Misconceptions Of Filipinas?

[Jake]

Welcome back Papa Carl! Whenever you have the time, I would very much like to hear your comments.You, of all members have the unique position as upper management of a call center in Angeles City,which I believe employs mostly females. Most of the females are young and bright, mostly collegegraduates and speaks multiple foreign languages other than their native Tagalog. I'm just wonderinghow the modern day Filipina look at themselves regarding this subject. Again, welcome back my friend -- Jake

[Papa Carl]

Welcome back Papa Carl! Whenever you have the time, I would very much like to hear your comments.You, of all members have the unique position as upper management of a call center in Angeles City,which I believe employs mostly females. Most of the females are young and bright, mostly collegegraduates and speaks multiple foreign languages other than their native Tagalog. I'm just wonderinghow the modern day Filipina look at themselves regarding this subject. Again, welcome back my friend -- Jake

Well not sure where to begin with this one....., but here goes, and I am sure I will get a few people upset from both sexes. Looking back as a foreigner who knew nothing of the Philippines, not even where it was, I can honestly say my first encounter of a Filipina was being in total awe of her beauty and talent. I was on a cruise in the Caribbean, we were at dockside and I had decided not to leave the ship, so was wondering around, passed one of the theatres, and heard singing. Thinking it was a rehearsal for that nights performance I snuck in the back. As it turns out, it was the crew members having their own competition, and the girl on the stage took my breath away, and she sung like an angel. She was singing Anak, and it was the most beautiful melody I had ever heard. Years later, and somewhat older, visiting Hong Kong, I was I am ashamed to say doing some bar hopping, and not for the drinks. Met a Filipina and did what too many foreigners do with Filipinas the first time they meet. Yes, I am ashamed to say, I too thought about Filipinas in ...."that way", sex objects you might say. It is not a part of my past that I am proud of, and yes most of the men that I knew at the time, thought primarily of Filipinas in only one way. Moving forward, I eventually met a Filipina that I fell in love with, and thankfully for me she accepted me for who and what I was at the time. She made me realise that not only "in my opinion" are Filipinas the most sexiest women on earth, they are also the kindest, most gentle, caring, loving, forgiving, understanding, etc etc etc.Maybe I just got lucky, who knows, but having worked in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and having travelled through Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan I can honestly say, Filipinas must have been in the mind of the person who said "Pearl of the Orient", because that is what they are, strong, yet delicate, pure, no matter their "shade" or colour, precious, and yet still something of beauty, and when put together with other Filipinas, something to behold in deed. Yes I work and live in Angeles, and there is no denying that this place has it's fair share of "Girlie Bars" and thousands of young girls working in them. It is not for me to judge why they are there and what motivates them, but I can say this. They are people, just like all the rest of us, some more fortunate than others, some younger and some older, some more beautiful and some more intelligent. For certain their worth is far greater than the men who "Bar Fine" them! In regards to Call Centre's and the fact that a far greater percentage of agents here are female, that is because1) They work harder than their male counterparts.2) They produce better work3) They are more diligent in their work4) They have far more talent that agents I know in call centres in other countries I have visited and worked in5) They are better educated than most agents in other countries6) They are constantly trying and usually succeeding in improving their skills7) They are trustworthy8) They are reliable and so much more! In short..... they are Filipinas!!! And I am sorry that it took me so long to realise that they were not just sex objects, but that is a reflection of me, not them!!! Am I typical of most foreigners? I don't know, I suspect so. Can I change reality? No! Can I change what men think of women from the Philippines? I hope so, because if they ever get to see, hear, smell and experience what I have they will also be ashamed of what they once thought, and realize just how lucky they are that a Filipina has given them any attention at all. Maybe I am biased, because I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world, who happens to be a Filipina, and my Filipina daughter is going to be every bit a beautiful, intellegent and hopefully as understanding and kind. Do I ever want to leave this country.... hell NO! Does it have problems? Hell Yes, but then so does the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, Korea and every other country in the world. We just need to work with it, and do our part in making it better, and marrying a Filipina is not a bad way to start! Papa Carl Edited November 25, 2011 by JAKE
remove duplicate quotes

[Jake]

Thank you for your quick response. You deserve a triple click on the "like" button Papa Carl!You're the man of adventure, travelling the Far East region so I know your experiences arebased on "boots on the ground". If I may, your quote of "Filipinas the most sexiest women on earth, they are also the kindest,most gentle, caring, loving, forgiving, understanding, etc etc etc" is absolutely the bestdescription of the "Pearl of the Orient". Well done my friend -- JakeBy the way, enjoy the music ANAK:

