 i have visited 26 countries and have lived in four, but most people are surprised when i tell them that my favorite country in the world to live in -- is the philippines.
i think sometimes it takes an outsider to see the things that we take for granted on a day to day basis. one of the things i love about travelling is i never cease to be inspired by the new and interesting things i see in other cultures and nations, while also appreciating the good in my own.
so, without further ado, here are the reasons why i love the philippines:
BEAUTY: the philippines contains two of my three favorite places in the world -- boracay and sagada (the third would be the canadian rocky mountains). boracay, a tiny island in the central visayas, has the most beautiful white sand beaches i have ever seen and is the perfect vacation spot for low-key, relaxing sun-worshipping while sipping fresh mango shakes. sagada, along with banaue in northern luzon, is a place that truly takes your breath away -- impossibly green stepped rice terraces that cascade down mountainsides in all directions. sagada has the added charm of being a sleepy little hamlet where everything shuts down by about 7pm but where people rise early in the morning to go spelunking.
CLIMATE: ok, if i'm going to be honest, i have to admit that, though i was born in canada, i was definitely MADE FOR THE TROPICS. i am one of those rare individuals who loves both the heat AND humidity in the philippines. first of all, it's very good for your skin. secondly, it keeps me from being cold, which i am not very fond of.
FOOD: i love the fact that i am living in a country where it is normal to eat 5 or even 6 times a day. i think i am truly filipino at heart because i love to eat and i love to be with people who eat with "gusto." a friend once commented that he was amazed that i could be in the middle of a wonderful meal and still be talking about all the other things i love to eat, good things I had eaten lately, and where we should eat next.
PEOPLE: the bottom line, however, is that i really love the philippines because of the people. i truly believe that filipinos are the friendliest, most hospitable people in the world. this is one of few places in the world where you can meet someone and they instantly treat you like a long lost family member. i also love the resilience of the filipino people. i remember in my first two years here being amazed that, even in the midst of typhoons and floods, i would see filipinos wading through chest-deep water in the streets of manila, cheerfully smiling and waving to the news cameras. and most of all, i have to say that filipinos are a lot of fun. laughing. singing. eating. joking. it's wonderful to live and work in a place where people know the meaning of "fun."
... and when i watch the sun set over manila bay from the window of my 18th floor apartment, i thank god that he has allowed me to live in such a beautiful place.
 | Gosh lynn! What a wonderful, inspiring blog! But now you've revealed our closely guarded beauty secret...heat and humidity! |
 | i agree, lynn . . . this is home, and there's definitely no place like it :) |
 | gosh now i feel like staying... |
 | i have always suspected that you are a filipinio - what with all the tapa king meals that you have downed over the years. but the real give away that nobody knows is how much you like danggit, suka, fried rice and fried egg. that tops it. Thanks lynn your words are very encouraging. |
 | nawata wrote on Jan 11, '07, edited on Jan 11, '07  the real give away that nobody knows is how much you like danggit, suka, fried rice and fried egg. that tops it.  thanks, joey -- i definitely am filipino at heart -- except for the fried egg (i'm allergic!), but besides that i would have to add spicy tuyo, bagoong, bulalo and sinigang na baboy to your list :) |
 | You haven't lived until you've lived in the south pacific my sister! |
| you gonna be there for the summit? I'm going back in april for the summit and to raise good ol MPD as well sis... let us know if you decide to visit paradise and rewrite this blog... HAHA!! |
 | Lynn!!! this is soooo inspiring. i almost cried! you were so right when you mentioned that it takes an outsider to see the things that we take for granted on a day to day basis.
wow... i really digested that.
speaking of digestion... AMEN to that 5 or 6 times a day "chibog" comment of yours! Amen!!! Lynn-san saikou! |
 | This is nice Lyn. I guess you really know Philippines more than I do. It makes me miss home though. See you at the world conference. |
 | "i have to say that filipinos are a lot of fun. laughing. singing. eating. joking. it's wonderful to live and work in a place where people know the meaning of "fun."
