Filipino traits that suck vol. 4
THE DISGUSTING CRAB[ For dummies: The crab mentality - is named after the nature of a crab's behavior in a basket full of other crabs. All the crabs try to make their way up and out of the basket, stepping on other crab's who are also struggling to get out of the basket. Because of this cyclic behavior, none of the crabs ever get out of the basket. ]An old acquaintance messaged me while I was online. She said that she was finally getting her migration papers arranged after a long time. I thought, "good for you, I'm happy that you're getting things done". In my head I was saying "Don't be a pobre, be a model for others when you get there".
I remember this person heatedly debating with me before that life is better in the Philippines. If I had anything on her, that was it. All that speech about "living a good life here blah blah". And she's migrating? It's quite amusing, if not saddening. It just furthers the theory that people should just shut up and do things instead of speak and speak.
Anyway, back to my "don't be a pobre" advice. I remember once I was in another country walking the city's streets, I run into hundreds of foreigners. For every 50 I would run into, around 2 would smile and greet a complete stranger "howdy!", or "good day", or "have a nice day".
I admire them. Do you know that it takes a greeting from a stranger to brighten up your day more than when someone familiar greets you?
Now if you're filipino and you're in that same foreign city, for every other filipno you'll meet however, when you smile at them, you'll get the "ba't ka andito" (Why are you here?) look. And if it isn't your day, it follows a loathing look. The type that wishes you weren't there.
When you see foreigners in manila, they don't give their fellow german, french, americans, japanese, singaporeans, malaysians, chinese the "WTF are you doing here?" look. In fact it makes them feel more at home to see their citizens of their country in manila too.
[ postsecret mode ON ]
WTF is wrong with you stoopid flips?!
[ postsecret mode OFF ]
This is the general impression I get when you see NEW Filipinos abroad when they meet their "kababayan" (fellow countrymen). They have this urge to put down the ones that are already there. Take note I specifically mentioned "NEW". For those who have lived some years there, this syndrome rubs off. They have adopted the foreigner way of making fellow flips feel at home. My take is that there is an air of envy for those who have been there just now and those who have migrated before. I don't know what is the big deal behind all this. It's like a filipino not wanting anyone of his/her own race to be there other than him/herself.
That is just so fuckin' crabby. (Yes, it's "crabby", not "crappy"). If I had any say in all that, filipinos with that attitude should be deported permanently, wherever country they are in. Honestly, never have I heard of a race of people who put down each other's successes instead of being happy for their fellow countrymen other than the "pobre" in manila. Hell, rich filipinos are much better people. Just like Jaz said before, they downplay their fortunes and don't crave for attention.
Don't worry. This is hell no generalization. I am lucky to know a good number of sensible filipinos that are very warm, even to strangers, and not in their own country. They should be examples for others wanting to migrate. Perhaps the key here is not to live your life as if life owes you something for the opportunity lost.
You will only grow bitter with disappointment.
And you will always still be in the basket.
Good thing is, I'm sure that friend of mine will not be in the basket.
Profoundness at its best, etc.
There was a site recommended by Cherie in her blog. It was leading to postsecret.http://postsecret.blogspot.comIf there is anything about this site, it is the most fucking HONEST site I have ever seen. You should all go visit it once a week. For those of you who have pretentions (actually we all do), I would recommend this site to visit so that we are reminded of our humanity and the basic truth that comes with it.Having visited that site, I have felt great comfort in the site making me further realize how harsh life has changed me from the carefree person I was. I started being more profanely open about my ideals and speech. I'm sure you will feel something good or bad when visiting this site.So after all that stuff about postsecret, I am fully affirmed that I have written good shit it my blog. I used to write eversince I was in highschool but never had the time to hone the talent professionally. And I hate the english subjects back in school.I didn't want to make this site a satyr; I wanted it to be of some human value to whoever drops by, so I mixed it up but thought of a theme to bind it all together - hence Urban Warrior Cybercafe was born.------------------ oOo ------------------o-k, that felt good. I had a good thought on my way home. It made its way to me when two noisy passengers were talking about hesitation of telling someone that you love them.My thought says something like:I would rather live in regret of doing something and wishing I haven't done it,rather than living in regret of not doing something when I had the chance to.Yeah, from a moment months ago, I have mastered my fear. The world is now my oyster.------------------ oOo ------------------Yesterday we were having a drink at a convi (convenience store) when a foreigner stepped in and bought a condom. He didn't just buy one. He exclaimed loudly "Give me one of each ya got". The counter staff was trying not to giggle. She handed around 7 different brands of condoms. Way to go my man, he's in for a really hot sweaty night.This is an example of that "Be true" moment. When you see someone filipino buying a condom (most especially if it's someone you know), you go "uyy hehehe" or maybe "ah *gasp* *shock*". Man, have we a long way to go before this country's people mature. I really have to whop our spanish colonizers grandmommas one day. Thanks to them, the Philippines grew up to be a bunch of sexually introverted people. THEY SCREWED UP OUR CULTURE. They taught us to be lazy and procrastinate; that being late is a sign of power; and showing too much skin is bad. No, don't argue. JUST HEAR ME OUT.If Japan colonized us, we would have been the 2nd most perverted country in the world. I'm not saying that Filipinos should be more sexually active. I just feel bad at the level of maturity/naiveness the older generations have reached. I'm sure awareness about something opens your eyes and makes your reasoning more solid.Wow, looks like this has been my most disorganized post! Truly a milestone!
