Filipinos: Think, Think, THINK!!

-By Nathan Allen

When I was in the Philippines, a friend of mine said “Nathan, you think too much”.  Actually, I heard this from a few Filipinos.  Really?  I mean, I know I tend to analyze things, but “thinking too much” is precisely I how I dreamed up a way to (modestly) travel the country for a year – then write an in-depth article on Filipino culture (an article that Filipinos seem to really appreciate). 

Filipinos:  I am asking you to think MORE. 

Eleanor Roosevelt said “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”  Sadly, perhaps due to colonization and other factors (I’ll get to these later), the Philippines may have established itself as a country full of “small minds” – and by that I mean people that were intentionally discouraged from being ambitious, and kept from their potential.  Those in power wanted to keep it that way, and to some extent I believe it’s still the same today.  The masses (who I’m addressing in this letter) are encouraged to keep consuming products and stay focused on (and distracted by) trashy, mindless TV and gossip.  I’ve seen it happen in the US.  It’s good for the economy, but bad for the culture (it makes things easier for a government to manipulate its people and keep them powerless).

CONSUMERS AND COPYCATS

The Philippines seems to be a country full of consumers and copycats.  What do I mean by that?  Media consumption – TV, radio, and Internet…and it’s all designed to manipulate you one way or the other.  Encouraged through the media is shopping – you’ve got to have the latest shoes, bags, and phones.  Otherwise, your value in society isn’t very high. 

Just like in the US, it’s a very shallow, endless cycle of consumption, but Philippines, what are you producing?  What are you contributing to the world in terms of original literature, art, and music?   From what I’ve seen, I think you have a LOT to offer…

You are widely known to be some of the best cover-artists in the world.  You can recreate almost any song – sometimes even better than the original!  Pinoy vocalist Arnel Pineda becoming the lead singer of the iconic American band “Journey” is a good example of this.  You’re such gifted musicians and vocalists, and your grasp of the English language is impressive – so where are your own musical contributions?  I know you have some classic Filipino songs, but I’m talking about international hits (and Fil-Am artists don’t count). 

Filipinos, perhaps hundreds of years of colonization have left you holding back your talent…and feeling like you don’t have a “voice” to speak up with – that your opinions don’t matter, and have no value.  That is understandable (given your country’s repressive history), but we live in a different world now, and I hope you can begin to take the first few steps away from that oppressive colonial past.  The way I see it, for you, the sky is the limit.

LIFT YOURSELVES UP, BUT DON’T FORGET WHO YOU ARE

Now, with your growing economy, you are heading in the same direction as many wealthy western countries.  You are “modernizing”, and that appears to be a good thing.  Do you know what the irony is, though?  In our countries, the “higher standard of living” is not what you might think.  Most of you have plenty of quality “social time”.  The amount of time we have to reflect and enjoy life with friends and family is shockingly little.  Unlike most of yours, our families are broken and very disconnected.  In the “developed” world, we seem to be losing our humanity – we barely make eye contact when we’re out in public!  Your family-oriented culture and sense of connectedness is something that you REALLY have going for you in the Philippines. 

In our countries we work too much, are completely stressed out, and have countless new diseases and psychological disorders that I believe are popping up because of life in our hectic modern world.  A therapist is practically a requirement for life in any large American city.  Filipinos, do you even know what a therapist is?  No?  Good!    The point is, these disorders (just like therapists) are rare in the Philippines.  This seems to be the price we pay for being “advanced and developed” nations.  The point is, I do hope you can break free from this “colonial” mentality, but aside from that…

Filipinos: Don’t try to be more like us, try to be more like YOU.  I believe what the the world needs now is more you, not more us.

In my last article about Filipino culture, I mentioned how a few people in Manila seemed to be ashamed to speak Filipino with me.  I was saddened by that; I hoped they would be proud of their culture.  I got the impression that they admired me so much – just for being white!  When I would go through security anywhere in Manila, I was the only one who wouldn’t be searched.  I seemed to get a free pass, again, because I was white.  That was something I loved about Cebu and the Visayas…there, the security searched me just like everybody else.  It was fair.  In general, people down there weren’t impressed with my white skin.  If I was going to impress them, I would have to earn it.  They were proud, and I loved that.  I don’t mean to promote regionalism here; I just would love to see all Filipinos develop that sense of cultural pride. 

