The Philippines Through the Eyes of a Foreigner
*The **Philippines Through the Eyes of a Foreigner
By Barth Suretsky*
*Atin Ito Philippine NewsFeature April 2007
*
My decision to move to Manila was not a precipitous one. I used to work in
New York as an outside agent of Philippines Air Line, and have been coming
to the Philippines since August, 1982. I was so impressed with the
country, and with the interesting people I met, some of whom have become
very close friends to this day, that I asked for and was granted a year's
sabbatical from my teaching job in order to live in the Philippines
I arrived here on August 21, 1983, several hours after Ninoy Aquino was
shot, and remained here until June of 1984. During that year I visited many
parts of the country, from as far north as Laoag to as far south as
Zamboanga, and including Palawan. I became deeply immersed in the history
and culture of the archipelago, and an avid collector of tribal antiquities
from both northern Luzon and Mindanao.
In subsequent years I visited the Philippines in 1985, 1987, and 1991,
before deciding to move here permanently in 1998. I love this country, but
not uncritically, and that is the purpose of this article. First, however,
I will say that I would not consider living anywhere else in Asia , no
matter how attractive certain aspects of other neighboring countries may be.
To begin with, and this is most important, with all its faults, the
Philippines is still a democracy, more so than any other nation in Southeast
Asia . Despite gross corruption, the legal system generally works, and if
ever confronted with having to employ it, I would feel much more safe
trusting the courts here than in any other place in the surrounding
countries.
The press here is unquestionably the most unfettered and freewheeling in
Asia , and I do not believe that is hyperbole in any way ! And if any one
thing can be used as a yardstick to measure the extent of the democratic
process in any given country in the world, it is the extent to which the
press is free.
Nevertheless, the Philippines is a flawed democracy, and the flaws are
deeply rooted in the Philippine psyche. I will elaborate. The basic
problem seems to me, after many years of observation, to be national
inferiority complex, a disturbing lack of pride in being Filipino.
Toward the end of April I spent eight days in Vietnam , visiting Hanoi , Hue
, and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). I am certainly no expert on Vietnam , but
what I saw could not be denied : I saw a country ravaged as no other
country has been in this century by thirty years of continuous and
incredibly barbaric warfare.
When the Vietnam War ended in April, 1975, the country was totally
devastated. Yet in the past 25 years the nation has healed and rebuilt
itself almost miraculously ! The countryside has been replanted and
reforested. Hanoi and HCMC have been beautifully restored.
The opera house in Hanoi is a splendid restoration of the original, modeled
after the Opera in Paris , and the gorgeous Second Empire Theatre, on the
main square of HCMC is as it was when built by the French a century ago.
The streets are tree-lined, clean, and conducive for strolling. Cafes in
the French style proliferate on the wide boulevards of HCMC. I am not
praising the government of Vietnam , which still has a long way to travel on
the road to democracy, but I do praise, and praise unstintingly, the pride
of the Vietnamese people.
It is due to this pride in being Vietnamese that has enabled its citizenry
to undertake the mi racle of restoration that I describe above.
When I returned to Manila , I became so depressed that I was actually
physically ill for days thereafter. Why ? Well, let's go back to a period
when the Philippines resembled the Vietnam of 1975. It was 1945, the end
of World War II, and Manila, as well as many other cities, lay in ruins.
As a matter of fact, it may not be generally known, but Manila was the
second most destroyed city in the entire war; only Warsaw was more
demolished.
But to compare Manila in 1970, twenty five years after the end of the war,
with HCMC, 25 years after the end of its war, is a sad exercise indeed. Far
from restoring the city to its former glory, by 1970 Manila was well on its
way to being the most tawdry city in Southeast Asia . And since that time
the situation has deteriorated alarmingly.
We have a city full of street people, beggars, and squatters. We have a
city that floods sections whenever there is a rainstorm, and that loses
=lectricity with every clap of thunder. We have a city full of potholes,
and on these unrepaired roads we have traffic situation second to none in
the the world for sheer unmanageability.
We have rude drivers, taxis that routinely refuse to take passengers because
of "many traffic !" The roads are also cursed with pollution spewing buses
in disreputable states of repair, and that ultimate anachronism, the jeepney
!
We have an educational system that allows children to attend schools without
desks or books to accommodate them. Teachers, even college professors, are
paid salaries so disgracefully low that it's a wonder that anyone would want
to go into the teaching profession in the first place.
We have a war in Mindanao that nobody seems to have a clue how to settle.
The only policy to deal with the war seems to be to react to what happens
daily, with no long range plan whatever. ; I could go on and on, but it is
an endeavor so filled with futility that it hurts me to go on. It hurts me
because, in spite of everything, I love the Philippines
Maybe it will sound simplistic, but to go back to what I said above, it is
my unshakable belief that the fundamental thing wrong with this country is a
lack of pride in being Filipino.
A friend once remarked to me, laconically : "All Filipinos want to be
something else. The poor ones want to be American, and the rich ones all
want to be Spaniards. Nobody wants to be Filipino."
That statement would appear to be a rather simplistic one, and perhaps it
is. However, I know one Filipino who refuses to enter a theater until the
national anthem has stopped being played because he doesn't want to honor
his own country, and I know another one who thinks that history stopped dead
in 1898 when the Spaniards departed. While it is certainly true that these
represent extreme examples of national denial, the truth is not a pretty
picture.
Filipinos tend to worship, almost slavishly, everything foreign. If it
comes from Italy or France it has to be better than anything made here. If
the idea is American or German it has to be superior to anything that
Filipinos can think up for themselves. Foreigners are looked up to and
idolized.
