I walk the streets and meet eyes with strangers: a man , a woman, a homosexual, a young child... I stare a little longer when suddenly the ends of this person's lips make a curve upward. The other gives a smile, and I smile back. A common practice? Maybe, because happiness seems like part of the Filipino culture.
In a devastated area where a calamity just struck, a reporter brings with him his crew and camera. He reports on the disaster, and behind him there is a crowd, waving and smiling, wishing for at least just a minute of air time, and maybe a minute of fame, forgetting for a moment about their homes that were blown away by the strong wind of the storm. Sometimes floods visit our streets. And the initial reaction of young boys in the streets? It's time for a swim. When I asked my cousin once if he had a photo I could use for the cover of my book, he willingly went to the Malate streets to take pictures of the people there. But in the end he said, "It's hard to take the kind of shot you want. Pinoy culture says, 'If there's a camera--you smile.' " He was definitely right. It was a very interesting take on the Pinoy's outlook. What does make us smile? Despite the state many of our fellow Filipinos are in, many are still willing to greet you with all teeth. Smiles so sincere you wish you could give them a bed to sleep on at night. There is this old lady I know who lives in the streets. She sits in one corner with her small plastic bag. We have not ever had a conversation yet, but every time I pass her, she smiles. She gives me this wonderful, fantastic smile that makes her eyes squint and her laugh lines appear. It makes me wonder: 'Why?' She's my smiling friend. I also remember this man, a beggar in the streets of Malate, sitting on a carton box, I saw him at my periphery but did not want to mind him. I didn't have anything for him and I try to avoid giving coins. I tried hard to not mind, I attempted not to notice, but I felt he was looking at me and knew I was pretending to be busy. So giving in to curiosity, I looked. He looked straight into my eyes, and again, a beautiful smile. It seemed like his smile was saying, "It's okay...you don't have to give me money." I smiled back and, again, wondered: 'Why?" I don't understand, and I wish I could. I give a piece of bread to my smiling friend lady from time to time, and every time I do, her eyes glow. And when the pan de sal maker gives me a freshly baked one, my smiling friend gives out a cute glee, "Wow! Mainit pa (Wow! It's still hot)." And here I am complaining about the chilly weather that gives me a cold.
I wonder about our people many times. What makes us tick? What makes us happy? And this leads me to little Joseph. I met Joseph when he was only 7. He was a boy from the streets: dirty, shirtless, his hair sandy brown from the strong glare of the sun, his mucous hanging from one nostril, but then he'd give one strong inhale from time to time to bring it back inside his nose, until the string of green slowly drops for me to, well, notice it again. Nonetheless, I liked the boy. He had spunk. Every time he and his friend talked I would take one step back since the volume of their voices were at maximum most of the time. I can't blame them. I would be the same way, I'm sure, if I lived in the streets too. Those blaring noises from different vehicles and the varied sounds of honking horns would make anyone get used to talking at a very loud volume. So there we were, little Joseph, his friend, and I, with coloring books and crayons, looking for a place where we could sit down and begin the activity. I suggested to the little boys that we stay at the Rajah Sulayman Park since there was also classical music playing there that time. I thought it would be good for the two boys to listen to music for a change instead of just honks of horns. But the security guard stopped us before we could even enter. He said the boys were too dirty to sit on the benches. I got a little angry at the guard and was ready to ask for a better explanation, but then opted to just forget about it. I became a little sad after we were shooed away, and little Joseph sensed it. The little boy comforted me, "'Di bale, Ate, pagbalik nyo po, nakaligo na po ako (Don't worry, Ate, when you come back, I've been able to take a bath already," he promised. But then his friend said, "Paano ka maliligo, eh wala ka namang bahay (How can you take a bath, you don't even have a house)?!" And Joseph answered, "Eh 'di sa ulan (In the rain)!" That classic exchange of positivity between Joseph and his friend made my day. I came back after a few days and little Joseph kept his promise. I don't know how he did it since it did not rain from the last time I saw him. But there he was--clean. His hair was brushed up, his face was all washed, and he was wearing a shirt that was spotless. I smiled at the vision of pride he emitted. Although Joseph was ready for the park, his friends were not. We were shooed away again. We ended up sitting on the pavements by the church to color. It was still a happy day.
Pinoys are a happy bunch. It seems like happiness helps us survive. We become more positive, and maybe we even become more compassionate because of it. If we go back to the Ondoy calamity, people who lost homes and possessions went out to volunteer and help others. They said their reason for helping was because they knew exactly how the people felt since they lost their homes too. Many did sulk, many did get depressed, but then they bounced back when they felt better. And when they did, they helped the others. Our choice to be happy leads us to the decision that we want others to be happy too. The other side of our happiness may be the more pleasurable one--it brings out laughter, it brings out joy. It's our festive mood with friends in parties and gatherings. Yes, Filipinos love to part-hey! Some foreigners would say they do not want to leave our country anymore because it is so much fun here. And there are those who say, 'I have to leave your country because it's way too fun.' I guess what they mean is they forget responsibilities when they come visit.
Either which way, these are two definitions of happiness that we indeed do use. One makes us feel joy with friends: it makes us laugh, it makes us noisy, it makes us enjoy a good evening with people we are fond of. And the other is what makes us human: it makes us quiet, it makes us care, it makes us love.
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