There are many reasons why Filipinos are cute. For one, they are short in stature. Most Filipino men are only 5’4″-5’6″ tall, while women are on the average only 5’0″ to 5’2″. You do not often get to see Filipino men towering over 6 feet tall, or women over 5’6″, unless they have one or both parents from a different racial background. That is why basketball is one sport the Philippines isn’t good at.

But of course, Filipinos make up for this flaw in other things, like dancing, for instance. Falling short in the height department does not make them feel daunted or anything. In fact, they use their being short to their advantage, excelling in dancing and the like. Indeed, their being short makes them great dancers. They can move about on the floor effortlessly and with grace and flexibility.

Filipinos have a cute sense of humor, too. They have a way of telling jokes that makes you laugh even if they really aren’t that funny at all!

Foreigners also find Filipinos cute because of the way they speak, which is often accompanied by quirky movements or body language. No doubt, many Filipinos are good communicators. They speak with wit and eloquence, but there are as many Filipinos who struggle with their words, especially when talking to foreigners. They have to use body language or sign language to get their message across, and they look so funny and adorable doing that.

Foreigners find the Filipino accent not only cute but endearing, as well. It’s very interesting listening to Filipino women rant about their life in their native language. Even if you don’t understand a word they say, you’ll be drawn to their accent, nonetheless, encouraging you to just simply listen to them.

Another Filipino value or quality you’ll find cute is the Filipino hospitality. When you visit a Filipina’s home, you’ll be warmly welcomed by the whole family. You will be served with and offered the best of everything the family can afford. Quite amusing to see is your Filipino friend going out of her way to impress you. A visit to a Filipino’s house is always a memorable experience, mind you!

Filipinos are typically family-oriented. It’s always a pleasurable experience watching them with their entire family getting together on weekends. When they go on road trips, they practically take their entire home with them. It’s exciting to go on road trips with a Filipino family. They bring along cooked foods or raw foods they can cook later, utensils, and even kitchen gadgets. They cramp everything they can possibly bring in their car or jeep.

While Filipinos are deemed cute in general, it does not mean they do not have a serious side. You may think that being cute makes them easy to get along with, but it does not mean that they are open to the idea of being abused. So besides finding out the reasons why Filipinos are cute, you must also try to dig deeper into their individual personalities and discover more.

If you want to be globally competitive means you must be able to communicate efficiently in languages. Filipinos can be called global because they can adapt to languages like Spanish, French, Chinese, and English. They stand out in all walks of life which include professions like doctors, teachers, lawyers, academician, engineers, nurses etc.

Filipino or Pilipino is the combination of Tagalog and other local dialects and languages. Tagalog is the official national language and is spoken by 23% of Philippines. To learn Filipino you must have knowledge of Tagalog as the only difference between the two is terminologies. Filipino is an amalgamation of all Philippine languages, dialects, Sanskrit, Spanish, and French words combined together. English is taught in elementary level and higher level in schools so people speak Tagalog with English words and at this point this language becomes Filipino.

You can imbibe, absorb or assimilate a culture or communicate if you know the language of the country. Language is the supreme power. Filipino language is a conglomeration of so many languages. It has characteristics of early languages like Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Sanskrit and Spanish. It has sophistication of Latin language, complexity and straightforwardness like Greek language, courteous like Spanish and old like Sanskrit and Hebrew.

Thus, Filipino has characteristics of so many famous languages and so it becomes very easy to learn and this is the main advantage of learning Filipino. Philippine is also known as – Smile of Asia – and is considered as the most westernized Asian country. It is the hottest tourist destination and attracts millions of tourists every year due to its scenic beauty. Filipinos are very hospitable and this country has a bright future and good prospects.

Filipino is widely spoken in Philippine communities all over the world. If you want to do business or trade or even if you want to visit as a tourist, knowing the local language helps easy interaction and you can save yourself from unnecessary hassles. Philippines is the one destination of Americans for outsourcing their jobs so Filipino language has got a position in American market. As it is very easy and pronounced as spelled, it can be easily learnt by every one.

It has become a global language, and you can master the basic words and phrases like “magandang araw” or “good day”, “kamusta?” or “how are you?”, “salamat” or “thank you”, “paki” or “please”, “hindi ko naintindihan” or “I do not understand”.

