The inconsistencies. You've got 4 cashiers standing around but only one register open. There are police checkpoints to show the police are doing their job, but they ignore the crowd of riders stopped just short of the checkpoint. You go to a restaurant for the thing they're known for, and it's 'unavailable, sir.' The inconsistencies are frustrating

The way they treat dogs

Filipinos have the weirdest, most creative names in the world. Sometimes they aren't even names, just initials or random sounds.

Don't tell anyone you have money.

I'm not there now, but I'm still always surprised by how little forward thinking non-wealthy Pinoys do when it comes to money. So many of them are either flush or broke. They get 12,000 pesos and spend it right away on useless stuff like more clothes, expensive outings, the casino and so on. Two weeks later their motorbike gets taken because they missed a payment.

Never take a metered taxi.

Lots of people know *some* English, but they won't know *YOUR* English. Here's an example. I get on a trike to go to church, right? I say "cathedral" like kuh-THEE-drul. Blank stare. Finally I say it the way my girlfriend does, "ku-tay-DRAL," and he gets it. Also, they often won't try to speak English with you because they don't want to look ignorant or stupid, or worse, have their friends overhear and make fun of them. The best English you'll come across is from legal or medical people. Everywhere else it's catch as catch can, and good luck. If my girlfriend weren't a Tagalog speaker, I'd have given up long ago. And unless you can hold a conversation in Tagalog yourself, don't even come at me with "Well, duh, how about you learn the LANGUAGE?" Just don't.