The Coffee Shop
56
“They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them." - Mahatma Gandhi
I am sitting in a coffee shop for about five hours now. I spent the first two hours talking to Paulo about a lot of things like his past relationships, different kinds of addiction and anything that comes into mind.
When we finished our coffee we decided to hunt for hardbound books for 90% less it's original price. I found two, "The Woman Who Waited" by Andrei Makine and "Thirteen Moons" by Charles Frazier who wrote the same book that turned into a movie, "Cold Mountain", starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger.
We had a quick dinner at Kentucky's Fried Chicken because Paulo is craving for the hot and spicy chicken. I was craving for the gravy. It brought me memories of my college days. I remember saving up for lunch at Kentucky, one piece chicken, three extra rice and lots of gravy. It sounded like an appetite but it's not everyday that I can go to Kentucky.
We decided to go back to the coffee shop because Paulo has a meeting with his programmers. They stayed inside the coffee shop engrossed with his laptop. I stayed outside, alone and lonesome and close to tears. LOL Just kidding. I intend to write something for my hub and I have to concentrate if I want good results. My mechanical pencil on my right hand and my notebook on my lap. I couldn't decide which subject to write next for my hub. I don't know how to begin.
I was staring at nowhere or no one in particular trying to find words to start my hub. People where in line, waiting for their turn to ride a cab. A lady who was about to ride a cab trip over the stairs and fell on her knees. She quickly recovered and laugh at herself while getting up. I couldn't help but smile.
I heard someone shouting in a different language. A Korean guy is having a tantrum. He was shamelessly barking at his girlfriend. What a stinky attitude. You don't throw a tantrum in a decent mall when you've grown hair in different parts of your body.
People were on their last minute shopping, a busy day at the mall because of the holiday season. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard someone shouting again at the top of his lungs. When I turned to look who it was, it's another foreigner. An American guy was shouting at my fellow men who was pushing his shopping cart. It was a bagger boy who worked in the supermarket. Apparently, he pushed the cart on the wrong exit and pissed off the American because he has to turn his car around. He was shouting for five minutes, calling the bagger boy stupid because he cannot understand English and all sorts of names. I wanted to run and confront the American guy about the shouting and the insults. I felt like he was saying it to every Filipino as a whole. I feel the urge of slapping his face and tell him to return to where he came from. How dare you come to my country with that attitude and expecting everybody to speak and understand your language.
We are a country known for hospitality. We appreciate the fact that foreigners like it here because it means they must have found good reasons to stay including the value of their money. Which in turn is good for tourism. But please, tame the attitude. We are all human beings and we are equal. You are visiting this land and it doesn't mean you are superior.
"Among individuals as among nations, the respect to other people's rights is peace." - Benito Juarez
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Comments
Hi,
I agree about you said regarding respect. Thank you for reading my hub. and thank you for your kudos.
just another day, huh? LOL good thing that it seems, at least for me, that it's the exception rather than the rule (i'm talking about the incident). i have worked with Americans before and i've never had any unpleasant experiences with them whatsoever. some even became long-time friends. it's just not your lucky day, i suppose! LOL cheer up!
hi Cris,
I have a lot of foreigner acquaintances and worked with some in the past. They are reasonably good. My Swedish friend had influenced me in so many ways. And in my heart he holds the spot of that special person that I can exchange ideas with. Our conversations has always been interesting.
Most of them are actually good people. No worries, I don't stereotype people. In my eyes, we are all the same.
I was there and true enough, I was disgusted with the incident. I have lots of freinds acros the world and they're all good too. I guess in a tray of eggs there's always a spoiled one.
We can't have a perfect world, its us that will make it close to perfection. Good thing we're able to discern the bad wolf among the herds.
Happy Birthday Conya :-)
is today your birthday?! treat me out to Larsian! :D
Conyo!
where did the letter n with the head go? Thanks for the greetings, "scandaloso ka" grrrr...i kill you. hahaha. Thanks Paulo, really appreciate it.
Cris,
hahaha. I wish, let me know if you are in Cebu so we can have a tour and eat at Larsian. Cebuanos were starting to adapt the "kwek Kwek". I saw two stands selling them and My Gosh, it was heaven.
Thanks Cris!
okay, so this is in order: HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may all the wishes that you wish for will not remain just wishes when wishing for Bday wishes comes around again! :D
ps so you're Capricornian, too! Nice!
Happy birthday Sheena! And as far as the hub goes, Americans are jerks even to other Americans, don't know what it is about them that make them think they own the world, I mean last time I heard it was the Chinese who actually did.
Cris :) Yes, I am. That makes the two of us? Wow! That's why you are an artist. Really...thanks (I'm blushing).
goldentoad :) Oh! thank you. Such a controversial comment goldentoad but I was wondering why Europeans and Canadians get mad when we mistook them as Americans. Somehow, they tend to act and think like that. But there is good in everybody.
three of us.
Hey Now, I am an American and I am nice and respect people too... but sometimes I would rather not be an american but not sure what I want to be. I guess I just want to be me and not a label from someone else who knows very little about me.
goldentoad : ) And now the Capricornians formed an Alliance. hahahah. Nice to know that.
Lady Guinevere :) the hub wasn't meant for Americans only. It just so happens that it was an American guy. It all boils down to who we are inside regardless of which country we came from.
I like you Lady Guinevere. I know and I can sense how kind and loving you are as a person. No offence was meant when I wrote this hub. It was a particular situation and just another day on the coffee shop in a state that almost half of the people are either blond or kimchi.
yep mine is coming up but I won't tell... :D
I am proud to be from America but I came from the idea that america is flawed and I was sent from Krypton to fix it, or at least do what I can to make it a better place, but I am fully aware of the bigotry and ignorance of my fellow Americans and I don't hate them for it, since I know unfortunately, they were brought up that way, I accept it as a fact of life and hope in time, they can learn to tolerate other people. Lady Guinevere- I can vouch has more niceness and respect than I do, thats for sure.