Foreigners can go anywhere without question. In my own personal experience,
I remember attending recently an affair at a major museum here. I had
forgotten to bring my invitation. But while Filipinos entering the museum
were checked for invitations, I was simply waived through. This sort of
thing happens so often here that it's just accepted as routine.
All of these things, the illogical respect given to foreigners simply
because they are not Filipinos, the distrust and even disrespect shown to
any homegrown merchandise, the neglect of anything Philippine, the rudeness
of taxi drivers, the ill manners shown by many Filipinos are all symptomatic
of a lack of self love, of respect for and love of the country in which they
were born, and worst of all, a static mind-set in regard to finding ways to
improve the situation.
Most Filipinos, when confronted with evidence of governmental corruption,
political chicanery, or gross exploita tion on the part of the business
community, simply shrug their shoulders, mutter "bahala na," and let it go
at that.
It is an oversimplification to say this, but it is not without a grain of
truth to say that Filipinos feel downtrodden because they allow themselves
to feel downtrodden. No pride.
One of the most egregious examples of this lack of pride, this uncaring
attitude to their own past, is the wretched state of surviving architectural
landmarks in Manila and elsewhere. During the American period, many
beautiful and imposing buildings were built, in what we now call the "art
deco" style (although incidentally, that was not contemporary term; it was
coined only in the 1960s). These were beautiful edifices, mostly erected
during, or just before, the Commonwealth period.
Three, which are still standing, are the Jai Alai Building, the Metropolitan
Theater, and the Rizal Stadium. Fortunately, due to the truly noble efforts
of my friend John Silva, the Jai Alai Building will now be saved. But unless
something is done to the most beautiful and original of these three
masterpieces of pre-war Philippine architecture, the Metropolitan Theater,
it will disintegrate. The Rizal Stadium is in equally wretched shape.
When the wreckers' ball destroyed Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel in
Tokyo , and New York City 's most magnificent building, Pennsylvania
Station, both in 1963, Ada Louise Huxtable, then the architectural critic of
The New York Times, wrote: "A disposable culture loses the right to call
itself a civilization at all !" How right she was ! (Fortunately, the
destruction of Pennsylvania Station proved to the sacrificial catalyst that
resulted in the creation of New York's Landmark Commission. Would there be
such a commission created for Manila ... ?)
Are there historical reasons for this lack of national pride ? We can say
that until the arrival of the Spaniards there was no sense of a unified
archipelago constituted as one country. True. We can also say that the
high cultures of the nations in the region seemed, unfortunately, to have
bypassed the Philippines ; there are no Angkors, no Ayuttayas, no
Borodudurs. True. Centuries of contact with the high cultur es of the
Khmers and the Chinese, had, except for the proliferation of Song dynasty
pottery found throughout the archipelago, no noticeable effect. True. But
all that aside, what was here ? To begin with, the ancient rice terraces,
now threatened with disintegration, incidentally, was an incredible feat of
engineering for so-called "primitive" people.
As a matter of fact, when I first saw them in 1984, I was almost as
awe-stricken was I was when I first laid eyes on the astonishing Inca city
of Machu Picchu , high in the Peruvian Andes. The degree of artistry
exhibited by the various tribes of the Cordillera of Luzon is testimony to a
remarkable culture, second to none in the Southeast Asian region. As for
Mindanao , at the other end of the archipelago, an equally high degree of
artistry has been manifest for centuries in woodcarving, weaving and
metalwork. However, the most shocking aspect of this lack of national
pride, even identity, endemic in the average Filipino, is the appalling
ignorance of the history of the archipelago since unified by Spain and named
Filipinas. The remarkable stories concerning the courageous repulsion of
Dutch and British invaders from the 16th through the 18th centuries, even
the origins of the Independence of the late 19th century, are hardly known
by the average Filipin o in any meaningful way. And thanks to fifty years
of American brainwashing, it is few and far between the number of Filipinos
who really know -- or even care -- about the duplicity employed by the
Americans and Spaniards to sell out and make meaningless the very
independent state that Aguilnaldo declared on June 12, 1898.
A people without a sense of history is a people doomed to be unaware of
their own identity. It is sad to say, but true, that the vast majority of
Filipinos fall into this category. Without a sense of who you are how can
you possibly take any pride in who you are ? These are not
oversimplifications .
On the contrary, these are the root problems of the Philippine inferiority
complex referred to above. Until the Filipinos take pride in being
Filipino these ills of the soul will never be cured. If what I have written
here can help, even in the smallest way, to make the Filipino aware of just
w ho he is, who he was, and who he can be, I will be one happy expat indeed
!
Happy Independence Day!!!! June 12
---
dont worry Da Rude, u are not alone... am still single ang lovin every minute of it.
(nooo, am not sourgraping. hehehe...)
cheeers!!!
"... fly like a butterfly, and sting like a bee..."
100% spaniard blooded....
In India, "cold weather" is merely a conventional phrase and has come into use through the necessity of having some way to distinguish between weather which will melt a brass door-knob and weather which will only make it mushy.
- Mark Twain
What happen to his case? did he get justice for this?
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
I used to know the man who wrote this article; I say used to because he was murdered in his apartment in Malate approx. 2002 - 2003.
He was a great and kind man, and he LOVED The Philippines and The Filipinos! He was someone you'd like to have as your friend!
I left Manila is 2003 and just bumped into this post today, needless to say, I'm having chills and feel a bit sad remembering the way his life ended!
Rest in Peace, Barth!
Magandang umaga
Hindi AKO gringo LUKO-LUKO, pero masaya AKO
Long live the Pinoy people....
