Thursday, April 14, 2011

might as well be a boy named sue


April 14, 2011
Here’s the thing, I live in a fish bowl and I don’t mind one bit. Sure people stare at me, but you know what? I stare right back. And truth be told, I stare extra hard at white people. I’m telling you it is like living in a mall or airport. I just watch the world go by and want to know everybody’s story.
People shout at me all the time, and again I don’t mind. I don’t mind people wanting to know where I’m going, because the thing is they really don’t care.
I don’t mind when the kids shout my way and let everyone this side of the Pecos (I don’t know what you say in the Philippines, so we will stick with Pecos) know that I am an Americano. Usually, if it is children I yell back Filipino and they laugh.
I don’t mind these same kids asking me my name. Again I turn it on them and if they tell me their names I tell them mine. Usually they just laugh
But there is something I do mind. The other day C and I were coming out of the mall (so maybe I really do live there) and I decided to take a Palo Jeepney to Campetic. The ushers were shouting at us (there has been debate about whether to call them ushers, I coined that term but don’t think it is their official job title) and ushered us towards a Palo jeep. When he saw we were takers he ushered us the front seat. As he was shutting the door his usher friend came up and asked us our names. C gave hers and they said it was mahusay, I agree she does have a beautiful name (see what I did there, now you want to know her name).
Then upon giving them my name second usher shouted right in my ear: LALAKI!!!
To this I replied: Diri lalaki, babaye ako.
He laughed and the first conductor said that he has a brother with that name.
They went about their way ushering other travelers to their respective jeeps and I heard the second conductor say more than once lalaki while sniggering to himself. Couldn’t he tell that I obviously was not a boy? So ya, that I do mind. And that I get a lot. No matter how much I stress the Z sound and make sure it is not an /s/. Curse you Spanish influence!


Another thing I don’t mind is a Dunkin’ Donuts parade. I was in a coffee shop down town and there we saw just that. Then we went to the mall, and you know what? The parade had made its way to the mall. Inside. The. Mall. Marching band and all. That I do mind also, but apparently Filipinos don’t mind at all. 

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