Truly the “Pearl Of The Orient Seas”

Filipinos (from north to south), please know that your culture and who you are is something unique and special in the world – something precious that’s rapidly disappearing, in fact.  Please don’t be afraid to be proud – I know you prefer to be modest, but I don’t believe pride and modesty have to be enemies.  I believe you can be proud without thinking or acting like you are better than others.  Be proud of your culture; your heritage.

Philippines, I hope soon you will become known for being more than just a friendly country with affordable opportunities for foreign-owned businesses.  My hope is that you will gain a reputation as a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs…as creators.  I have never seen so much talent be so under-utlilized.  With your stunning beaches and lush mountain provinces, you are also poised and ready to take the world’s tourism industry by storm.   However, your ecosystem is delicate, and it needs to be protected and preserved.  I’d love to see your country pave the way for environmentally-friendly tourism. That would be an innovative and much needed contribution to the world!

At the very least, I hope you can share the Filipino way of life with the rest of the world, because we could certainly learn a lot from it.

The “Crab Mentality” – Is It Helpful?

Please put an end to the “crab mentality” – lift each other up, don’t pull each other down.  If your country is ever going to rise up and share its treasures with the world, you will have to foster an environment of praise and support for your countrymen. 

Filipinos:  You are some of the most talented, soulful, and generous people I have ever encountered. Please know that you DO have a voice, that your ideas DO matter, and that your contributions (whether they be musical, artistic, or intellectual) WILL be felt. 

Believe it, and the rest of the world will, too. 

Oh!  One more thing.  If you work in government, do not EVER forget your responsibility to represent the PEOPLE – a people and a culture with a lot to offer the world.  YOU represent them on the world’s stage. Do NOT let them down. 

– Nathan Allen

* UPDATE * – I have explained exactly what I was doing in the PHL and responded to your comments in a follow-up post.  Please click HERE to read it!

The post A FOREIGN BLOGGER’S LETTER TO THE PHILIPPINES appeared first on I Dreamed Of This.

By Nathan Allen

Bohol Is The Best…No, It’s Albay…No, It’s Davao!!

When I travelled to the Philippines previously, I mentioned elements of fear and superstition in the culture, and wondered if these traits were instilled by the Spanish, or were already here in the Philippines when they arrived. 

Now I’m wondering the same thing about the strong regionalism that is present in the Philippines today.  My Filipino friend Nathan thinks that by promoting a strong sense of regionalism, the Spanish were able to keep Filipinos from uniting together to resist them.  It makes sense.

Just how common is regionalism in the Philippines today?  To give you an idea, no matter where they are from, almost every Filipino I meet believes their hometown region is the best – even though many don’t have the perspective that comes from visiting other regions.

Wait a minute…they can’t all be the best! 

Perhaps due to this regionalism in the past, the average Filipino might have little desire to learn about the world outside his own region – in some cases even outside of his own specific barangay (neighborhood).  

On a Quest For Adobo…

For example, I think I may have experienced this when asking locals where a certain adobo restaurant is.  Very often they don’t know, and once I eventually find the place, I realize that it was in fact only 2 short blocks away from where I asked the local.  Many times, these locals have lived and worked in this location their whole lives, yet seem to have a very limited understanding of what is happening just around the corner. 

My Filipino friends tell me the locals might just be intimidated to speak English to a foreigner suddenly – and they panic, resulting in a “nosebleed”.  However, this same scenario has presented itself to me over and over, even when they will go and ask 4 or 5 other Filipinos out of sight (clearly removing the “nosebleed factor”). 

Some might be quick to chalk this up to a simple lack of intelligence, but I don’t think that’s accurate (or fair).  I’ve seen uneducated Filipinos in the provinces inventing and re-purposing all kinds of ingenious products to improve the quality of their lives – and with little or no money!  It’s impressive enough to get a nod from even the most esteemed mechanical engineers.

No, I wonder if it’s a cultural phenomenon, and there might be more than just Spanish-influenced regionalism at work here.

Staying Close To Home

Being spread out and isolated over so many islands might be a factor as well. An example is my 55-year old Filipino friend who has the financial means, but never in her lifetime made the 20 minute boat-trip over to see the only neighboring island – and a beautiful one at that!  Traditionally it doesn’t seem to be a culture of travel.  It is a country with abundant sunshine and food sources – perhaps people here didn’t have a need to migrate and travel like we did in our harsh European climates.

Due to the natural barriers of the sea, it is fascinating to observe how languages and culture have evolved from island to island, and equally fascinating to see the common thread that runs through all of them.  It seems that almost all languages in the Philippines have at least some words in common. 

