filipino manners (or the lack of)

I'm a frequent movie goer. I'll say this is the norm here to get a cell call and go off chatting away or to leave your phone's ringer on loud and text after text. Probably 75% of the movies I see have this occuring while not always on my side of the theater but it does get noticed. I try and attend the first showing of the day during the week if its a movie I'm seeing alone or the first showing on the weekend to aim for a less crowded theater which means less chance of this happening multiple times during a movie. Its usually not such a problem for me though unless they are fairly close and I like sitting towards a corner (again less risk). Some of the theaters here in the Philippines will be fairly strict on those who don't respect others by taking cell calls and disturbing others watching the movie but at Robinson's here in Dumaguete they just don't care. SM and Ayala seem to run a much tighter shift in other cities I have been to though then any Robinsons.

 

I recognize this tactic. Let me explain how this works.

You knock on the door. If you get something along the lines of "just a minute" then it's all clear, wait your turn. If all you get back is grunting noises, then you know the space will have to fumigate and you might as well find another CR.

 

Going to the movie theater is a luxury, isn't it? Who's going to spend a half day's wages or more to see a movie? And that's just people going solo. The people bringing their families to the theater probably make as much as the expats get from their pensions or more. Maybe it's the expats who are 3rd world.

 

That's one of the things about this i can't understand, why would people spend 160/170 pesos to sit and make/take phone calls when it can be done for free outside.

 

Makes them Look Important, My Daughter & her Friends all sit with Phones on the table at my House, Willing them to ring.
Ask her why she needs the Phone at the Cinema, I get, Someone may ring me. No point even Trying to Understand them Charley Old or Young, it is The way it is.

 

Cellphones and tablet use in cinema in Duma is very common. I usually sit as close as I can stand to the screen so hopefully they will be behind me...then my date whips out her smartphone and answers a text. I stay quiet. She gets another text, answers it. I stay quiet. The third text I tell her to turn it off or if it's that Important go out to the lobby.

 

Now this Will crease you up, tm Our daughter (17) gave me a missed call about an hour ago as well as here Mum,
So I rang back and said Wossup Gal Oh Nothing, I just misscalled you so you would ring me Back, No one else is ringing Me except you and Mum Used or What? I am sure they think the Phone is Dead unless it is ringing or beeping a message.
Sorry but I thought it was Funny. and just goes to prove a little point, No life without a Phone ringing

 

Thanks for the tip. Note to self, if ever going to the movies, go for the first showing.

 

Or maybe save up for a year and bring the whole clan for an annual movie outing

 

So many set out there phones for friends and passerby's to see to show off their phone. Middle class its about showing off who has the nicer branded phone. Lower class its about showing off who has a nicer/bigger looking touch screen. Poor class its about showing you have a phone so your not THAT poor.... even if the screen is busted up and you can't receive texts or calls due to its being seriously broken. Even if the battery is dead they still must lay it out on the table for comparison just for show.

Now just imagine if everytime foreigners got together we had to compete and as such would whip out our c***s and sit them on the table as a comparison.... same sort of thing going on here.