Topper on Bantayan Island

[katie23]

^the natives of that island are called "taga Negros" (from Negros) or Negrense.

The "neg" is pronounced like "egg". We use the Spanish pronunciation, not the English one.

Also, in Spanish (esp in Latin American countries), the word "negro" isn't racist. It's just the term for the color black, also for a black person/ person with African features. This was said to me by a Colombian friend. If one is brown skinned, then they're called a moreno/morena. If black-skinned, then a negro. (Spanish pronunciation & context, mind). Those who are mixed with white Europeans are called mestizo/ mestiza. The Brazilians (Brazilian Portuguese) have another term for mixed/ mestizo, which is "pardo".

*****
As for life jackets, I don't know for Bantayan island but most of the life vests that I've seen in PH are "normal" sized. I've seen some gringos wear them on boats (bcos it was required) but they couldn't close the vests bcos of large built and/ or bellies.

[Topper]

^ I think the rule on a pump boat is that you have to be wearing a life jacket if the boat is moving..

[katie23]

^yeah, maybe so. The gringos that I referred to were seen on my return trip (Puerto Galera to Batangas) in 2016. They still used large pump boats then & there were some gringos who were my co-passengers on that trip. I think they went diving since they carried those long bags for the dive fins(?). The admin in PG later changed the pump boats to catamarans(?) because of safety concerns.

Still re: life vests, some LV are the real ones (that you can buy in sports shops). Some LV are makeshift ones - they sew styrofoam in between orange colored cloth to make it float. The type of LV will depend on the management of the boat/ ferry company.

[Topper]

As far as food goes here...

We had incredible Filipino food, a bit of Thai and Brit, with some Tex-Mex thrown in....not bad for a place as small as this.

[helge]

Also, in Spanish (esp in Latin American countries), the word "negro" isn't racist. It's just the term for the color black, also for a black person/ person with African features.

Same here, Katie

It's just a describtion, isn't it ?

My dad would have given me a mouthful if I had used any colour such as 'black' or 'yellow'

Or 'Natives' for that sake

'Negro' was the term; he probably didn't know that...'negro' means 'black'

Nothing racist about it until the PC Brigade took over.


(My father was a saint; I kid you not ! )

[katie23]

^pregnant women develop a "line nigra" (dark/ black line) on their belly as their pregnancy progresses. The "nigra" there just refers to a line being dark or black (Latin term).

I never thought of the name of the island of Negros or the provinces Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental as racist. To me, they were just names; names of provinces that we had to memorize in geography class.

In my language, we use the term "negro" to mean either having dark skin or African-like features (one can be dark but without the curly hair). Sometimes it's used as an insult or to bully people (esp among children). However, it's not used as a racial slur like the word "n*gger" is in the USA.

In PH, there are indigenous groups/ tribes who have more African-like features, i.e. Aetas, Mangyans, Atis, etc. Some of them are marginalised and don't get as much govt services or support (similar situation in other countries) but that's another story.

PH society still has colorism and being fair-skinned is considered to be more beautiful (similar to TH & other SEA or S. Asian countries - you'll see a lot of whitening products). It's not as bad as 20 or 30 yrs ago - ppl are more accepting now, but it (colorism) still exists.

Anyway, helge, I think my thoughts are too serious for a vacation thread! On with Topper's pics and vacay...

[Topper]

^ I thought the Spanish named the island Negros because of the skin color of the people and I worked along side a guy that could have passed as African who is a native here. My preference is morena....

We got home and are exhausted. My loving wife picked out seats on the ferry right behind the engine room hatch that was left open for most of the ride, there's nothing like the noise and smell of a diesel working its little heart out....for three hours.

The bar owners we met (she made the chicken curry pie) were insistent on taking us to the boat. It was nice, they're really great people.

The water at Bantayan City is too shallow the boatish/ship, so we get to take a lighter/ferryette over to the ferry.



A big pump boat came over, I think was being used as a ferry from one of the outlying islands.



3 hours later, Capriz Lighthouse



Our taxi guy was waiting for us at the pier, fooking wonderful.

It's great to be home and we're planning our next visit already.