In India, "cold weather" is merely a conventional phrase and has come into use through the necessity of having some way to distinguish between weather which will melt a brass door-knob and weather which will only make it mushy.
- Mark Twain
YEAH PROUD TO BE PINOY!!!
"Even if LOVE is full of thorns, embrace it. For in between those thorns there is a ROSE that's worth all the PAIN."
Its really heart melting!!!!
Thanks Kaizen for posting. and also to those good comments about the filipino people.
BUt Im pretty sure that each one of us are beautiful, no matter what country are we in......
it shows from ur avatar ...
BTW i was dreaming to marry a filpina and the dream is coming to be true ..
================================================
My Music: http://www.showcaseyourmusic.com/LittleGuitarist
My Photographing:
Filinos are small but terrible...
You got to know us first to know the beauty within us... =)
"Even if LOVE is full of thorns, embrace it. For in between those thorns there is a ROSE that's worth all the PAIN."
enjoyd it to read,also if it is very long
thanks for posting
:-)
Hi apple, hope to see you next get together I guess..
Hi starlight, well.. kinda a busy weekend, busy with my baby trying to catch up with her... hope to see you again pals..
""Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.-by Franklin D. Roosevelt""
here on this board you're also a big chatter box like us! :-) okay! Buddy I'm out for lunch!
Hey! I found another girl for you! she's a sweet Filipina. talk to you later!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
believe me i don't ... and how did u know that i talk a lot ..
abuot rekik ?? i called her once . that time i told u about ..after that i didn't
lol.. couldnt stop laughing about that topic. I got antonio tuloy..lol di patalo day joke. Yesterday we went out and today tinamad na. Tulog to the max, silip sa QL once in awhile sa kabaliw kaaliw na topic.
Mya dito na si banderas, exit na ako... lol
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
still up till this time? hmm, where is Mr. Antonio?
weekend? went to hyperlulu for a grocery this evening, too crowded! whew!
Hi Armhie, hi apple, how's ur weekend? Owen how's ur back? Got backpain too... sleeping too much, now im wide awake.
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
How's your weekend?
Too bad, we dont meet last time during the afternoon-delight. I came in late, alot of things to do that day. Hope to catch you next gathering:))
Nothing to worry about my dear., it is nothing to me..... It doesnt do any harm at all... and look who is paranoid??
""Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.-by Franklin D. Roosevelt""
I know you do talk a lot Buddy! so how's Rekik? beware she like speechless type. :-)
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
mystica i understand the situation i was here since she started the thread ... so i know wut is all about .. but do u think it worth the fight
Karin:
there is a phrase says "who talk much do less and who talk less do a lot"
we r not violent .. we cut it off with the fastest way .. hehehe .. and keep away from my way cuz i don't talk less .. lol.. j/k
Nabarak saeed. Keif Halak? i like your wit starlight i almost fell off my chair laughing. in fairness your hubby is Antonio Banderas look alike indeed! well, my knight in shining armour is still looking for his horse and polishing his shield because it is not shining anymore. lol
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Good Afternoon Karin... what you've got there?
Apple you've got Troy???!!! Wow!
sige na nga.. mine is ?? Antonio Banderas?? yikes. lol
Good Godly Day everyone..happy weekened!
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
We're not fighting over you the fact that this silly woman get het up and paranoid for nothing, when I just explain the reason why Rochester got allergies with Filipina!
Yes! Apple at least we have one each, you have Troy (sorry! don't really know who's Troy is he Filipino or hollywood actor?)
hi! hi! hi!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
We cant do that that is women's best weapon - the mouth. maybe we should have two hehe....while men could kill each other without saying a word. we are not violent like you Ram.lol
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Ladies are Ladies everywhere ..
this creature will never change ..
Would u plz calm down all .. it's so simple .. every one has the right to say his point of view ..
someone like filipino and some one hate them ... that doesn't make filpino the less and wutever u did u will not change their minds (those who r allergic to filpinos) why should u care ??
you will lose ur temper or get nervous and NOTHING will change ...
So take it easy ladies .. and shut ur mouth .. and plz don't fight
U can use ur hands and just kill each other and khalas ..
So you must be look alike Annabelle Rama ha? taray ni bisayaaaaaa!:D
Well, keep your Eddie Guitierrez my dear, I have my Troy Montero! he he heee
hi starlight, definitely not me hahaha!!
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Jaundering, your thought made sense to me. But these thread needs to be analysed by psychologist rather than political or economic analyst... who needs it? be the judge.
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
It's just some people are too paranoid and they can't get back to him! so they think they can target me instead! No one can change his mind even me! so I have to deal with it!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
I've met and like you both...no need to be feisty over this hulabaloo...
somebody once said.
thought experiment: the poor will not be there, if the rich can only have their way.
if true, then all the bill gates in the world will be successful someday in eradicating poorness.
but something tells me that some of the rich will have a harder time to pass through the eye of a needle than a camel.
conclusion: the rich are split and battling among themselves in helping and trodding down on the poor; e.g. bush on the iraqis. in this world, you need money to finance both good and evil, if you want results. the poor can just watch on the sidelines, and without money, can just smile or frown, or maybe just take it out on another poor.
in relation to: the philippines is just one showcase of the rich doing their thing; the only problem is that the background poor who are affected are more numerous and hence more visible. try to find the invisible and you will find the cause.
vietnam maybe has an advantage, being less democratic, in that the junta running the show there is a smaller clique compared to the crowd pillaging the philippine democracy.
just a thought though...
oopppssss I should actually... not to say something about two blinded people whose very much inlove with each other against all odds!
