Some things different about Filipino life, a thread

It's not just super rich people who go to private school (this one may apply to other cultures too). You're gonna find many students whose families own large businesses, but there are just as many middle and upper middle class students.

Helpers are not only hired by the affluent. In fact, it is common for every household to have a helper, whether their job is to clean, cook, etc. They also live at the house whenever they are working and often take breaks for special occasions or just to visit home.

We learn a lot of languages. Being from Bacolod, I learned our dialect, Ilonggo. English was also used in our household, so I learned these two languages at the same time. The national language, Filipino, is taught in school. My particular school also taught Chinese.

A lot of Filipino women never learned how to drive. This is because they can rely on a man in the family or a driver they hire to drive them places. My mom actually had to learn before we came to the US.

Seafood is cheaper in the Philippines. It isn't rare to order a whole tub of huge oysters (talaba!!) along with crab, mussels, grilled fish, and white rice for a lunch out at a seaside restaurant.

All Filipino parties worth their salt come with a whole roasted pig called lechon, and it is basically everyone's favorite food.

Speaking of parties, birthday parties are a huge affair in the Philippines. There is always a large party where everybody in the family comes to celebrate. (Sometimes, the invitation is so wide, you don't recognize some of the family friends!)

Fellow Filipinos, help add more things!