The average Pisay student would have spent a lot of his day in the corridors. Being in the corridor thus would ask us to frequently practice good manners. Here are some good etiquette worthy to recall:

1. When walking at regular pace, DO keep near the sides and avoid the center. The reason for this is simply to give ample space for people who might want to overtake you. Your corridors are just like your motorways, cars travelling fast are advised to stay in the center-lanes, those going slow are supposed to occupy the margin-lanes.

2. Just like in the stairs, DO avoid walking in files, especially when your group is large enough to occupy the entire corridor. Without knowing it, your group is already blocking the entire aisle.

3. When two gentlemen walk in the corridors, the one of a higher rank walks nearer the center. When on the other hand a gentleman walks with a lady, regardless of rank, the lady walks nearer the center. This is because the center of corridors, even of staircases, are considered spaces of honour. In Royal mansions, there are specific instructions given to servants (butlers, maids, pages etc.) never to use the center-spaces. Normally the spaces are carpeted red, while the rest of the house are carpeted with green or any colour except red. In military institutions, the same standard applies as in the phrase we normally hear spoken by an officer, "stick to the wall, cadet!"

Recognizing and respecting different ranks of people do not necessarily go against the time-honoured democratic principle that says, all persons are equal. Why? It is because the proper functioning of society requires duties and responsibilities of different and hierarchical degrees: look, not everyone can be president, all at the same time, otherwise what a horrible and chaotic society you will have! The preferences or ranks we give to people are precisely based on their office or function in society, not because they have a higher or a lower dignity. Yes, as persons we are equals, but as holders of various positions in society, we do differ.

"Giving way" is a wonderful consequence of the virtue of humility, a virtue truly good to practice, afterall who really likes to be with proud and haughty people?

16 November 2009

There are ways of climbing staircases gracefully in as many as there are ways to climb it looking unimpressively flat. Here are a few more tips on climbing up and down a flight of stairs.

1. Do climb in an upright manner just as if you are walking. The tendency of people is to lean forward to transfer the weight of the body up front, but, this is not good to look at and gives an impression that one does not know how to carry his weight. For one who is just learning to walk, this is excusable but for one who has walked and climbed staircases for years, this is unsightly.

2. For males DO climb the stairs straightforward, for females DO climb with a slight tilt (about 15 degrees) towards the hand-rail side. Why the difference? Fashion has a lot to answer for this, males wearing pants need not tilt sideways to see the next few steps to take, which is important for safety reasons. However, females who wear skirts, especially long gowns, in order to see the staircases they are climbing on, must tilt a bit to see their way. Another reason is that, when climbing down, females wearing skirts, especially short skirts, who climb down straightforward fashion will show a lot of their physique (legs and all) to those already waiting downstairs, sometimes this is short of immodesty.

3. DO climb the steps heads erect and not heads down. Looking at where you are going is good safety practice, but looking at your every step in the staircase gives an impression of undue caution and makes you walk heads down, a sign of lack of self-possesion and confidence. A good practice is to look in advance a few steps, say 4 or 5 steps ahead, this will allow your head to remain upright, but at the same time keep you on the side of safety.

One of the greatest gifts of being human is the ability to walk upright, remember, no animal is ever capable of doing this. This gift is part of man having been given dominion over all created things; to be upright means being able to see fully his surrounding and therefore have a command over it. Walking properly and with grace is just the logical consequence of knowing and living this wonderful gift.

Remember, an etiquette a day keeps rudeness away.

-Sir Madz

13 November 2009

In the absence of elevators, daily life in Pisay involves climbing up flights of stairs. This activity, just like any other ordinary activities, calls us to practice proper etiquette. Our practice of these easy-to-follow rules not only will help us avoid accidents (which is not really uncommon, recall how many accidents in Pisay happened in the stairs!) but will also give polish to our conduct.

