Light Hearted on cultural differences.

One of the things I adore about being in a relationship with someone from a different culture is how many things are subtly different.

My wife and I were laughing today when we discovered that she has difficulty with the word 'Hippopotamus'. I read somewhere that this is a near-universal thing for tagalog speakers, and sure enough, it is. Made us smile. If you haven't tried yet and you don't know what I'm talking about, give it a go

When I first met my wife four years ago, I remember being charmed by how many plants she viewed as being lucky plants, fortune plants and so forth. Or that she really did know how to polish shoes using the inside of a banana peel (which for the record I have tried and it does work although it does make your shoes smell like.. well.. banana).

I wondered whether anyone had noticed any lighthearted and interesting cultural differences between themselves and their better halves that they wanted to share?

Well on my first visit I was asked did I enjoy coconut and coconut milk I said I did Juby says ah we will get some from the garden bemused I says ok! So we gointo the family garden with a pole about 6 feet long with a strong wire hook on it she promptly stuck the pole up to the coconut fruit yanked it and it fell to the ground we repeated this about 6 time getting the fruit,not much to that I thought till I tried! Then gathering the fruit we went onto the path and she disappeared and re appeared with a foot long machete the proceded to crack the green outer shell and revealing the coconut which she then sort of eyed the 3 dark spots at the the end to drain the milk once drained the shell was broken and coconut was scraped from the shell and Buko salad was made and enjoyed along with chilled coconut milk.
Having seen the machete I vowed never to upset her in the kitchen!! I still have the video

Ask her to say....Bed sheet.

Everything is different..that's what makes knowing a filipina interesting...and they are usually very positive..

They are women first...Very few are positive to a mans opinions...Only in the honeymoon period!

Go for it...Ask her to say "Bed sheet"
Spell how she says it!!

Ask your wife how they pronounce hippopotamus in Tagalog and you will find the situation is reversed, its quite difficult to pronounce the Tagalog version in English, I just asked the wife and its a bit of a tongue twister for sure

I just asked my Mrs and she said it perfectly... Typical!!

I did not know that you could polish shoes with banana peel. My wife has just bought boots that she can wear when she comes here (hopefully in October) None of the shoes she has would be be suitable for a UK autumn or even a KLM flight. Oh, and I told her to use dubbin on her new boots because of all the rain they are now getting. She had not heard of dubbin.

I asked the wife and in Tagalog she says hipo-po-ta-mus as opposed to the English hipo-pata-mus

I think it depends on which part of the Philippines you are from.

All subjects covered here at British Filipino, no stone goes unturned

Going back a bit there Howerd, I remember polishing my football boots with Dubbin, I wonder if it is still used today?

And indeed Dubbin is still going strong, probably the best water repellent out there;

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=dubbin&tbm=shop

Well,I did marry mine 28 years ago.. She probably has practiced since then and is now showing off!!
Till this day though..She still cannot say "Bed sheet" without making me or and the kids laugh..

I would not use anything else, and it does not dry out it the tin.

I'm guessing, i think she is a Visayan speaking, probably Cebuano speaking? ( I can hear her say it and every one of you laughs)

Actually..No!! She is Puro Tagalog...From Quezon province to be exact.

but how come?maybe i am just too presuming on how she sounds ..i mean pronouncing the word

Which word??
"hippopotamus" or "sheet"?

Sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick