The Multi Talented Filipino, Actor, Singer, Dancer, Economy Political Social Specialist

Bryanton Post: And now, some wise words from Lito Lapid

"Dare what it takes to be. Then we shall so because it is. To do or not, now or what else to be without." Lito Lapid.

Oh my God! I am heaving a brain hemorrhage. What in the world is this quote trying to say? It sounds almost like a Shakespearean speech gone mad. Shakespeare would be so insulted that his "To be or not to be" has been twisted, bent, wrung, squashed to the point of overkill.

I'm feeling light headed now. Oh my God, I'm about to throw up! Is this really a quote from Lito Lapid? It is not humanly possible to say something like that. I think this was made up as a joke. Who's playing a joke on me?

To be or not to be. That is the question. Shakespeare. But this is the Filipino version of it, right?

This is why we shouldn't have actors creating policies. How adept are they in the realm of economics, international relations, socio-economics, geo-politics, and the like? Are they experts in these arenas? They should just stay in acting. That's what they do best. Imagine if every actor thinks he can do brain surgery?

So every actor in the Philippines can act. Every actor can sing too. Damn, every actor can dance too. Whoa, every actor can create economic and social policies too? The Filipinos are surely a talented culture. But I don't think they are that talented. I mean, how can one be an actor, singer, dancer, and politician in one life. That is not fair to those who are just average. Why did God give all that talent to one person.

I don't blame the actors. If the Filipinos vote for them, then so be it. That is their choice.

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Blogging Addictions and Filipino Pretense

This blogging thing is consuming me. I read blogs all day. I smell it. I touch it. I breathe it. I dream it. Is this the honeymoon stage? You fall in love so quickly, like an addiction you can't shake. And once you've done so much, you've had enough. You kick it to the curb like a one-week girlfriend. But hey, it's been three weeks. So that must mean that blog and I are still working it out.

For those who have been here before, you know that my blog has been under construction. And now, here's another remodeling. I think this is going to be the permanent version of it. It's clean and simple. It focuses on the topic at hand, not at some crazy pictures and design. So for those who were thinking I have an MPD = Multi Personality Disorder, yes, I did go through that in the last three weeks. I just couldn't decide which design I was gonna go with. Simple, clean, and to the point. That's it. That's what I'm sticking with.

Impressions and perceptions are two very important things to the Filipino Culture. I need not go back to the cell phone, Starbucks, and designer clothing as examples. Let me expand. Balikbayans for one thing love to give false impressions. There are so many balikbayans who ar guilty of pretending that they are super duper ultra mighty and high and rich when they go back to their respective provinces, when really, they are in debt in the good ol' US of A. That's right, my dad is to the extreme guilty of this. Mr. Show Off. My dad aside, I've seen so many others, and sometimes, this affects me tremendously because these show off balikbayans have paved the way for other balikbayans to follow.

Now so many balikbayans are pretending to be multi-millionaires. At first, I got into this mentality sicne I gave so much gifts, money, and clothes away. In fact, in my first ever visit back to the Philippines, I went home with only the clothes I was wearing, my wallet, and my shoes. Yes, even my underwears were given away.

Then there's the case of the let's-spend-the-thousands-of-pesos-we-don't-have for a birthday party and gaduation party and we will invite the whole town and we will show them how rich we are and so they will be so impressed we will be the talk of the town. Many Filipinos try to put on a big show just to pa-show, pa-impress. But in the end, it will be pa-hingi.

Even the Ilocanos, who are supposed to be kuripot or thrifty, show off how big a show off they are when it comes to the show off balikbayan phenomenon. What an irony! So are Ilocanos kuripot? Then why do they spend so much money showing off when they become balikbayans? I must say I have the best of both worlds. I am thrifty, but not kuripot. I like to show off, but I show off only what I have. Another paradox here.

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Pinoy Big Brother versus American Big Brother

When I lived in the PI for six months last year, I was happy to see that there was the Filipino version of the Big Brother. I love watching Big Brother because it is a strategic game of emotions and intelligence. So yeah, I was excited for Filipino Big Brother. I couldn't wait.

Then the series premiere came. I centered myself in front of the TV. Then I saw a young person introduced. The first member. Then another young one. Then another young one. And hey, these young ones, they're all pretty goodlooking too. I kept waiting and waiting for a more real household. Mixed with young and old, the intelligent and the dumb, the pretty and the ugly. I got none of it. They were all young, vivacious cast members.

I thought I'd give it a shot anyway; so I loyally followed them and their stories. To make a long story short, it became a "nakakabobo" and "kakadiri" show for me. All I saw was crying and whining, and whining and crying. After they did that, they cooked. Then they cried and whined more. I missed all the aspects of the strategic playing. The alliances. The planning. The strategizing disappeared altogether.

It was a sad house, full of misery and tears. I think every single person in there cried at least once.

I stopped watching. Nakakabobo. Kakadiri. (I learned these two words at Greenbelt).

