Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Unjolly at Jollibee
"If you long for something good,
it stays in your mind.
If you want it so much,
you crave deep inside.
And when you get it,
it's Jollibee good."
(Jollibee's original jingle).
It wasn't me. I'm a soul in peace. My patience is long. And believe me, the last thing I want is a confrontation.it stays in your mind.
If you want it so much,
you crave deep inside.
And when you get it,
it's Jollibee good."
(Jollibee's original jingle).
It happened inside Jollibee Alkhobar last night where my friends and I - I don't know what came into me that I agreed to queue along with around 20 other kabayans to get inside the store - had a taste of Jollibee's chickenjoy. Sadly, it's not only JB's chickenjoy we tasted; we also had a sampling of the usual bad trait of Filipinos -- ang hilig sa singitan!
The story goes like this: We're in a queue (the store was jampacked and their chickenjoy was a huge hit!). In front of me is a boy of ten who ran errands for her mom standing at the entrance. (There's a separate line for women and men, and for a while, I acquiesced with mom's 'wise decision' to let her son fall in queue because the male section's line is less longer than the female's). The problem came when the mother's friend -- who just arrived -- handed the boy her own order slip.
Someone quipped: What's happening here?!
I just stood there grinning.
Hayaan nyo na, konti lang naman!, the mother said to us.
Let's be patient, I whispered to my friend.
And then a small girl handed another order slip to the young boy. That's when my friend flared up but the mother and her friend remain unperturbed. I also sensed the discomfort in the store crew's action because he knew what was happening but 'the customers are always right', right? His job was primarily to attend to whoever is in front of him.
I whispered to my friend to let the incident go and just be cool about it. Instead, he turned to me and said: Bakit? May karapatan din naman tayo a! Kaya nga may pila, di ba? (That was from watching too much soap on TFC, I thought).
I said: This will not take us anywhere good, so just hold your horses.
And finally after a long wait (imagine this: three customers were already served on the other line while we stood in our own queue waiting for the boy and his mom to finish their orders), it was my turn at the counter. I hadn't finished ordering yet, when the boy returned and asked for a sundae cone. The store crew rolled his eyes but obligingly gave a sundae to the young customer. I chuckled and I looked (without any disdain) at the mother and her friend who were just chatting there like it was one fine day, er, night. (My friend foamed in the mouth but we managed to control him).
Then I wonder what that simple incident taught the ten-year old! (For all we know, he could be the next president of the Philippines).
That's when I realized the virtues that we Filipinos should always take with us, wherever we go.
Discipline. We should always be disciplined. Fall in line if there's a line, and wait for our turn. If we're in a hurry (unless you know for certain that if you don't eat in the next three minutes you'd fall on your face and die), think of those others in line who were also in a hurry (and who, for all we know, also had the same condition of falling on their faces and dying) but waited patiently for their turn.
Patience. If you're in a hurry (and hungry), don't fall in line in a queue that is longer than a Saudi remittance center on a salary period. If you decide to fall in line, patiently wait. Patience is a virtue that will take us in lots of place. If you're short-fused, never ever fall in a long queue.
Have a tranquil soul. Contrary to what my friend said to me after that incident, grace under pressure is not a weakness; it's a strength. Most people can easily be angered. I said to my friend: There are right battles to fight for, and then there are a petty fights that are not worth your time. (That was from watching too much Boy Abunda on tv).
Pagbibigayan. In a long queue, I will always allow these people in front of me: the elderly, pregnant women, small children (not accompanied by their burly mothers), priests and nuns, the unprevileged, the hungry and the oppressed. I will not, under any circumstances, allow any else to move their way in front of me (unless it's the gas chamber or at the mouth of a volcano to be offered to the anitos). My point is aptly sung by Florante many years ago in 'Kahit Konti'.
Hindi naman buong-buo ang hinihiling ko sa iyo
Ngunit kahit kapiraso mano'y magkasundo tayo
Iba't-iba ang katuwiran ng tao sa lipunan
Ngunit ang kailangan lang tayo'y huwag magtulakan
O kayraming suliranin, oras-oras dumarating
Dahil di kayang lutasin hindi na rin pinapansin
Subalit kung tutuusin, iisa ang dahilan
Kaibigan, ayaw nilang umusog ng kahit konti
This I noticed: Filipinos are short-fused when it comes to queues. Admit this though: Once or twice, we've shouldered our way in a line somewhere, and we didn't feel sorry about it. We even thought it's us being wiser and more cunning. It's not. It's pananamantala to the max. It's actually the starting point of corruption's anatomy: shortchanging others for our own benefits. Let us change for the better. Because I know we can; I just wonder why we won't.
