In my travels all over the world, I have noticed some peculiarities of Pinoys that can be described as authentic Pinoy. Here is a list of common Filipino behavior you might find interesting.

DINING

When a Filipino orders a meal, it is not typical to start from soup all the way to desert. He usually looks at the main course right away. In most restos, combo meals are offered where a potpourri of meat, salad and a mountain of rice will fill up your stomach. This is budget-conscious meal. Wine is not a popular choice unless one is into fine dining which is for the upper-middle class. At the end of the meal, he usually asks for a check with the appropriate hand signal. This is the most important gesture to recognize if he is a real Filipino.

In most cases, veggies are not a popular choice in outside dining because they are always served on the table daily. There is a notion that meat is not abundantly served on a daily basis, mostly special occasions only. A typical Third World remark.

Because restaurant dining is exquisite, it is also common to leave some drink in the glass as a gesture of sophistication of some sort. It is not so polite to drink beer or wine all the way to the bottom, kind of.

Of course, lechon is the centerpiece for any lavish preparation. It is a symbol of prosperity, abundance. When absent, there is a good chance the party is labeled as inextravagant.

MUSIC

Filipinos are immersed in romantic ballades that sometimes tend to be overdone and therefore, corny. Yes, our songs evoke emotional expressions that can be so deafening. These romantic tendencies are deeply rooted to our Spanish heritage. In karaoke sessions, try tallying the number of love songs being performed as opposed to other forms of music such as jazz or something else. What is exasperating sometimes is the same cycle of melodic structures that I said tend to be overdone and destroy the inner ear.

ATTITUDE

This is a multitude. Filipinos love to break the line. When there is a long line and a Pinoy happens to be at the back, most certainly he is bound to go ahead and make all kinds of excuses as if he is going to be late for work, or that he needs to go to the restroom urgently. This is very common in the international scene.

Pinoys are branded as clannish. Huh, this is unequivocal. They move like an army of ants and can be inseperable .They eat the same food with rice as the central choice.

BATHROOM ETIQUETTE

Pinoys don’t’ say "I wanna go to the bathroom". We say, "I wanna go to the CR (comfort room)". It is because you don’t always take a bath in the restroom, you only want to be comfortable in there.

When you shop at the malls and you can’t find bathroom tissues, welcome to the Philippines.

COMMUNICATION

Time and time again I have always emphasized the exaggerated ‘f’s and p’s’. It has become a popular ridicule among Pinoys but unfortunately not being careful in handling it in an international conversation leads to distorted image of Filipinos. We can be better than mispronounced letters. Indeed it is a sad reality.