[BLD]

Great thread Topper. Quick question what's the range of accomadation like? I.e is it geared for all budgets?
Possible to stay right on the beach?

[Topper]

Quick question what's the range of accomadation like? I.e is it geared for all budgets?
Possible to stay right on the beach?

Yes, there's a wide range of accommodations and tons of places to stay on the beach. We looked at a two bedroom house located beach front for 25K a month.

We found ours on airbnb, but Kota Resort and Anihaw Resort were two we liked.

[david44]

25K a month.

baht?

[Edmond]

I thought the Spanish named the island Negros because of the skin color of the people and I worked along side a guy that could have passed as African who is a native here.

One of The Black Eyed Peas is Filipino. I always presumed it was the Asian looking guy, but it's actually the short black dude.

[Topper]

baht?

I've not found anything here priced in baht...

[katie23]

^^yes, that's Apl de Ap (his screen name/ rap name). He's half black (African American) and half Filipino. He's the 2nd guy on the left in your 2nd pic. The 1st guy is a Latino who grew up in California.

Apl (real name Allan Pineda Lindo, accdg to wiki - I only know his stage name) - he grew up poor, in the rice fields of Pampanga (north of Manila), I think. His father was a US soldier & his mom was a former "pro" lady. His mom later had kids with a Filipino guy and he has several half siblings. Apl is not from an indigenous grp/ tribe in PH.

Apl's story is quite famous - rags to riches. He has given many interviews (mostly in Tagalog). He has also been a coach/ mentor in The Voice Phils.

When he was a young kid (10 or 11?), he had eye problems & his family didn't have money for surgery. A foundation/ NGO matched him with a sponsor in the US. He was brought to the US to get surgery for his eye condition (nystagmus). His sponsor (a white guy) later adopted him & brought him to the US. The adoption process took 3 years.

As a kid, his adoptive dad was friends with a black man who had a son near his age. The 2 kids started hanging out together & have become lifelong friends. That other kid was Will I Am, also of BEP (the 3rd guy from the left).

In a local interview, Apl said that he when he first saw Will, he was surprised to see a kid who was darker than him. As half-black/half Fil, Apl was considered dark among ordinary Filipinos (who are usually moreno/ morena). Apl also said that he got bullied in school (in PH) because of his features.

Apl regularly visits his family in PH. He has also set up his siblings in business. I think each sibling has a branch of Jollibee or McDonald's which they own & manage.

If you want to see Aetas (tribe with African features in Luzon), you can see some in my Mt Pinatubo thread. I made a pic thread of that trip some years ago. Their hair is not as curly/ kinky as those of some Africans.

[Switch]

^the natives of that island are called "taga Negros" (from Negros) or Negrense.

The "neg" is pronounced like "egg". We use the Spanish pronunciation, not the English one.

Also, in Spanish (esp in Latin American countries), the word "negro" isn't racist. It's just the term for the color black, also for a black person/ person with African features. This was said to me by a Colombian friend. If one is brown skinned, then they're called a moreno/morena. If black-skinned, then a negro. (Spanish pronunciation & context, mind). Those who are mixed with white Europeans are called mestizo/ mestiza. The Brazilians (Brazilian Portuguese) have another term for mixed/ mestizo, which is "pardo".

*****
As for life jackets, I don't know for Bantayan island but most of the life vests that I've seen in PH are "normal" sized. I've seen some gringos wear them on boats (bcos it was required) but they couldn't close the vests bcos of large built and/ or bellies.

Thank you for the etymology lesson. Very useful for ignorant foreigners like me.

[Edmond]

he grew up poor, in the rice fields of Pampanga

Apl's story is quite famous - rags to riches.

That's cool.

I do like an ol' rags to riches story. I read that JK Rowling was a penniless single mother of 2 at age 30, became inspired on a public bus and ended up richer than the queen of England with over a billion quid sterling in the bank-o.


There's hope for you yet Chitt...... there's hope for most yet.

[katie23]

@topper - yes, the Spaniards named Negros island as such because of the natives/ tribes that they saw who had African-like features. That tribe is the Ati tribe.