So how did Jollibee fare for me?
Their chickenjoy tasted like the original recipe. It really is langhap sarap! I just thought the servings are small and, in my opinion, a bit pricey. A small serving of a spaghetti, one piece chicken and softdrinks is SAR9 (I'm comparing it to four pieces of Fawaz broasted for SAR 13 -- with fries and khubus!). But hey, it's Jollibee. It's imported from the Philippines. It's a brand (and anything branded has a price!). Bottomline: Jollibee will be a huge hit to kids (and kids at heart like me who, when wanting to taste something Filipino, will always return to Jollibee for that langhap-sarap, langhap Pinoy chickenjoy!)
Jollibuzz
They're opening two Jollibee stores in Riyadh middle of this year.
Nebz, what is going on there?
Hindi na yan nakakapanibago sa ugali ng iba sa ating mga kabayan. Kahit dito sa telemoney palibhasa walang pila sa mga babae pagsumingit eh isang oras na transaction, ok lng naman sana dahil wala silang pila, so wala nang magawa ang mga nakapila kahit late na sa work. Ang masama lang, andun sa labas naghihintay mga asawa nila kumpol-kumpol sila, di ba nakakapanggigil? Yan ang isang klaseng pagnanakaw at pandaraya sa kapwa.
About the song, I have a tape of it, napakaganda ng song and i think Gary Granada is the artist behind it.
Ang mahirap pa eh kalahi mo pa ung nasingit lolzz
Pinoy talaga oo! Sanayan na lang yan pre :D
What a great post! I wish all Filipinos in and out of our own country could read this, and hope it could help inculcate all those things that you've just said in our stagnant tiny little brains (Don't be offended, kasama ako dyan).
Minsan 'di ko rin masisi yung mga ibang Filipino o ibang lahi na nagkri-criticize sa ating lahi, tignan mo naman ang ugali natin.
Taas ang ating noo sa mga pinoy na nag-succeed sa ibang bansa, pero tayo din naman ang sumisira. We should act like civilized human beings in everything we do! And it sometimes start in a simple queue.
buti pa jan..
dito lang-kwents!
as in hindi mo maramdamang nasa jollibee ka!!!
mas mabenta ang mcdo at kfc... kase naman ung jollibee masarap pa ung homemade chicken ni *** insert name here***.... lolz!
tsk! tsk! tsk! pinoy nga naman..
gaya ng napanood kong infomercial, "ang maling ginagawa ng matatanda, nagiging tama sa mga mata ng bata".
i can't wait to experience langhap sarap here in riyadh :)
You can see them sa bawa't pilahan,not only on food chains, money exchange, cinemas and even inside the Church during the Mass communion. I always take note of these people and pray to God to forgive and change their corrupt minds.
Come down here in Jeddah, wala ng pilahan ang Jollibee dito... But we will not go to Jollibee, pipila na lang tayo sa Al Baik. It's worth it kahit kasabay mo sa pilahan ay may mga putok at mga amoy sibuyas at bulok na repolyo. When you got taste Al Baik, you'll even forget that you've travelled that far!
no wonder it took us 1.5 hours just to buy 2 pcs chicken joy.dami pala sumisingit!but still it was fun also to see a lot of kababayan converge in ramaniya mall.parang filipino community day ulet!iba talaga ang langhap sarap ng jollibee!
wow mabuti na lang at naandyan si Nebz. I will update my Jobi later pag natransfer ko na yung vid nung opening.
btw isa ako sa tinamaan hehehe. but that early time malamig ang ulo ng mga tao kaya di ako napansin. i will tell the story later :)
Sa France, hindi ganun ka patient ang mga tao sa singitan issue.
If may sumingit at hindi nag papasabi ahead, hindi e entertain ng server, kesehoda customer ka.
Law is for everyone.
Now if meron talaga na kapalmuks na sumingit, sisigaw ang nasingitan:
HO, çava pas chez vous noh!
