Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 18: 'Jose Rizal'

150 years ago, a hero was born. In the midst of all harshness, the second son and the 7^th child of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso entered the world as a Filipino.  His mother treated and loved her children equally. But as a child, she already noticed the special talents of her second son. His name, that will be forever known not only in his nation but also to be commended and honored in other countries, is Jose Rizal. His last name, Mercado, had to be removed when he entered Ateneo because of his brother Paciano’s close association with Fr. Burgos, whom the friars branded as a filibustero, beheaded together with three more priests. Filibusteros were the activists of those time, and they were branded by society as outcasts and troublemakers. And later on in his life, Jose Rizal was branded as one, too. 

The first influence in Dr. Jose ‘Pepe’ Rizal’s young life was his mother. Teodora introduced to her son the beauty of Tagalog poetry. She would lull him to sleep with the poems made in the native language. And it was through the young boy’s observation on his mother’s choices that he learned a sense of independence in thinking and reasoning. For even though the Spanish friars regarded Tagalog as mediocre and undeserving of attention, which many Filipinos that time believed and took in as true, Teodora Alonso differed from the rest and fell in love with poems from our native language. She was her own woman. And according to history, through example, Teodora molded her son, the Philippines’ national treasure, in his formative years to do the same thing and be the same way—to be a free thinker. And just like his mother, Pepe fell in love with words and its power. And this he used to express his love for country and countrymen. 

Dr. Jose Rizal was the first Asian to fight colonial power, but his greatness was eclipsed by the sensation of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi.  Our national hero’s brilliance is not as popular as Mahatma Gandhi’s fame because the Philippines is much smaller than India. Thus, in world history, many people know more about the fight of the people of India against British rule.  But the magnitude of recognition was never the main mission of our hero. It was our equality with the Spanish brothers. It was change and reform for the Filipino people. Though not as popular, our national hero did inspire many, even Mahatma Gandhi wrote letters to his daughter, Indira, about Dr. Jose Rizal. 

Reading the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal made me appreciate more what our hero did for our country. The love he had for the people and their right to a better life was a passion parallel to that of recent heroes such as Ninoy Aquino, and even those who live like Heidi Mendoza. So this made me wonder:  Why is it do we have so many of them, still? Hereos—I mean. Though times are much better than what our brothers and sisters of then went through. The 16^th century, which continued up to the 19^th century, hurdled our people to an existence of lower men and women. The entry of colonizers reduced many to a life of unworthiness. And this was the fight Dr. Jose Rizal had to face—the removal of oppression for the entry of independence to happen. Fast forward to the time of Ferdinand Marcos and we have Ninoy Aquino, leading the pack towards the goal of freedom. Then to the time of GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo), tyranny is alive again and cruelty is back.

So I wonder, after centuries that passed, why do we still fight the same battle? But I cannot say that things did not improve for us. Of course we have our independence because our heroes of that time made sure we regained it. We have our freedom back because, again, heroes sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy ours in liberty. And now we have living heroes such as Jun Lozada, Heidi Mendoza, and Grace Pedaca, just to name a few, who continue with ideals of making integrity flow again and corruption removed. It is nice to know that we are in company of heroes.  

But how long do we need heroes? How long do we need to wait until we realize that the job we need to take is not a responsibility of only a handful, but is a responsibility of all. That improvement and development is not the duty only of the government, or people in public office, but is the duty of all. That calamities and devastation are not needed for the hero in all of us to come out, because the hero in all of us can become a choice. It can become who we are. It can become what we are all about. We do not need to be woken up any longer, because we will be awake. All we need to do is care more. Just like what Jun Lozada said in a rally I attended then when he just came out as a witness for the NBN-ZTE case: “Sana ang laban natin para sa pagbabago ng ating bansa ay hindi galing sa galit kundi sa pagmamahal.  Pagkat ang galit ay nawawala. Pero kung ginagawa natin ito at nandito tayo dahil mahal natin ang ating bansa, kahit ano pa ang mangyari, hindi natin ihihinto ang laban patungo sa ating pagbabago ( I hope this fight we have for change comes from love, not from anger, for anger fades. But if our fight comes from our love for our country, no matter what happens, we shall continue this fight for change).”      

So it is actually good to know that we do not need someone as great as Dr. Jose Rizal for changes to happen. All we need to do now is to respect. Respect our people. This way we shall not forget them and we will help them if they need us. Respect our natural resources. This way we will think more than twice before we support or promote acts that destroy the beauty of our land. And finally, respect our country. This way we will always remember that no matter where we go, the Philippines is home. And just like any home, we need to take care of it, beautify it and protect it.

Reference: 

Rizal- Filipino Nationalist and Patriot    by Austin Coates

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 17: "Love for Country"

In my last entry, I wrote about the Filipino's love for family. And that Filipinos would do anything for the family. This, I believe, is a good trait. But if done to the extreme, can become bad.

From what I have observed, many Filipinos love at a personal level. First would be family, second would be friends, and everything after that lands in the world of oblivion. Of course, this is not all of our fellow Filipinos, but somehow it seems like a tendency, which I do hope is a tendency of the not so many. It is definitely good that we love our family. But just like Conrado de Quiros said in his column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer last May 4, 2011: "Our excessive 'family first' mentality can also be our bane." This excessive 'family first' mentality may cause problems, for it can result to apathy outside the sheltered walls of our homes, and worse, most especially if found in politicians, may bring others to their poverty. With the 'family first' principle, dynasties are formed.  And sadly, many of  these dynasties are in public office not because they want to serve the people, but because they want to rule a mini-kingdom. They see the area they govern as theirs, and maybe us as their servants. Private armies are created to protect family members. Illegal acts are made to give the children of these politicians the best education they can get, not just in the country but  sometimes even somewhere abroad like the U.S. or the United Kingdom. Public funds is perceived as money in their personal accounts, where they can freely dip their filthy hands in and give their whole family a vacation in posh places, while the area they are called public servants lack proper service to its people.

