Filipinos are some of the most generous folks you will ever meet. The other day I ambled to the Farmer's market for some saluyot leaves. Wouldn't you know, most of the farmer vendors were Ilocanos. "Sagmamano ading daytoy saluyot yo?" I asked the young woman tending the booth.

But before she could answer me, another man who was standing close by eyeing the vegetables and produce commented, "Ni apay Ilocano cayo met gayam, a cailian." He extended his hand and I introduced myself as well even as I shook his hand.

The farmer store tender girl blurted out finally, "Sag do-dolyar manong ti maysa nga reppet."

"Thank you ading," I said trying to acknowledge my newly found ilocano friend.

"Dita la bangir ti calsada ti yan ti balaymi. Asideg ditoy. No cayatmo ti rumaman ti basi umay ca ta sumokmon ta... a... gayem," he said without blinking.

My mind went through a quick inventory. "This man is awfully trusting," I thought. "How does he know that I am not some psychotic killer just out of the insane asylum? Interesting." But in my quick thought progression I also felt that he probably was only too happy to come across another Pinoy who spoke his language, and who perhaps more than likely even hails from the same province in Ilocandia or region as he did.

I have done this sort of thing myself before. I was in Italy somewhere in Genoa. I was a foreigner in a strange land. I didn't speak Italian, except maybe "Prego," and "Bienvenuti". I spotted what I concluded as a group of tourists, they looked like Pinoys and Pinays from where I stood by the pier. Of course their jovial personalities, their attire, and Gucci bags gave them away for as I approached them I could hear the usual, "Hoy... gutum ka na yata a?" and another one saying,"Diak cayat ti mangan ti Italian food. Adu unay ti cheese na."

I felt a great sense of relief and my heart even skipped a beat at the prospect of being able to speak in the vernacular - either Tagalog or Ilocano. There was a feeling of comfort that ran through my veins and after the opening pleasantries and obligatories were exchanged, why, we were all practically friends for all intents and purposes. And true to the spirit of generosity of Filipinos I invited these folks to join me for some lunch.

I think this is what happened to my Farmer's market friend and caili. He offered basi right away and at his house too. My goodness. I thought to myself, "Aren't we Filipinos so trusting and so quick to regard our kababayans our friends even after only a few moments of speaking the same language? Aren't we truly generous people?"