Image via Wikipedia
I consider my wife to be a normal Filipina woman. And my thinking is that a normal Filipina woman thinks about money more than anything else in life. I notice it all the time from her. She sees anything on the tv, or the news, or even as we are driving to work, and she will spit out the comment "that person is making money". She sees a new store open on our drive home from work and she will comment "i bet they are making money". She sees a busy restaurant and the same thing. I bet they are making lots of money. My life revolves around that quote. I hear it at the very least once a day. Often many times more.
Now me, i have learned not to even get involved in this time of conversation anymore. And i definately don't laugh out loud. I have learned to just smile and say uh-hum, and nod yes. Then i just let her talk on. It is much safer this way.
I think this comes from the fact that you have to scrape a lot to get by in the Philippines. Most people are poor. A lot of families depend on money being sent home from their children who leave to go work overseas. So like i say, i think it is a part of the lifestyle, where you never no where the money is going to come from next for the family to survive, so it is always in their daily thoughts.
And that brings us to the next part. My wife now has thought of at least 20 different types of businesses she wants to start. She has wanted to start a restaurant after going to a busy one, because she thinks it will make a lot of money. The knowledge that the only thing she knows how to cook is rice doesn't enter her mind until i mention it to her. Then she laughs and says "oh yeh" and i smile and drive on.
The same for clothing stores, video stores, street vendors, etc etc etc.....
When we drive out to the lake to go fishing, or to the river to go swimming, and we drive by the farms, and she wants to live in the country and be a farmer. Because she bets "they are making money".
I am laughing about it now just thinking about it as i write this. But when i am around the missus i will just smile. Otherwise she gets mad if i laugh. She has wanted to live in every small town we have drove through, has wanted to live in every area of the city we pass through, has wanted to do every job she sees if she thinks someone is making money doing it.
I still love the thought of her wanting to open a restaurant though. She can't boil water, doesn't know how to cook, but wants to open a restaurant, because she bets they are making money.
If you hear that a lot from your Filipina wife, then do what i do. Smile, nod your head, and say "uh-hum", and just sit back and listen. The thought will pass on by soon enough. At least until tomorrow, when you will hear it again.
Thats part of the charm of being married to a wonderful beautiful Filipina Lady. Mahal na Mahal Kita my love.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you treated you wife,however, your perception of a Filipina is based on what you see with her. I am Filipina myself, but I don't think about money all the time. I know there are a lot more important things in life than money. And not all Filipinos are poor, as a matter of fact, most of them are hardworking and are doing well in life,and are rich per se, and we don't ask money from our relatives. Maybe you should search a little bit more about Filipino cultures. I can say, your research is not good enough,and one more thing, we do know how to cook, how to boil water, and most Filipinas are good in the kitchen, I wonder where your wife comes from...
i like the article. i find it endearing. thank you for the insight.
Deleteto the anonymous filipina comment above... are you married?