Two things to be learned from here. One, this is symbolic of how the Filipinos will probably never rise because of the crying and whining. Let's call this the crywhine factor. We just cry and whine all day long without really doing something about our lot. I call it apathy as well. We don't really care. It's so much easy to just whine about things. But when it comes to actually doing something about it, then we all hide.

Second, this is symbolic of how Filipinos lack the entrepreneural or strategic spirit. Granted you have mom and pop stores, sari sari stores, and push karts everywhere, but the Filipinos will not rise because of this non-competitive phenomenon. Perhaps students were never really taught to be competitive; to strive; to want more; to want something better. Perhaps they were taught to just settle for what's in front of them.

The Pinoy Big Brother winner would be presented with cash and a decent house; yet, noone played strategies. Come what may was their strategy. That is currently the attitude of most Pinoys. Come what may. The mayor just stole your money. Come what may. Your capitan is gambling your money away. Come what may. Your president just stole the votes. Come what may. Your store next door is ripping you off. Come what may.

Sometimes, I just wanna say come what may too. But I don't want to be a typical Pinoy. I want to strive for something different.

Then there is the point of the kakadiri and nakakabobo Filipino shows altogether. But that is a whole new different post.

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Filipinos Can Rise to the Occasion

Where did I read that statistic, where Filipino men are the horniest men in the world? I think it was in some Asian fitness magazine. Here in the US, Filipino men were once looked at as horny, perverted bastards. In the Philippines, the men are so used to whistling at a pretty girl that passes by. Filipino men, will "rise" to the occasion, if you know what I mean.

But this topic is a different type of rising to the occasion. Today, two of my Filipino colleagues are being promoted to managerial positions. They were chosen amongst a field of 100. That's really good. I'm really proud of them, as they exemplify the beauty of the Hardworking Filipino. They exude confidence.

Generally speaking, Filipinos lack pride; yes, I'll say it again. But my two colleagues have been noticed for their skills and abilities and their confidence in themselves. And Filipinos as a culture are not a proud people. One of my clients once told me that he wasn't used to my kind of Asian; he said that most Asian he knows are not in sales or marketing, and those he meets do not look him in the eye directly when having a conversation. I don't blame him; even here in the US, there are elements of the "white worship" from a Filipino.

There are Pinoys out there who are representing our people. But we need to see more of them. We need to lead, and inform those Pinoys who lack a sense of self, a sense of pride, that we are a strong, beautiful culture. And when we rise to the occasion, I hope it will be to the occasion that my two colleagues have risen to, not to what Filipino men are known for.

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Filipinos Worship the White Skinned, Degrade the Dark Skinned

I got a nice tan, a golden brown colored tan this weekend. My skin has actually been on the lighter side since I haven't gone to the beach in a long time. The only time I got my full body exposed to the sun in the last year or so is two weekends ago playing volleyball at the park. It's kinda nice to just be able to take off the shirt and play sandbox volleyball.

But this weekend, I bathed in the sun. I went to Phoenix, and my friend and I went water tubing at the Salt River. We got our sunscreen and we trekked the river for about three hours on a huge tube. I was expecting a lot of Mexicans there, but all I saw were Caucasian Americans and a few minorities here and there. It was a huge party up and down the river as people were drinking, eating, and just having a plain good old time.

I gotta admit, I did think about me becoming dark again. After all, my Pinoys love the light skinned ones. And what if they see me again, and they will say What the Frick Happened to You? What if they will not like me anymore? What if they think I will be ugly now? Hmmm. Who are we kidding here? I wanted to get a tan again. I wanted to get a healthier looking skin color. I was beginning to look pale, especially my body and my thighs. So we lathered our SPF 50 sunscreen and joined the thousands of pale white skinned Americans.

My beloved Pinoys love the light skinned ones. They worship the white Americans. They adore light skinned Filipinos. They admire the pale. In fact, they love the albino so much, they are willing to put down their own fellow Filipino if he's dark. What a shame! What an embarassment. I feel so insulted and disappointed to be a part of a culture that can put down their own fellow Pinoy because of the color of their skin. Thank God I live in a country like the US who prefer tan skin. In fact, most Americans are envious of the Filipino tan.

Americans worship the sun; if not, the tanning salon. Ironically, Filipinos use an umbrella not to protect themselves from harmful UV rays, but to protect themselves from being degraded; for if they do not use an umbrella, they will get darker, and thus will be called second class citizens.

Me, it really doesn't matter anymore. I must admit, I did go through a phase where I wanted to be of lighter skin. I wish my skin had the propensity to be naturally light; but my genetics decided that if I stayed too long under the sun, I would be cursed as a Pinoy in the Philippines; fortunately, I'm blessed in the US. But I do not wish to remain in the shade forever; I love outdoor sports and activities. So yes, I will take off my shirt, put on some sunscreen, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

In the end, it's not about the color of your skin, but rather, the content of your character. Yes, I echo one of my heroes sentiments, Martin Luther King. I hope that Pinoys will begin to understand this.