If you really live in our subdivision, you would have an idea who I'm talking about. And this could be used as a test by barangay officials to know if someone who claims to have lived in the neighborhood for sometime is telling the truth. Have them call out "Banana Cue, camote cue, turon" the same way as those kids do.
I am irked when some kids (yups they're kids being kids but that does not stop the grating in my ears) would imitate how they call out their wares in a sing song voice just for fun.Or when some people would pretend that they're customers, call from within their gates then leave the kids waiting there only to realize later that they've been pranked. Okay, so I'm not exactly happy either when the same things happen to other ambulant vendors.
Here in the Philippines, if people would like to buy something from an ambulant vendor, they would shout out the name of the ware or service the vendor has been calling out. I've never been comfortable with this custom. I kept thinking, they're people, they're not things. But that's how it is isn't it? Without knowing anything about them other than their familiar face, voice, wares and services, I guess they will be defined by the wares or services they are offering. Asking for their name seems obtrusive and may freak them out but that's what we did with our suking manong magbobote. Calling out "manong!" or "miss!" would get you stares from just about everyone. Same goes with "psst!", "hoy!" and clapping ones hands, which I feel is a bit rude. So when I hear a vendor calling out, if I need something from them, I would make sure I'm out in the street before they pass by our house.