People from the Philippines are well-known for their tasty and flavorful dishes. Their cooking styles are influenced by the Malayo-Polynesian and Spaniards origins. The cuisines are best-known to be savory and delicious which makes them extremely mouth-watering. There are many Filipino recipes which are being prepared throughout this country. All of the provinces within the Philippines boast their unique types of foods and cooking style.

On the northern areas of Luzon the people are keen on foods that are prepared using their own anchovies. Many different vegetables will be combined together in one pot and then boiled with anchovies, plus additional spices to create more flavor. On the other hand, the Bicolanos like to cook with chilies and coconut milk. Other people cook noodles which are converted to soup dishes or simply sauted along with vegetables. Asian countries, including the Philippines have rice as their staple food. Rice is cooked and then served along with various other dishes.

Probably the most popular Philippine dishes would be the adobo, which is pork or chicken meat or perhaps both, prepared with vinegar and soy sauce. It’s a very popular meal in the Philippines and folks from across the world really like the pleasant flavor of this local dish.

An additional popular dish would be the sinigang and this is a sour soup dish. This dish can be prepared with any types of fish or even meat and then cooked with vegetables and tamarind. This can be found in a regular Filipino meal along with the adobo.

Kilawin dish is also popular in the Philippines and this include ingredients which are combined and marinated along with kalamansi or perhaps vinegar with salt, garlic, pepper and onions.

Another dish is the pinakbet, which is a combination of various vegetables including eggplants, okra, sweet potato, tomatoes, ampalaya, string beans and more. This is then flavored using anchovies and cooked in one pot. This is a well-known dish particularly for individuals living within the barrios or rural areas.

Filipinos are also extremely fond of grilled and fried foods. Before preparing, they will sprinkle spices on the food to make it very flavorful and tasty. On particular occasions, they would prepare rice cake dishes which served as tasty desserts.

Keep in mind that these are only some of the Filipinos dishes that you can enjoy. You can find many more, so ensure that you try as much as you can whenever you visit this amazing country.

Filipino Martial Arts

Among the most popular and influential of martial arts practiced today are the fighting styles that come out of the Philippines, including Kali and Escrima (or Eskrima, all of which are different names for a very similar group of overlapping martial disciplines). The martial arts of the Philippines are unique in their emphasis on practicality, with little ceremony besides what is effective. This was necessitated by the violent history of the Philippines, marred both by conflicts between local tribes as well as with great international powers, such as Spain and the United States. The Filipino Martial Arts incorporate both weapons training, particularly sticks and blades, as well as empty-handed training under the philosophy that weapons are merely an extension of one’s body. Another unique concept in the Filipino Martial Arts is that anything can be used as a weapon, from a dagger or knife to a rolled-up newspaper or umbrella. This has given the Filipino Martial Arts significant cultural traction and impact everywhere from Hollywood to American Special Forces, which I’ll go into a bit more later. But first, the weapons and techniques behind the Filipino Martial Arts.

Filipino Martial Arts Weapons

Unarmed (Because hey, your body is a weapon too):

In unarmed Kali or Escrima, any part of the body can be used as a weapon. Combat involves a myriad of punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, finger-strikes, locks, blocks, grappling, disarming techniques, forearm strikes, palm attacks, and even biting. Everything is fair game, because hey, your body is a weapon too.

Blunt Weapons

Kali Sticks / Escrima Sticks:

In Kali and Escrima, sticks are commonly used weapons. Among these are the:

Baston: A short Kali stick, generally made from flexible rattan

and the Bangkaw: a longer pole or staff, often made of bamboo

Improvised weapons such as pens, umbrellas, walking sticks, or even rolled-up newspapers and magazines can be used as Kali and Escrima sticks! Fundamentally, there is little difference between using a newspaper to fight or a baston, and so similar techniques apply to both.

Bladed Kali Weapons

In Kali and Escrima, bladed weapons are of fundamental importance, as a substantial part of the martial culture of the Philippines is a blade culture. Knives, of all shapes and sizes, are common-place and normal factors of life, used for everything from cutting down overgrown vegetation, cutting open fruit or meat, or cutting through an adversary. This brings up one of the key differences between the Filipino Martial Arts and other weapon-based fighting systems, such as Japanese Kendo, Okinawan Kobuto, or European fencing: while no one walks around with katanas and sabres anymore, people do still carry pocket knives and machetes and other types of knives, all of which one learns to defend against as well as wield through the study of the Filipino martial arts. This makes Kali or Escrima particularly practical and useful martial arts to know.