Cris :) let me guess, it between dec 31 to january 20. L.O.L
goldentoad :) We are all flawed. My country has a lot of flaws to begin with. But if there is no flaw how can we define perfection? How else will our exixtence become a purspose?
How did you know?! LOL here's a hint, ask the Three Kings! or Ate Shawie! :D
Ok, let me try...January 6? So...you treat me with "kwek kwek" if I got it right. :)
A coffee house should be a place where all is ok (of course this statement is coming from someone who really enjoys her coffee AND the coffee house experience. I am sorry Your experience was so negatively intense. I pray your next coffee house visit will be better. Hope it is somehwat like mine. You can read about it on my blog http://likeawonderfulcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/2008
Keep your spirits high. the jerks come and go. Your peace in God will hold you always.
Blessings
CoffeeSnob
Hi coffeesnob,
the coffee shop is my favorite hangout. I go out for that simple reason, to hangout and begin the wisdom talk with different friends. It is a place where I fit in. and I'v always love it, nothing can change my mind. : )
thanks,
sheena
Some people just aren't raised right, it seems to me. What does it hurt to show kindness and patience when you don't speak the language of the other?
My mother and I were in a Korean market the other day, and a young Asian man next to my mother started to take shrimp out of a barrel using his hand covered with a plastic bag. The Korean man behind the counter asked the young man, in English, to use the scoop provided for the purpose. The young man didn't understand, and continued using his hand. Then the Korean man switched to Korean, and still the young man didn't understand. Soon, the Korean man was shouting at this poor young man. My mother gently tapped the young man on the shoulder, pointed to the scoop, and smiled. The young man understood immediately.
Rudeness and disrespect can be found anywhere, and so can kindness. I do believe, overall, that the kindness outweighs the rudeness. And I am thankful for that.
Thank you for sharing this slice of life and the impact it had on you.
hi Sheena,it was interesting to read about your experience.i have had an experience i would like to share with you.i stay in delhi and one fine day i was in a queque at Mcdis waiting for my turn to place the order.a foreigner was standing just behind me in the queque.when my turn came to place the order,the guy at the counter greeted the foreigner lady behind me and ignored me completely.somehow it pissed me off like anything.i asked him whether he was blind.he was obviously taken aback and then i gave him a long lecture about the issue.he was embarrassed and apologised to me but he had ruined my mood for sure!!!!!
its nice to be courteous to everyone especially tourists coming from abroad but not at the expense of disrespecting ones own country people!!!!!
what do you say to that??
Sally Trove : ) that was avery good example of choosing one's attitude towards other people. Patience indeed is a virtue. thank you for sharing your thoughts on my page. :)
Sonia : ) It never happened to me, at least not yet. If does, he/she will get a piece of my mind. some people are just asking to be reprimanded. I hate it when I'm forced to give one in such a circumstances. thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Sheena
Sally Trove : ) that was avery good example of choosing one's attitude towards other people. Patience indeed is a virtue. thank you for sharing your thoughts on my page. :)
Sonia : ) It never happened to me, at least not yet. If does, he/she will get a piece of my mind. some people are just asking to be reprimanded. I hate it when I'm forced to give one in such a circumstances. thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Sheena
who are you
I'm just another hubber. just like you are. Welcome to hubpages.
I dislike it because it gives Americans like myself a bad rap. Believe it or not, some of us Americans go out of our way to learn how to act appropriately in cultures other than our own - unfortunately, guys like this are the standard that spoils the rest of us.
Good article!
-N8
I believe you. I know that it was a spoiled egg in the coffee shop. Almost a quarter of our population here in my country are foreigners. I love the fact that I can talk to my foreign friends open mindedly. This was a one time downer and believe me when I tell you that even the foreigners who were sitting in the same coffee shop was pissed off with the guy.
thanks for dropping by.
I believe you. I know that it was a spoiled egg in the coffee shop. Almost a quarter of our population here in my country are foreigners. I love the fact that I can talk to my foreign friends open mindedly. This was a one time downer and believe me when I tell you that even the foreigners who were sitting in the same coffee shop was pissed off with the guy.
thanks for dropping by.
Great hub. I like going to our coffee shop. We live ina small town. so it is always nice when we see our friends there to. That is to bad that moron had to sour the day. but it happens. During the winter months we get idot people who come up to our mountains, and clog our roads and leave trash, and disrespect our town. We deal with it as best as we can. These are the trials and tribulations of living in a resort town.
Hi Cherish,
thanks for leaving a comment. Nothing will keep me from going to the coffee shop. I love it. something with the ambiance and the coffee stimulates me. I get smart whenever I sit down and start the wisdom talk. So if my friends got problems they want to talk about, all they need to do is buy me a cup of coffee and the wisdom talk begins. Of course, it comes two ways, I cannot talk to someone who doesn't get what I am talking about.
thank you. really appreciate it.
I want to visit the Phillipines, I just don't want to get on the plane...My friend loves it out there. She goes once or twice a year for work.
Hey Single Mama,
thanks for dropping by. I have a friend from Europe who works six months in his country and stay six months here in the Philippines. The monetary value of your money here is quite good. You can stay in the beaches, enjoy the coffee shops while your here.Provided that you work hard and save money from where you are now. I love the Philippines and I'm sure you will love it here. Let me know, if you make plans so I could help.
Anonymous says:
12 months ago
I've encountered this before and I feel bad seeing foreigners showing their "attitude". I s*cks and its ashaming not themselves but to the good names their country has fought hard for.
Respect should always emenates us wherever we go, especially when we go to a foreign land.
Good toughts! Kudos!