Two guys (Jun and Chuck) tagged me with this meme. Thanks a lot, guys! You just gave me something to chew on this weekend — right around the corner to Independence Day!
I think this meme is going around pretty fast as I’ve already chanced upon several blogs with this theme. I would have put all their answers into this blog post (family, faith, humor, forgiveness, hospitality, etc.) . Now I’m wracking my brains trying to think of something someone has not yet enumerated — and NOT SUCCEEDING, haha.
So instead, let me give my answers a little twist by looking back at the occasions when I traveled and situations that made me proud to be Pinay.
* Practically all the hotels in the Asian cities I had been to had Pinoy bands (truly, the musical talent of the Pinoy worldwide stretches from a Lea Salonga down to these sometimes unknown but great entertainers). I’d sit in a bar or coffee lounge while listening to the band and recognize the Pinoy faces in each of them. Some I get to talk to are so pleased to see a kababayan (“Taga saan ho ba kayo?” is usually one of the first questions) and they readily ask me what songs I’d want to have them sing. There is instant bonding with a fellow Pinoy.
* While on assignment in South Korea, my female assistant and I were invited to the house of one of the client’s executives. The wife of the host served us all night but never sat or conversed with us. She was always in the kitchen, coming out just to serve us! (I found out that, as is their custom, wives eat AFTER their husbands and his guests have had theirs). I realized then how lucky Pinays in our country are — we not only entertain guests together with our husbands but we dine and chat with them at table!
* Sometime after the first People Power, I was assigned for several months in Jakarta, Indonesia, together with some Malaysians and Singaporeans. The Malaysians and Singaporeans I worked with were of Chinese descent (at a time when there was some amount of discrimination in Indonesia against Chinese-Indonesians and others with Chinese-sounding names). One weekend, we all went to Singapore for a vacation. On our reentry at Jakarta, we lined up at the Immigration counter of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, presenting our passports. My Malaysian and Singaporean counterparts were detained briefly as their passports had their Chinese names on them. They were interrogated about their business in Indonesia. Me? As soon as they saw my Philippine passport, the 2 Immigration officers said “Cory Aquino?” and waved me on with a smile. Hey! I was beaming proud of our country then!
* When our children were small, we traveled frequently by boat to the Visayas where my in-laws live. It was convenient. We’d take 2 adjoining cabins and as the trip took just a little short of a day, travel was leisurely, relaxing and just fun for the kids who loved to explore. But what really struck me during these trips was the beauty of our country. One can never appreciate its natural wonders by traveling by plane. One needs to pass the islands (inhabited or not), experience the swordfish jumping alongside the ship, seeing sunrise and sunset on the seas, to truly appreciate the God-given beauty of our country.
* At practically all the Sunday Masses I went to in ANY of the countries I visited, may makikita kang Pinoy na nagsisimba. In Korea, we heard Mass at a church attended by most of the expat community and naturally, the Phil. Embassy folks would be there including the Philippine Ambassador. In Jakarta, the church I went to (St. Peter Canisius) had an all-Filipino church choir (na-recruit pa ako sa kantahan several times!). The same would be true in Europe or in the U.S. May makikita kang Pinoy, kahit sa anong sulok.
OK, that seems to be my list of things that made me proud.
I had to reflect though on Chuck’s post on “Bad Pinoy Traits I’d Wish to Change” because sad to say, they do ring true and should be food for thought for us all. We cannot sit on our laurels and sing praises to ourselves without seeing the negatives that also pull us down as a nation. Only by acknowledging these shortcomings — AND DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THEM INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY — can we begin to rise from the ashes and become the nation that once made the Philippines a head above our neighbors in this part of the world.
very nice post, Jane! Made me think too of my own moments and reasons for being a proud Pinay. Thanks for sharing yours! And again i’m happy there are still people naman pala who will not abandon the country for better life elsewhere. 🙂
Jane : Chats – That’s why we’re still both here!!! 🙂
love this post mommy jane. dont have much experience outside of the country as you do, so it’s nice and heartwarming for me to hear such stories. 🙂
Jane : Cess, I’m sure you have your own personal reasons too for choosing to stay on here. 🙂
very inspiring stories, its always good to feel pinoy because its who we really are…makes me now think of re-configuring all the negatives and turn into something more useful to society 😀
Jane – great way to start! Now if only more Pinoys thought like you do…..let’s hope so and make it so! 🙂
good post, Jane. i, too, had my share of travels in the last 10 years, and wow! there was never a time when i was not proud of being a pinay–how the foreigners love our “dancing eyes”, penchant for singing and dancing (though i do not have it), the “smartness”, good heartedness, and many others. even in places where pinays are known as DH, i really did not mind being known as a pinoy. oh, how they love our beautiful skin, and they always find “guessing” our age. they say say Filipinos’ faces can never give away our age, generally, foreigners think that we look pretty much younger than our real age.
Jane : Yes, your numerous travels must have elicited a lot of positive comments from these foreigners. After all, si SexyMom ata ito. It’s really nice that they always underestimate our age. At one bar in Texas, they asked me for some ID before I could enter (and I think I was already 25 then). hehehe…
Jane, that topic was what my DD1, hubby and I were talknkg about last night. We were a little sad because we didn’t have a little flag to celebrate Independence Day. I asked them if they are proud to be Pinoys. We all are but there are of course those seemingly small things that make one not proud to be a Pinoy. The election brouhaha, those people who throw garbage just about anywhere, those people who just do nothing but sit around and make themselves drunk. These are minor disappointments trivial but then, doesn’t everything else counts?
Btw, off-topic, Iam planning to homeschool my son using the program of Bro. Bo.
Jane : Julie, I think deep down inside, we are all proud Pinoys. I sometimes wonder though if our politicos truly know what it is to love the Philippines. From what I see now in the legislature, they seem to be more successful at doing the opposite. On the off-topic, great! Would be curious how that program goes. Keep us updated, ok?
Happy Independence Day to you my fellow Pinoy. I think we are some of the most resilient people in this world. I believe there was a survey done some time back on who were the happiest people on the planet. Of course Pinoy ang nanalo. Innate na ata sa Pinoy ang maging masayahin. Haven’t you noticed that even during hard times we have the ability to find something to laugh at, to joke about, and to make fun of without taking our sight away from the problem at hand. I think it is this unique Pinoy trait that has allowed us to withstand the different trials and tribulations that have been dealt us all through these years. Mabuhay ang Pinoy!!
Jane : Yes, Kongkong. The Pinoy’s resiliency is amazing. We are the only ones who can come up with text and email jokes as well as puns for any disaster (natural, political or showbiz) that comes our way. I think this coping mechanism has somehow kept the Filipino spirit up and kept our faith intact. But sometimes it can be disadvantageous in that we get into the “bahala na” syndrome instead of being spurred into action.