“Iam aFi l i p i n owh os i mp l y
I DONOTSMEL LL I KE RAW FI SH
r e c o g n i z e st h ee x i s t e n c eofot h e rc u l t u r e s ”
Mostpeopl ewoul dnotl ast10mi nut esl i st eni ngt ot hesongs i nmyi Pod.Idon’ thavesat ani csongst hough.WhatIhave ar esongswi t hl yr i cst hatever ybodyst er eot ypesas“ chi ng chong”–songst hatwhenhear dbyt hecommonper sonwi l l ear nmeaf acef r omhi m. Theyaskmei fIunder st andwhat everI ’ ml i st eni ngt o.Isi mpl ysmi l eatt hemandaf t erest i mat i nghowmuchsent encesI ’ veunder st ood,Isay ,“ some. ” I twasmor et hant hr eeyear sagowhenacer t ai ni mpor t ed GMA7showgotmehooked.DaeJangGeum,l ocal l ycal l ed asJewel i nt hePal acef orpr act i cal pur poses,i st hef i r stever nonFi l i pi noshowt hatgotmeof fmycomput erandt aki ng i nt oaccountmybl untat t achmentt ot hecomput erandt heI nt er net ,i twasconsi der edaf eat .Notcont entwi t ht he Tagal ogdubbed30mi nut ecut st hatwer ebei ngai r edi nt he l ocal TVst at i on,dur i ngvacat i on,Iwat chedt he54onehour epi sodesi nt hepi r at edDVDcopyt hatmydadgot .54hour s andi twasal mostconsecut i vei fonl yIneverf el thungr yorunhygi eni c.Iwoul dwat chatabout9AMi nt hemor ni ngand endupat3AM.I twasal mostpai nf ul t r yi ngt ogetmysel f awayf r omt heTVscr eenandi twast hent hatIr eal i zed.Ial r eadyknewwhatt hei rt r adi t i onal dr essesar ecal l ed.Ial r eady knewt henameoft hel i t t l ei sl andr i ghtbel owt heKor eanpeni nsul a.Ial r eadyknewt hef actt hatt heyonl yusedChi nese char act er st owr i t ei nt heol dendays.Iwashookedt ot he Kor eancul t ur e. Wi t hmynewf oundf asci nat i on,IaskedmyKor eancl assmat est ot eachmehowt owr i t ei nHangul ,t heKor eanal phabet .I tf el tgr at i f yi ngt obel ear ni nganot herl anguageandeven mor egr at i f yi ngt obespeaki ngi t . Af t erayearort woofwat chi ngKor eandr amas,l i st eni ngt oKPop,chat t i ngwi t hKor ean f r i endsandr eadi ngonl i nel essons,Iwasal r eadycapabl eof casual l yconver si ngwi t hKor eanki dsandKor eansar ound myage. Mypur sui tt oexper i encemor eof Asi adi dnotst opr i ghtt hen andt her e.Justl astyear ,i mmer si ngi nt heKor eancul t ur ehas br oadenedmyhor i zont oi ncl udet hel andandcul t ur eofi t s nei ghbor–Japan.Seei ngt hatt heKor eansandt heJapaneseof t enmakecul t ur al ,soci al andeconomi cexchanges,I t ookt hei ni t i at i veofi mmer si ngmysel fi nt ot hi snewcul t ur e. Wi t ht hehel poft heI nt er net ,Isel f st udi edt he
i nt ot hi snewcul t ur e.Wi t ht hehel poft heI nt er net ,Isel f st udi edt heJapanesephonet i cal phabetandt hebasi cgr ammarst r uct ur es.Bei ngi nAt eneoal sohel pedmei nmynew questt ol ear nmor eoft heJapanesecul t ur e.I ti sonl yi n At eneot hatI ’ vef oundsever al school mat eswhoar ef ansof t heJapanesecul t ur e.I ti sal soi nAt eneowher eI ’ l l beof f i ci al l y t aki ngJapanesel anguagecl assest ohel pmef ur t her . These t hi ngsser vedasencour agementandsuppl ementandi ti s becauseoft heset hatI ’ vedeci dedt obeser i ouswi t hmynew quest .
becauseIwoul dnotneedt ot hi nkf ormi l l i secondsonwhat wor dorconj ugat i onIwoul dhavet ouse.I tnat ur al l yf l owsl i ke wat eri nar i verwi t houtadam.Ir ar el yspeaki nEngl i shei t her andi ti sonl ydur i ngt i mesl i ket heset hatIdo.Ieatr i ceand ul amwi t haf or kandaspoondur i ngor di nar ydaysathome andatschool j ustbecausemyst omachdoesnotl ongf or sushi orr amen.IamFi l i pi nobydef aul tandIknowf ormysel f t hatwhat everIdowoul dnotchanget hi sf act .I ti sbecauseof t hi sf actt hatIamnott r yi ngt obecomeKor eanorJapanese. Tr yi ngwoul dr esul tt onot hi ng.