Cheers!
"Like I always said IMHO"
Rochester knows I hate his family in return anyway, so what's you're problem with me? I just explain why he said those words nothing more!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
You poor thing can't accept the fact! European hates Filipino?
If I've known that from the beginning I wouldn't marry one! Now I'm stuck because he'll do everything to keep me!
try to convince him to like you maybe he would change his mind! okay?
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
well sorry, i never find Eddie Gutierrez irresistible not even Piolo Pascual who accidentally sat next to me in Robinson Ortigas :-) I have had bad experiences with some nationalities here if i would generalize all locals from that experience i would definitely take the first flight to Manila but i didnt. for me it is always worth it to give a person the benefit of the doubt. wag ka madadala!
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As per your comment, it is loud and clear that you are the one who pointed out what is the reason for this allergic. And dont tell me that if chinese, or other nationality will seduce your husband, would you and your hubby hates them???
Are you proud being one of us.. or if you can twist you fate, you would rather be a european??/
""Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.-by Franklin D. Roosevelt""
annabelle rama in the haws! lol
welcome back 'day! :-)
I know there are bad and good people out there but we're unfortunate with the good one! we always bump to a bad ones! where are you? when we're looking for a good one? It's not just few experiences Dear! my husband is often mistaken as Eddie Gutierrez. so what do you think woman will do when they see him? But of course what they don't know my secret on how to keep my beloved faithful to me! :-)
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
There are always bad and good people anywhere. Look at a person as an individual and NOT the country he/she comes from. Making a general conclusion of everyone just because of few experiences is intolerable immaturity...
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because KJ is loopy for you're liking!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
nice selection of interests, rather befitting of you would never have guessed lol
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We came we saw we were Qatarized
are you guys coming on the Dhow trip??
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We came we saw we were Qatarized
Rochester also exists over here:
http://forums.philosophyforums.com/philosophy-of-language/
Seems like I hit a raw nerve with my comments on Philipinos.
Listen, I'm also allergic to horses, but I love them nonetheless...
Don't worry! He may be an antagonist person but he always win the battle with other people! but not with me!
No! I don't oblige him to join here, he's looking forward for the coming holiday so he's using QL as a past time!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
well...about the height of Filipina girls..does 'height' really matters? I bet you both not standing all the time..:)but as for Filipinas, size really matters!..hahahaha! (joke)
And for those who are allergic to Filipinos, all I can say, however bad or worse the situation can get in our country, I never heard one Filipino despising his/her own native land! Mabuhay!
where have you been my fellow antagonist, your wit and (higher rate than mine) sarcasm has been missed??
Is KJ keeping you to busy to type online now or what?
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We came we saw we were Qatarized
SL wants to be chased too?? Got your message loud and clear. No need man.. you are already popular :)[img_assist|nid=17259|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=162|height=180]
**PEACE AND BE COOL**
"As for the poetry, I believe it was sent in letter format to Charlie himself." [For anyone who doesn't get it, he sent that poem to the King of England]
As you can see I have changed my avatar from John Wilkins to the Earl of Rochester in his honour.
Okay, Buddy! I'll text your Sweetheart! I can see your catching up with my points! you big chatter box!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
Ok PM me at a later date.
You're really a survivor! you can survive with any type of people!
Hey! Are you and your wife coming in Ramada on the 14th? If you remember the occasion, shall we say after 9 P.M.?
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
I guess that you are imagining now what is happening? Which pool was that SL? The one filled with red wine where the sharks also were swimming and bullets were coming out from underwater? Guess I see it somewhere, ... hhhmmmm James Boom Boom?
sl and king edshel?...hmmmm...walking hand in hand... verrrrryyyy interesting... :D
When they jumped to the sea we will start swimming together in the custom built swimming pool filled with AlChol Agree
sorry if i get u wrong.. i guess u were not serious about it ..
wut exactly did u mean ???
guys me too wanna meet sl as i know he is so funny and intresting person .. but i was shocked when he came with his post ..but i guess i get him wrong
Avril Lavigne song? You're not alone, Together we stand, I'll be by your side, You know I'll take your hand :) , you know we can sing together and left everyone in the boat jump in sea.
Don't worry Be Happy. I will hold your hand and walk the Isle together.
for the cruise thing to finally meet you :) , would you be my friend and have a talk about everything that we got in mind? You know that topic that someone opened and I guess he is coming and you were there to put more gas into the fire whenever it is almost off :) ... just kiddin will find a lot to talk about hopefully , it is again my first time to meet again new people so I would be kind of quiet again :)
I've met him and honestly, I like his cheery disposition...no boring moment when you're with SL's company...
You didn't see the witty side of my post. you have to think like Han19 to get the meanings of my posts
weather u like them or hate them that won't affect their kindness
and attitudes .. but it will add u to their black list and mine too.. and by the way ... i hate srilankan ... who have such attitute like u ..
Rochester is not alone. I hate them too. Now come and get me.
u r welcome .. i was just saying the truth and nothing but the truth at least from my narrow experience
mate good to see you back and in such fine form as always!!
As for the poetry, yep thats one of them that he actually can lay claim to, believe it was sent in letter format to Charlie himself.
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We came we saw we were Qatarized
PHILIPPINE is my country and worth dying for!
In the spirit of patriotism.... like "BRAVEHEART"
Cheers!
"I know how and when to say "Please", "Sorry", & "Thank You"
its a nice country
got wonderful beaches bays seashore coasts
huge green mountains
perfect weather tho some times extremly hot i guess
NOW STOP HIJACKIN THE THREAD ESALVO76.