Oy, okey ka lang????
Sisigawan talaga until na mapahiya ka at iikot sa likod.
Kung rush hour naman at nanunulak, sisigawan ka rin ng
S'il vous plait, Ho!!!
If you may, please, HOOOO!
pero kung makapal, may makapal din.What can we do, it is not only the filipinos,
everyone, any nationality does it.
It is personal manner, really!
wish ko meron jolibee sa France!
Dami palang lessons na matututunan sa Jollibee. Sana mabasa ito ng taga-marketing division nila; magawan ng ad not just promoting their Langhap-sarap meals but promoting Filipino values, as well. After all, kulang pa pala ang GMRC subjects natin sa school.
[(Sa tingin ko ang next birthday ni Hevyn Thoughtskoto sa Jollibee-Alkhobar idadaos.)] o",)
If that was me, I'll admonish the mother for teaching her son the wrong way of behaviour. Tama ang kaibigan mo! There's a saying "One is enough, two is too much, and three away na yan".
Patience is a virtue, but there should be a limitation to it. If you don't put a bar on your patience, aabusuhin ka!
Parang bigla ko tuloy gustong mag-Jollibee sa weekend. Kaya lang I need to go to Dubai pa. =(
If that happened to me, pagpapasensyahan ko the first time. Pero yung second time na may order slip uli, medyo ngingitian ko na si mother at kakausapin. I just don't know what will be the case if I'm a man. I tend to be impatient with those who are abusive.
discipline must start from childhood and the parents must be the role model. in this case, the mother is the one undiscipline not the child but her, showing this as an example to her son will not only make the child the same like her but will also carry it until he grows up. kaya maraming pinoy at kahit hindi pinoy na gumagawa ng ganitong gawain.
lagi akong nasasabihan na masaydo akong mabait...
di ko kasi gawaing magtaray sa mga insidenteng ganito.
ewan ko...
naiinis ako.
pero sinasabi ko na lang na...
PAY IT FORWARD.
baka in some way, maging blessing ako sa kanila.
pero sana WAG NAMAN MASYADONG MAGMAMALABIS...
hehe.
:P
You know what Kuya, that's the thing I hate most with filipino women here in the Kingdom. They always thought that they could get away with everything. This things happen in Al Rammah, Remmittance Centers and now Jollibee. Nakakainis nga, and you're right, buti na lang you're a patient man. If I were in your shoes, I think pag aksayahan ko sila ng panahon ko. Makakarinig talaga sila ng maaanghang na salita.
namiss ko tuloy ang jollibee :(
patience is a virtue... but only to those who are worthy...
Naku, Nebz, absolute pet peeve ko din ang queue jumpers! It all boils down to basic respect for the time and dignity of the person(s) whom you jumped the queue on, di ba? Sadly, marami pa rin sa ating mga Pinoy ang walang konsiderasyon sa iba. :(
Nung mag-bukas ang Jollibee dito sa NYC, grabe ang dami ng tao pero in fairness, kahit winter yun, nagtiyagang pumila ang lahat sa labas at wala naman akong nakitang nakisingit.
Kakainggit naman Jollibee ninyo jan sa SAudi, dito sa Dubai, nagpost ako ng negative review ko against sa Jollibee dubai (bad ko'no?)
http://www.kalelmosaiah.com/2009/11/jollibee-na-naman.html
nag-open ang jollibee sa khobar during my vacation.. and last time e hindi ako nakasama sa ofcmates ko.. hopefully next month makapasyal ako dun and matikman ang chickenjoy nila..
kaya lang, naiisip ko pa lang ang haba ng pila parang nadidiscourage na agad ako.. maiksi kc ang pasensya ko sa pilahan e.. baka matesting na naman ang temper ko esp pag ganyan na mga mahihilig sumingit!!
sometimes or most of the time, other people's insensitivity over simple things can really boil you up. kahit matanda or bata, it should not be an excuse. discipline and courtesy know no age. madalas nga lang pinapalampas na lang natin (or tinotolerate na rin) para wala na lang gulo. maybe just divert your mind to the yummy chicken joy para di na lang masyado nakakainis.. hehe..
namiss ko bigla jollibee. walang jollibee dito sa singapore. :(