Edited November 26, 2011 by JAKE
removed my duplicate quotes

[Art2ro]

Carl, Good to see you back posting again! Your reply to the OP is right on! Good to know that you are happy in the Philippines with your lovely beautiful wife and children! Art

[ekimswish]

But now? Hehehehehehe you can not turn on Pinoy TV with out seeing a singing type of show and.... wannabe rappers dancing, singing trash and flashing gang signs. Children as young as 4, dressed like a black American gangster, trying to 'rap' a trash song out to the audience. Now PLEASE tell me how this helps the future of the Philippines?

Am I the only one who finds this a little bit racist? Since when was only one group of people in America allowed to dress a certain way, and since when did that make them a gangster? Oh yeah, only in your MIND is one race allowed to dress like this or that, and only in your MIND does it make them a gangster. I used to feel the same way when I came to Asia, disgusted at how freely Asians acted "black." Then I realized, I was the one with the problem, not them. If I'm angry because not all Asians decide to program computers and develop LCD monitor technology for a living, wear nerdy glasses, have the same haircut, laugh at goofy things, and dress like squares, then that would make me a racist. Edited November 26, 2011 by ekimswish

[Bruce]

But now? Hehehehehehe you can not turn on Pinoy TV with out seeing a singing type of show and.... wannabe rappers dancing, singing trash and flashing gang signs. Children as young as 4, dressed like a black American gangster, trying to 'rap' a trash song out to the audience. Now PLEASE tell me how this helps the future of the Philippines?

Am I the only one who finds this a little bit racist? Since when was only one group of people in America allowed to dress a certain way, and since when did that make them a gangster? Oh yeah, only in your MIND is one race allowed to dress like this or that, and only in your MIND does it make them a gangster. I used to feel the same way when I came to Asia, disgusted at how freely Asians acted "black." Then I realized, I was the one with the problem, not them. If I'm angry because not all Asians decide to program computers and develop LCD monitor technology for a living, wear nerdy glasses, have the same haircut, laugh at goofy things, and dress like squares, then that would make me a racist.

Stating the obvious about certain things does not make one a racist, but rather a realist. Chris Rock says it rather well but in vulgar terms, Bill Cosby says it too, but in more refined terms. I have both black employees and black friends who all collectively wince and cringe when rappers and gansters are on the television. I can only guess at their pain of being a job holding, tax paying Americans, who have absolutely nothing in common with 'gangstas' but the fact they share the same skin color. How uncomfortable it must be to walk into a store and be watched as a potiential shoplifter, to have doors locked in your presence, have people walk across the street to avoid you, to have people refuse to get into an elevator if 'you' are in there...... all because of the 'conduct' of others of which you have no control over. This is not racism, but it is realism, everyday in America and I do feel badly for the Philippines if this bad behavior is being copied because of the mistaken view that it is 'cool'. As for your comment that it is my 'MIND' making 'them' a gangsta... well you are very very wrong. It is THEY who want you to think they are BAD and they are GANGSTAS... 'They' work very hard at developing the apperance and mannerizms to project that image. And believe me, it is a real dis-service to the millions of hard working people of color in the US. Edited November 26, 2011 by Bruce

[ekimswish]

One off topic post deserves an on topic post. I think how you view Filipinas in the beginning depends on how you were introduced to the Philippines. My basketball teammate was Filipino-Canadian and I was introduced to his mother, father, and kind sisters first. They introduced me to Philippine culture in a positive way. I started playing basketball with all the Filipino guys around my age. I used to be a Christian, and my friend's mother was a minister, so I was excited about how "Christian" the Philippines was. I even applauded hearing that my friend's father beat the gay out of his uncle, though I didn't agree with the method used. It wasn't until I started teaching English in Korea that I heard the seedier stuff about the Philippines from a 50 year old American who had taught in Thailand for 8 years - that tells you something already. I went to the Philippines for my brother's wedding (he married his Korean girlfriend on the beach in Boracay) the first time and did receive a lot of attention from the ladies, even without venturing to the dark side. That's when my perception changed. At that point, they became sexy, easy girls, who had potential for good mates, but you had to watch their intentions. Basically, if you were going to be with a Filipina, you had to accept the likelihood that she wasn't with you for you. Still, with any luck you could still make it work for the better. You would also probably have to support their family. I had two introductions to the Philippines from two different sources. Most people would credit the Filipino family as the source I should value more and take more seriously, which I do. However, not everything that ODB (Ol' Dirty Bast...) introduced me to was off the mark. Whoever I stumbled across first would have influenced me first. I guess, if I met him first, the family would have had a harder time turning me towards the positive angles. I think with the Philippines, you have to have all your bases covered and be aware of the good and the bad and all the inbetween. Do I think of Filipinas as sexual objects? It's hard not to now. I've been exposed. Infected. It seems more like an uphill battle now not to view them like that. It's a good thing I'm married to a Filipina and have a 14 year old step-daughter. They're motivation to protect my kids from that life of desperation, and to protect my mind from that simplistic depravity. I know it's real, what the sex-tourist craves. But I have to fight for the good of my family, and to that extent, the good of the country. This way, maybe we can represent the good, one day, to someone else that my friend's family represented to me.

