Several Things in Common

When Filipinos all over the world gather for whatever occasion, several things in common occur.  Think of food, basketball, karaoke, and of course during this cold winter months, drinking liquor.  Topics of conversation ranges from Philippine showbiz, gossip, work experiences, achievements of the children, plans for vacationing in the Philippines, things to do in New Zealand, residency status and the latest Pinoy recipe using locally available ingredients.  And here in Hamilton, New Zealand, 106.7 Mabuhay FM is now trending as a topic.

I attended a birthday party last night, the son of my wife's workmate.  He just turned 17 and so he had his own group of teenager friends who were present. The sumptuous food was made up of dishes from all regions of the Philippines showing the diversity of culture in the dining table.  Aside from us Filipinos, also present were Kiwi and Maori workmates, with the latter really appreciative of the culinary taste of the Filipinos.  It also helped that they've been exposed to the kinds of food we have whenever my wife and her Filipino workmates would bring home food to work for their lunch.  We seem to have a lot in common with the Maoris in terms of family relationships, food, customs and traditions, and many others.