It’s a Filipino Thing
Posted on May 13th, 2008. Filed under: Friends & Family.The scenario: you’re in your 20s, have a job, graduated college / university yet still live with your family. Sound familiar? Then you must be Filipino (or Asian? haha either way).
Last Saturday I was out with my family when I asked my dad if I could spend the night out with my friends, we were supposed to meet at around 10-11ish that night. This is how the conversation kinda went:
Me: I’m going out tonight okay?
Dad: Where? What time? With who?
Me: At (insert place here) later at 10 with Gian and his friends.
Dad: No.
Me: Whyyyyyyyy?
Dad: We’re having a family night, we’re gonna watch Iron Man soon it might finish late….(then he rambles on about some family stuff. the usual, right ear-left ear thing.)
Me: Come on, I rarely go out (this has some truth in it =p).
Dad: I’ve always allowed you to go out. I always say yes, can’t I say no once in a while?
Me: That’s not even a valid reason! (I’m really reasoning here, puppy dog eyes) When I graduate you’ll miss this. I won’t ask for permission anymore and you’ll miss saying yes when I ask you if I can go out.
Dad: Who said you won’t be able to ask permission when you graduate?
Me: You said I can do anything I want once I graduate!
Dad: But I didn’t mention that!
Me: Hahahaha I’m gonna go out whenever I want, with whoever I want coz I won’t be living at home anymore anyway.
Dad: Who said you won’t be living with us anymore?
Me: You told me I can do whatever I want once I graduate?
Dad: But I never told you that.
Of course I still got to go out that night and didn’t even come home (crashed at bff’s house). But that’s not my point. It’s pretty much how the system goes, unless I work in another country after I graduate, chances are, I’ll still probably be living with my family. I’m not complaining, I love my family to bits and I’m incredibly close to both my parents, they’re like my friends and I can pretty much tell them the cool (or the uncool, whichever) stuff happening in my life. It might come as a shock to some people that we do it but it’s pretty much the way things work with us Filipinos, regardless of which country we live in (in my case, Indonesia).
Whatever happens to me, whether I’ll still living with my family or not, there’s definitely no place like home: with mother’s cooking and dad’s crazy antics. This post was written due to the fact that the BIG 2-0 is approaching in about a week and it’s kinda freaking me out. Yeah srsly.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:22 pm using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows XP
Don’t freak out. Age is just a number.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:27 pm using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Linux
“The scenario: you’re in your 20s, have a job, graduated college / university yet still live with your family. ”
May 13th, 2008 at 7:40 pm using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Mac OS X
He’s pretty cool for a dad, ha. You guys have time to watch Iron Man together and I find it funny that he “forgot” that he said you can do this and that when you really “can’t” because he can’t remember telling about it.. Lolol, confusing ba? :P
I bet his mind is going to change really soon.. Filipino parents always changes their mind on things, lol. Makakalimutan din yan ng dad mo.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:57 pm using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows XP
We hear that all the time. “When you graduate you can do whatever you want, you’re on your own. Just don’t forget our money.” But it’s not true, that’s just a lie they tell to make you want to finish. The only truth in there is the giving them money part :-P
May 14th, 2008 at 12:21 am using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.10 on Windows XP
Why does the idea of turning 20 freak you out? :-/
May 14th, 2008 at 3:51 am using Mozilla Firefox 3.0b5 on Windows XP
Hahaha parents will ALWAYS be parents. Don’t freak out… I can only imagine myself posting this in a year lol.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:58 am using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows 2000
LOL, I’m 23, I’ve been renting a place since college here in Manila. I thought I was finally away from them, since they’re in the province. But I was wrong, they make me go home every weekend, I still have to ask permission if I have a Saturday night partey. Grrr.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:21 am using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows XP
If there is one thing I hate about being a filipino, it is exactly that: living with parents till you get married, basically. I may have been born in the Philippines, but I was raised in America. I’m basically fully Americanized and I’m not planning on living in my parents’ household when I reach the age of 20. Once I’m 20, I’m going to get the heck out. LOL. I can’t stand my parents who are close minded, strict Filipino parents. Hell, Asian parents are just too conservative, it drives me nuts. One thing I’ll miss is my mom’s cooking, that’s about it. heh. (Sorry if I ranted on the comment, I got a little too passionate.)
May 15th, 2008 at 12:48 am using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows XP
i’m 19! This coming sem is where I’ll take my third college course! I’ll live with my parents forever! haha!
May 18th, 2008 at 8:27 am using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows XP
Dude, I LOVE that conversation!! hahahaha! Sounds like me back in the day!!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:32 pm using Mozilla Firefox 3.0 on Windows Vista
FA-HUH-NNY!!!
That’s all I can say! Good enough for a sitcom!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:40 pm using Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Windows XP
Ok, I just turned 27, I live with my mom, and our family just went to see Iron Man together. And I’m not a loser (err.. I’d like to think I’m not :p) And you won’t be. Sometimes I imagine all these things slipping gradually, and none will be the same again, so I try to enjoy every day I’m with them.
Don’t worry, 20 ain’t the big hill, 21 is hehe