Edited November 26, 2011 by ekimswish

[ekimswish]

But now? Hehehehehehe you can not turn on Pinoy TV with out seeing a singing type of show and.... wannabe rappers dancing, singing trash and flashing gang signs. Children as young as 4, dressed like a black American gangster, trying to 'rap' a trash song out to the audience. Now PLEASE tell me how this helps the future of the Philippines?

Am I the only one who finds this a little bit racist? Since when was only one group of people in America allowed to dress a certain way, and since when did that make them a gangster? Oh yeah, only in your MIND is one race allowed to dress like this or that, and only in your MIND does it make them a gangster. I used to feel the same way when I came to Asia, disgusted at how freely Asians acted "black." Then I realized, I was the one with the problem, not them. If I'm angry because not all Asians decide to program computers and develop LCD monitor technology for a living, wear nerdy glasses, have the same haircut, laugh at goofy things, and dress like squares, then that would make me a racist.

Stating the obvious about certain things does not make one a racist, but rather a realist. Chris Rock says it rather well but in vulgar terms, Bill Cosby says it too, but in more refined terms. I have both black employees and black friends who all collectively wince and cringe when rappers and gansters are on the television. I can only guess at their pain of being a job holding, tax paying Americans, who have absolutely nothing in common with 'gangstas' but the fact they share the same skin color. How uncomfortable it must be to walk into a store and be watched as a potiential shoplifter, to have doors locked in your presence, have people walk across the street to avoid you, to have people refuse to get into an elevator if 'you' are in there...... all because of the 'conduct' of others of which you have no control over. This is not racism, but it is realism, everyday in America and I do feel badly for the Philippines if this bad behavior is being copied because of the mistaken view that it is 'cool'. As for your comment that it is my 'MIND' making 'them' a gangsta... well you are very very wrong. It is THEY who want you to think they are BAD and they are GANGSTAS... 'They' work very hard at developing the appererance and mannerizms to project that image. And believe me, it is a real dis-service to the millions of hard working people of color in the US.

The problem is, Bruce, that in YOUR mind, and many other people's minds, ANYTHING RAP IS GANGSTA. That's not the case. Sure, white owned media prefers to promote and sell the "gangsta" stuff, without a doubt. But there are lots of rappers and people in hip hop culture who DON'T rap about GANGSTA stuff. A lot of them rap about positive stuff and change. But you would see them, and ASSume that they're a GANGSTA wannabe. You know what I've learned in Asia is that Asian rap ISN'T gangsta. It doesn't sell well out here. Real Asian gangsters prefer different kinds of music. Asian rap artists - YES, I said ARTISTS - rap about different subjects that appeal to their audience, and NO, their audience isn't from Compton. Racist old men have been against rap from the beginning and always will be, because you're too focused on hating something you don't understand. You talk about Filipinos on TV flashing gang signs while rapping: PROVE IT! Tell me all the gang signs you know in the Philippines and tell me the lyrics you heard - or even understood - where Filipinos are talking about gangsta stuff. I'm sure you can find some, no doubt. But when it comes to Asian hip hop, it would be in the vast minority. They just like dressing "BLACK" because maybe black Americans have a pretty creative style of dress and expression that young people are attracted to. Doesn't make them gangsters. Edited November 26, 2011 by ekimswish

[Jake]

OK gentlemen (Bruce and Ekimswish), Both of you presented excellent point-counter points about stereotyping certain ethnic groups.I must admit that I agree with both of you but going back and forth like this is quickly becominga kill joy for other members. It's quickly becoming off topic -- please, please let us get back ontrack. Respectfully -- Jake

[Bruce]

But now? Hehehehehehe you can not turn on Pinoy TV with out seeing a singing type of show and.... wannabe rappers dancing, singing trash and flashing gang signs. Children as young as 4, dressed like a black American gangster, trying to 'rap' a trash song out to the audience. Now PLEASE tell me how this helps the future of the Philippines?

