Is it just me or are there more kabayans in S'pore now?

I can't seem to shake off this suspicion that 1/3 of Manila's population is now in Singapore. Most everywhere I go now, a Filipino voice is never far away, so distinctive (to me) is it that it somehow floats above the din of passing human traffic. Its uncanny.

And I'm not talking about the usual gaggle of domestic helpers camped out at Lucky P every Sunday too. I'm talking groups and groups of kababayan it seems, out in the restos, shops, the neighbourhood groceries, the parks.

Cases in point: I went to buy some stuff from Watsons recently and two cashiers just happen to be kabayan.

Got a shirt from Lacoste, sales assistant was Pinay.

I call DBS at 10pm, and who answers? A rude Filipina.

I ask to speak to her manager, and yes, she's Filipina too.

I buy shoes for my godchildren at Robinson's Centrepoint and? You guess it, got a Filipina sales assistant there too.

Just last week, I sat down to have lunch at my company cafeteria and the table behind us was occupied by 4 young Pinoys, all new faces. I haven't heard of new Pinoy hires at work so my guess is that they all must be part of the outsourced team that mans our IT helpdesk.

Even in this condo where I live, it seems at least 2 units have been newly rented by young Filipinos who are either in the IT field or are students. Seems 3-4 of them share a flat. I was told this by a lady who I frequently share the lift with in the evenings when I come home. No wonder our poolside bbq area is now almost always booked every weekend! I always see a large group of laughing people there having a 'party' during Sundays. Inusyuso ko minsan. All Pinoys. I wasn't surprised too. Chances are very high that if you hear hearty laughter anywhere here, the group is bound to be Pinoy.

I mentioned to a Singapore colleague how weird it was to talk in Tagalog to a sales lady in Lacoste here and she exclaimed, 'Know what? I was going to tell you too that at my block in Sembawang, I've seen many Filipino families move in. I think many of them are in IT cos everyone totes a laptop bag.'

Hmm, interesting.

Anyway, let me just say Mahuhay! to all the newcomers. Need pointers from the oldies? Got some actually.

1) Soften the volume of your speaking voice

No joke folks, they speak much, much softer here. If you talk in your normal Phil volume, chances are, fellow Pinoys will be able to follow your story from across the restaurant, the office, the cinema, the bus, the MRT carriage.

But see, while we kabayans may smile about having inadvertently listened in to the loud narration of a countryman's antics, others may not find it friendly and polite. It can even be irritating in small spaces. So tone down that volume and reserve the extra large guffaws when you are in a private space.

(This reminds me of how I used to shush my Dad whenever he visited me in college. Without his realising it, he was speaking so loudly in normal conversation that it never failed to turn heads towards our direction. It's nothing more than regional differences in speaking really, but still ...)

2) Stop converting everything into Philippine pesos

The sooner you internalise that you are no longer in Manila, the better for you. Accept it, there is no way to buy bottled water or canned Coke at less than the S$0.70 (Php23) (at least) it commands at the stores here. Beer is S$10-12 in pubs. If you want it to be Php20 like in Manila, go take a plane ride to Manila.

And the smokes! It's S$12 a pack if I'm not mistaken. That's Php360! And for fun, it comes with gross pictures of the effects of smoking. Ew! Trust me, you don't want to see those pictures! But if you are weird that way and insist on seeing them, the pix are here.

For women, manicures and pedicures are at least $30 each; haircuts are at least $35; treatments, at least $80.

A full-body massage meanwhile is at least $85 and a 20-min chair massage for shoulders is $35.

That is the way the cookie crumbles.

3) Cultivate friendships outside of your Filipino connections

While I agree that making new -- and maintaning old -- Pinoy friendships in Singapore is very important, I encourage you to go out of your way to befriend locals too. Stop the regionalistic cocooning!

Learn about other people's ways, see how different and similar we are. Correct a stranger's wrong impressions about Filipinos if you must, like how we really aren't all mad for liking boiled duck embryo. (It's great with salt is all I can say.)

New friendships can only enrich your stay here. How best to get to know and understand the Singaporean pysche and heart than by jalan-jalaning around and going makan with them, right? And really, who better to learn and understand Singlish than from a local?

So, yah lah, must meet new frens mah.

4) Throw your racial stereotypes out the window

Racial stereotypes are often always mean, hurtful and untrue. It is a clutch utilised mainly to cut people up so they can then be labelled and accorded respect or not, depending on which pile one ends up on in someone's mind.

I understand the need of some to find order in the diversity of humanity around, but can we just be kinder in our labelling of people, pls?

Because surely not all Chinese are ____ (supply your own blanket statement here); not all Malays are _____; not all Indians are ________; not all Caucasians are _____.

And certainly, not all Filipinos are ____!


5) Have fun at work

Might as well, right? That job is going to require at least 40 hours of your time each week so you better have some fun doing it.