As an outsider who has tried to observe and explore the many beautiful regions of the Philippines, I can tell you that each one has something unique and special to offer.  You could spend a lifetime here and still barely scratch the surface. 

The Barangay Sees All

The average Filipino may not know how to get to the Internet-famous adobo place in the next barangay, but they can tell you in great detail about the birth of their cousin’s new granddaughter, the progression of their neighbor’s lung cancer, or the love life of just about everybody around them.  In fact, there may be very little taking place in their immediate social circle that they are unaware of. 

While I have a few Filipino friends who are tired of the whole barangay knowing their personal business, for the most part, this “invasion of personal space” is surprisingly tolerated here – especially from a western perspective. 

Family Is Everything

Where this “inside the bubble” kind of mentality really seems to shine is when it comes to building strong communities – and families, specifically.  I believe this hyper-awareness of community creates strong social ties.  Perhaps this is why the Philippines excels when it comes to family values (even, paradoxically, when a father has a mistress on the side). 

Even in cases like that, very often, the family seems to be of utmost importance.  When Filipinos say their region is the best, I suspect they feel that way in large part because that is where their family lives.  Of course, to Filipinos, family is everything.  It is admirable, and more than we can say for modern life in much of our western world. 

What I want to know is this:

If it’s true, how might this “close to home” thinking be holding many Filipinos back from growth and opportunity beyond their barangays?  How might this have affected progress and innovation in the Philippines over time?

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By Nathan Allen

To Me, “Filipino English” Makes More Sense Than American English.

I say that, because basically all of the Philippine languages I try to learn make much more sense than English.  Somebody can show me a word that I’ve never seen before, and there’s a pretty good chance I will be able to pronounce it correctly.  No, it’s not because I’m some kind of genius, it’s because Filipino languages are much more straightforward.  

As far as I know (and from an American perspective), “a” is  always pronounces “ah”, “o” is always pronounced “oh”, and “i” is always “ee” (as in “eel”…so in Filipino, “eel” would be “il”)  It makes more sense, and it’s so refreshing!

An Apology

So before I list the common English mistakes I hear my Filipino friends make, let me apologize for how ridiculous the English language can be.  Now that I’ve studied quite a few languages, I consider English to be one of the more difficult languages to learn.

It has silent letters, and for some reason “Elephant” is pronounced with an “f” sound.  The word “light” is a term to describe roughly how much something weighs, OR to describe the opposite of dark.  It is also a thing, as in “bring a light (flashlight, or torch) with you”. 

To top it off, “light” it is spelled with a “g” and an “h”!!??  Hay naku!  So confusing!

“Color”

It sounds funny to us when Filipinos pronounce the word “color”, but when I really think about it, we Americans are the ones with a strange way of pronouncing it!

For some reason, we pronounce it (from a Filipino perspective) “koler”…though the “o” is more of a mixture of an “o” and “u” sound in Filipino.  I don’t think Filipinos have a letter for the exact sound we use. 

So why do Americans pronounce the first “o” in “color” a certain way, and the second “o” a different way?  And why don’t either of them sound like an actual “o”??  Haha.   Like I said, to me it just seems unnecessary.

 Helpful English Tips

Please accept the following tips as a helpful gesture – I don’t mean for them to come across as complaints or annoyances at all.  I fully understand how frustrating and difficult American English can be.  If you have no desire to learn it, I don’t blame you, and you can ignore this post. 

However, if you feel that English is a useful language throughout the world, and you want to learn more, read on.  Like I mentioned in previous articles, I find that Filipinos already have a very impressive grasp of the language.  These tips will just help sharpen these skills even more.

It is also worth mentioning that Americans have butchered proper British English, and I’m not even positive that all my suggestions represent “proper” American English.  You can add your thoughts in the comments if you’d like. 

Here we go!

Common Mistakes – the Prepositions of “ON” and “IN”

The “Standing Rule” for Taxis / Jeepneys / Buses…etc

This is the most common mistake I hear.  You should not say I’m getting on a taxi.”  I may not be the first one to think of this, but I came up with a rule that seems to work (almost always). 

If you can stand up when you’re riding it, then you are standing on it.  You can stand on the bus, you can stand on a boat, and you can stand inside of a train. 

Therefor, you can say:

“I am on a bus.”

“I am on a train.”

I am on a boat.”

I am on a “plane.” (woohoo, that rhymed!) 