1. In climbing up or down a staircase DO climb without haste. A lot of the rules in etiquette concern about preventing somebody from looking ugly. A person, in uniform or office attire, running, is not good to look at, and it will produce unimpressive results such as arriving in class all sweaty with hair and clothes disarranged. But there is a deeper reason also in preferring to walk properly than to run in all haste. Being always in a hurry is a good indicator that one is living with a disorderly schedule and one's day is not carefully planned- in short the person lacks orderliness.

2. In climbing a stair with a friend, allow the older one or the lady to walk along side the hand rails. This will ensure that they have a support while climbing up or down. Men on the other hand should always be ready to offer some help should they need it.

3. In climbing up the staircase as a group DO avoid climbing in files, especially when the whole file will occupy the entire staircase. Somebody in an emergency or in a needful hurry, might need to overtake you but they cannot because you are blocking him/her.

Etiquette calls for a lot of order because order is a reflection of beauty. We prize beauty though it is not a virtue, because beauty makes us attractive to people. And when people are attracted to us, all the more it is easy for us to do good things to them. Beauty makes the practice of the virtues easy and enjoyable.

Remember an etiquette a day keeps rudeness away.


-Sir Madz

An Etiquette a Day

Taking off from the Balabago-Bitoon Jeep to start a new school day is an experience many of us share. For most us, what happens during this important event spells out our day. Likewise, showing our good manners right from the start of the day is a good practice because, surely everybody would like a wonderful school day from start to finish.

1. Right before alighting the jeep or the tricycle or whatever form of transportation you came with that day (as in the case of those who are dropped-off by their parents or chauffeur), never forget to say the magic words THANK YOU. A big smile would go well with it, too. Yes, you paid for your ride, but I guess you owe more to the driver for taking you safely to Pisay than what is strictly worth PhP 7. If you are lucky to be dropped-off by your mum or dad, a good-bye and a kiss will make them feel rewarded for taking you to school. Yes you've growned up, but that doesn't mean you stopping to show them signs of affection;

2. Just when you enter the confines of Pisay, I'm very sure the first person you'll meet is our station guard. DO greet him with a "good morning!". Your, manong guard, as we fondly know them, starts work at around 12 or 3 am. By the time you arrive in the morning, they are already 6 hours awake and pretty much starting to get tired. But your cheerful smile and greeting, I'm sure, would fire them up to work for the rest of their duty;

3. As you enter school DO try to greet everyone you come across with, guards, janitors, teachers, staffs and students, especially with a smile. But, never expect all of them to greet or smile back at you. Most people are not in their best in the morning, but this should not discourage you to be polite. Afterall, we don't practice etiquette expecting that others would give us the same treatment, we practice etiquette because it's the right thing to do!

Politeness is one virtue we do not practice for the sake of showing off our "manners", rather, it is a result of our desire to make the life of everyone else around us better.

Remember, an etiquette a day keeps rudeness away!


-Sir Madz

An Etiquette a Day

Every ride in the jeep is a one in a million experience, no ride is ever the same! So etiquettes relating to a ride in the jeep never run out, although the same principles may move them. Here are some more etiquettes good to practice in riding a jeep.

1. Though gone are the days of chivalry, it is still nice to follow some order in entering and leaving the jeep. DO allow the women, the old and disabled persons to enter first, and always offer them assistance should they seem to need it. A poor but not so uncommon sight I experience, are young and strong students never seeming to care when an old man/woman or a lady carrying many things enter the jeep. They simply go on with their conversations as if they never saw the person entering. They are not even willing to give up their seats (which are near the entrance) to these poor people;

2. When exiting the jeep, DO allow the women, the old and the disabled to stay behind a bit. This is done so that when they get down you may assist them in their need. It is equally bad manners to leave the jeep first and then simply go on with your business not even minding that some persons inside might still need your help;

3. Similar to walking side by side in the sidewalk, where the proper etiquette is for the men to walk closer to the streets than do the women, when sitting in the front seats of the jeep the women must be allowed to go in first so that the man she is sitting with is the one nearest the open door.

Critics of chivalry often cite the code's being a power play of men versus women, or strong versus the weak. But NO, chivalry is not power play, it simply is kindness. It is a matter of someone more capable extending what he or she is given to help his or her neighbour. It is love of neighbour put into concrete actions.