I now remember a story of an intelligent Filipina who spoke in an international convention. She did really well that an American in this convention congratulated her. But then he asked, "I have noticed that your country has many brilliant people, but then what happened to the Philippines? Why are you struggling?" I had a similar conversation with a nice young  Korean lady, and as we tried to analyze what may be the problem, I tried to give her my translation on it, "Maybe one of the reasons might be because we are quite image conscious? We like working on our image, so the country does not become a priority." The lady looked at me and said, "We are image conscious, too, and I think that is a good trait." I did not say anything. I waited for her to continue, and so she did, "If you are really image conscious, then you should work on the image of your country. A strong country is a reflection on its people. If you belong to a strong country, other nationals will see you, the people, as strong too. So work on your country's image. Then others won't say anything anymore because they can see that you're doing well." I thought of what she said as she told me their story on how they all had to pitch in when their country was deep in debt. Gold was given, fellow Koreans worked outside of Korea with the intention to help their country in its time of need, and they did not stop until they were doing well again.  And when the country had public events, after the event, the venue was left clean. Trash to be thrown in trash bins is not a difficult task and duty if we really think about it. I thought of what she said and smiled. It was good advice.

As citizens of our country, maybe our affect as individuals will not cause a ripple in the stream. But maybe together we can contribute in change that shall matter, that shall be seen. Change that will affect lives outside of our families and circle of friends. Change that shall be felt by our countrymen, and maybe change that shall improve the state of our people and nation. I recommend the book of Alex Lacson, "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country", as a must read for all Filipinos. This book teaches us to do simple things for the betterment of our country. Very simple things such as 'follow traffic rules', 'ask for an official receipt', and 'Buy Filipino'. It is quite sad though that there are little things that are not second nature to many of us, Filipino people. I think this just goes to show that maybe we still should continue improving our love for our country. But it is quite evident that we have improved. Unlike then when Filipinos preferred imported goods as opposed to local ones, nowadays, local goods enjoy a good share of the market, most especially  when it comes to clothes and the accessories department, I suppose. Although there are still areas like books (except for Bob Ong's books that has now overtaken the 'Harry Potter' series and 'Twilight' saga in bookstores) that need to be promoted, and hopefully supported by the people. Nonetheless, it is still a good sign that love for country is slowly being a norm in the Philippines. But we still have to follow rules.

I have noticed that in some places, the giving of an official receipt is not very automatic. I have found myself asking for receipts not all the time, but quite a few times already.

1st Experience:
Me    :  "Pwede pahinging resibo?" (May I have a receipt?)
Sales person: "Huh? Temporary nalang ha. Hwag na official." (Huh? Temporary, okay? Not an official one.)
Me    : "Hindi. Official." (No. Official.)
She gave me an official receipt together with a disapproving look.

2nd Experience:
Me    : "Pwede pahinging resibo?" (May I have a receipt?)
Parlorista: "Huh? Blow dry lang naman pinagawa mo ah. Resibo pa?" (Huh? You just had a blow dry. You still want a receipt?)
Me    : " Sumbong kita." (I'll tell on you.)
The parlorista hurriedly made a receipt after I said that.

3rd Experience:
Me     : "Pwede pahinging resibo." (May I have a receipt?)
Storekeeper: "Bakit po? Taga saan po kayo?" (Why, who do you work for?)
Me     : "Private citizen ako. Hindi ako taga-gobyerno. Bakit?" (I'm a private citizen. I'm not from the government. Why?)
Storekeeper: "Hindi wala, po. Wala, po." ( Nothing, ma'am.)

She was scared of me, thinking I was some investigator searching for tax evaders.

So in this exploration on asking for a receipt, I noticed two reactions: fear and annoyance. But I also noticed those who willingly gave me a receipt when I asked for one. Although I wish next time it would be more automatic for them. I believe I really do not need to ask for a receipt, I should just be given one. But okay, as for the moment, I shall ask for one when I am not given one.

So maybe it is time we change ourselves for the sake of our country. Just like what President John F. Kennedy of the United States of America said in his speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." If we want corruption to end, we should not tolerate and most especially not do it. If we own a company,  a shop or a store, let us not forget to give our customers receipts. Let us avoid or totally stop using connections to get our way, let us do things the proper and legal way. Before we demand a fix from the government, maybe we should try to fix ourselves first. The late Senator Raul S. Roco said once : "When I was 20, I wanted to change the world; at 30, I wanted to change my country; at 60, I realized I wanted only to change myself." I see the truth in this quote of the late Senator. It seems like the first thing we need to pay attention to is ourselves.

I now remember a book I read in the '90s. The name of this book is 'Celestine Prophecy'. It spoke of a philosophy on the spiritual experience and spiritual evolution of man. And if I  do remember correctly, time was parted into decades in this book: the '50s to '60s was the time when people acted 'accordingly,' thus anything out of the ordinary was not fully accepted; late '60s to '70s was the introduction of freedom, which also led to the abuse of freedom since people were not very used to the idea of so much liberty in choice; then the '80s was called the economic era, people realized that freedom alone mixed with a pleasurable life was not the key to true happiness, but then maybe money was--thus, economic era emerged. Since this book was made in the '90s, the analysis ended with the '90s. It was said that the decade of the '90s was the transition period--from old ways to new. And now that we have just finished another decade, I believe that this journey for true happiness has traveled back to 'self'. And as I see it, the evolution of our thoughts has brought us back to one's self. It is the time for 'me'. We have come to recognize the importance of looking inward first before outward. And we may notice this with all the new invention and creations in the internet such as the blog, mulitply and myspace; now there is facebook and twitter. Why are they popular now? I think it is because man, and woman, are in the stage of exercising their value as an individual first before they can come out and contribute to something bigger. This, I see, is a collective choice.

