Signs That I’ve Been In This Country Too Long:
1. I no longer convert all my purchases from dollars to pesos (Just some).
2. I now greet people by asking them “How are you?”, a custom which irked me when I first moved here. (I dreaded being the recipient of that question but now I impose it on others).
3. Buying cleaning supplies excites me as much as buying make-up and books (Scrubbing Bubbles and Clorox wipes are fabulous).
4. Having to compute and add sales tax to purchases no longer annoys me (I’ve just stopped bothering altogether).
5. I would willingly give my next 2 pay checks in full to:
- have the Philippine Daily Inquirer on my doorstep every morning
- be able to go to mass on Saturdays at the Dasma park
- have a National Bookstore in my neighborhood
- be able to get Blu Skies, fresh Kalamansi juice, and Tanauan Bibingka at the grocery
- turn on the radio and hear K-Lite
I’ve survived a whole year as a US resident. I can’t believe it. Who would’ve thought? I sure didn’t. Horray for me! 