In Aklan province (Panay island), there's the Ati-Atihan festival every January. It commemorates the meeting/ welcoming of the datus (leaders) from Borneo island and being welcomed by the then inhabitants of the island, the Ati people/ tribe.

During Ati-Atihan festival, the dancers are in blackface/ black body paint, dress in colorful costumes and there are street dances.

I think I saw in a docu that there are also tribes in Indonesia which have African-like features, which proves the "out of Africa" theory of migration. The aborigines in Australia also have similar features.

Edit: when the dancers for the Ati Atihan festival wear blackface, we (Filipinos) don't consider it as racist. For us, it's part of the culture/ history and that those dancers symbolize the members of the Ati tribe.

[Joe 90]

There's hope for you yet Chitt...

How many single working parents that can afford to take 3 teenagers away on foreign holidays, put them through university and live a reasonable lifestyle in one of the world's most expensive countries totally financially independent without assistance of trust funds do you know?

[Edmond]

sinhle ghat

Anyone else feel like ordering an Indian?

[BLD]

How many single working parents that can afford to take 3 teenagers away on foreign holidays, put them through university and live a reasonable lifestyle in one of the world's most expensive countries totally financially independent without assistance of trust funds do you know?

Your doing a great job Joe. If I didn't own my gaff in Oz and have consistent income from the Lao gaff I would struggle Mrs bld hasn't worked since she was ill , but she works with me just to help out. I'm the husband and the bread winner that's how it is its fine with me. It's becoming apparent my oldest boy will go on to university. Which is fantastic so I will make sure I've still got the savings to get him of to a good start. I take my hat of to you Joe.

[helge]

My preference is morena....

Can't use that here.

Hasn't been PC since Shakespeare wrote Othello.

[david44]

Can't use that here.

Hasn't been PC since Shakespeare wrote Othello.

From Mauretania, the ship, the Bristol bar or the zabarbary coast to Birmingham Moor St station the usage continues

The name Morris as in the cars comes from Maurice same St Moritz the Moresco or Muhru/Maur of Pyhrric or Greek even levantine origin and had nothing to do with pigment rather locus.

Morris the swarthy one one consonant with Schwarz

Interestingly the peaceful Portuguese return to democracy revolution of 1976 which overthrew longest fascist dictatorship was herladed by a radio signal of the clasic song

Grândola, Vila Morena, meaning brown town Grandola where I used to dine when working in nearby Chaos really!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaLWqy4e7ls

Wiki adds
Moors—or more frequently their heads, often crowned—appear with some frequency in medieval European heraldry, though less so since the Middle Ages. The term ascribed to them in Anglo-Normanblazon (the language of English heraldry) is maure, though they are also sometimes called moore, blackmoor, blackamoor or negro.

Maures appear in European heraldry from at least as early as the 13th century,[63] and some have been attested as early as the 11th century in Italy,[63] where they have persisted in the local heraldry and vexillology well into modern times in Corsica and Sardinia.

The main rail station for BAB conurbation in french Basque country is Biarritz La negresse


In the phils the Moro Islamic Liberation Front chose the interesting title MILF, Don't ggogle at work

[helge]

Interestingly the peaceful Portuguese return to democracy revolution of 1976

Ahem

[TizMe]

Was a floating bar in Sabang mid late 80ies run by an english fellow. Phil, Bill or something.

He was from Guildford, which gave me an opportunity to ..float my sympathies for the IRA.

He was a nice guy btw.

Remember that one, BLD ?

(got pics if you need them )

This is the Bikini Bar in Sabang

[TizMe]

Speaking of birds, there's no seagulls or pelicans here that I've seen. There's plenty of birds, just not seashore type birds.

Also, there's no 7-11's here, just small sari-sari type shops, which is a win for me.

And lucky for us, the local church started punching out the tunes at 180db this morning. Thankfully it was at 6:00am which warmed both the wife and I's heart.

I've noticed the "no seagulls" as well. Maybe some time in the past the locals ate them all...
We do have a very annoying cuckoo bird hanging around the last week or so though.

[TizMe]

Great pics Topper, thanks.
Makes me want to go back again.