Now the struggle is the ego vs soul. Self-love is understood in two ways. First is self-love using the ego. With this kind of love for self, we become highly competitive and play the numbers game. Number 1 becomes a very important number to us. Healthy competition is good, and maybe only the right amount of ego; but too much of it may lead us to jealousy, crab mentality, and even unhappiness. The second kind of love is using more of the soul. This way, we try to be the best we can be. We use words to describe ourselves not using their comparative form, but only their base form: "I am not greater, but I am great. And everyone is great with me." This way we recognize ourselves as part of a grand plan, but not the grand plan itself. This way we are aware that we are a piece of the puzzle that shall show the beauty of the whole picture, but we are not the puzzle itself. This way we know that we do our part, and after that, we need everybody else to make changes happen in this country.

This essay of course, on the whole, is just my analysis on what is. My words are my words, and my exploration is my personal observation. But if you think it makes sense--then maybe it is time. It is time to improve ourselves not only for the betterment of our country--the Philippines--but it could also  be for the betterment of the only home we know--this world we live in.


Conrado de Quiros on the Filipino Culture on Families:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20110503-334395/Cultures
Heidi Mendoza on Public Servants using Public Funds for Personal Use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv7e54zx9QA
President John F. Kennedy's Speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB6hLg3PRbY
An Outline of 'The Celestine Prophecy':
http://www.homestar.org/bryannan/celistin.html

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 16: Family

I recently came back from a fun holiday trip full of activities, laughter, sentimental moments, and also emotional ones. I went up to the mountain province named Baguio with immediate members of my family and also extended relations. It was bonding time for me, and it was also a birthday celebration of my Grand Aunt whom all from the family love dearly.

And this will be my next observation--family. How important is this to the Filipino? How do we show how much we value each member? And how does this work in our culture?

The Filipino family is the main support group of the Pinoy. And this does not compose only of immediate members, but also extended ones: 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree relations. And I even know a few families, oh...I think that includes mine, that feel still very close to family members who share only a drop of blood in their veins with the other. Kamag -anak is kamag-anak no matter how distant and little the blood relation may be. And bonding is instant usually, which I believe is not a Filipino quality but a natural tendency of many families all around the globe, even with family members whom we just met.

The family, it seems, usually takes a big part from the definition of happiness in the Filipino's life. Thus, its members are the main reason why many Filipinos choose to work in a foreign nation. They are the main reason why Filipinos leave the country and work somewhere else. Majority of our OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) would rather stay in the Philippines. Even with the hustle and bustle of traffic, the thick pollution Manila offers to its residents and dwellers, the difficulties of every day sustenance, the Philippines is still home to many. But the salary offered to various professions and jobs in the country is usually not enough to support the children and to give the family a comfortable home. Because of this, many are forced to leave and look for better jobs abroad.  In the article I read, it was mentioned that the Filipino diaspora has overtaken the Jewish diaspora in number; since the Philippines sends out a million or more of its people, every year, overseas for work. The country is proud of its OFWs, who seem to leave an impact on their employers because they are hardworking and industrious. They are smart and can easily converse and understand  the universal language--English. But this pride we have for our fellowmen who leave the country for work, not out of choice but out of need, is also a bittersweet achievement. We call them heroes for they help the nation's economy by bringing in money. But then it is also a sad fact that they need to leave the country because we are not strong enough to take care of them back. And this they do usually with a heavy heart. This they do so they could help improve the lives of people they love--their family: the very people they wish to be with, the main reason they need to leave.

Now I go back to my personal story and speak of my Grand Aunts' beautiful  birthday celebrations, which they just had within the past few months. I had a Grand Aunt in my father's side who just turned 100, and a Grand Aunt in my mother's side who just turned 90. In the Filipino culture, the oldest member of the whole clan is the most important family member. Maybe this is how we see the word 'grand' in compound words such as Grandmother, Grandfather, Grand Aunt and Grand Uncle. 'Grand', as we all know, means magnificent. And in the dictionary, they define it as 'worthy of great respect'. And because the grandparent has the most noteworthy role, parties are usually not simple. Just like their label, it, too,  has to be a grand occasion. From ages 80 and above, parties are seldom just dinner with the immediate family, but a big bash that includes the extended members and close friends. The 100th party of my Grand Aunt was complete with giveaways, a program by the great grand children and of course food. The 90th party of my other Grand Aunt was as grand as well. There was dancing, honoring from the guests, food, and  an after party of singing with the accompaniment of the piano. Of course, songs selected were the preference of the queen--my Grand Aunt. What she wanted us to sing, we sang. And when she wanted to sing, we all became quiet as she did her solo numbers.

In both of my Grand Aunts' parties, relatives from all over the globe came home to celebrate the birthday of the most important member. This is a common practice in the Philippines, no matter how far a member is, no matter how busy one may be, the special day of the 'Grand' man or woman of the clan is an important occasion to the whole family that members will find ways to attend it. And if members cannot go, they leave messages, then those who do go will make sure that every moment and minute of the event will be a memorable one for the celebrant, as well as for the kin.  However, there are also Grandparents who do live in a 'home'. But this practice is not very usual in the Philippines since many Filipinos perceive these golden years of the grandparents as priceless.

This is the Filipino family, and just like any family, it also goes through struggles and difficulties. But the bond among its members is permanent. The love may sometimes take its about-face turn and become hate, but then it can take another 180 degree turn and become love again. There are fun times, and of course there are trying times.  Problems may occur, hurts and misunderstandings, but even  with the differences and the struggles, family will always be the main priority in the Filipino culture.

