babble mix

Meet the Philippines

Over the past year, I’ve proudly introduced a lot about my culture to my all-American co-workers, from our lifestyle as middle-class Filipinos, to our language, to our eating culture, to the food I bring to work everyday (I crave for a lot of Pinoy food lately – buti na lang malapit lang ang Red Ribbon, Chowking, Jollibee and this huge Filipino grocery store sa bahay). It’s funny how they react to a lot of these things, including my experience being a first-generation Filipino immigrant -- but that’s another blog altogether. I just want to say, despite the constant subtle discrimination I get at work (because I proudly wear my FOREIGNER label on my sleeve), I’m so proud to be Pinoy.

Tagalog 101

My cube mates have now learned a few Filipino words, including the usual greetings, thank-you's and how-are-you's. My favorite so far is teaching them how to say one particular sentence in Tagalog, because they’re fascinated by the fact that with our language, we can communicate by repeating one syllable. Case in point: Bababa ba?

Danilo (co-writer): What does that mean?

Mel: "Are we going downstairs?"

Brian (another co-writer): You gotta be kidding me.

Mel: Nope. Oh, and “BABA” with the accent on the first ba, also means CHIN.

Danilo: WHAT? So how do you say, “Is your chin going down?”

Mel: (laughs) But that doesn’t make sense.

Danilo: How do you say it anway?
Mel: Bababa ba baba mo?

Danilo and Brian: HYSTERICS.

Mel: That’s not all. You can respond by saying yes or no, but you can also respond with “Bababa.” That means, "yes, we are going down."

Danilo and Brian: MORE hysterics.

Brian: So I can say, “Bababa ba baba mo?” And your response is?

Mel: Bababa.

Danilo: Fascinating.

Brian: starts humming a tune with ba-ba-ba- ba baaaa

Food Trip

They’re very open to new tastes as well, with one of them being a chef, and the other one being “Asian-inside.” The other writer is just adventurous with food, so more often than not, they taste any “exotic” thing I bring, like suha and longgan. Or empanada and siopao. Or the sweet Filipino spaghetti. They like most of it, except for the longgan, that one of my co-workers described it as “barn floor with hay.” Let’s wait till I bring balut to work.

Etc.

What else do they now know about our country and our culture, c/o me? Things like most of us can communicate clearly in English (that’s why I’m a writer) because our medium of instruction in school is English and that as kids we understood what "What color is this?" means. That living comfortably in the Philippines is a possibility. That as middle class citizens, we can afford one or two stay-in maids to do our laundry, cook for us, clean everyday and watch our children.

That we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, that’s why our Christmas season begins in September. That people dress up in costumes for both Halloween AND holiday parties. That we take care of our elderly until they pass, and that nursing homes aren’t as popular as they are here.

The list can go on and on. But all I’m saying is, I’m honored to spread my Pinoy-ness especially to those who know the Philippines only by how they see it on TV, or by how it is described by their Filipino friends who are so happy to have left the country that they can’t say anything good about it anymore. Maybe that’s my purpose here. So help me God.

posted by meL @ 2:56 AM