(Note* you can also say that you are in any of these as well.  Both are acceptable.  That’s because you can sit as well as stand)

If You Can’t Stand Inside of it, You Should Use “IN”…

You cannot say the same for transportation that you can only sit in.  You can’t stand inside of a taxi…so you should say:

“I am in a taxi”. 

You also climb inside a jeepney, so you say:

“I am in a jeepney”. 

In American English, saying “I am on a taxi (or jeepney) is incorrect.  So is saying “I got off the taxi”.  Since you are in the taxi, you must get out of the taxi.  That is correct. Since you can stand in them, you get off a bus, boat, or plane.  Those are also correct. 

* top-loading  might be the one exception where you could could say you are “on a jeepney.”

“I’m Getting Off The Taxi” = Incorrect   (“I’m Getting Out Of The Taxi” = Correct)

Months & Dates

Another thing I often hear is “I’m going there on January”.  That is incorrect.  The only time you should use “on” in situations like this is when you are mentioning a specific date.  For example: 

I am going on January 13th“. 

That is correct.   If you are mentioning only the month, you say:

“I am going in January”. 

The same goes for when you say:

“I’m going there in 2015.” 

Those are both correct.

I know it doesn’t make sense.  For some reason it’s just the way it is.  Haha. 

“I’m Going To Quezon City IN January” = Correct

Rankings & Awards

When I’m at competitions in the Philippines, I often hear the announcers saying “on first place is….” or “on third place is…)

As far as I know, this should always be:

“In first place”, or “in third place”. 

That is correct.  However, you can say to somebody:

“Hey, congratulations on winning first place!” 

That is acceptable.

“…and IN first place, Manny Pacquiao!” = Correct

Locations

I often hear people say “I’m in the island”, and I believe that is incorrect.  This one is a bit tricky.  You can use the “standing rule” for islands as well.  You should say:

“I’m on the island”. 

The exception is that you can say:

“I’m in Boracay”. 

Any city or place you are, you can use “in“. 

However, the use of the word “island” is what seems to make the word “on” needed instead of “in”.  So again, you can say “I’m on the island of Bohol”, or you can say “I’m in Bohol”.   For some reason you cannot say “I’m in the island of Bohol”.  Basically, “island” = on. 

It’s silly, I know! 

“Worst” & “Worse”

I actually saw a news article that Philstar just put out.  It’s about the bad traffic expected on December 19th<—–*note the use of “on”, and the specific date.)  In the article headline, they said something like “traffic will be at its worse on December 19th”.  That is incorrect.

It’s no wonder this mistake is common – if your own media is publishing it this way.  Just to clear it up, I can say:

“I feel worse than you do“, or I can say:

“Of all of us, I feel the worst“. 

“Worse” just means more than some people or things…”worst” means more than all people or things.  Both of the previous sentences are correct.

So I believe what they were trying to say in that article was “traffic will be at its worst on December 19th”…meaning it will be as bad as it’s going to get (perhaps all year…or ever?) 

“The worst” = it cannot get any worse. 

“Worst” always has to have “the” in front of it, because it can’t get any worse.  It’s already the worst.  Hopefully that’s not too confusing.  Haha. 

“I Am Worse Than You At Math.  In Fact, I Am The Worst!”  – Correct

“SPECIALLY” & “ESPECIALLY”

There seems to be some debate about this one, but the way I learned and always use it is:

“Johnathan was especially proud of his math score.” 

“Especially” in this situation could mean that he had other scores that he was happy with, but he was most proud of his math score.

“Specially” could be used like this: 

“I won first place, so they made a trophy specially for me.”

That means it’s a special trophy just for me, because I won first place.  I don’t think you should use especially in that situation, because it implies that the trophy was made for other people, but mostly for me.  I believe that is incorrect.  If anybody has more info about this one, please do contribute!

“Fruit Shakes Are My Favorite, Especially Buko” – Correct

“Close The Light”

This is the ultimate example of Filipino English ….and for some reason, I think I’ve only heard Filipinos in the U.S. use it.  Instead of saying “turn off the light“, they say:

“Close the light.” 

I always wondered where this expression came from…maybe a time when people used candles, and had to cover or “close” them to extinguish the flame?  Any input on this would be greatly appreciated!

That’s all for now…I hope you will accept this as my early Christmas present, because I really appreciate you all so much! Also, I do hope you all will return the favor when I ask for Filipino language help on the “I Dreamed Of This” FB page!

 – Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

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