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DE GUZMAN, CHRISTIAN JON C.

12-ABM 2

AUGUST 22, 2019

The friendly and respectful farmers

One of the traits of Filipinos is that they are friendly and good at talking to other

people even though they are foreigners, and they respect it and treat it right to make them feel

welcome in our country. Another of the traits of Filipinos is that they are hospitable to the way

they offer food or drink and another part of the Filipino tradition is that alcohol consumption

will not be lost when there is a visitor or have fun.

In the short story "We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers" by Alejandro R. Roces This story

is about an American soldier bragging his ability to drink all kinds of liquor to a Filipino

farmer, but in the end he got drunk because of the lambanog that the farmer offered. It centers

on the drinking habits and the cultures of Filipinos and Americans and it uniquely showed the

events that happened during the war.

“Hello, my little brown brother,” he said patting me on the head. “Hello, Joe,” I

answered. All Americans are called Joe in the Philippines. “Any bars in this town?” he asked.

That was usually the first question American soldiers asked when they visited our barrio.

“I am sorry, Joe,” I replied. “There are no bars in this barrio. ”“Oh, hell! You know where I

could buy more whiskey? ”“No, Joe. I am sorry. We do not drink whiskey.”
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In the introduction, you can see that being friendly is always about being

respectful of the Filipino culture.

“You know where I could buy some?” “I have some you can have, but I do not

think you will like it.” “I’ll like it all right. Don’t worry about that. I have drunk everything—

whiskey, rum, brandy, tequila, gin, champagne, saki, vodka…” He mentioned many more that

I can not spell. “Say, you sure drink a lot, don’t you? ”“I not only drink a lot, but I drink

anything. I drank Chanel Number 5 when I was in France. In New Guinea, I got soused on

Williams’ Shaving Lotion. When I was laid up in the hospital I got pie-eyed with medical

alcohol. On my way here in a transport I got stoned on torpedo juice. You ain’t kidding when

you say I drink a lot. So let’s have some of that jungle juice, eh?” “All right,” I said. “I will

just take this carabao to the mudhole, then we can go home and drink.”

This line shows how good the Filipino man and being “friendly” was by offering her

something and inviting them to taste the lambanog.

Just as I was getting in the mood to drink, Joe passed out. He lay on the floor flat as a

starfish. He was in a class all by himself.

I knew that the soldiers had to be back in their barracks at a certain time. So I decided to take

Joe back. I tried to lift him. It was like lifting a carabao. I had to call four of my neighbors to

help me carry Joe. We slung him on top of my carabao. I took my bolo from my house and

strapped it on my waist. Then I proceeded to take him back. The whole barrio was wondering

what had happened to the big Amerikano.

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It showed the Filipino even as he “respected’ the American soldier because he

was still carrying it until to getting home.

In the short story "We Filipinos are Mild Drinkers" by Alejandro R. Roces An

American soldier who drank alcohol and one day he met a Filipino living in a bar and asked

him where he was at a nearby bar. he also asked if he was drinking and the Filipino answer

was "we Filipinos are mild drinkers" and he asked the Filipino again if he didn't really drink

and the Filipino replied he was drinking but not whiskey, and he said he drank lambanog

only and the Filipino man offered them a drink of lambanog and thus intoxicated the

American soldiers and when he had brought the drunken man home, the soldier's friend

invited him to drink a beer and he said "No, thanks," I said. "We Filipinos are mild drinkers."