Reference:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/mindfeeds/mindfeeds/view/20071212-106376/A_Closer_Look_at_the_Filipino_Diaspora

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 15: Cleanliness

Okay, it has been a while since I last explored. But here I am again and now I will write about the Filipino’s obsession on cleanliness. Well, maybe I should not call it an obsession since it is nothing near the level of the aviator Mr. Howard Hughes, where he reduced everyone to a piece of filth and isolated himself from the world since he thought it was full of germs. But this is only according to the movie ‘The Aviator’, starring Leonardo di Caprio. So I do not know how much truth was put into that version, and how much of it is only cinematic liberty. Anyhow, when it comes to the version of the Filipino way, cleanliness is a habit and a value.

Let us begin with the bath. The Filipino has a bath at least once or twice a day every day. Baths that are done two times a day are one in the morning and one again in the evening. And from what I have learned, those who take their bath once a day, which is done in the morning, take their—as it is called in the Philippines—the ‘half-bath’ before they go to sleep. A ‘half-bath’ is cleaning the face, armpits, private parts and the feet. Okay, so the ‘half-bath’ removes the upper body (chest, tummy and arms) and legs, I guess.  So, because it is a habit, if there are those who find eating rice in the morning as a breakfast meal a little strange, the Filipinos are quite surprised when they see a scene in a foreign film and the actor/actress wakes up and just changes his or her clothes. “Ay, hindi naligo (Oh...he didn’t take a bath),” is the usual remark I would hear when I watch a movie in the cinema and the character needs to rush and leave for work because he or she overslept. Thus, the character will need to skip the bath. I know someone who was once a volunteer in a remote place somewhere on the globe, and after her mission for the day, no matter how tired she may be, she would walk the distance to fill up two pails with water for her bath. The other nationals thought she was kind of strange because they were indeed very tired from the tasks and duties they were called to do at a daily basis. But being Pinoy, she just had to have that bath. And I think many of us, if not all, fully understand that.

The bath is very important to the Pinoy that when Ondoy struck and devastated the Filipino people, one of the first projects of two major networks were to put up a paligo (bath) program for the evacuees. Container vans were transformed into little shower rooms for the people and they were given soap, shampoo, and towels. The evacuees were all smiles after their bath.

This reminds me of a time when I was younger. My campus was in Los Banos, Laguna. Nowadays, the students there enjoy a mall and do walk around to do a little ‘malling’, a past time that many Filipinos also enjoy. But during my time, we did not have a mall, there was no such thing, which, I do believe added flavor to my memories of those times. What we had were trees, the campus, and simple places to go to. The most memorable place for me was our movie house. There was a little store on the corner inside the movie theatre. So if you suddenly feel hungry, all you’ve got to do is walk down the stairs and go to the lady on the corner with the dim light to buy your siopao asado or bola-bola. Thus, because of not much places to go to, and the TV of a friend had only 2 channels: channels 9 and 13, what my friends and I did for enjoyment was role-playing, ‘let’s pretend’ and alaskahan. Of course we did our share of gossiping, but gossips can get boring since it is quite pointless. And it is not really fun. So there we were making up our own stories and playing ‘pretend’. One day I entered my friend’s apartment and saw him get the soap from their bathroom and placed it on the corner of their kitchen sink. He put a small towel on his shoulder and turned on the water. He did not know that I was by the door, until, “What are you doing?” I finally asked. “Carla!” my friend shouted. “Good thing you’re here! I really need someone else to do this with me,” he said. “What are you doing, anyway?” I asked again. “ Let’s pretend we’re construction workers and we’ll wash our faces.” I guess that was how bored we were that even face-washing became an activity for us. I looked at my friend, trying to decipher where the thrill was in that. “Carla,” he continued, “ didn’t you ever wonder why construction workers can soap their faces until they’re all white and still be able to keep their eyes open, walk around and talk to their fellow workers?” he asked. “Well,” I took a pause as I tried to put logic in my answer to his question, “there are soaps that are gentle to the eyes, like ‘Dove’.” My friend looked at me with brows that furrowed and said, “I don’t think they use ‘Dove’ in construction sites.”  I saw the sense in my friend’s ‘let’s pretend’ game, so there we were, soaping away. He taught me how the movements of my hands should be as I soap. The hands should not go around they eyes, they should just go up and down over them. My friend set up the ‘Safeguard’ soap and we began:

“Ah…o kumusta ka na ba, Dong? Ow!” (How are you, Dong? Ouch!)

“OK naman ako…aray!” (I’m OK…ouch!)

We did our role-playing as construction workers as we tried to fight the pain the suds of the ‘Safeguard’ soap gave us. We found ourselves washing our eyes several times and repeating the practice, trying to keep our eyes open as long as we could while walking around and talking. After that exercise, my friend and I never looked at a construction site with construction workers soaping their faces until they were white  with the same eyes again. Not because our eyes became sore from all the soaping we did, but because we honored the talent and put a high regard to it. So there it is, even in construction sites we see big men soaping their faces while having a chat with each other. A big metal can with water as their timba, and a smaller one as their tabo. 

Next is brushing the teeth after lunch no matter where the Pinoy is, even in malls we see this. During lunch time, I like visiting the ladies’ room and listen to the little conversations our Filipino ladies have while they brush their teeth. I brush my hair and put on my powder and lipstick ever so slowly in the ladies’ room, pretending to mind my own business, focusing only on how I look in the mirror. Little do the salesladies know that I do this while listening to their interesting exchange. Usually they talk about end of contracts, their shifts, what time their vacants are, and where they will go after work (I wonder if I could still call that exploring or just plain ‘nosy’). Many employees bring their toothbrush and toothpaste to work. It is a common practice among Filipinos.

Then there is alcohol and  the not so old product, the alcogel. Filipinos bring one of these in case we need to wash our hands but there is no place to go to that has soap and water, especially because we like munching on a snack so we need to have clean hands for this.

