Issue of sending money to family in pinas

[pennybarry]

............. when your going around the supermarket, just add a few things to your basket each week and when you've collected enough and your husband can afford to send it, send them a balikbayan box.

I can never understand why anyone would buy anything in the 'west' then spend money on sending a box to Pinas. It must be much better value to send the cash as I am sure everything is cheaper there.

Maybe be sending items which one no longer has a use for could be slightly different. Like people working for rich people who buy for example a cell fone and after a short while discard it for another model. Salvaging that and sending makes sense.

You are practically right but for most filipina wives, balikbayan box is just a way of thinking your family back home. For me, it is also our family's way of lambing or to show fondness and affection. My little 3-4 year old cousins told me, ate, if you will send me chocolates and dolls I will be very good like angels in heaven. I was touched with their magical words ehehhehe, i feel how desperately they want it and found it is cheaper to buy here second hand dolls so why not? I used to send cappuchino coffee to my Mom as she love it and I can't really find it in SM. I just always want to give the very best to my 82 yr old Nanay. So it is the fondness and affection to us that counts. Not the cost of the box.

for me its okey they call me greedy or tight than softhearted.........im already nearly 3 yrs here and a plain housewife....so my family and relatives expect nothing from me.

I think it depends upon the family you have, depends upon what you have and depends upon your innerside. Some people choose to be happy called as greedy, some people feels really happy to help. But most of filipino families are happy in helping each other. I have seen so many successful filipino families who did sharing and helping each other.

It will always be innate for evey Filipino to become softhearted when it comes to family. As you all know, filipinos are known to always have close family ties. Even those not part of the family can call you "Ate" or "Kuya","Tita" or "Tito". A Filipino always value his/her own family no matter what to the greatest extent.

It is true that most Filipinos if not all have this notion that life in the west is a life filled with milk and honey....so the reason when one learns that she marries a western guy, she is expected to have a good life with him out there. Filipinos will have the tendency to compare the difference in the currency conversion to the kind of life you will be living with.

So for every filipino, whether with or without a job overseas,there will always have this desire to share his/her "blessings" to the family or relatives she left back home......and not being able to do so will give her/him a slight guilt. Whether her family back home is financially able or not, a filipino always have this value of giving and sharing.

I believe, it is our culture having a close family ties.
I have also noticed that british people in general, understands and respects others culture. I watched t.v. and read their magazines and newspapers how they respect muslim culture, gypsys, indians and other countries.
So it is not difficult for me to explain to hubby and be proud of our culture.