GET BACK ON THE LINE. :D
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all you need to do is prove that and someone to validate it!
I am not going to volunteer though....;-)
Cheers!
"I know how and when to say "Please", "Sorry", & "Thank You"
that's right, Wolfie with a "stallion thingy"! LOL
I just watched the "Blood & Chocolate" last night about wolfies ;-)
Cheers!
"I know how and when to say "Please", "Sorry", & "Thank You"
hey commmmmmmmmon stop calling me that.
thats the secret side of me :D
yea wolfie is better :)
and Ghood MorningH to you.
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good morning Mr. Stallion :D i mean, wolfie.... :P
esalvo76, good morning...
good morning ya all...
and filipinas ;-)
Cheers!
"I know how and when to say "Please", "Sorry", & "Thank You"
And good morning filipinos :)
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Oppsss! double post
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
You have no idea why he's allergic to Filipinos. He has lots of bad experiences with Filipinos! Just recently they helped and rescued someone from her American husband who treated her like shit and she ended up trying to seduce Rochester and he told her, is she that desperate? after all the help his wife gave her this is what this woman has to give in return? many times this things happen to him.
Most Filipinos know they have a bad reputation and you can't deny that! In Saudi when they said Filipinos are no.# 1 sa kalokohan!(Craziness) How do you feel that? It's just so many has no pride whatsoever.
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
Rochester must have taken (and still taking) tons of anti-histamines since he married his wife coz if not, he should have died of allergic reactions.....
Thanks so much, buddy! For yor comment, you made me even prouder to be a Filipino!!!!!
No! he's not allergic to me! he's crazy about me hi! hi! hi! Nagging? I can't be bother! I'm too busy sleeping, do lakwatsa and shopping hi! hi! hi!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
Every inch of me, every ounce of my blood is Filipino and i am happy to be one!
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darude you are very picky no wonder why youre still single. height doesnt really matter in a relationship, does it? it is the chemistry your souls entwine the feeling of you being totally yourself and dont have the fear to be rejected because you know you are accepted unconditionally. Look beyond what the eyes can see...and listen to your heart :-)
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[ specifically for Truth 101 ]
In Honour of Charles II
I' th' isle of Britain, long since famous grown
For breeding the best c##ts in Christendom,
There reigns, and oh! long may he reign and thrive,
The easiest King and best-bred man alive.
Him no ambition moves to get renown
Like the French fool, that wanders up and down
Starving his people, hazarding his crown.
Peace is his aim, his gentleness is such,
And love he loves, for he loves ##ck#ng much.
Nor are his high desires above his strength;
His sceptre and his pr##k are of a length;
And she may sway the one who plays with th'other,
And make him little wiser than his brother.
Poor prince! they prick, like thy buffoons at Court,
Will govern thee because it makes thee sport.
'Tis sure the sauciest prick that e'er did swive,
The proudest, peremptoriest prick alive.
Though safety, law, religion, life lay on 't,
'Twould break through all to make its way to c#nt.
Restless he rolls about from whore to whore,
A merry monarch, scandalous and poor.
To Carwell, the most dear of all his dears,
The best relief of his declining years,
Oft he bewails his fortune, and her fate,
To love so well, and be beloved so late.
For though in her he settles well his tarse,
Yet his dull, graceless b#ll#cks hang an arse.
This you'd believe, had I but time to tell ye
The pains it costs to poor, laborious Nelly,
While she employs hands, fingers, mouth and thighs,
Ere she can raise the member she enjoys.
All monarchs I hate, and the thrones they sit on,
From the hector of France to the c##ly of Britain.
I just hope he is not allergic to you too:D
Maybe you nagging him all time,Lol! ;)
Rochester didn't say he hates Filipino, he said he's allergic to them!
Can't blame him he had a very bad experienced...
truth321 you're talking about different Rochester all together.
Hi! charmed! remember what I told you? how nuisance he can be? hi! hi! hi!
Guys don't get het up I'll wrap him around my little fingers!
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig 2 graves...
atleast my height is 6 ft haha :P lucky for a filipino haha
--------------------
To conquer without risk is to triumph without glory
It hurts i can feel it
It's time for a machine gun
Don't worry buddy .. i'll cover ur a$$
such a nice compliment thank you :D
:(
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I'M PROUD TO BE ONE! and will always be a Filipino wherever I go.
yv2r
Please dont think that You can't reach both at a time.
Darude.. i lost that comment!!! couldnt find it and im afraid he wont be able to read it... now i can rest my case...lol
who loosen you and gave back ur gun??? go and buy a new bed instead.[img_assist|nid=17259|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=162|height=180]
**PEACE AND BE COOL**
DaRude you are such a shit disturber. :P
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I THOUGHT U RESTED UR CASE and quitted this topic oh u females will never give up or stop commenting or talkin lol :D
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Since I lost my posting...Im commenting again not only for Rochester but for those who have the same narrow thinking.
I eat burgers and steaks, I wear jeans, I speak English etc etc etc not because I want be American or westerner. It is because I like its taste, it's comfortable to wear and it is the universal language etc etc etc.
If you are comfortable wearing your national dress with ur day to day activities, i respect that.. it is your choice.
I can change my citizenship, dye my hair blond... speak spanish, french, english, Arabic, .. bleach my skin like MJ... still my blood is FILIPINO.
Allegic to us??? it is not because you commented that way I will be allergic to your people.. or would not even think that your people are like you.
Open your mind and broaden your horizon man. Whatever bad experience you had or still lingering in your life due to my country or my people... look at your hands, are fingers the same???
