1. In the face of seemingly insurmountable trials and difficult circumstances, our sense of humor and love of laughter don't diminish. Together, they are the shadow of the Filipino. Go to the airport and see how Pinoys handle the security measures --- with a lot of chuckles and corny jokes.
2. "Kain po tayo" Translate this into English and you lose all the warmth, love and care that's packed into those three words. And if you're not familiar with Filipino nuances, you might take the invitation seriously when you're not supposed to and some poor Pinoy goes a little hungrier.
3. We know how to have fun! That's not just me talking, that's my American friends too. Just look at the plethora of colorful fiestas and celebrations around our archipelego. There is always a party somewhere and it's seldom quiet and you'll be hard-pressed to stick to your diet. Last year, our Filipino-packed house in Miami was the only one in the entire block making noise on New Year's Eve.
4. If you have Pinoys waiting in line for more than fifteen minutes or stuck together in a jeep in our infamous rush-hour traffic, you will find them chatting with each other. On the shuttle ride I take everyday to and from work, I have gotten to know people well enough during traffic to ask about their kids/spouse/work the next day we see each other.
5. When we meet another Pinoy/Pinay abroad, we go a little crazy! We're just so happy to meet a kababayan that we hug, we eat lunch together, and we talk and talk and talk --- even if we were total strangers to begin with. Plus, you don;t have to worry you'll miss out on this experience because wherever you go in the world, there's a Pinoy there for sure. If we weren't such nice people, we could have implemented a world domination scheme by now. Nyahahaha!
6. We're big on family. We have big families. Family for us consists not just our immediate family but grandparents (and not just your parents' parents), aunts (and their husbands and their husbands' siblings and...), uncles (and their wives and their wives' siblings and...), cousins (first, second, sometimes even third), nieces, nephews, inaanaks... You get the idea. Plan a small, intimate wedding where only family and friends will attend and you'll still have a big wedding in reality because just one family means at least 50 guests already! If two Pinoys get married, it an even longer guest list without even counting close friends.
7. I love how we use unlimited text messaging to greet everyone in our phonebook "Gandang umaga po!". Haha...
Gandang gabi po!
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2 comments:
Read your blog. Wala lang. :D
Hello there Krissy. I read a bit here and there..I was looking for info about S Zobel and my search brought me here...good thing..
You look like a sweet promising dancer..I hope you still are dancing...and your thoughts and reflection about life rings true and inspiring...
Being a Filipina is indeed a treasure..not every pinay sees it as that though..so to read someone so young and so positive is truly a world uplifting..Do continue writing!
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