Filipinos put a high value on cleanliness. If there is no water in an area, we will search and look for some. If we need to fall in line and wait even hours to fill up our pails with water, we will do just that. In an area where water is scarce, the nearest faucet or even the nearest body of water will do just to get that refreshing feeling a bath gives one. But maybe it would also be nice if we extend this cleanliness outside of ourselves and to our country. They do not have to be grand acts, but simple things like putting litter in litter baskets. No matter how small our trash is like a candy wrapper, it can wait to be thrown into a trash bin. It should not be placed on our streets and rivers, or the sand and seas.  Another thing we could do perhaps is help our community and our fellow Pinoys to be more conscious and do their part in keeping our streets, beaches, mountains, and bodies of water clean. Then maybe, step by step, little by little, as we do this together, our country shall remain truly ‘The Pearl of the Orient’.

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 14B:Little Things Pinoys Do

This is the English version of my entry. Content will not be translated in verbatim, but the examples will be the same. In this entry, I will write about the little things Pinoys do,  those little things which  we may have overlooked and hardly noticed since it is part already of the Filipino culture, and Filipino life. With the help of good friends and family, a stand up comedian based in the United States and a very keen observer--Rex Navarrete--plus that famous writer who outsold the Harry Potter books and Twilight Saga--Mr. Bob Ong, I was able to gather a few things that makes us...us.

The first I shall write about are the towelettes flattened on the back of the little children. And as they play with their friends and cousins 'chase' and 'hide-and-seek', you will see this little towel sticking out from behind the child's neck, like a cape of a super hero. It always seemed to me that they were like super kids, trying to hide their real identities by putting a shirt over their capes. This way, our little super heroes will be able to experience a normal and regular life with us mortals. Their shirts were like Clark Kent's glasses, making them able to blend with us. But seriously, I thought of this, and I have two conclusions: 1.) There are moms who do not like sweat sticking on the shirts of their children, so they put a little towel on the back of the child so the sweat is absorbed there instead. 2.) A way to economize--by putting a towelette, the child does not need to keep on changing shirts. Thus, the family can save on laundry soap and of course water.

So now let us go to water. In the Philippines, brown-out is a regular thing. With all the typhoons and storms our country has in a year, electricity needs to be turned off often to prevent and avoid casualties to happen. And no electricity usually means no water because the water companies are unable to pump the water into homes. Thus, many households have their own tanks and of course...tabo  and timba. What are these two things: tabo  and  timba? First we go to timba, this is a plastic pail that usually comes in different colors. Most of these plastic pails are bought from 'Orocan', with the tagline Ang Plastik na Walastik! (Plastic that is Fantastic!).  And this is where we Filipinos store our water. Now one cannot have a timba  without its plastic scooper, the tabo. The tabo also comes in different colors. It has a long handle and the main part where the water is scooped is fairly deep. With the absence of the plastic tabo,  one can also replace this with a tin can.

Many homes have this famous duo, tabo  and timba, that when I asked a few if they had this, I got a resounding answer. "Of  course!" they said, looking at me as if I just asked them a stupid question. This duo is very common in dwellings of Pinoys that even my spiritual guru, when she told us a story about herself...hmmm.... I'll just call it taking a bath even if it wasn't a bathtub she used for washing herself, since I've never heard of someone taking a  timba  before. That will sound weird. Someone who has a shower shouts, "I'll take a shower first!" And someone who uses the bathtub would say, "I'll go take a bath!" So what do we Filipinos do then? "Wait for me. I want to take a  timba?"  Okay, since that has never been said before, let's stick to bath. So as my spiritual guru was telling us a story about  her, taking a bath, she suddenly made a movement  with her right hand. Her wrist folded her right hand inward, while her fingers formed in a fist, as if she was holding a tabo  in her hand. She then moved her hand up to the top of her head, twisted it, and poured. The English lady in our group wondered what she was doing, so she asked, "Oh. May I ask, what are you doing with your hand?" Our spiritual guru explained then the tabo  and timba, and that many homes in the Philippines have this duo.

So now I go to body language. Many Filipinos use body language to support a story or emphasize a certain situation that happened to them. Little movements or grand dance steps are made at times. A step back, a move from side to side, hands doing a somewhat Hawaiian flow, and many more. But one most common is an action that shows what mode for communication one used to contact someone else. For example, "Hay naku... I asked her awhile ago, 'Are you joining us?' " And while this person tells her story (both genders do body language, but I am using only one for this situation, only because it's easier), one may notice that maybe her one hand forms into a semi-fist while her thumb starts folding repeatedly, as if she were texting someone--that is if she used her mobile phone to communicate the message. Now if she starts typing or somewhat looks like she is playing the piano in the air, most likely she sent her message using the computer, I assume through 'Facebook'. And if she puts her hand beside her ear, forming a fist with the thumb up and her 'pinky' out, then she talked to that person on the phone. 

Now let us go to what Mr. Rex Navarrete, a Filipino who is a stand-up comedian in the U.S., has observed. In his 'Hella Pinoy' video, he demonstrated the culture that is what I would call 'pilitan', which means 'to force'. In the Filipino culture, when one visits another in his or her home, the owner of the home shall invite the guest to eat with them. "Kain tayo (Let's eat)!" he says. "Hindi, sige. Kumain na ako (No. It's okay. I ate already)." : The first refusal. "Sige na. Kain ka na (C'mon. Let's eat)." The owner of the home invites again. "Hindi, sige. Okay lang ako (No. It's okay. I'm okay).": The second refusal. "Sige na. Likha na. Kain ka na dito (C'mon. Come here. Let's eat)." Finally the owner of the home pulls the guest to the table, or puts down the cookies and juice for the guest to eat. On the third, or maybe fourth, the guest will finally eat.

