates..... just had to shake my head and move on.

In the end, I think we actually were able to help them to think more about what they were doing and take responsibility for their work.... maybe.....naw, not really.

:23_11_60[2]:

Edited April 12, 2012 by Dzighnman

[Steve & Myrlita]

That would require analytical skills that they simply do not possess. It is purposly not taught in RP schools to keep the masses dumbed down and keep them controlled by the elites. Last year, I taught Computer Hardware Servicing at a local college. I encountered the above and spent two whole days to help them try to analyze things which would help them emensely with school as well as basic life. Not only did they not comprehend what I was teaching but I actually got reprimanded for doing so. They felt I was belittling them (Which I was not). The truth was they didn't want it taught especially from a foreigner.

Edited April 12, 2012 by Steve & Myrlita

[retired]

Sad but true based on personal experience . Filipinos are not taught to think for themselves as that would be outside the box . Which partly explains why every time i go to the local sari - sari i have to wait for the 2 two digit numbers to be figured on the calculator four or five times when i allready know the amount . And, no i am not a math whiz and in fact hated learning the multiplication tables , etc. at the kitchen table . But glad now that i did . :-)

[Call me bubba]

Sad but true based on personal experience . Filipinos are not taught to think for themselves as that would be outside the box . Which partly explains why every time i go to the local sari - sari i have to wait for the 2 two digit numbers to be figured on the calculator four or five times when i allready know the amount . And, no i am not a math whiz and in fact hated learning the multiplication tables , etc. at the kitchen table . But glad now that i did . :-)

Yes I have noticed this many many times. GO to a fast food and the total is 118 and you give them 200p. Ask them what the change is?? they cant do it.. out of 10 tries only 2 maybe 3 can give the answer,

next time your out at some place, TRY this. see if they can answer ? to me its sad that a person cant do a simple math problem. SAD INDEED

[Steve & Myrlita]

Sad but true based on personal experience . Filipinos are not taught to think for themselves as that would be outside the box . Which partly explains why every time i go to the local sari - sari i have to wait for the 2 two digit numbers to be figured on the calculator four or five times when i allready know the amount . And, no i am not a math whiz and in fact hated learning the multiplication tables , etc. at the kitchen table . But glad now that i did . :-)

Yes I have noticed this many many times. GO to a fast food and the total is 118 and you give them 200p. Ask them what the change is?? they cant do it.. out of 10 tries only 2 maybe 3 can give the answer,

next time your out at some place, TRY this. see if they can answer ? to me its sad that a person cant do a simple math problem. SAD INDEED

Be careful with that. If you ask them in front of others and they can't answer, then it would be taken as losing face to a foreigner which can get you killed if the wrong one sees or hears it. It seemed to be the message given to me by the administration at the college I taught at last year with the reprimand. Edited April 12, 2012 by Steve & Myrlita

[JJReyes]

That would require analytical skills that they simply do not possess. It is purposly not taught in RP schools to keep the masses dumbed down and keep them controlled by the elites. Last year, I taught Computer Hardware Servicing at a local college. I encountered the above and spent two whole days to help them try to analyze things which would help them emensely with school as well as basic life. Not only did they not comprehend what I was teaching but I actually got reprimanded for doing so. They felt I was belittling them (Which I was not). The truth was they didn't want it taught especially from a foreigner.

Philippine public school curriculum is knowledge base, which means lots of memorization. The curriculum was developed during the industrial revolution to produce uniformly trained graduates to become factory workers. The elite private schools use the inquiry method. This is analytical skills since most of their students are college bound. Inquiry or the discovery method forces you to think. Look at a McDonalds cash register. Someone who is functionally illiterate (4th grade reading skill) can be trained to use it.

By the way, most American public schools are still designed to produce students for the industrial revolution. The schools are similar to factories. You are enrolled based on age and progress every year in an assembly line fashion. Advance students get bored because the materials are no longer challenging. The dumb ones are pushed to the next level even if they are not adequately prepared. I recall listening to two high school seniors arguing who is the author of Homer's Illiad for a book report. They were accustomed to seeing a book title followed by the name of the author.

[i am bob]

By the way, most American public schools are still designed to produce students for the industrial revolution. The schools are similar to factories. You are enrolled based on age and progress every year in an assembly line fashion. Advance students get bored because the materials are no longer challenging. The dumb ones are pushed to the next level even if they are not adequately prepared. I recall listening to two high school seniors arguing who is the author of Homer's Illiad for a book report. They were accustomed to seeing a book title followed by the name of the author.

This is exactly the reason I became a high school drop out! My sister was grades ahead of me yet I was doing her homework with nary a problem... Yet the schools were banned at this time from accelerating someone who was bored stupid from their classes like I was... If I hadn't joined the Air Force when I did, who knows where I may have ended up!