Saturday, September 9, 2006

Stupid American Child.

Just in case you wonder. Title is derived from a Season 2 episode of House M.D. You know, that Chinese kid who brought her sick mom to the hospital just so she could ask for birth control pills, imposing that House wouldn't figure it out? Haha! Well, I think it's somehow relative to the following narration, one way or another. Anyway, this quento somehow resembles this one. But this time, it's totally beyond me. Ugh. Awful!

So we were at the mall last weekend, doing a little shopping. As I lined up to pay, I overhead two Filipino girls chit-chatting with the cashier, casually via their very obvious accent. No, I don't mean to make it sound negatively, but Filipinos have a distinctive way of speaking the language (which is not a bad thing at all), unless you grew up speaking it the American way. Back to the story. These girls were comfortably chattering away, and while the cashier was already doing her job, they briefly talked in Tagalog, which of course, I once again overheard.

Now. My dad and my brother were walking towards me talking rather loudly in our native language. I was waiting for the girls to look behind their shoulders and greet us with a "kabayan!" or "pinoy ka?", the standard greeting notes we get from fellowmen. But no. You know what they did? The pretended to be of another nation's breed, or as if they've been westernized since birth. Started to talk in English ala Amerikano, which was, not to mention, such a ludicrously poor attempt.

They perhaps thought that I'm Mexican or something (which happens to be the case, for always, not that I like it), thus their sudden switch to this laughable disguise right infront of me. But come on now. Yellow skin, straight black hair, chinky eyes, buttoned nose? Who are you kidding? Seriously. I could only cover my head in shame.

In reality, Filipinos who grew up here, or stayed long enough, would eventually lose their congenital accent. However, that happens organically, and needs not to be forced, especially just to put up a show. Hence personally, it's doubtlessly disturbing to witness these people subconciously disregard their race just so they could tell their superficial selves that they truly belong.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

tsk tsk tsk..buti pa si batista, proud na proud sa tattoo niang bandila ng pinas! :p

-yayam:)

sorbetera said...

right on dear! It's sad how some Filipinos are so quick to throw away their national identity.. but then again, everything is rooted with insecurity. Philippines is a third-world country there's no doubt about that, that's probably why people who managed to get out of the Philippines assume a different identity and actually force it down their throats, they probably want to prove to themselves that they're better than average pinoys..

...which is disgusting to say the least.

If I was in your place, I'd be embarrassed too

By the way, nice new layout ^__^

Anonymous said...

elo kai... di ko mabasa ang entry mo kasi sobrang light ng font.... ung mga dark fonts lang nababasa ko.


dahil siguro sa lay-out mo,,, :)

have a nice day!

Unknown said...

tsk tsk ganyang ata talaga sa mga ibang lugar na maraming pinoy. di na sabik sa mga kababayan ;) pero di excuse yun, magtulungan pa rin mga kababayan or least magbatian kapag nasa labas ng pilipinas.

bone said...

onga, usually if a filipino "finds" a kababayan in a mall or somewhere, theyd normally greet each other or at least smile at each other.
mapagpanggap naman yang mga girlaloong yan, kai. sana sinabihan mong mababaho sila hehehe.

debbie said...

and the worst part is they couldn't speak it well enough to disguise their native and true accents! nahihirapan na...sige parin ang english!!! haha

Anonymous said...

My cousins who have been living in the US for more than a decade now and they speak with a an American accent now... pero when they speak Filipino, malalim na Tagalog na may puntong probinsyano pa rin sila (we're from Quezon province), hehehe

Agree with you, there's nothing wrong when Pinoys eventually lose their "Pinoy accent", but it shouldn't be forced. Otherwise, they'll just sound idiotic.

And besides, non-American accents are hot, donchathink? Hehe

KAI said...

Yayam
Yesss!!! I looove Batista. d:

Sorbetera
Maybe you're right. But doesn't necessarily mean that that's the best way to go. It's just pretentious and the ultimate betrayal of color. I don't appreciate it. BTW, thanks! (:

Kneeko
OW. OK.

Cruise
I know, bro. Kaya nga nakakapang-gigil e.

Bone
Mapagpanggap, that's it! Hehe.

Deb
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Korek!!!

Alvin
Well, your cousins and myself are practically the same. But when I talk in Tagalog, walang ka-arte arte. Kung paano ako magsalita nung andiyan pa ako, ganoon parin hanggang dito. Anyway, you're absolutely right. I looove accents too! Especially on Spaniards, hehe. (:

Anonymous said...

My sisters grew up in the US but they speak good Cebuano on one of our conservations just for fun.

When I see a Pinoy here I usually talk to them in Cebuano if from Cebu though I can speak Tagalog I always prefer English if I am speaking with Tagalogs here. But I never had the time to practise the language again since I rarely see Pinoys here and also I am always mistaken for someone from South America as well.

By the way, love the new look. I am still tinkering on the new beta interface for you know the blogmakeovers

raissa said...

ang sarap sundutin ang mga ganyan. I have seen a few at the malls and I felt like poking them with an unmbrella kung hindi sila umaray hahahah. My cousins were born here and yet they speak Filipino and they dont hide that. Plus its our plus when talking around non-Pilipinos LOL

Anonymous said...

ugh! i hate people like that. i actually find it laughable when filipinos speak in english and sound SO trying hard. not to be mean or anything, but in situations like that, just like you said. pa-disguise pa - that's so annoying.

btw, lovin' the new layout ;)

Anonymous said...

hay naku, may mga pilipino talagang nakatuntong lang ng Tate, akala mo kung sino na. TH kung baga, pero pango pa rin..hahah

ganda ng layout natin ah

KAI said...

Charles
I'm still using the classic HTML editor, and it comes with this new Beta thing. So there wasn't really a dramatic change in the coding area, if you're thinking about making over somebody's blog.

Raissa
I know! Hahaha, I love speaking in Tagalog outside, foreigners can only shake their heads in figuring out where we hail from. *lol*

Laureen
At nakakahiya, diba? Thanks, dear!

Shai
Korek, super TH! Hehehe. =)