Soaking Up Some Culture
(by Bertus van Zyl)
It is very hard to just walk past when some people invite you to sit down and have a drink with them. It’s hard to help finish their bottle and not order another one for your newly made friends. This is especially true when you are learning new words and phrases in their language, observing gestures made, hand signs used, or hearing songs in their mother tongue. Around these tables you often find out about great places in the country you haven’t been to which are not noted in the Lonely Planet.
These meetings are not purely about the alcohol intake, but the drinking cultures within cultures bond people together like tasteful music. They make use of different body language and words you have to learn but it is easy to grab a chair, get on it and ‘dance a comfortable dance’.
I can recall quite a few amazing mornings, afternoons, good evenings and good nights that played themselves out in this way. From exploring Puerto Galera (northern Mindoro, Philippines) by foot and getting lulled into drinking shots of Ginebra (a clear spirit that has gin qualities – 40 Filipino pesos = $1 for 70cl) followed with a water chaser and peanuts… to oiling my voice with GSM (same as Ginebra, better quality – 50 pesos) for singing karaoke in Baguio City (northern Luzon, Philippines). I remember hopping off a jeep, in pursuit of more beer, and sipping a shot of Tanduay (Dark Filipino rum, strong vanilla taste = 60 pesos) – the toll required to pass.
In Boracay, I joined some Filipinos that had already pulled a group of my friends into merry making and I have visited, and been visited by, the Filipino friends in places I never thought I’d see.
One afternoon in Catanduanes, Philippines I was awoken from a peaceful hammock nap by my friend and a Filipina (Filipino female) I didn’t know (yet). A group of my fellow travelers accepted an invitation from the vice Mayor of the town of Baras and surrounding areas (eastern side of the island) to sit down with him, and his entourage, during his campaign time a couple of months before the national, provincial and municipal elections. I joined them soon after, clearly noticing that they had been ‘socializing’ for a few hours already, and I allowed myself to join in the fun. I played the vice mayor some songs on the guitar and enjoyed the flow of Matador (sweet Filipino Brandy = 50 – 60 pesos). As if the brandy was not enough, they made loyal voters out of us with more Tanduay and an array of local snacks.
All these groups use the same method to pull you in, saying, ”Sit with us, have one drink…”, and even though it might sometimes be wise to say no, most of the time you will miss out on a great experience if you don’t rsvp yes to the invitation. That’s not to say that you have to drink everything at the table to remain seated, but in not accepting that ‘one drink’. The pressure might build up, and it might be more fun if you try and stay until the bottle, (or bottles) are finished. It is an invitation to give, and learn something of the local culture. It is an invitation to share the amazing hospitality rooted so deep in some nationalities and the culture of its smiling people even when they have limited funds. Sometimes it’s all about getting tipsy together and singing karaoke.
I have found the way in which alcohol is consumed interesting for a few years now. Russians drink in the same way as Thais, Filipinos, Lithuanians and quite a few other travelers you meet on the road. There are a few differences, but in essence, the way of downing the drink is the same. In the Philippines they call it ‘Tagay’ but some of my friends call it “Shot, shot, shot!” There are only two glasses at the table for everyone to use. You pour alcohol in one glass for the person next to you, just as the drinker before you had done for you, and then that person will sip the booze down in one gulp, but only when he/she is ready for it (again just like you’ve done moments before them). And, of course, the amount of time between receiving the glass till you drink usually depends on the size of the group. The drink is followed by as much water as you need to make it pleasurable and counteract most of the burning sensation in your throat. Lithuanians would chew pickled cherry tomatoes after the shot. Thais like water, but Red Bull is not out of the question. Filipinos prefer water, too, and it is almost always accompanied by a snack – whether it is grilled fish, peanuts or lechon kawali (pork belly).
There are so many ways to meet locals and share experiences with them so next time you receive an unexpected invitation to sit at someone’s table, forget how to say “no”, take the shot and ask some questions. You might learn something you might not even have known you wanted to know.
For more information about Free & Easy’s adventures in the Philippines, click here