Thank your god because ur not Filipino.. because if you are... you wont survive with such kind of aristocratic attitude... Good luck :))
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
I only consider myself as "Filipina" nothing more, nothing less!
Whoever my ancestors was or my great great grandfather or great great grandmother is, the truth of the matter is I was born and raised in a Filipino Way...
The colonial era in the Philippines will always be a part of my being as a filipina because that's how it is. I will change the bad influences from Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Americans (who ever invaded us ) but I will praise the good influences they had imparted to us) because if its not for them, we will never be a truly Filipinos or Filipinas!
Its just IMHO!
Cheers!
"I know how and when to say "Please", "Sorry", & "Thank You"
you dont want to know my ancestors, do you? Please dont ask me! j/k
But you know the best meds is Darude's gun, shoot her and you're done w/ allergy, LOL!
Apple , I don't find any problem getting along with any of you guys. I won't go for drugs like those, they should produce it in two products.
One is to let these people quit on being allergic and communicate with you with no problems. The other one should also stop them from being allergic, but make them stop running after you. If the need for the first one is like 1 time, the need for the second would be 10 times I guess.
Darude will shoot me, he likes starwberries and cherries and he is allergic to apple;D
I should contact any drugs manufacturer to produce an anti-Filipinos allergic drugs!
why not?
I will feel that way too. IF it will happen to me, wow, for sure I will pack HIS things up.
Yeah u r right .. u r totally right ..
bad bad Ram!j/k
I just said IF, (emphasize the word IF) my husband would say like that to me, then......
***Btw, my comments has nothing to do w/ someone else!
...or at least the one in my office, he keeps wearing a cologne that makes me sneeze...;)
Seriously though, why does having mixed blood make you any less Phillipino? I'm a mixture of Irish, German, Native American and French and I consider myself Canadian. Why do you have to say "I'm Spanish-Phillipino, or I'm American-Phillipino" doesn't make sense.
No offence to Phillipino's in that little rant, it just happens to be something I'm curious about because I know many Canadians who do the same thing.
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are taking allergy pills for that apple.
Apple, I've got no objections with what you have said. It's RAM who can't understand your post.
Your generalisation=my conclusion. :D
That is a good question ... Should I marry a Filipina? Hmmm , actually I'm lost between the Filipina and the Nihongo Girl. Trying to figure out which one is easier ... Tagalog or Kanji ... Everything is mixed up in there ... I see to my right side a Nihongo and on the left a Pinay. I have no idea to where would my ships land in the end :)
fingers not the same :))
I am talking in General!
If anyone was hitted w/ my words, well sorry! but I mean what i've said. It's just a common sense! why I have to live w/ someone i am allergic to?
King Ed:
that was so funny king Edshel ...
I would like to kick them while they r stucked under the table so they move and bang their head and possible to break it when i'm getting a camera to shoot this funny thing ..
DaRude:
i don't like the tarzan classes .. seems to be an idiot person who discovered that way ..did u?? did u use that way to become tall?? ROFL .. i'm just kidding
APPLE:
U were not talking about u or ur husband u were shooting somebody with ur words .. like "I'll be the lowest pride woman in QATARLIVING" i guess i know whom u r talking about .. even the Idiot husband "sorry rochester"
as u just said ...
Starlight:
This is the real Democracy
He has the right to hate filipino
and u have the right to stap him with the words...
wordS = Sword (just move the "S" letter from last to first and it will be Sword)
or just have a bad mood and that will be enough...
so, no regrets later!
I hope your lady will take a pride of herself and dont you ever tell her that you allergic to filipina, or i'll pack her bag to leave you! j/k
oops, sorry! are you suppose to marry Filipina?
You want me to divorce her before I even marry her? :)
even i get my head banged even if standing in some place with lower lights or anything . they really find it hard gettin under table lol.
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starts with talking about the Philippines and how do you see it and end up with all you of comparing your heights with DaRuDe :)
Ohhhh, those IT guys you got there in the office are really tall DaRuDe ... I feel so short now [5,9] and could not imagine those guys going under the table to fix a PC problem or see what is going on down there.
I guess that they wear a helmet before they go down because banging their heads for several times is common, breaking down there necks is an option. Stuck under the table would be a possibility, .. someone will take the chance and film that would be fun. Someone dare to kick that guy stuck down there would be rude.
Rochester is stupid (as you have said) and the wife will only become stupid (and more stupid than the husband), if she doesn't do anything about it.
Girl, pack up and leave him!
Why not divorce? if you are allergic w/ each other!:D
Hypocrite!;)
my neighbor on my right side is Canadian,
and my neighbor on my left side is Kuwaiti!
So, me and my husband is half Jordanian and half Filipino!
But...I am proud to be Pinoy!
;))))))
You are right, .. how can someone say such a thing even if he was joking? it would be a very heavy joke and if my wife told me something like .. I hate it when you say Bebsi [btw I don't say it like that] because you are Palestinian ??? Only god knows what would happen .. :)
Most of us Philipinos are mixed blood, like me, my grandad on my dad's side is black American, my grandad on my mom's side is Spanish, but im still proud to be Filipina...
He is allergic to Filipinos!(coz, I am Filipina).....
...either He is the MOST stupid husband on earth to live with me, or I am the LOWEST pride stupid wife in QatarLiving!!!
Nah!
