"Kabayan" is a Filipino word which means "fellow Filipino". In a span of a week (last Thursday and today), I have been called 'kabayan' twice by Filipinos who spotted me walking to or from work.

I don't know how it works but strangely enough, one knows who his or her fellowman is even in a crowd of a thousand men. I also recognize easily who is the Filipino or Filipina on a bus or train I am in. But I wouldn't say it's exclusively Pinoy because my fiance' also spotted his fellow Nederlanders easily in the Philippines when he was there for a holiday. And this is something that you just know before they open their mouth and say a few words in your native tongue.

So what makes one know exactly? I'm still looking for answers here. I was thinking, maybe in the way they look? Maar dat is niet altijd hoor. Toen ik boodschappen aan het doen was, ontmoette ik een Thaise vrouw en ik dacht dat ze Filippijnse was. Dus ik zei: "Ben jij Filippijns?" in tagalog en ze keek me raar aan. Toen wist ik dat ze niet Filippijnse was en begonnen we Nederlands te praten.

While I was still in the process of answering this question to myself (how do you really know who your fellowmen is?), three Filipino sailors came up to me today and shouted 'kabayan!' while I was walking to work. Maybe I just really look Filipina. Or maybe, it's in the way I walk or in the way I dress (mijn jas misschien is dikker dan Nederlanders?) or carry my bag. Or maybe it's just natural to know. Because if animals have instincts, humans do too. #