Mannerisms Used Only By Filipinos

There are actions that we can claim as ours or as Filipino thing. Yes, I know, movements does not have any ownership but here, I’m referring to the actions and mannerisms that are commonly used by Filipinos. It’s like when a person does that certain movement, you’ll identify that person as a Filipino because it has become part of their personality and traits. In all honesty, it is not our intention to perform such actions. It just comes out of our body because we are used to it and it is in our culture already. Oh! Why is it s hard to explain? Maybe, you’ll understand what I’m trying to say if I cite the actions I’m talking about.

By the way, there are also Words Used Only By Filipinos. Check that out. And yes! It has the same introduction line as this because I’m feeling lazy today.

 

Pointing with mouth

If I pout my mouth and if you assumed that I want to kiss you or that I’m making myself sexually attractive, then maybe you are a foreigner. But if I pout my mouth and you know that I’m pointing to something, then definitely you are a Filipino. Yes! We point with our mouth because it’s tiring to raise a finger. So if we, Filipinos, push our lips forward while looking at you, do not kiss us because it means that you have a dirt on your face.

 

Eating with hand

Yes! We use fork and spoon whenever we eat but sometimes, we feel like we don’t need them so we just eat with our hands. This usually happens when the dish requires shelling or deboning like chicken and fish, when we’re going to eat our favorite food or simply, when it’s a Filipino cuisine. Believe me. The food gets more delicious when you eat them with your hands. But of course, don’t forget to wash them before your meal.

 

Putting up foot on a chair

Imagine a girl who eats with her hands while she sits with one foot on the chair and knees facing upward. That’s so Filipino! I don’t know but it’s more comfortable sitting in this position whenever I’m eating, I’m in the passenger seat of a car, I’m in classroom when the teacher is not inside or whenever there’s a chair or a sofa. We do not care if we are a boy or a girl sitting unprofessionally in front of you. We just know that it’s comfortable sitting this way.

 

Scratching while thinking

When we think, we do not scratch our chin like foreigners do. Instead, we scratch our head. And we do that unintentionally and unconsciously. We just realized that we’re scratching when the thinking process is done. Psychology and science says that head scratching is somewhat an expression of frustrated aggression. Therefore, it’s a way of comforting ourselves and relieving the stress directed to the head because it’s the source of thinking.

 

Leaving a morsel of food

This happened when one of my workmates celebrated her birthday in the office. She gave a cake for all of us. We ate at around three in the afternoon. When I came back to the pantry at around five, when all of us were done eating, I noticed that the box still has one small slice of cake. This has always been the case whenever there is food on the table. We usually leave the last morsel of food because we are shy to eat it. We are so kind that we offer the last bite to someone to the point that no one eats it.