Iknewt hi squestofmi newoul dn’ tbeeasy .
IamaFi l i pi nowhosi mpl yr ecogni zest heexi st enceofot her cul t ur es.MostFi l i pi noswoul dnotonl yr ecogni zebutal so eveni dol i zet heAmer i cancul t ur ebuti t ’ snotl i ket heAmer i can cul t ur ei ssuper i ort oanyot hercul t ur esot her ei snor eason f ormenott obr oadenmyhor i zonandi mmer semysel fi nt o t heKor eanandJapanesecul t ur es.Forme,i ti snotbei ngunpat r i ot i c. Thr owi ngacandywr apperi nt hePasi gr i ver ,speaki ngEngl i sht oTagal ogspeaki ngFi l i pi nos,notshowi ngeven t hesl i ght estconcer nf ort heCal at aganf ar mer sandi gnor i ng t hebl i ndkababayani nKat i punanwhoseonl ysour ceofhope l ef ti shi smusi cal i nst r ument–t hat ,f orme,i sunpat r i ot i c.
I ti si nevi t abl ef orsomepeopl et oj udgemebecauseoft hi s ver yoddpassi onofmi ne.Whenever ybodyel sewat ches TayongDal awa, AngBabaengHi nugotsaAki ngTadyang, House,Her oesandHowIMet YourMot her ,Il ogi nonYouTubet owat cht heKor eandr amat hatI ’ mcur r ent l yf ol l owi ng. Whenpeopl er eadBobOng,It ur nonmyl apt opt or ead Masashi Ki shi mot o’ smanga,Nar ut o. Andl i keaGent i l e ami dstJewsi nt heol ddays,Iamj udged. “ Mal ansangi sda! ”Thati swhatsomeofmyf r i endsj oki ngl y cal l met oquot eJoseRi zal ’ sver ynat i onal i st i cpi eceofl i t er at ur e.Il aughi tof fnotwant i ngt opopt hei rl i t t l ebubbl esl i ket hat . I fonl yt heyknew.I fonl yt heyknewt hatbef or eIl ai dmyeyes ont hi scer t ai nKor eandr ama,I ’ vebeenaf ai t hf ul f ol l owerof Tel ef ant asyashowsl i keMul awi n,Encant adi a,Sugoandt he l i kes,havebeenanavi df angi r l ofmanyFi l i pi noyoungact or s, havemadewebsi t esf ort hem,andhaveevenboughtt he danceal bumswi t hsongst hatnoneoft hemhaveevensung oratl eastwr i t t en.I ’ veal r eadyexper i encedourownl ocal cul t ur el i kehowaFi l i pi not our i stshoul df i r stt ouri nt hePhi l i ppi nesbef or et our i ngi naf or ei gnl and.Butal l t hati smer el y sur f ace.
Today ,wi t hmyent r ancet ot heAt eneo,I ’ vemetsever al Chi neseschool mat esandhavemadef r i endsi nt hem.Bei ng wi t ht hemf ormostofmyt i mehaveal r eadyi ncor por at ednew wor dsi nt omyvocabul ar y: Ahi a, At si ,Shot i ,Shobe,Hoe,and ot herr andomHokki ent er ms. Thi smi ghtaswel l spar kanew passi oni nme–t oi mmer semysel fi nt ot heChi nesecul t ur e wher et heKor eanandJapanesecul t ur esor i gi nat ed.ButIwi l l notf eart hosewhowoul dj udgeme.Iknowf ormysel ft hatI amnota“ mal ansangi sda. ”Iamst i l l abr ownski nned, Si ni gangl ovi ngFi l i pi not eenwhost i l l l ovesherowncount r y’ s cul t ur ewhi l el ear ni ngt ol oveot herAsi ancul t ur esatt hesame t i me.I ti spossi bl e.
Ever ysi ngl edayofmyl i f e,It al kusi ngmynat i vet ongueand i ti snotoutofneed.Ichooset ospeaki nTagal ogj ust
B E E NAi ss t i l lt r u l yF I L I P I NOn oma t t e rwh a t