A friend on YM chat shared his problems about his father getting sick and how medical expenses mount up everyday -- i told him i understand -- having had my aunt get sick of failed kidneys and how, for two years, we had to sell things off left and right, buying time, and how we all were miserable seeing her die a slow death (not much of a way to live.) The worst part is that his father did something hurtful to his family before, and now, is dependent on his family's unity -- the irony. But, for my friend, his family is his strength so . . .
We switched topic to something lighter -- how he's currently amazed by Arnel Pineda and his fairy-tale rise to fame with 'Journey'. And, since i'm quick to rain on people's parades [crabby me], I immediately pointed out that Americans admire us and grade us for sounding like Americans (can't help it -- i'm currently a call cenner agent, trained on American accents and imitating them to keep a low profile) -- we have a long list of entertainers that sounded like foreigners and admired for it ever since we started giving ourselves titles that give homage to foreign celebrities -- "Elvis Presley of the Philippines" "Paris Hilton of the Philippines" "Naaytinggil of the Philippines" churvs.
Americans admire Bob Marley for sounding like Jamaican -- but we seldom hear them admiring Freddie Aguilar for sounding like Filipino (ok, i hear Ka Freddie is a big hit in Japan, but we're still steeped in the American dream so . . .)
The Filipino, they say, is world-class -- but mostly if we excel in things 'imported' -- singing like Americans -- doing foreign things -- do i hear 'culinary arts'? [Hehe, i see a lot of movie stars and buena familia scions going this way -- you're only a cook, not a chef, if you don't take up culinary arts -- sacre bleu!]. And don't forget the sports (billiard, boxing, bowling, equestrian, fencing . . . ing ing ing). Truly we are world-class -- at things not our own. [We also excel in doing our own things -- jueteng, dagdag-bawas -- i hear Dubyah copied it with his stunt in Florida -- but that's another story.]
The world admires us for being faithful to world-class standards [read: "forget yourself first" -- although the best advice i got from a friend is "No matter what happens, don't ever forget who you are."]. How right you are, Lea Salonga -- it's been a long long 'Journey'.
Highway run into the midnight sun Wheels go round and round, you're on my mind ...
And the Filipino is doing all this because he is faithful -- he's willing to go through this journey for family and loved ones.
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