Doesn’t Pilipi-Know What She’s Talking About

Non-Dialogue, Parents/Guardians | Related | August 31, 2016

My mother is horrific any time she has to interact with anyone in the service industry. When she comes to visit my husband and me, we intentionally only take her to places we will never go back to, because we know she will embarrass us to no end.

Case 1:

We are at a small, family run diner that has a liquor license. She orders some obscure rum, argues when the server says they don’t carry it, then demands to be shown their entire liquor selection, just in case the server doesn’t know what she is talking about.

Case 2:

I take her for a pedicure in an adjacent town — again, I’ve never been before, and know I’ll never be back. She attempts to engage in small talk with the technician, asking where she is from. The lady replies that she is from the Philippines. My mother replied “Oh, I know Pilipinos”. (Yes, she said it that way, with a hard P, not an F sound.) “You people are great at menial labour.”

This story is included in our Philippines roundup – part of the Not Always Right World Tour!