Tu 6,2 ha..yar insaan ban..thora kamm kar hight ko yaar...tuj sa milnay k leyay stairs lane parain gee....lollzzzz
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[---"Imagination is more important than knowledge"---]
rochester...allergic to Filipinos? well well well what can i say, you are married to one right?..but anyway, we couldnt force you to like us...we could live and survive, allergic/hate us? it dont really matter..
thats w very normal height for a male i got gaints here workin with me in my IT dept they are 6'6" or 6'8" am not that much.
question was why are pinoay females short. :D
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So I should be far from my mom & dad coz they're filipinos:D
Hey! I got ITALANO blood!
My dad is bicoLANO & my mom is ITA!
he heeeee( Tnx alex!)
What can i say...you're the tallest "naturalized" Filipino Expats member here in QL....hehehe
i am 6'4" not 6'2" :)
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Thanks for the link. I've already bookmarked it because it is rather long. I think people in positions of government should be the ones reading it.
Oh yeah I've got spanish blood too! :D
But I'm not filipina. Maybe the entire world originated from Spain lol.
he should argue with his wife instead :P
Oh, it shud not be ROFL.. ROFLMAO to the max!
I pity Rochester. He's allergic to his own so called half fil half spanish wife (i hope she got her nose from spanish bloodline) and children who are now mixed race.
Or is this a 'message' for your wife? ROFL
Filipinos may not be that tall...BUT ALL ASPECTS, WE ROCK!!!
does it matter? *winK* *wink*
hate the philpnos ????? you crazy there the lovlest people on earth!!! I mean there just lovely! whats this all about i think people just want to stip up arguments you know! Philiapinos ROCK!!!
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love life!
All the filipinos/filipanas I've met have been really friendly and it always felt like I've known them for ages! The only bad thing is that they make me feel like a gaint! lol, they're so tiny hehe. And that's why I can't marry a filipino...sorry. But other than that they're great people :-)
You didn't notice because your 6'2"....lol
Reading halfway...... already made my mode so BAAAAAD...........i still have high HOPES for the motherland.......still reading....Rochester i'll comment you later...
a foot or an inch?? i can wear two-inch heels if you like and that makes 5'8" and if that doesnt enough still.. i rest my case.. lol
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
ya why all girls r short like 5,7 and not more than that
am waiting for some good looking 5,9 in my life..if any1 out there..plz ping me...eheheheheh :)
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[---"Imagination is more important than knowledge"---]
hehehe STILL SHORT A FOOT :/
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You got to visit PP to find real tall ones. You will be suprised to see them in Cebu and Baggio. I always asked you to accompony me to find the answers to your questions.
Darude....im 5'6" :)) now you know one.
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
Itna mat socho DaRude... even dwarfs are living in this world...lolzz
Good luck in finding a cute little Pilipino girl..
Am good.....was busy at work.. after long today I am free at work...good to see you here..
Novita…..couldn't help writing it…..lol
small packages hahahahaha hmm interesting
but gypsygal tell me the 4inch heel doesnot work some where when together :D
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hey da i would not mind small a lady is they say great things arrive in small packages so i wouldn't mind a delivery
start takin tarzen classes hang around in the trees and u will be above 6 too :D
make sure u dont get ur arms plucked.
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DaRude you can adjust with 4" heels..lolz
that's da best thing i like in filipina .. may cuz i'm just 5' 6"
so they fit my height a lot.. hehehe..
Gypsy Gal: it was a long time since we last meet .. how r u buddy and how r u doing? missing u a lot
i always wanted a tall one above 5'7" bad luck never found any one and guess never will
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"I pity Rochester for living with someone he is allergic to..lolz Whatever her blood is Kairajane is a Pilipino..... you got to live with it."
-----> gypsy gal ... your comment made me smile.
Thats because their mom and Dad are short..lol..most of the females from your country and 5'5" and above..so why you worry???
Hi Vic,
You're spot on. If you have the time, I suggest you read this article - it's an extract of a book called 'The Undercover Economist' and examines the economic factors of why certain countries with certain regimes just don't seem to grow into rich, developed nations. I was reminded of it by your reference to potholes!
It's a good read, and only one chapter. The rest is equally as good.
http://www.reason.com/news/show/33258.html
why are all the females SHORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT NEVER SEE ANY ONE ABOVE 5'6" WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY. :D
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All the Pilipinos I know are very nice and friendly people. They are well known for their hospitality and family oriented people. There are good and bad in all races..There may be people who are allergic to French as well.....
I pity Rochester for living with someone he is allergic to..lolz Whatever her blood is Kairajane is a Pilipino..... you got to live with it.
Suretsky's thesis is that the problems of the Philippines are caused by a flawed democracy which is rooted in a lack of national pride. I was expecting him to elaborate more on the notions of flawed democracy and national pride and to, at least, show in an unequivcoal way why they are the reasons for the existence of potholes, beggars and rude drivers but he did not support his claim. Surely, it is nice to talk about sense of history, self identity and national pride, but within the context of the present Philippine problems,these terms are nothing else but vague concepts and oversimplifications. To repair the economy and the potholes in the street, something more concrete than pride and love is needed.
Dont worry about darude Ram.. i tied his arms and threw his gun!!! lol[img_assist|nid=17259|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=162|height=180]
**PEACE AND BE COOL**
For me and my experience .. i like the filpinos so much .. they r so nice and gentle .. i have dealed with many of them here in qatar and there in philpine .. they were so nice as i was deciding to marry a filpina (still thinking about that ..) wut prevent me is the fund nothing else ...
filipinos shud be proud of them selves .. they r so white hearted and so so so so nice more than u can imagine ..
let me tell u a real experience ...
i have a filipina friend there in philpine .. although it's costly for her to cal .. if i didn't log on for more than week she call me to say i'm just cheking if u r alright or not ..
another case: i was in a gathering with filipinos and filipinas ..
one of the guys (without mentioning any names) he was asking me every minute if i'm having fun or feeling bored .. trying to make sure that i'm happy ..
when they were singing in taglog .. a pretty lady were translating to me even without asking her to do that .. just to make sure that i don't feel strange in between them ...
when i asked for a water to drink .. the owner of the house took me to the kitchen and told me to feel free like in my home ..
i really felt so in that day ..