I suddenly remember the story of my father when he went to an acquaintance's house with his friend. They went in and their acquaintance invited them to eat. " Tara, kain tayo  (Come. Let's eat)," he said. "Hindi, sige. Kumain na kami (No. It's okay. We ate already), " my father's friend said. So their acquaintance sat with them in his living room and they started to talk. When my father and his friend left, his friend whispered to his ear, "Hindi man lang tayo pinilit (He didn't even force us)." Maybe we can be a little shy, or maybe that is really how many of us see it--that the polite way is to refuse first before we say yes to the invitation. That's possible.

There are numerous little things that Pinoys do, or have. One would be putting leftover food in different ice cream containers. For some reason, even as a kid, I would always notice these containers to be from 'Magnolia', and that they were blue. Nowadays, I have also seen in different households the red 'Selecta' container with the flavor '3 in one ',  and Vhong Navarro on the cover. Mr. Rex Navarrete, in one of his shows, told the audience once that he was so happy when he saw so many ice cream containers in the freezer, but when he opened them, to his dismay, they were leftovers of adobo, menudo, giniling and the like, to be heated and eaten on another day. Another one would be putting plates over the food once the food is on the table. I guess this is done to protect the food from some wandering fly that may suddenly appear and join in. The next one would be making glasses out of the 'Lily's' or 'Ludy's ' peanut butter...well...glass. It is really a glass anyway. I think that was part of the marketing plan of 'Lily's' and 'Ludy's ', it is a 2 in 1 for us Filipinos. You get to eat peanut butter, and in the end you are left with a new glass--not bad. Bob Ong, the writer, said you are definitely a Filipino if you have seen toyo (soy sauce) rings on the table more than a few times in your life.

Now when it comes to many homes, since most Filipinos are Catholics, a lot of homes have altars with different Saints, the Virgin Mary and the Sto. Nino. The little things my friends and I have noticed  are the paintings or pictures on the walls of many Filipino homes. One would be a painting, a picture, or a mat of 'The Last Supper'.  Another  picture common in many homes, which would be in a frame, or with lights, or a painting on a mat, would be the horses, usually brown, running in the open field with their hair being blown by the wind. And the last one, which is usually on a mat hanging on the wall, is a picture of dogs playing billiards: one is smoking, the others watching, and a bulldog that is ready to hit the ball. One other photo I have noticed in different homes are the dogs playing poker, also in a mat hanging on the wall.

Finally, a thing we do that I really find cute is when we Filipinos do not want to bother others as we pass them. It seems like the last thing we want is to invade other people's space and/ or conversation. So for example two people are talking, and someone has to pass between them, the person passing will bend so low, hoping that he or she could be invisible enough so that the two friends will just continue with their exchange of stories. And as this person passes, a very soft "iksskss..." will be heard.  This means 'excuse me'.

 These are the little things many of us Filipinos do. There are still so much more that we do which are distinctly very Pinoy, distinctly our own. And as this journey continues, let us see what else is there, let us see what else is to be revealed, what else is ours, and what else do we share with the rest of the world. 

Till next time...


Here are links to Rex Navarrete's 'Hella Pinoy': 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABU9GTFEXos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzkePde9MpY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoPNsS1EiFo

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 14A: "Ang Araw-araw na Ugaling Pinoy"

Parang napupusuan ko nanamang magsulat sa wikang Filipino. Pero sige, para sa mga mas mahilig magbasa ng Ingles, gagawa ako ng 2 bersyon ng entry na ito. Malamang may kaunting kaibahan ang pagkuwento at bagsak ng pananalita ko dito. Ito siguro ay sa kadahilanan na iba ang takbo ng utak ko kapag ang aking pagsasalaysay as sa Filipino, at iba rin ang bagsak kapag Ingles naman ang gamit ko. Sige, umpisahan na natin 'to. 


Ngayon naman ay titingin tayo sa araw-araw na pag-obserba sa maliliit na bagay na kasama sa ugaling Pinoy. Sa aking paglalalakbay sa mga daan ng ating bayan, may mga bagay-bagay na tila hindi na siguro natin masyado nabibigyang pansin. Malamang kasama na itong mga ito sa pagiging isang Filipino. Sa tulong ng pagpupuna ng sikat na komedyante sa Amerika na si Rex Navarrete, ang manunulat na si Bob Ong, aking pamilya, at ang mga matalik kong kaibigan na mahilig din tumingin tingin sa paligid natin at mag-obserba ng mga araw-araw na gawain ng ating kapwa Filipino, itong entry na ito ay nabuo.


Una nating papansinin ay ang mga bata. Hindi ko alam kung karamihan  din ng bata na taga ibang bansa  ay tumatakbo na para bang may kapa na nakatago sa loob ng mga t-shirt nila. Alam natin kapag batang Pinoy ang musmos na nagtatatakbo kapag may nakita tayong sumisilip na twalya sa kanilang mga likod, na para ba silang maliliit na super heroes at tinatago lamang sa mga kalaro nila na sila pala ay may powers.

Naiintindihan ko ang tuwalya na pang huli ng pawis sa mga likod ng batang nakikipaghabulan sa kanilang mga kalaro. Nasanay yata tayo maging preparado sa mga araw na brown-out at walang tubig, kung kaya't ang papalit-palit pa ng t-shirt ay makakadagdag ng labada na pwede naman sana'y iwasan kung lagyan nalang lamang ng tuwalya sa likod ng bata. Parang magaling yata ang Pinoy mag-isip ng paraan kung papaano makakatipid, pati maliit na bagay tulad nito ay naisip pa para lamang hindi mag-aaksaya ng tubig at sabon panlaba.

