I turned to Kelly, and said "You heard her. The way we would normally gesture someone over, by crooking a finger at them, is the rude way. If you did that anywhere in the Philippines, you would almost certain cause a problem. But doing it the right way – for the Philippines – would make people think you were polite. It's just the reverse of that old saying: different folks, different strokes." – making her smile at that last part.

We heard someone say something in Tagalog, and I saw Mhay turn her head and nod to the speaker. When she turned back, I asked her "You have to go back to work now?" She smiled and nodded, and I thanked her for her help. She said it was her pleasure, and I asked her if she would be able to come back and help me practice my Tagalog, and maybe learn some new words. Her whole face lit up, and she assured me that she and the others would be happy to help however they could.

When she was gone, I told Kelly "You saw how she perked up when I asked her to help me learn more Tagalog?" Kelly nodded, and I went on "The one constant I found in my travels was that if the local people can see that you're at least trying to learn and fit in, they'll be happy to help you – sometimes even going out of their way to do it. You can mangle the language, botch a custom, or foul up a ceremony, and they'll forgive you – as long as they can see you're trying. If I asked Mhay or any one of the others how good my Tagalog is, they'd assure me it was fine – except that I already know my pronunciation is bad, and my accent worse. But I try, and that's what counts."

Kelly nodded her understanding, and I told her "While we're in the Philippines, you'll see me do different things, and say different things. Carefully watch and listen, not just to me, but to the Filipinos we meet, and I think you'll get the idea. Until then, don't be afraid to explain yourself before answering questions, or asking for help before doing things. Don't hesitate to tell someone that you don't know how to do something the Filipino way. Even if you get it wrong, they won't be upset because you at least made the effort."