babble mix

01/2006 One Year in the Making

Today marks my first year anniversary of being a Filipina in New York (I still refuse to be called a New Yorker and I always will so don’t push it, ok?).

Needles to say, marami akong natutunan sa buong taon na nandito ako.

I learned more about myself, New York, the US and its people in general, my beautiful country and my fellow Pinoys.

1. Kala ko magaling na ko mag-English, so I won’t have a problem communicating in the US. Boy, was I wrong. Minsan gusto kong humirit, pero dahil hindi ko sya ma-translate, tahimik na lang tuloy ako. Sige nga, try translating this:
- wag kang praning!
- Wala naman syang utang na loob
- O, hihirit ka pa eh.
- Naks!
2. I don’t speak 1000 words per minute here, for reasons in number 1.
3. I’m not housewife material kahit na for about a year I was domesticated back in pinas. Di ko feel ang chores. I’d rather pay someone to do chores for me.
4. I can survive a year without a massage or a foot spa.
5. I am prettier than I thought I was because most guys here prefer my “exotic” beauty. That’s supposed to be a compliment but for some reason it doesn’t sound like one to me. Can I just not be exotic?
6. Maangas ako. Pero nawawala ang angas ko pag may itim na mas maangas kesa sakin. Kaya I just shut up and try to look sweet.
7. I can get depressed and I’m not as strong as I thought I was. I was humbled knowing that I am nothing without my God and only through Him can I have the strength to go through anything.
8. New York is cold – cold ang weather, cold ang people.
9. New York is totally dependent on mass transit for getting around. Without it, pahirapan.
10. The weather can change as erratically as New Yorkers’ moods. That is why the morning weatherman is my best friend.
11. New York transforms in the fall – it becomes so serene and peaceful. Because of that, fall is my second favorite season next to hot, hot summer.
12. New York is romantic yet harsh, cultured yet modern, refined yet so wild – it’s the perfect place to practice antonyms.
13. In New York, space is a very rare commodity – literally. We learned to find every nook and cranny available in our apartment to store our stuff.
14. I love the west coast – southern California in particular.
15. Most Americans are used to and like being spoon fed. Not a lot of them prefer to learn on their own.
16. Americans are very polite: “How are you?” “Good to see you,” “Nice to meet you,” and all other niceties are staples in any conversation.
17. You’re not really expected to answer how you are with the how-are-you question. “Good” is the general answer unless you’re really upset. Then you say “I could be better.”
18. I learned that the Philippines is so rich in natural resources and so beautiful that we need to keep promoting our tourism – nothing here can compare to our own Boracay, Palawan or Sagada.
19. I learned that sadly, a lot of Filipinos have inferiority complex towards the “puti” – either that or we are just an excessively polite people, or both.
20. I learned to appreciate my country, my fellow Filipinos and my language twenty times more.

posted by meL @ 5:52 AM