Those things may seems simple and normal for u .. but in that day .. ohhh .. it means a lot to me .. more than u can imagine ..
they r more than kind and nice nation .. I love them all .. and if i were a filipino i would be so proud of myself ...
i have a lot of stories with filipino guys n gals .. and it was sooo good .. so plz don't judge them through someone whom u faced trouble with him .. simple bcuz he is not all the nation .. and in each nation u will find the good and the bad ..
one of my friends asked me do u like the egyptian more or the filipino .. although i'm egyptian and not supposed to say this, i told him .. ofcourse without thinking the filipino nation ...
don't want to make it long .. da rude may be hiding somewhere with his gun sticked up at my head ..
Mr. Rochester... I sense so much hate w/ how you see Filipinos. Whaterever bad experience you had about us, i just hope that one day you'd get to see the real beauty of Filipino culture... and on how much we love and respect our country despite all the struggles we are going thru. I can only pray for the continued wellness of you and your family. God bless. :)
LOL... I do have spanish blood heritage and even chinese too... any Ita reading this thread? I salute you then for preserving ur blood line.
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
How you perceive my country is not my business. But who I am right now didnt come from anywhere else but from the positive and the negative sides of my country. My people, being soft hearted and considerate, are victims of capitalist society... just trace our history. From the Chinese, 300 years of Spanish regime, Japanese, Americans.
Who owns the high rising buildings in our business centers? big malls every 2 or 3 kilometers? all kinds of 5 star hotels?
Yes, perhaps we lost our own identity... even our leaders lost their priorities... but who is to blame? is it the people? the leaders? or the opportunist? I dont know.. i couldnt pin point.
Despite of that, we can survive everywhere and in any circumstance, we have the ability to adapt to our environment, and we are forgiving people.
I dont care about you too, I wouldnt change ur bad perception about my country, but still I am Filipino.
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**PEACE AND BE COOL**
Philippinas are true magnetic. I am so attracted to them. what to do?
I've met your wife, i consider a gem of a friend...but generalizing Filipinos saying your allergic to them will depict that YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR WIFE'S HERITAGE...AS NO MATTER WHAT HER SPANISH BLOOD SAYS or her coming from RICH POLITICAL FAMILY...SHE'S A FILIPINA!
have you visited my country, met your wife's family? I believe the "decade of bad experiences" you had is not from living in my country. Or shall we say your encounters with other Filipinos i your lifetime.
We haven't met yet, Rochester but i do assure you that I ALSO HAVE SPANISH BLOOD (also Chinese)in my veins...I'm still proud to be a FILIPINO.
dont worry about Rochester, just look up who Rochester has named himself after.
Rochester (Earl and poet) was a well known bisexual in his day, anti monarchist and general trouble maker. Also rumoured to have died of a sexually transmitted disease....somewhat poor person to name yourself after really.
Oh and not forgetting the fact that the poet/earl of Rochester's work cant even be attributed to him as he never signed over 50% of it so in reality he was a nobody, trouble maker and general *rse!!!
Hey Rochester how is KJ these days?
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We came we saw we were Qatarized
I wouldn't really care if you are going to hate or be allergic with me or even not to look at me because I am Filipina (it doesn't make me a lesser person than you are)
But generalizing all Filipinos like that, wow you must really had a bitter experience with them that up to this date you are still carrying!
I pity you but I know you would say "I don't care!"
Cheers!
"I know how and when to say "Please", "Sorry", & "Thank You"
Thanks for posting this, Kiasen, and to Azi for explaining in simple terms to that dumbass da Rude-boy the malaise at the heart of the Philipino identity.
As BArth Suretzky put it, the poor want to be Americans, the rich want to be Spanish. So there is a populist culture and an aristocratic culture in the Philippines. My wife, whom you might all know here on this board, is from a rich political family in the Phils, and definitely they are proud of their Spanish blood and heritage. On the other hand, the average Philipino wants above all to escape to the States. He eats burgers and fries, and wears jeans and a baseball hat as his national dress.
Who to blame? the Americans for a start: when they could have built up the democratic foundations of the country, they sold it out to commercial interests and corrupt lackeys like Dole and Marcos.
Unfortunately, this lack of national identity combined with the hypocrisy that comes of a Catholic upbringing produces a shifty and disreputable character. Back-stabbing, gossiping, snide and vain, the Philipinos are not the Latinos of the east as they seem to imagine themselves, but the least trustworthy of all the Asians.
Call me prejudiced if you like, but that comes from a decade of bad experiences: Now I am definitely allergic to Philipinos.
for makin it short.great
hmmm ok i got it,
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What is currently happening in my country affects everyone of us Filipinos living in and outside the Philippine.
Sad to say that in my country, the poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer. The government's fault? I don't think so...
If only my own people unite (like the People Power - Edsa Revolution 1986) and fight for what is right, we could be one of the most beautiful country in the world. But alas...what is right? Who would be able to implement it if our own people would want to be elsewhere...to give their families a better edge in life.
Pride has nothing to do with it...it's survival
cant you make it short its too long my eyes gets tired if i read that long post i sure will feel sleepy. :/
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