Dagger: a common bladed weapon in the Filipino martial arts. Traditional varieties include the gunong, punyal, and the barong

Foldable Butterfly Knife: Called the Balisong

Swords: Espada in Spanish, and traditional varieties include the kampilan and the pinuti

Machete: Traditionally called the Golok

Spear: Called the sibat

History and Influence of Kali and Escrima/Eskrima

Kali martial arts informally began long before the arrival of the Spanish to the Philippines, as tribes needed a means of defending themselves against other tribes, either on their island or on another. It is said that there are as many styles of Kali as there are islands in the Philippines. Kali may well have been influenced originally by similar stick and sword-fighting styles from India, such as Silambam, which also involves stick fighting.

Once the Spanish invaded and colonized the Philippines, Kali was made illegal and suppressed. In return, the Filipinos began to incorporate it into their dance rituals, which allowed them to pass on the cultural knowledge and fighting techniques without meeting the ire or even the notice of the colonists.

Kali martial arts developed during the colonial period through bloody trial and error as successive rebellions from the Filipinos shook Spanish rule. As each rebellion was put down, the Filipino people reassessed their martial art, taking out what did not work and improving upon that which did.

Today, a number of systems of Kali/Eskrima are taught, with most teaching weapon training, striking, grappling, throwing, and takedowns. Kali is geared toward teaching lightning-fast movement, efficient footwork, and practical self-defense.

In popular and military culture, Kali martial arts has also been influential. It is used by US Special Forces, by the Russian Spetznaz, and by Indian Special Forces as well. Hollywood movies have portrayed Kali as well, from brief flashes in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon to more fully fleshed-out appearances in The Bourne Series with Matt Damon, Mission Impossible 4 with Tom Cruise, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

“The women are the strength of your country”… When I heard this from someone, it just struck me and made me realize that it should take a foreigner to appreciate women in the Philippines. It made me see how a Filipina has evolved from a traditional homemaker to a highly competitive, career-oriented individual. Unique in personality, the women in the Philippines are very flexible; perseverance is the base to maintain their self-worth maneuvered by a gentle heart to easily extend sympathy to both significant others and a total stranger in need. Loyalty and faithfulness is the crown of a Filipina, setting her distinct among the rest of the women in the world.

The Philippines is a colony of different countries. Thus, inter-marriages have yielded a marked trait among its people. The only Spanish-speaking country in Asia, the versatility in English communication, and tenacity to excel in any field are the attributes that set Filipinos as highly skilled and most preferred workers. Though their country has major issues in economy, it never altered their minds in finding means to earn a living. Now that business outsourcing is becoming one of the lead income generators through international affiliation, most of the jobs offered in this inclination are catered to women.

Yes, the traditional Filipina who is just a homebody, soft-spoken, reserved and always tagged as the weaker sex is rarely seen nowadays. Single women predispose themselves more on the positive aspects of what is trending specially from the west, and eventually incorporate such modern influence with their individuality; this would ease the adjustments especially if with a foreign employer. But the real issue lies on married Filipino women wherein strength is defined. A working mother in the Philippines is guided by the rules of multitasking. She still has to perform her duties as a wife and homemaker while being a bread-winner in most cases nowadays. Not an ideal situation specially for women who pursue equality in rights, but for a Filipina it is just a typical day.

Basic necessities and the difficulties to provide for such requisites have driven these women to be the most bustling players in their society. Though there’s a big change to a Filipina’s traditional trait in order to be competitive, the main character remains which is being affectionate and caring. This is where loyalty also defines its purpose because a woman of substance rises early to tender the needs of her home, succumbs time management to still meet her husband’s needs, pushes herself to be more knowledgeable to be able to contend, and still maintains her sanity despite of challenges. That loyalty and strength is an outline of a Filipina.

Understanding what are Filipino women like is very important if you are planning a trip to the Philippines or simply desiring to increase your network of friends to include Filipinos. Filipinos, the women especially, are an interesting lot. They have plenty to offer behind the “morena complexion” and “chinita eyes” they are known for.

So what are Filipino, women like? Well, it depends on where they are born or raised. Scores of years ago, there is not much distinction between Filipino girls from the provinces and those from the mega cities. They were (or most of them, that is) described to be reserved, shy, and conservative. But city girls nowadays have become liberated, pretty much like those girls in Western countries. You can see it in the way they dress (fashionable, chic, and trendy) and the way they carry themselves (confident, sure of themselves).