Remember, an etiquette a day keeps rudeness away!


-Sir Madz

An Etiquette a Day

The jeepney is a public transport. It is a means of transportation where we could get seated next to a friend in as much a probability as getting seated right next to a total stranger. Because of this, riding the jeep calls for great effort to practice our good manners. Here are a few more etiquettes to practice when riding a jeep:

1. Being a public place, DO avoid talking loudly in the jeep. Dropping names or hints to yours and your friend's identity is very unwise to do in public places, or in the words of Emily Post, "doing so would be just the same as tearing down the walls of your house." Your identities are best known only in the intimacy of your homes;

2. DO converse intelligently in private places but never so in public ones. Pisay students are intelligent students who study subjects quite advanced for their age, everybody knows that. So nothing annoys people more than when they hear you talking about your knowing this and that in public places like the jeep or the malls. Even if you don't mean it, people tend to believe out of a sense of "inferiority", that your are bragging about your intelligence;

3. Laughing is a healthy reaction of a cheerful person. But laughing heartily may be taken especially by strangers as insulting or sarcastic. It would start making them feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. So when you and your friend would want to have a good laugh, DO reserve them in the confines of a private place, not in the jeep.

Modesty practiced in conversations, such as in the cases above, is a very good virtue. It promotes the friendship you already share with your friends, and helps you gain more friends out of total strangers.

Don't forget, an etiquette a day keeps rudeness away!

-Sir Madz

An Etiquette a Day

The ride in the jeep from Jaro Plaza to Pisay is a wonderful occasion to show ones elegant manners and good breeding. Here are some few good tips to remember:

1. When you are one of the first few to enter the jeep, DO try to occupy the seats near the driver. This will make it easier for those who'd come late, who would logically have to sit farther from the driver.

2. Being seated near the driver, especially right behind him would mean the added hassle of being his assistant especially in "collecting" the fares of the other passengers. But if you come to think of it, this is really not so tiring, besides you can think of it as some payback service for these people who pay for your education. Remember you are in Pisay because of taxpayers money.

3. When, on the other hand, you are the one asking a favour from the other passengers, for them to pass to the driver your fare, don't forget to say Please, or "palihog" in Hiligaynon and a big smile would go well with it! When someone finally hears your plea and offers to pass your coins to the driver, a Thank you or "Salamat" will be very good to hear. Remember, you are asking a favour from them, it's not their job to give your fare to the driver.

Good manners really are not mere trivialities, they demonstrate virtues, such in the cases above- consideration. Practicing them doesn't just suggest formality, but rather good upbringing ang an innate largeness of heart.

Don't forget, an etiquette a day keeps the rudeness away!

-Sir Madz

An Etiquette a Day

Ever wondered how to introduce your friends who barely know each other?

It's pretty safe to say that in Pisay, almost everyone knows about everyone else. Afterall we live in a 3.3 hectare community, boy, if you didn't know about the latest gossip of whom, you must be a hermit! But, then again, from time to time, we encounter situations where we have to introduce a friend to another friend. The two of whom barely know each other. The following are the hard and fast rules:

1. The younger or less distinguished is introduced to the older or more distinguished. (e.g. Jared this is Perry my classmate, Perry this is Jared my younger brother; OR Phil this is Dr. Caiway my research adviser, Sir, this is Phil my classmate who want to join our research group)

2. But, always introduce a male to a female, regardless of distinction. (e.g. John meet Betty my cousin, Betty this is John my classmate; OR Sir this is Vanessa my classmate who wants to join our research group, Vanessa this is Dr. Caiway my research adviser).

3. The only exception to rule no. 2 is when the male is a President, a Cardinal or a reigning Monarch. (I wonder if anyone of us will ever get to rule number 3 not at least in the near future, but who knows...)

When being introduced, "How do you do" is the best answer, a casual "Hello" may be fine but never "pleased to meet you", unless you're sincere about it.

Don't forget, an etiquette a day keeps the rudeness away!

P.S.
Any comments, questions? Use the combox!

-Sir Madz