3 Filipino Habits That Shocked Me 😳

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]There are Filipino habits that would feel strange in Europe and especially in France. Traveling to the Philippines changed many aspects of my life. We are very similar, but at the same times we are very different in many aspects. But some of their habits surprised me a lot, but hear me well, in a good way. And that's what I would like to share with you today.

[00:00:27]Food is sharing and this is something very unusual for people like me, French, European. When I gather with my French friends, we don't share our food.

[00:00:38]Everybody usually has their own food.

[00:00:40]The only thing that we will maybe share will be the drinks. And hear me well, those friends are not random friends. I know them since I'm around 10 years old.

[00:00:50]So imagine this is more than 20 years that I know them. And you know, when I visited my Filipino family, we did not stay in Manila the whole times, but the few weeks we have been to Manila, we visited them like every day. And you can be sure that every day you will find good food, good drinks, and [music] good vibes, good mood. At that time I met my Filipino family, the husband of my sister-in-law, whom I have known like since few days, already cooked for me many times. I cannot even count anymore.

[00:01:23][music] Most of the time when we visited them, he was cooking something nice for all of us. But my best friends in [music] France, whom I considered almost like my brothers, twice. And when I say twice, I really mean it. It's not twice per friends, it's [music] twice totally. All my friends. But I'm not blaming anybody.

[00:01:44][music] This is something kind of normal in France. The way we gather is just different. For example, we go to a friend's house and each of us will bring our own food. If I want, for example, pizza, I will bring pizza. If my other friend want burgers, he will bring burgers. And if the other one wants rice with chicken, he will bring rice with chicken. And each of us will eat his own meal. We will not share. This is something totally normal for us. We don't share our food, but we share the activity of eating, at least.

[00:02:21]When we eat the same thing, it will be usually when we eat raclette. You know that the famous food from Switzerland with [music] the cheese, the potatoes.

[00:02:30]Or it will be when we eat barbecue, of course. But in the Philippines, I felt something different. Food is not just food. Food is a way to gather. It's a way to celebrate. It's also a way to say you are welcome to my home. Something else that also really surprised me is the fact that your food is never totally your food. One day, my mother-in-law asked me what food I wanted to eat because she was outside and she was planning [music] to bring food home from a restaurant. So, I asked for lechon baka. Until now, everything okay. Then they came home with the food. And then something happened.

[00:03:12]We all started eating and suddenly almost everybody took some of my lechon baka. I thought the lechon baka was only for me because my mother-in-law asked me, "Thomas, what do you want to eat?"

[00:03:25]But no, not in the Philippines. That's not how it works. But this is my fault.

[00:03:32]I should have known that. I should have guessed it. Because before visiting the Philippines, every time I have been to a restaurant with my wife, she always asked me to try my food. And you know me, I thought it was like something that couples are doing. Like, "Oh, let me try your food. Let me try your food." I thought it was because we are couple.

[00:03:53]No, no connection. My wife always wanted to try my food. And that's the reason why sometimes I make sure to order something that she would not like. No, no, no.

[00:04:06]>> [laughter] >> I'm joking.

[00:04:08]Maybe not.

[00:04:09]Anyway, so now it feels normal for me to always share my food. I do [music] know that if I order french fries, >> [clears throat] >> it's not only mine. I know that if I order pizza, I will have to give [music] few slice. I know that if I order something, whatever, it's not fully mine anymore. [music] But honestly, I was very surprised at first because sharing, for example, rice, I would understand.

[00:04:34]You order lots of rice or lots of french fries, it's something easy to share.

[00:04:40]But my leche flan baka, honestly, I was a bit sad because it was really good. Speaking of rice, at first I did not realize how rice is important for Filipino.

[00:04:58]Rice is life. One day I cooked chicken adobo. I wanted to understand [music] Filipino culture better. Because for me, when you want to understand more a culture and you cannot visit the place as well, one of the best way is just to try the food from that culture, that country. So, I decided that I will cook chicken adobo.

[00:05:20]And when I tried what I cooked, the first thing that came to my French brain was, "Mhm, this would be amazing [music] with potatoes."

[00:05:32]Wrong. I promise I did not know that rice was that [music] important. I served the chicken adobo to my wife. And then I saw her waiting for something else. She was like, "Okay, nice."

[00:05:48]And of course, I told her, "Hey, start eating the food." Yeah, I will eat, but where is the rice? Ah, no, no, forget the rice. I made potatoes instead. I'm pretty sure it will be better.

[00:05:59]No.

[00:06:01]For Filipino, this is simply impossible.

[00:06:04]It's like eating bolognese sauce with rice instead of pasta. It's just feels wrong. And the craziest part with that is like I was so sure of myself. I was so proud of myself. I thought that I found out something like a good idea.