The modern Filipinas, especially those from the city areas are not afraid to speak their mind. They are well-educated which partly explains why they are good communicators, in speech and in writing. They have the ability to speak English well, way better than those from the neighboring countries. Contributing to this ability is the fact that the Philippines was for a time been under American influence.

Filipinos from the provinces are more laid-back in almost all aspects. But it does not mean that they are less interesting. If Filipino women from the big cities will entertain you by taking you to bars and their glitzy night life, Filipino women from the province will take you to see their lakes, beaches, gardens, markets, old churches, and everything else that will make you feel you are in the Philippines. In the province you’ll be closer to nature, and with a Filipina as your guide, you’ll love it even more.

Filipino women (both from the city and the province) are generally hospitable. They will make you feel welcome in the best way they can. They’ll go the extra mile to attend to your needs, even though that means more inconvenience on their part. But you are not to abuse this hospitality one bit nor are you to think that their being so suggests that they are opening up to you, that they are interested in you. Their attending to your needs is part of their nature; it does not mean anything.

If you want to go into an intimate relationship with a Filipina you need to work hard on it rather than take advantage of her hospitality. Winning her heart can be a challenging experience and one thing you should never do is to play around with her feelings. To a Filipina, foreign men can’t be all that serious, and you have to prove her wrong. Make her feel that she’s the only “apple in your eyes”. Pamper her, make her feel like a queen, and most importantly, respect her. Respect her views, her religion, her family, her very self because these are important to her.

All these things that describe what are Filipino women like you must keep in mind if you are serious of befriending a Filipina and eventually marrying her.

You will not find it that necessary to know how will a Filipino girl learn to like you unless you are you enamored by her beauty, charm, or wit. Well, you certainly are not alone. Men from different countries and all walks of life are just as interested in Filipino girls as you are. Filipinos do have that kind of charm that magnetizes men. Sometimes, all it takes is one look and you know there’s nothing else you’d want more than make her learn to like you.

Well, Filipina girls are not hard to please, so don’t feel intimidated. But it doesn’t mean that getting a girl from the Philippines to like you is a walk in the park, either. You cannot be overconfident. Learning how to balance your actions is very critical.

The first step to getting a Filipino girl to like you is to be a gentleman. If you’re not exactly the gentleman type of a guy, you must work on it to increase your chances of winning the heart of a Filipina. Feminism is now being given importance in the Philippines, and being a gentleman does not have to change that, all. Actually, to be a gentleman in these modern times does not mean rescuing a lady in distress or making the girl feel she needs you all the time to do stuff for her. To be a gentleman simply means being there with her, not necessarily, for her. To be a gentleman is not to go overboard with your actions to the point that they become insulting or even revolting to the opposite sex. It doesn’t sound very easy now, does it? Well that makes the whole process of getting the Filpina to like you more challenging, more exciting.

You will increase your chances of a Filipina liking you when you show her in any way that you’re thinking about her. An easy way to d this is by sending her text messages. Texting in the Philippines has become a favorite pastime. The girls actually look forward to their cellphones beeping, alerting them of an incoming message. Send her something that will put a smile on her face. You don’t have to say a lot for as long as it is something that you really mean to tell her. But you wouldn’t want to fill her inbox with text messages coming from you. Keep the excitement going by sending her messages in the morning, at midday and once at night time.

You may want to give her flowers, too, to let her know that you think of her as someone special. But keep in mind that not every Filipina loves to receive flowers, especially from virtual strangers. Determine first if the Filipina is the flower type sort of girl and find out what her favorite flower is before sending her a bouquet.

Be in your best behavior while being yourself at the same time. Don’t change who you are. Just be yourself and show your best qualities. That is how will a Filipino girl learn to like you.

Getting the inside view on what Filipino men are like is as easy as looking into the glass. Typically, most Filipino men are the same. Inwardly, they are all protective. Being males, like most animals, they make sure that their mates are well-cared for. Instinctively, men will do anything to protect their women. This is the reason why, when crossing the street, the men are always on the danger side of the women.

