From a foreigner's point of view

Talk to them in English and they reply in French. You let them read the translation of what you want to say and they still reply in French. Je ne vous comprends pas (translate.google.com). Amf. How hard is that to comprehend. More often than not, you also get the feeling that you're being talked about. In between the flurry of unrecognizable words, you hear your name and see them look at you. They know you know they're talking about you, but they won't bother to translate :P As much as you want to fit in, the fact that you can't speak French makes you feel like at an outsider. So when you hear someone say "Hoy bilisan nyo maiiwan na tayo!" in the Metro (French version of MRT), you can't help but smile and start a conversation with a kababayan. Then after a few days, McDonalds and KFC begin to seem like an oasis in a desert of restaurants serving cold cuts, wine, and cheese. At least when inside a fastfood chain, you feel comfort in the knowledge that you're not the only one having a hard time ordering. The place is packed with other foreigners who have gone tired of the cold cuts too.