US envoy to RP does an Obama, eats at fast-food joint

Like his top boss Barack H. Obama II, it appears that US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas also loves to drop unannounced into a fast-food restaurant for a quick bite when he feels like it. On Thursday, Thomas surprised Filipinos when he dropped by an immensely popular fast-food restaurant to eat, even as he continued to discuss serious US policy on the May 10 elections. A report aired over GMA News' 24 Oras said the first African-American US envoy to Manila had a two-piece chicken barbecue meal at an unspecified branch of Jollibee. He also told media that he loves other Filipino food like adobo, lumpia, and the famous either-you-love-it-or-you-hate-it balut.
In May last year, US President Obama gave American media a candid glimpse into his culinary tastes when he ordered lunch at a small roadside restaurant called Ray's Hell Burger in Virginia. A few weeks later, he again made an impromptu lunch stop at Five Guys in Washington, where he snacked on peanuts and chatted with surprised customers while he waited for his order of “cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers, and mustard as well as several other cheeseburgers to go," according to Fox News. Thomas arrived in Manila on April 10 to replace Kristie Ann Kenney, the first woman US ambassador to the Philippines. Obama appointed him on November 19 last year. He speaks Spanish, Hindi and Bangla and is learning Filipino. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and pursued further studies at the Columbia University. In the GMA television report, Thomas admitted having difficulty in learning Tagalog and said he might continue his language studies in June. "Nag-study ako Tagalog. So, eh di sa palagay ko, sa Hunyo, June, I would begin to study again," he said in a halting but tolerably understandable accent. During the meal, Thomas explained that the US government will not support any presidential candidate this May 10 elections. He also expressed hopes that the elections would be clean and credible.—JV, GMANews.TV