laughter

Humor, maybe because it's a rather complex phenomenon, tends to have similarities and differences between cultures that can be telling. Humor in the Philippines serves a number of purposes that seem strange to normal, self-respecting americans.

One thing an outsider will notice about people here is that they are very smiley, and laugh a lot too. Laughter is not so much a medicine here, or even a seasoning, but more of a staple dietary requirement. Like the rice that smooths out the intensity of your bagoong, you need laughter --or at least excessive smiling and the appearance of thoroughly enjoying talking with someone-- to mediate the rest of your interaction.

This might sound straightforward and obvious, but it leads to some tricky situations. Joking suggestions are often meant entirely seriously; the joke is just used to make the suggestion gentler. We do this in America too, but we are far more likely to resort to straightforward direct communication than Filipinos. Also, black humor takes a very form here: it's more socially acceptible to laugh at tragedy and misfortune, and it's not so necessary to maintain a facade of awe or solemnity the way you do in the States.

Anyway the guys playing CounterStrike are getting kind of loud so I think I'll get some lunch.

Here are a few more pictures from my trip up north, taken by the friends I went hiking with for a few days.