Mapunta naman tayo sa mga araw na walang ilaw, at madalas na pag walang ilaw o kuryente ay wala ring tubig.  At dahil dito, handa ang Pinoy sa mga araw na ito--ang ating armas: tabo at timba. Nagtanong ako sa hindi naman maraming Pinoy, kung mayroon nga ba silang tabo at timba sa kanilang mga tahanan, apartment, o condo unit. Ang maraming sagot na aking na pulot ay matunog na "Siyempre!" May kasama pang kunot ng noo yung iba na para bang nagsasabing, "Ano bang klaseng tanong yan?!" Tama nga naman, pagkat pag dumalo tayo sa iba't ibang bahay, nagtataka tayo kapag walang tabo at timba tayong nakikita sa banyo ng ating kakilala. Pati na rin ang aking spiritual guru  ay mayroon nito sa bahay nila. Naalala ko bigla nuong siya ay nagkukuwento sa amin ng isang beses tunkol sa pagligo niya. Habang nagkukuwento siya ay umaksyon siya na para bang sumasandok ng tubig sa timba gamit ang tabo at ibinuhos sa ulo. "So while I was washing up..."  ang sabi niya. Napatingin sa kanya ang aming kasama na Inglatera at napatanong," Oh. May I ask, what are you doing with your hand?" Nagtaka kasi siya sa aksyon na ginawa ng aming guru. At duon ineksplika ng aming guru na dito sa Pilipinas ay mahirap ang tubig, lalo na kapag brown-out, kung kaya't mayroong tabo at timba ang maraming tahanan dito. 

At dito pupunta tayo sa susunod na kapuna-puna, ang paggamit ng aksyon kapag tayo ay nagkukuwento sa isa't isa. Mayroon tayo kung tawagin sa Ingles na body language, at ito ay ginagamit kapag nagkukuwento sa iba. Minsan ito ay lumalabas na mukhang parang sayaw, kung minsan naman ay konting galaw lang naman ang ating isinasagawa. Madalas tayo gumamit ng aksyon sa pagkuwento na bilang  pamamaraan sa pagusporta ng ating ini-istorya.  Halimbawa, "Hay naku. Tinanong ko nga kanina eh... 'Are you joining us?'" At sa pagkuwento, kapansin pansin ang mga kamay na biglang gagalaw na lamang kapag binigkas na niya ang kanyang naitanong na 'Are you joinining us?'  sa kaibigan. Sa kanyang mga galaw, maipapakita niya kung papaano niya naitanong ito. Kung siya ay nag-text para tanungin ang tanong niya, ang isang kamay ay kukulobot at huhugis na parang isang kamao habang ang kanyang hinlalaki ay pumipindot sa ere. Kung ito naman ay siguro tinanong niya gamit ang kompyuter, sa panahon ngayon malamang naitonong niya sa 'Facebook',  ang mga daliri ng pareho niyang kamay ay magmumukhang nag pa-piyano sa ere. Ganun din kung telepono ang gamit ng isang tao, ang hinlilit ay tatapat sa bibig, habang ang hinlalaki ay nasa may tainga. 

Ngayon punta naman tayo sa mga napuna ng komedyante na si Rex Navarrete. Isa sa kanyang napuna ay ang 'pilitan'.  Ito ay ginagawa kapag bumisita ang isang Pinoy sa tahanan ng iba.  Nakasanayan natin na kapag tayo ay pumunta sa bahay ng iba, at ang maybahay ay nagyaya sa atin na kumain kasama nila, o 'di kaya'y nag-yaya ng biskwit at juice, hindi dapat tayo umo-oo agad agad. "Hindi, sige. Okay lang ako," ang ating unang sagot sa unang yaya ng maybahay." "Sige na, kumain ka na. Likha..." ang yaya naman ulit ng may-ari ng tahanan. "Hindi, sige lang. Kain lang kayo," ang pangalawang sagot natin.  "Hindi, likha na. Maupo ka dito," ang pilit ng maybahay, sabay hila na sa atin at papa-upuin sa may lamesa kasama ang kanilang buong pamilya. Sa panahon na ito, kakain na rin tayo.

Naalala ko bigla ang kwento ng tatay ko tunkol sa kanyang kaibigan na kasama niya papunta sa kanilang kakilala. Pagpasok sa bahay ng kanilang kakilala, nagyaya ito na kumain ang tatay ko at ang kaniyang kaibigan, na kasama niya at ang kaniyang pamilya. "Hindi, sige. Kumain na kami," ang sagot ng kaibigan ng tatay ko sa imbitasyon, kung kaya't naupo sila sa sala at nagkwentuhan na lamang dito. Pag-alis nila, biglang nagbulong ang kaibigan ng tatay ko sa kaniya, "Hindi man lang tayo pinilit," ang reklamo niya. Naghanap pala siya ng kaunting tulak bago sumagot ng 'oo' . Mukhang nasa ugali nga siguro natin ang may kaunting papilit-pilit muna bago pumayag sa isang imbitasyong kumain, o sa kaunting pakain na biskwit at juice. 

Marami pang maliliit na bagay na kasama sa araw-araw ng pagiging isang Pinoy. Isa na rito ang paggamit ng lalagyan ng ice cream, madalas 'Magnolia' na kulay blue ito, para maitago muli ang mga adobo, menudo, o 'di kaya'y giniling na hindi naubos kahapon, o nuong isang araw pa, at dito na lamang itatago bago initin ulit (puna ni Rex Navarrete). Pagnakahain naman ang ulam at wala pang dumadating para kumain, tatakpan muna natin ang lahat ng ulam at kanin ng mga nakataob na plato. Siguro ito ay ginagawa dahil baka may pumuslit at pumasok sa bahay na isang langaw, kung kaya't preparado na ang ulam na nakaprotekta laban sa kanila.  May mga bahay naman na ginawang baso ang mga dating lalagyan ng peanut butter  na may tatak na "Lily's", at pagkatapos kumain, ayon kay Bob Ong, Pilipino ka nga kung kahit minsan sa buhay mo ay nakakita ka na ng toyo 'rings' sa lamesa. Ngayon naman, pagdating naman sa maraming tahanan dito sa Pilipinas, marami tayong makikita na nakasabit sa dingding na  pintura ng 'Last Supper',  mga kabayong tumatakbo, o 'di kaya'y mga asong nagbibilyar (puna naming magkakaibigan habang nagkwekwentuhan). At dahil marami sa atin ay Katoliko, maraming tahanan ang may altar at Sto. Nino.  

