People at the very back rushing to the front happens on planes too. The two minutes you save in total won't make your luggage come out any faster. I've seen it in PH, China and Mexico. #3 happens everywhere outside Western countries. Not everyone gets it, though, so either she's super hot or people think you're five leagues below her.

Just wait until you're talking to a Filipino in English and they're smiling 😃 and nodding “yes, yes” when they have no idea what word you just said. In their head, it's better to nod along than admit they don't know the word.

It's the same in countries all over the world.

I think you've mostly just stepped outside your comfort zone. People cut lines, communicate badly, get jealous and act rude everywhere. You just notice it more in another country, because you're paying attention to things you'd probably brush off at home. And when you already stand out as a foreigner, being with someone who also draws attention is obviously going to make you even more noticeable. People look, make assumptions and sometimes treat you differently. That isn't uniquely Filipino either. I'd be careful assuming every cold look is envy, though. Sometimes people are just rude, awkward, curious or having a bad day.

‘When talking with some Filipinos, they sometimes leave out key information and then look at you like you're stupid for not knowing’ Honestly, I chalk this up to poor training, or being told to follow one very specific SOP and never think outside it. It's honestly one of my biggest frustrations, and probably the one that keeps growing after several years here. Critical thinking just isn't taught. Employees have to be micromanaged to a ridiculous degree, and the education system has them thriving in environments where they repeat the same script over and over. No one is empowered or even trained to think about handling an exception. In fact, most people learn a single job and are never cross-trained. The answer is to throw more people at the problem instead of training and upskilling them. That's why there can be 20 people standing around a shop or restaurant while there's a huge queue at checkout... because only one person knows how to work the register. Heck, there's someone standing right next to them whose only job is bagging, but of course teaching that person to use the POS too would be an absurd idea. The one that often drives me mad: you order a set menu item. Say, a frozen yogurt. One ingredient is out of stock (as it often is). You can get the remaining ingredients for the same price, but they won't substitute or make up for the missing one.

Are there nice beaches there?

In my opinion, that “line-cutting” technically isn't cutting, so I don't find it rude. It makes sense with two people: one lines up while the other gets the groceries. The person in line still waited like everyone else. It's more of a “why didn't I think of that” moment. For your #2, my best guess is a communication barrier. Maybe the look isn't “wow, this guy is stupid” but “how do I explain this better.” Or the people you've met are used to giving fellow locals bits of information, and locals fill in the rest from context, culture and experience. For #3, keep in mind some Filipinos just keep to themselves, which might explain some of the cold shoulders. But crab mentality (not being able to stand seeing others do well) is a real problem among Filipinos, so there's that. Anyway, you'll have more to be annoyed about once you start driving. Speaking from personal experience in Metro Manila.