Cultural Issues

First off, the babies! First up we have Cianice Chanice. Kind of a different name, but then again I am in a different country... She was born on the 23rd.

These are the mom's friends. They man who got her pregnant is no longer in her life so the baby will be raised the mom and the house maid to the right. The house maid helped her all throughout her labor and did such a fantastic job! They seemed like the best of friends which I thought was pretty sweet. The helper was all interested in the different techniques and positions the mom could give birth in. She wanted her to try them all. She was very good at helping her exercises, supporting her through contractions, and getting her to focus for the birth. Most importantly, she made the mom laugh between contractions and got her mind off of all the pain. Someday, I hope to have someone that will do the same for me.

This is Lislie Jane. She was also born on the 23rd. Here, the midwife Jane, is showing the mom how to care for the cord. Baby Lislie does not appreciate cleanliness from what I can observe.

This is baby Jemima, also born on the 23rd. Ali was her midwife. She is number six in her family. The mom was a seasoned pro and knew exactly what was going on. Her and her husband liked to guess everything! They wanted to guess boy or girl, weight, length, and even the time she was going to be born. They were pretty funny.

All of these babies were born super close together! Cianice was born at 9:26am, Lislie at 9:48am, and Jemima at 10:13am. I got to assist for all of them which was very busy and exciting!

Today, was a very busy day as well. However, I only saw one birth. I was assigned to a postpartum patient who had given birth at 5:42 and I came on shift at 6. So, I had a fresh baby and mom to take care of throughout the day. We had, I don't even know, at least six labors throughout the day and two births, on top of baby check-ups. It was one hectic day. We were completely full at one point. I'm not really sure what we would have done if another labor had come in!

This is Romuald Jr. and his mom, Melissa. This was the patient and baby I took care of all day.

This is an unnamed baby boy. Ali, who was pictured above, was also the midwife for this little guy. He was born at 8:42 this morning, the 24th.

I have been wanting to tell you all a little bit about the Filipino culture and now seems like a pretty good time to do it. This was all described to us at our orientation. There are three main values upon which much of the society functions. The values include: Hiya, Pakikisama, and Utang Na Loob.

Hiya: Hiya is another word for shame. It is also known as the "saving face" and is very strongly seen in Asian populations. It controls and motivates almost all social behavior. It is incredibly hard for Filipinos to understand our Western values such as independence, individualism, and nonconformity. Because of hiya, Filipinos will not ask for advice or admit they need help; if you are ever alone, it is common for someone to walk next to you to cover the shame of being alone; people won't disagree with you even if they know you are wrong, a landlord may not collect a long overdue rent; and if one falls in a public place, no one will help but act like they did not see to cover shame.

Pakikisama: Pakikisama is the art of "togethernes" or SIR (Smooth Interpersonal Relationships). It involves sacrificing the individual welfare for the welfare of the group. The ability to get along with others is an absolute necessity. I definitely wish the US had a little more of this. Here, every employee is expected and tries to get along with their co-workers. There is very little to no talking behind someone's back that you have to work with.

Utang Na Loob: or the debt cycle. Everyone is expected to have utang, therefore, everyone is obligated to many other people. It never stops, thus validating the importance of identification with a group. Creating utang with an outside group (Americans) is extremely disloyal to the primary group. For example, if a Filipino were to ask to borrow P50 from an American, the American could give it to them no problem. However, say the Filipino needs to borrow money again but this time they ask a fellow Filipino who was in their "group." That group member, might not lend them money because last time they asked outside the group by asking an American.

Here are some more cultural issues:

-It is actually polite to be late. 15-20 min. is ideal

-There is neutral gender no "he/she" You can say, "What a beautiful baby girl!" when it is actually a boy, and they will not care.

-If you go out for a coke with a Filipino it is polite to pay.

-F and P are interchangeable. (helper or helfer)

-Pedestrians do not have the right of way---no matter what!

-It is customary to remove your shoes when entering a house.

-Dress is modest.

-Body Language

+ Raised eyebrows means 'yes'

+ Pursed lips is directional. So, instead of pointing a finger, they would look in the direction they are talking about and make a kissy face.

+ 'Come here" is a hand going downward gesture

+Staring is common, however a stare down is aggressive and confrontational.

+Hugging is culturally unacceptable but is tolerated mostly among Christians.

+When going between two people, cut the air with clasped hands and head lowered to interrupt a conversation.

+ Younger 'bless' older with their hand

+Snapping your fingers is rude, however clapping or hissing is an acceptable way to get someone's attention. I, personally really dislike the hissing that people do in public. It just seems terribly rude, but I have to remind myself a lot that it is acceptable here. Loud verbal noises are also unacceptable to get someone's attention.

+Same sex contact is appropriate. It is common to hold hands or walk arm in arm.

+Shaking hands woman to man is usually not practiced.

+Personal cleanliness is a must. Most people going to the mall or public areas are impeccably groomed.

-Filipino "yes" may mean :maybe, I don't know, if you say so, if it will please you, I hope I have said it enthusiastically enough for you to understand I really mean no!"

-you cannot assume that what is being said to you is necessarily correct. For example, when asking for directions a very polite person will give you directions even if they have no idea where you are going.

-They are terrible at waiting in lines. If there is room for them, they will cut in line. Chantel and I got introduced to this right away at the airport when we first got here.

Well, that's all for now!