Filipino men are programmed to be gentlemen. Since they were kids, they were taught to respect their elders and be polite. They open doors for their dates, pull out the chairs, open the car doors, etc. When they get down from the vehicle, they hold the woman’s hand to help her down and to prevent her from tripping. These gestures may sound a bit old-world, and some feminists may disapprove, but that’s how Filipino men are. They say “po” or “opo” to address their elders. Being polite and courteous is stitched into their DNA.

They can also be conservative because that’s how they were raised. Old-fashioned Filipino men still prefer women who show less skin to those who show more skin. Sometimes, they also prefer timid and nice girls to the loud and wild ones. Case in point, some men would shun away smoking, alcoholic girls who party all night. Other guys make like these girls, but the typical nice and sweet guy would rather cuddle with the nice girls who stay at home.

Wanting to learn what Filipino men are like is the first step to getting closer to one. One thing about these men is that they are friendly and jolly. They love looking at smiling faces and would rather be with laughing with friends, having a few drinks. They are also outgoing. Even though the Philippine culture is quite conservative, it does not stop people from throwing parties and social get-togethers.

Although they are outgoing, Filipino men have a tendency to keep quiet when it comes to expressing their feelings. They don’t really know to say what they feel, and they prefer to keep silent. This is true in situations where they opt to be inoffensive.

Filipino men are known to be generous and very hard-working. When they have something to share, they do share it with friends or family. They are considered to be excellent breadwinners of their families because they always put the needs of the entire family first. This is the reason why men work hard and concentrate on their work.

Filipino men, especially those raised Christian, are God-fearing. Thus, they are loyal and faithful to their loved ones, and their wives. Once they say their vows, it’s until death do you part.

Guys with these characteristics are worth getting to know, and who knows? They may grow on you. Men who are nice, thoughtful, caring, respectful, loyal, smart, outgoing and God-fearing are scarce. They are rare and are the type to settle down and get serious. These characteristics embody what Filipino men are like once you take the time to know them better.

Every relationship is always special and meaningful. But the challenge is heavier for every Filipino and American dating long distance. Love and trust should be present between two Filipino American hearts, one Filipino heart and the other is an American heart, separated by distance and oceans apart.

Filipino online dating is one situation of a long distance love affair involving most often a Filipina woman and an American man. Most of Filipino American dating relationships lean towards a more serious commitment. That is, an American man has the intention to find a Filipina woman to marry. Usually, the lucky ones will end in real marriages and a good life together.

Oftentimes, Filipino online dating relationships can be so overwhelming when two Filipino hearts are faced with too many challenges and setbacks and cannot handle them alone, specifically since they are not spending their daily lives together. Some tips could be helpful for a Filipina dating an American man and are both oceans apart from each other, or living in different continents for that matter.

If you are in a Filipino dating American relationship, here are some tips to consider:

1) Learn to be honest to each other. Remember, honesty is still the best policy. Much more in an online dating long distance.

2) Show respect and trust for each other. Long distance romance needs a lot more strength from two Filipino American hearts, and showing support and trust would help to keep the love alive. This means that faithfulness is a very strong factor to have an enduring Filipino long distance romance.

3) Listen to each other in a caring manner. Show empathy. Also, voluntarily offer information and share your thoughts and feelings openly with each other. Make your questions emotionally intimate and this will automatically strengthen the bond between each other, just showing how much you mean to each one would really come a long way.

4) Pick up the phone and talk to your Filipino or American partner at least once a day, even if it is for a few minutes. Hearing each other’s voice everyday is the best thing for the relationship. You can talk openly about your feelings for each other, or if there are any concerns or worries about the long distance relationship.

5) There are also free greeting ecards you can send for any occasion, even for no occasion, just surprise your Filipino or American partner with it. It could very well make his or her day!

6) Letters via “snail mail” could be very romantic and also a keepsake memento for times when you are both lonely and missing each other.

7) Of course, you should make use of high technology communication services available, such as emails, text messages, chat, web cam and so on.

It could absolutely come as a surprise and add a bit of spice to your Filipino online dating relationship. It would in fact, help keep the Filipino American long distance relationship together.

Although, misunderstandings and hard feelings do happen between two Filipino American hearts living far apart from each other, it is essential to maintain a sense of humor with your partner. Understanding your partner and knowing each other well should nurture a healthy relationship. In the long run, you will get to know each other more and more.

Loving your Filipino or American partner means you have to understand and accept him or her for all the strengths and weaknesses as well as all the positive and negative qualities.