I've been here over 6 months already.

I've had boils on my ass, poop that smelled like a dead rat, ant and mosquito bites all over my legs, and high fever lasting a period greater than 3 days.  And im still ok.

I eat with spoon and fork together, or with my hands.

I abbreviate my speech to the point of lunacy, and my accent is slowly emerging as distinctly cebuano - as I put emphasis on the last syllable of any word, confuse my i with e, my o with my u, my b with my p with my v.... 

Aircon makes me shiver, and i actually call it "aircon" in my speech. 

Ive learned to see the world according to age and status, and from the respectful "sir" to the slightly diminutive "dong", i address each person according to their social standing. 

I know the value of the peso, and the way to conserve it.  The only time I think in dollars is when I pay tuition and realize that it's up by 10% thanks to the freefalling dollar exchange.  The other day i agreed to burn a cd for a friend's friend for 50 pesos. 

I am no longer capable of living a day without a hot, steaming plate of freshly cooked rice.  I know that not all rice tastes the same, and I can probably recognize by taste at least 3 of the 30+ major local types.

I've learned that honesty is being true to your word, not to your feelings; that form is often better than substance; that there is no such thing as a tree falling in a forest and a Cebuano not hearing about it; that an individual's worth, actions, and words mean nothing without a proper validation/interpretation/sanction by his society.  I may not agree with any of this, but i play by these rules, like everyone else.  And I don't confront anyone directly, even if im 100% right and they are 100% wrong.

I eat fish in every form: Dried, raw (Kin-ilaw), and I know that pork skin will give my blood vessels "the protective coating necessary to keep out harmful vitamins and nutrients" (line stolen from the Chris in the Philippines blog/website).

I look after the pressing of my shirts, the cutting of my nails, and other factors in personal grooming with the same zealousness as those around me. 

I am now comfortable talking about bodily functions in public.

So why the fuck are you still calling me Joe???  Pisti yawa inatay!!