How come whenever I go to Filipino open markets, my mother asks me to shut up and not speak English or pull out an iPod whenever I go with her because they will raise the price up. Why is that?

If you look rich, people will charge you richer prices. Listen to your mother.

Agreed

Mother knows best...

That should have been something that you should have thought of before going to the Philippines.

true? hahaha

Yes very true.

thats why i take my cousins, when i speak bisaya they can tell that i have a foreign accent.
another thing that gives it away is the way I dress in most cases.

Your mother does not want to you to get robbed.

LOL, even if you dont speak if you pull out your ipod they will already know you have money...

weird why should it matter this is america...well when i go to open markets or farmers markets and the vendor is filipino i always greet them i tagalog...but i dont think that has anything to do with prices..unless of course youre in the philippines...but ur not your in Texas and the standard of living there is not as high as OC CALI ...

Oh no this happens in the Philippines, not the United States of America.

Lol. They are right. In Filipino society, you usually haggle for prices, kinda like when we in the U.S. buy a car, we fight the dealer for the best deal. When we look rich, the dealer will try to squeeze us as much as they can for profit. Sales people are very crafty, a regular person doesn't stand a chance, when you look like you have money, you are a target.

This reminds me of what a relative of mine once said. Here in PR. she never likes to take her husband shopping to the city market or to the auto mechanic since he stands out. He is a white American who has a heavy accent She says by herself they give her a good price. When they see the so called white american or hear him speak they raise the prices.

like everyone said, so you won't get ripped off. this happened to me when i was back in the phils this april...was told initially it cost 180 pesos and then they hiked it up to 320. i was like...but she said it was only 180....nways....they had to give it to me for 180 coz my cousin came along. that's just wrong but it does happen. my cousin told us not to speak english and stuff....i just didn't say anything coz i'm not too fluent in ilocano.

Everything costs you tourist price in California.

it is a given foreigners = $$$

"shut the fu-k up and put that thing away!!!"

aww

stfu b!tch

Back home they can even tell you're not from there by your smell as well and even a hint of your attitude.