Mars and Venus

Here's the story - one of my guy-friend started an email chain that went like this:

******

From: Guy1
Sent: Thursday, November XX, 200X X:XX PM
To: Guy2; Guy3; patricia; Guy4
Subject: amazing discovery...

Coaches...now I know where they hide the cuties of SG (aside from Sing Air of course)...sa ! =)

******

So what's wrong with this email?! It seems like a pretty normal email, right. But for all you geniuses out there...you might have the same observations as I did.

1. Coach - term used in a basketball game pertaining to the person who manages the team and the plays. Heck...I don't even know all the teams in NBA & PBA and I seldom watch the games. Do I play basketball?! Of course not...it's too tiring and sweaty for me. I could never understand why all the guys are fighting for 1 ball...haha! They can just get their own balls and shoot hoops. I know..I know...that's the game! My mind cannot fathom the way how the players "body-bump" (in all their sweaty-glory) each other whenever they make a nice pass or nice shot. Imagine that your pores are all open and another person's sweat will become mixed with your sweat....tsk..tsk...very un-hygienic.

2. Distribution List - I'm the only girl in the DL. Do I care if they found out where the cute girls are? This is not an amazing discovery for me as it is for them. Trust me, an example of an amazing discovery for me is finding out that a South Korean scientist had successfully cloned a dog (and named him Snuppy) or that the plant 'star anise' is the main ingredient for the bird flu shot Tamiflu. Knowing where cute SG girls hide is the least of my concerns.

3. Buddy - I am not sure if this is a positive or a negative factor but these guys are treating me as their 'buddy'. That's good in a sense that they are giving me their own perspective and sharing their concerns. Yes it is actually helping me in understanding men because as we all know --- Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. There's always this mystery in each gender that makes us long for the other and at the same time despise the other. Being surrounded by them gives me a firsthand knowledge what is going on in their minds. At the same time, it gives me this realization that men will be men --- polygamous by nature. I can actually hear them say, "No, we're just appreciating the beauty that is surrounding us..." Don't get me wrong, I am not attracted to anyone of them and they are all married and committed. But sometimes, I think I'm becoming more and more exposed to the way how guys are really 'players'. Ok, ok that's being overboard. These guys are my friends and I know deep in their heart, they are really committed to their significant other. Sometimes, though, they can't help but "appreciate" the beauty of nature.

I therefore conclude that men are really from Mars. Although they frequently travel to Venus, once they have found their "Venutian" partner, they can actually change their "Martian" ways.

***Disclaimer: Some facts have been changed to protect the identity of the characters.

Pinay Fervor

When I first traveled outside the country, I asked my mom this question: "If you saw me for the first time, from which country do you think I'm from based on my features?" After thinking for a while my mom told me I look like I'm from Malaysia. (Grrr...I don't look like a Pinay!)

That answer was further proven when strangers I met during my travels asked me if I'm from Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia. An Indian chef even thought I was from India. So how come they didn't think I was a Filipina? That question lingered in my mind until an American guy sitting in front of me during breakfast asked if I was from the Philippines. I was so surprised and asked him how did he know. He said he saw me bless my food before eating and since I looked like an Asian, he concluded that I might be from the Philippines because it's the only country in Asia with the highest population of Catholics. Good analysis, I thought.

So that answered my question. People judge us initially by our appearance, and further by our actions. If I act like a Pinay, they would see me as a Pinay. So I came up with some distinguishing characteristics of a Filipina:

1. Expressive - According to my Chinese colleagues, the thing that they noticed among us Filipinas is that our face can have a lot of expressions. When we feel happy we smile a lot and the smile reaches our eyes --- making it all the more sincere. When we feel bad, the frown can be seen on our face and can even be observed by the slouch of our shoulders. We are not afraid to express how we feel and even if we try to hide them, our feelings are still displayed through our actions.

2. Strong - We can survive in any place, given any task. If you go around the world, you will see that most nurses, caregivers, etc. are mostly Filipinas. This is because these professions are the most physically and emotionally draining. And I can say with pride that most Filipinas can take on that responsibility with dignity.

3. Religious - Because of the Spanish colonization, most of us grew up in a Catholic family. We have been taught to pray the rosary, pray before eating, pray before going to bed, go to mass every Sunday, etc. Catholic teachings have been engraved in our ancestors, our lolas, our moms, our titas --- to the point of sometimes being 'fanatics', thus the term Catholic fanaticism. I am in no way complaining because this is one of the traits that distinguish us from our Asian neighbors.

The list is short and simple --- like a Pinay. (Ack...that really is a cliche...erase..erase). Seriously speaking, after living a so-called "Shanghainese life", I really missed everything Filipino. I have to confess that I listened to Tagalog songs during my trip back to Manila. I missed those semi-'kundiman' heart-wrenching songs that always make you think about unrequited love or 'kilig' moments. (This further proves point # 1 --- we really can't help but express our feelings --- sometimes through music.)

So if someone again asks me if I'm from Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia, I'll just answer him/her: "Hindi, Pinay ako." =P

Memoirs of Shanghai

It's only been 6 days since I left Shanghai and I'm already feeling the after-effects. Last Friday, I was so excited to go home but I think now...I can say I am officially missing Shanghai.
Here are some of my cherished moments in Shanghai:

1. Looking for Starbucks - Because of my caffeine-addiction & limited Mandarin, I ended up demonstrating that I want to buy "hot coffee" because they cannot understand my English question - "Where is Starbucks?"

2. DVD nights - We have our very own DVD "suki" in Shanghai! And the best thing is that the DVD guy knows the specific movie genre we like. He even suggested to me the movie "The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants"! And who can ever forget the questions we always ask the DVD guy --- "Is there Eng-won (English) translation?" or "Is this clear -- DVD9?"

3. Ascott Breakfast - Free breakfast...free music --- all-time hits of Britney Spears, Michael Learns to Rock, & Backstreet Boys. This got us to think -- what would be the perfect music you want to listen to when you eat breakfast?!

4. Xiao Long Bao - the most famous Shanghainese delicacy which should be pronounced according to Cathy's tone --- xiao (normal tone) long (low tone) bao (high tone).

5. Take Me To Your Heart - the infamous Michael Learns To Rock single that is heard all over Shanghai --- supermarkets, shopping malls, ringback tunes, videokes, mp3s, F1, etc.

6. Weekend Brunches - weekends will never be complete without our satisfying brunches --- Element Fresh, Westin, Azul, Crystal Jade, M on the Bund, New Heights, Mesa, etc.

7. The so-called ABC (American-born-Chinese) - one of life's little surprises.

8. Photo shoots with V (Victory) sign - Have you ever wondered why almost every person in China puts up the V sign whenever they have their pictures taken?! According to them, the V sign is for victory. My colleague taught these Shanghainese that they can also do it the Filipino-way using W (for wagi). Check these out...

9. Welcome to take my taxi - Thanks to Ann for teaching me the Mandarin terms for left turn (zou chwan), right turn (you chwan), straight (ichi zou), receipt (fa piao), and of course thank you (xie xie).

10. Last but not the least....How could I ever forget my fractured-wrist-experience in Shanghai?! This was the highlight of my China stay! I will forever remember this because of the 6 pin scars or should I say dots (because they look like mosquito bites which will never go away) on my left wrist. I am thinking of having a tattoo to cover the scars...

I don't think I can say tai tien (good bye) to Shanghai...

Bread and Jam

Howie Day's Collide