It aint life if theres no laughter and fun |
 | a little spa, a little buffet..my idea of a good time. i have to say that the funnest(is that a word?) people i've ever met were filipinos. my goal is to visit Manila sometime in the next year...once my vacation kicks in. miss you Supr lynn! |
| I have wanted to direct people to this blog but it has always been blocked I am glad you finally opened it up. I hope you don't mind me blogging about this, I think others will just be as encouraged. |
 | Wow! That's a good one! How about a blog on "Why I Love a Filipino"? |
 | Mabuhay!...yet another reason why Filipinos should blog c",) |
 | thanks for this! Very true.. I miss the Philippines... *sigh*
I EAT EAT EAT EAT TOO! |
 | poink wrote on Jan 25, '07 this is one of few places in the world where you can meet someone and they instantly treat you like a long lost family member. i also love the resilience of the filipino people. :) amen! i really love your entry lynn!!! truly inspiring...makes me love the Philippines even more. after finishing high school, i was once offered a chance to live in the states and even study in a prestigious conservatory ...but even then i knew, i wouldn't want to live anywhere else but here :) |
| poink wrote on Jan 25, '07 as for the eating part... i guess the reason why is because we have THE BEST FOOD and FRUITS EVER! hahaha. |
 | this is so encouraging. i think its just unfair that you were built to even go beyond 6 meals a day and some of us can only dream about it. |
 | thank you for the blog it was sure helpful for us to see from your perspective |
 | This is great, Lynn! Now if you point with your lips whenever you show people where to go, and if you say "yes" by moving your eyebrows up and down, then I must say you already are a true Filipina. =) |
 | " one of the things i love about travelling is i never cease to be inspired by the new and interesting things i see in other cultures and nations, while also appreciating the good in my own."
TRAVELLING-such is the blessing of being a global citizen! this should be a norm for a whole lot of us....i'll do as much as i can to make my kids experience it. So much education to acquire and it's really great to see other places and people God created. Hi Lynn,i'm Rads.Thanks for being a good example to many!
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 | perspective is very important. it depends worm or birds eye view...
your message was inspiring... |
 | How refreshing! thanks for sharing your thoughts. |
 | very well said and i say "Amen" to that. it takes a "foreigner" to see the beauty of our country. thanks for the insights. |
 | Hi Lynn,
Just read your blog.
What can you say about the (in)famous "Pilipino time"? :-)
This is prevalent (even in my church).....really bugs me. :-( |
| nawata wrote on Feb 5, '07, edited on Feb 5, '07 What can you say about the (in)famous "Pilipino time"? :-) one of the first things i learned when i started to travel a lot was that there are aspects of every country, culture and person (myself included) that need improvement. one of my former (Canadian) bosses used to get so upset when the phones didn't work (he used to bang the receiver -- which had no dialtone -- against his desk) and traffic was so bad (this was in the mid 90's) -- but i have to tell you i was a whole lot happier than him because i didn't let it get to me (same with pilipino time). you may not see it if you have always lived here, but as someone who has lived here and visited off and on since 1991 i can tell you that, every year, i have seen huge improvements -- from the 'clean & green" manila program, to C-5, to color-coding, to the developments in places like libis and fort bonifacio -- and it always encourages me. when you live in a developed nation like canada, nothing ever changes. here, progress is constantly happening all around you :) |
 | Thank you for loving the Philippines. I'm so much encouraged by what you wrote. I love the Philippines too and I hope to see the day that people like you and me increase on these islands. My deepest "Mabuhay!" to you. |
 | Very cool... Now I'm really looking forward to the conference. Can you be our guide? :) |
 | lamumar wrote on Feb 18, '07, edited on Feb 18, '07 lyn , reading your blog made me proud to be filipino.
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 | nuninoo wrote on Mar 6, '07, edited on Mar 6, '07 hi lynn! oh gosh, i love this article, i found this from diane's site. i'm pinoy but i'm now living in new zealand (i've got the bug :D), but i'll always love the Philippines. i returned home this christmas and now that i've become a bit of an outsider (with what my changed perspective and all) I did see what makes the Philippines (and the Filipinos) really special. I suddenly noticed that our humor's really the best there is, hahaha! and the food, wah. i miss tapsilog and sisig and oh, chicharon! oh and the nightlife! eastwood and greenbelt and the fort..sigh. anyway love ur articles!
p.s. im currently studying japanese, i also love japanese culture, especially the old culture. i'd like to see kyoto someday. :P |
 | I need to write something like this.. The Filipino people are the most creative, vibrant people on the earth. Their humility makes them great. Maybe I could call it "God's best kept secret" |
 | bonnietrev wrote on Oct 30, '07, edited on Oct 30, '07 Philippines you will see extremes but you'll feel like your in a dream... impossible??? its possible only in the PHILIPPINES! thank you for your appreciation to our beautiful country. |
 | Hi Ms.Lynn,
Wow, great perspective . . . love reading it.
I felt honored and proud to be a Filipino!
I love this country . . . Yes, Pastor Rice . . . "God's best kept Secret" God bless you! |
 | Great blog, Lynn! I don't thin we need to look far for the inputs for the UN article huh?! I love the Philippines. I loved it even when I was there, love it even more now that I'm here in New York. It's really wonderful when we here people from other countries say wonderful things about our country, coz it reinforces the goodness in the Filipino heart that so much of the poverty and difficulties have tried to snuff out. May your kind increase! Mabuhay ka! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! |
 | Hello.. so enjoyed reading your blog. Yes, Manila is one of my favourite places. Boracay.. was amazing. Have an awesome week. |
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