Am I the only one who finds this a little bit racist? Since when was only one group of people in America allowed to dress a certain way, and since when did that make them a gangster? Oh yeah, only in your MIND is one race allowed to dress like this or that, and only in your MIND does it make them a gangster. I used to feel the same way when I came to Asia, disgusted at how freely Asians acted "black." Then I realized, I was the one with the problem, not them. If I'm angry because not all Asians decide to program computers and develop LCD monitor technology for a living, wear nerdy glasses, have the same haircut, laugh at goofy things, and dress like squares, then that would make me a racist.

Stating the obvious about certain things does not make one a racist, but rather a realist. Chris Rock says it rather well but in vulgar terms, Bill Cosby says it too, but in more refined terms. I have both black employees and black friends who all collectively wince and cringe when rappers and gansters are on the television. I can only guess at their pain of being a job holding, tax paying Americans, who have absolutely nothing in common with 'gangstas' but the fact they share the same skin color. How uncomfortable it must be to walk into a store and be watched as a potiential shoplifter, to have doors locked in your presence, have people walk across the street to avoid you, to have people refuse to get into an elevator if 'you' are in there...... all because of the 'conduct' of others of which you have no control over. This is not racism, but it is realism, everyday in America and I do feel badly for the Philippines if this bad behavior is being copied because of the mistaken view that it is 'cool'. As for your comment that it is my 'MIND' making 'them' a gangsta... well you are very very wrong. It is THEY who want you to think they are BAD and they are GANGSTAS... 'They' work very hard at developing the appererance and mannerizms to project that image. And believe me, it is a real dis-service to the millions of hard working people of color in the US.

The problem is, Bruce, that in YOUR mind, and many other people's minds, ANYTHING RAP IS GANGSTA. That's not the case. Sure, white owned media prefers to promote and sell the "gangsta" stuff, without a doubt. But there are lots of rappers and people in hip hop culture who DON'T rap about GANGSTA stuff. A lot of them rap about positive stuff and change. But you would see them, and ASSume that they're a GANGSTA wannabe. You know what I've learned in Asia is that Asian rap ISN'T gangsta. It doesn't sell well out here. Real Asian gangsters prefer different kinds of music. Asian rap artists - YES, I said ARTISTS - rap about different subjects that appeal to their audience, and NO, their audience isn't from Compton. Racist old men have been against rap from the beginning and always will be, because you're too focused on hating something you don't understand. You talk about Filipinos on TV flashing gang signs while rapping: PROVE IT! Tell me all the gang signs you know in the Philippines and tell me the lyrics you heard - or even understood - where Filipinos are talking about gangsta stuff. I'm sure you can find some, no doubt. But when it comes to Asian hip hop, it would be in the vast minority. They just like dressing "BLACK" because maybe black Americans have a pretty creative style of dress and expression that young people are attracted to. Doesn't make them gangsters.

Hehehehehe.... how nice.... I hope we can revist this subject in say 20 years to see if your child like views of the situation have changed. Just 2 short years ago the Philippines was hooked on techno music (spl??) at the mall and on the radio was techno and more electronic sound effects of techno music. But, just last month I spent 3 weeks in Phils and did not hear 1 single techno tune. It was rap and rap and more rap. And the TV singing talent shows all had crotch grabbing, screaming into the mic and gang signs being flashed by the 'dancers'..... Every once in a while you read about some Bloods or Cripts trying to set up another Philippine chapter. Drug arrests which goes hand in hand with the gangsta culture are rising every month. HIV is growing monthly..... Little by little the Phiilippine culture is being erroded, same as main stream America and the UK have already been. And that, is a sad sad thing. It truely is the beginning of the end of the Philippine culture..... And again, I am not a racist, but a realist. Say what you want, but I believe my words ring true to most readers who see what I have seen and commented on. The culture and values of the WWII era Philippines is all but gone. If you like what is replacing it, well you are certainly allowed your opinion as am I.