[00:06:23]Apparently, Filipino culture said, "No rice, no approval." But it's true, Filipinos are eating rice with everything.

[00:06:33]Because rice is number one. Rice is everywhere. Rice is always somewhere around. [music] If you want to eat a soup, there is rice. If you want to eat breakfast, there is rice. If you want to have an appetizer, there is rice. If you want to have a dinner or lunch, there is rice. If you want a dessert, there is rice. And little by little, I started to understand because rice for the Filipino is like bread for me, French. You eat cheese, bread. You want to have a breakfast, bread. You want a [music] soup, bread. You want to dip the bread in the soup, you want to clean the plates with the sauce, you use bread.

[00:07:16]Like a sponge, and then you eat. So, I really cannot judge that because it's not just food, it's a base, it's comfort. It completes every meal. You know, some Filipino even told me that they are eating rice with potatoes. And you know what? I'm not even shocked anymore. And I was even thinking that's not a [music] bad idea, in fact.

[00:07:39]No, for real, the only thing that may shocked [music] and surprised me will be rice with pasta. Imagine that. Rice and pasta, rice pasta, rice ta, rice rice ta That's not bad name in fact, but how do I write it? [music] Rice ta, rice ta rice ta Tell me in the comment which one you think is the best. And you know, I even started feeling something [music] that I called Filipino symptom. This symptom is simply the fact that you feel very weak if you don't have rice in 24 hours.

[00:08:18]And I know that you know exactly what I'm talking about.

[00:08:22]All of that to say that Filipinos love rice and they eat rice with everything.

[00:08:26]And now it's also part of my life, but not like Filipinos. I would say that I eat rice every other days. The thing is that it's not that Filipinos are eating everything with rice. No, they eat rice with everything. And this is really important to understand that little difference. By the way, you as Filipino, what is the activity you like to do the most while eating? Because I have the impression that it's chismis.

[00:09:01]The chismis culture, of course. How can I not talk about that? You know that chismis is something really Filipino by the moment you see so many sketches, memes about the [music] chismis. But I have to say something really important.

[00:09:19]Chismis is not only for titas because my grandmother is probably more chismosa than all of you. Yeah, yeah.

[00:09:29]She is a French tita and I'm really serious. I'm almost sure she is. I feel like you don't trust me, but you should.

[00:09:38]I have proof. You still don't believe me? Okay.

[00:09:42]Okay.

[00:09:43]I will have to show you the proof that my grandmother is the queen of tita. No, maybe tita queen is better. Is the tita queen. Let me explain something first.

[00:09:53]Chismis [music] could be done by many ways, but the most classic is being on the balcony, near the windows, or in your garden. My grandmother has a balcony and she spends all her time there. Like really. Sometimes she even sleeps on her balcony and I'm not talking about having a nap. No, no, no.

[00:10:15]The whole night. What?

[00:10:18]Still not enough for you?

[00:10:20]Okay. She's on Google Map.

[00:10:24]Voilà.

[00:10:26]She's literally on Google Map. You can see her if you are using the street view. Yes, she spends too much time on her balcony that when, you know, that car with the camera captured the street, she got captured and now she is on Google Map. What is the percentages of chance, huh? So, that proves that, yes, she's really the queen of the chismosa.

[00:10:51]She's spending all her time on that balcony. Is your grandma on Google Map?

[00:10:58]I don't think so.

[00:10:59]No, but now I would like to hear from you, Filipinos. What is the most chismis situation you have experienced? Because I'm sure that many of you have crazy story to share. And you know, sometimes [music] when I think of it, I believe that chismis is not only about gossip. Maybe it's also because people are more connected to each other. People know their neighbors. They know what's happening around them. People talk, gather, share, and sometimes that create a stronger community feeling. Because in some places in Europe, we sometimes don't even know who lives next door. But in the Philippines, sometimes the whole street will know what you ate yesterday night. But I think this is also what makes Filipino culture feel so alive.

[00:11:47]And you know, now I'm a kind of chismoso myself. These Filipino habits change the way I see the everyday life.

[00:11:54]Some of them felt a bit strange at first for me, but for now this is totally normal. And maybe that's what happens to you when [music] you spend enough time in a new country with another culture.

[00:12:05]And little by little, some of it stay in you. I hope you enjoyed this video. And as always, remember that all the things that I'm saying are only based on my own experience and my own point of view. So tell me in the comments if you think that I'm right or not at all. Also, tell me what is the Filipino habit that will shock the most someone from another country. Thank you very much for watching. And don't forget to comment, to like, to share, and to subscribe. And if you want me to talk about something else about the Philippines, feel free to tell me in the comments.

[00:12:42]Ako si Tomas ang inyong paboritong French kuya.

[00:12:54]>> [laughter] [music] [music]