Ang isang bagay na ikinatutuwa ko rin ay ang paggalang natin sa espasyo ng ating kapwa. Ayaw nating makaistorbo sa iba kung kaya't pag tayo ay dumadaan sa gitna ng dalawang tao na nag-uusap, para tayong nanliliit sa kuba dahil sa pagbaluktot ng katawan pagtayo'y dadaan. At ito rin ay hahaluan ng, "iksskss..." na ang ibig sabihin ay 'excuse me'.  


Katuwa-tuwa nga naman ilakbay ang iba't ibang estilo at pamamaraan ng mga Pilipino. Kung iisa-isahin natin dito kung ano talaga tayo, eh baka abutin naman tayo ng siyam-siyam niyan. Siguro pakonti konti nating lakbayin at himayin ang ating kaugalian at tignan natin kung ano pa ang ating mapupuna sa susunod. 


Eh, 'di paano, ganun ganun nalang muna. Magkita tayo sa uulitin. 



Si Rex Navarrete ay isank sikat na stand-up comedian  na naka base sa Amerika: 

   Hella Pinoy 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABU9GTFEXos 

  Hella Pinoy 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzkePde9MpY

 Hella Pinoy 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoPNsS1EiFo 

Hella Pinoy 4:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz7lSHOwM-A 

Hella Pinoy 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhWhvGSU75g

Hella Pinoy 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXDgsQk5RPc&feature=related 


Hella Pinoy 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H83s8aipkKE&feature=related


Hella Pinoy 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf9QFjHQ9kY
 

A Break from the Explore: 'This is for My Countrymen'

I was writing my next entry for my exploration, which I have begun the other day, and for the past few days I was excited to sit down and write more. I was even delighted making the two shifts from Filipino to English for the two entries on one topic. But as I sat today and tried to continue, I couldn’t. The turn of events in the recent past has bothered me. Death is never an easy thing, and just the other day, February 8, 2011, a former Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Mr. Angelo Reyes, killed himself. No, I am not related to this man nor is he a friend. Yes, I have seen him a few times in rallies and in different affairs. But I do not know him, and yet his death hit me. And I know it hit many of us, if not all of us, Filipinos. For in his death, two tragic ends happened: an end to a man’s life, and an end to the shedding of some light that could have helped us know more about the truth, that could have helped us more get to the end of this…corruption.   

I am an idealist. I always have been, and I think will die as one. I belong to a family who never withheld the truth from us. And as a child, the stories told to me of life were no Roberto Benigni’s ‘Life is Beautiful’ or  Will Smith’s ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ version of the real one, they were never sugar-coated. They were always the harsh truth of what was really happening to our people: the deaths, the political killings, the oppression, and the corruption.  Although I had my fairy tales with me, I did go through the beauty of good stories, but I was also told the not so good ones. The sad part was that the not so good ones that were not of rainbows and butterflies were the true stories. Happy stories? Yes, there were lots. But the sad ones were numerous, too.

I was a silent child. And in my silence I think there were family members, and also classmates in school, who perceived me as someone who did not care much, or maybe even did not know much. I only did open my mouth to crack a joke, because that was when they listened. But when it was my serious side, I stuttered. So I had my imaginary friend, a maroon giraffe, who knew me well. And this may be the reason why I began to write. I had to let it be known somehow. How I truly felt. How maybe I did care. And how I wondered why a child like me rode a car, there were comforts; and how another child like me sat on his mother’s lap in a jeepney. Stories of the government and corruption were big stories, and I could not grasp them whole as to why those stories led to people sleeping in the streets, or inequality of comforts.

But as I got older, I understood more.  As a child, I would look out the window of the car I rode in and gathered stories and wonders on ‘why’.  As I looked out that window one day, I saw an old man that up to this day I remember. The hair on his head was all gray. He had a long beard and a mustache. He sat at the foot of a hotel—shirtless, dirty, and hungry. His ribs protruded and he was holding his tummy as he swayed back and forth. I was 10, if I am not mistaken, when I saw him, yet the image of him is still very clear to me. The whole scene of that moment never grew vague: The lavish façade of this hotel, with waterfalls that seemed to fall on this man who had nothing, not even decent clothes to wear.  The hotel was his backdrop. Its luxury seemed to overflow with such beauty, and yet in front of it was this man. A man trying to remove his desire for food by embracing his tummy, and maybe hoping that this might soothe him, even at least a little. But it did not seem like it. His face did not express it. His face expressed pain. And that was when I realized the irony, the wide disparity. I sat in the car thinking…why? And that’s when I understood a little more about corruption.

Fast forward to now, we have lost a soldier, and the country grieves this loss. We mourn, and we are shocked. But as we pray for his soul to find peace, let us not forget our other soldiers who have protected us and served us. Right now is the time that we protect them back. Right now is the time that they need us to fight for them. Right now is the time we pursue eroding those filthy hands that dipped their fingers and stole from our soldiers, leaving them in debt, in hardship, and plainly leaving them alone—unappreciated and uncared for.

We have fought this battle against corruption so many times and I wonder when flowers shall bloom and spread massively again. We are a happy race, but this is one problem we need to topple. It is not an easy task, but we have people, fellow Filipinos, who should also be given a chance to a better life. I am hoping that it will not be my whole life that our people shall fight for their right to comforts. I am hoping it will not be my whole life that our people will seek their share of convenience, of simply having a bed to sleep on, having a humble abode to call their own, having a life that they may call worth living.

The fight continues…


 'Bayan Ko' is like the 2nd national anthem of the Philippines. This song has been sung by the Filipino people in historical moments of the country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd-2lWx52R8