Author Archives: Erika Arrojado

Maligayang Pasko

“Maligayang Pasko!” (mah-lee-guy-ang pahs-ko) This is the Tagalog translation of “Merry Christmas.” The holiday season is upon us so I thought it would be fitting for this week’s blog post to be about Filipino Christmas traditions. A popular tradition among … Continue reading

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My Debut – Part 2: 18 Candles and Roses

In addition to the Cotillion Dance that I talked about last week, there are a couple other traditions surrounding the Debut that I want to share with you. First is the 18 candles ceremony. In this tradition, the celebrant chooses … Continue reading

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My Debut – Part 1: The Cotillion

Different cultures have different coming-of-age parties for young girls. For instance, in America, most girls have a Sweet 16 party and in Spanish cultures, girls celebrate a Quinceanera when they turn 15. In the Philippines, the big celebration traditionally occurs … Continue reading

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A Favorite Filipino Dish

In my house, we eat traditional Filipino dishes maybe 80% of the time. And even if we’re eating American like fried chicken, we make it Filipino by eating it with rice. When I said in a previous post that we … Continue reading

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The Filipino Community – Part 2

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Filipino community that I’m part of here in Pennsylvania is a very tight-knit community. Indeed we party together often, but we also pray together and even sing together. Filipinos do know how … Continue reading

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The Filipino Community – Part 1

So far, this blog has pretty much been about different aspects of a culture that comes from the other side of the globe. This week, I wanted to switch gears a little bit and talk about Filipino culture here in … Continue reading

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Popular Transportation

In the Philippines, there aren’t any trains or subways. There are buses, but they are used as often as you would think; they’re mainly for longer distances more well off individuals. The most common form of transportation is known as a jeepney, … Continue reading

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Customs Around Food

In America and most western cultures, a fork and a knife are the common utensils. In the Philippines, we rarely use knives when we eat. Instead, we use a spoon and a fork. In fact, it wasn’t until I decided to write … Continue reading

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Special Names and Titles

When you walk into your professor’s office for some help, you address her as Professor Bedell. When you greet a neighbor as you pass by, you say Mr. Fredrickson or Mrs. Smith. When you want to get you’re older sister’s … Continue reading

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Shopping!!!!

In my last blog post, I mentioned the malls in the Philippines. When I say that these malls are awesome, I mean it! Aside from designer and brand names, everything is cheaper! I bought both of my prom dress there … Continue reading

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