Resign Dammit!! vol. 3
Learning from experience
I have been horrendously busy this month. I wasn't able to comment a lot on my friends' blogs and post new stuff. That's good actually. It's when time flies that you know that something is happening, and that you are part of the action.
This month has also been "major turn-over" month. Out of 10 colleagues I've run into, 4 of them have resigned and have moved to other companies. I still remember the time when I was still 'green' (fresh out of college) and applying. Those were (pathetically) fond memories. The feeling of applying for work when you're experienced in your field is different from when you were just a fresh graduate. I remember my colleagues and I used to play "spot the fresh grad" in a bunch of people walking the busy streets of makati.
Let's get on to business. It's a given that you find yourself in another office's being interviewed by their HR manager. Here's some things I have learned.
1. The atmosphere is not threatening at all when you're good in your field. So BECOME GOOD in your work. Having this attitude, you will have greater value. That's the whole point of being in work you see - to create value.
2. Learn to say no - if there's something you really don't like when you hear the job offer (like the salary), negotiate, or profusely refuse. They are not the only company around. Also, you are not the only applicant around. If they really want you to join them, be honest to them if the salary is an issue. More than 75% of the time, IT IS. Don't ever accept a job with a lower salary than your recent highest one.
2. Downplay yourself but don't go too low - Confidence is a prime trait employers are looking for in experienced hires. Being ultimately timid about what you want is the trait of a fresh-graduate. Confidence is the key here - you will feel this almost instinctively. Secondly, if you're just looking for work per se - you'll never be happy at work.
3. Have your long-term goals clear - This is a question which they usually ask, which will have a big impact on their decision whether to hire you or not. So that as early as the interviewing, if there's no fit between you and the organization, you'd best not waste each other's time.
4. Ask the company what your job description entails and what exactly will you be doing there - I have an old colleague working in this company in Makati Stock Ex (I won't mention the company's name), and after hearing that she was promised this job description and she was doing a completely different task, I told her to leave right away since she is young and very marketable, she would be happier elsewhere.
5. Master the art of NEGOTIATING your salary - by the confidence you project, your prospective employer may downplay you on your asking salary. This is true most especially when you're applying in big companies. Don't let them disregard your years of experience. It's definitely worth something. If you spent your prime working years with just petix at your previous work, then you're dead.
6. Tell them what you want - don't just wait for their job offer. As early as the HR interviews, POLITELY inform your interviewer (HR) of the things you're expecting. If they reply anything short of a firm "yes", chances are, they're not the company you wanna work with.
7. You're not shopping anymore - As an experienced hire, you are no longer the froshie (college grad) who usually doesn't know what they want in a career yet. So apply only with the companies that you have a better impression that you're going to like to join. Remember, working goes two ways - the company has something you like and vice versa.
Hmm, that's quite a long list.. I wrote that much to make up for the day gap.
So there you have it - have a great day. Grow or die you lazybone!
The Foreigner Eye
I was at Greenbelt viewing an art exhibit today. There were people from a lot of nationalities. It so happened to be some "Asia Cartoon Week" exhibit. I just stood at the back after viewing the portraits because I didn't want to get stuck by the amount of people that flooded when the ribbon was cut, but I did get a good view of most of the cartoons and the messages they conveyed.Many people were viewing the exhibit. Office people, students, lovers, families even.Let's rewind a bit on the lovers part. One is filipina, and the other is a foreigner. I'll take a guess he's an old american. She was scantily clad in a blouse and skirt of the thinest fabric, so thin her bra outlined all the well-endowed areas it could. And the legs, they just won't quit at all.But as she turned her face in our direction, I gasped...it's not that she was ugly.. it's just that.. from a scale of 1 to 100 (highest), if girls in the whole area were lined up, she would probably be in the bottom 20. This is definitely the thousandth deja vu I've had. And there I had my billion-peso question..What is it with foreigners that attracts them to filipina women which are the least attractive to filipino men?Seriously - it's just out of curiosity. Not that I want women like her.I could only think of one sensible, general reason: mutual benefit. Telling me that "It's love" is the biggest bullcrap I've ever heard. If you want to test this -- Introduce me to a filipina who marries a poor foreigner. (Oh wait, there's no such thing as a poor foreigner, how the hell did he get to manila without money for his plane ticket?)Most foreigners I've talked to have one common denominator about the average filipino women.They are easier to please and they don't resist much. ("easy" as one of my american friends say).But this "easier to please" type of filipina, is not the typical hottie you'd see at the mall coffee shop.She is not the Maria Clara at the office or the Lara Croft of your college outdoor trekking club. The foreigner meant the not-as-pretty type who i'm sure our past maid was prettier by far. To my disbelief I even asked him twice which girl he fancied the most when I showed him a picture of girls taking up nursing - he pointed to the least pretty. Then I showed him a picture of my prettiest friends, to my disbelief, he didn't want any of them.So then and there I have verified that there is really a pattern in the attraction of foreigners towards that "type" of filipina.Probing further, I also learned (well as if I didn't know already) that filipino hospitality is world-renowned-- this being a big factor in foreigners preferring filipinas to women of other nationalities. They say something that tantamounts to "when I grow old, an american wife who can't stand me anymore will throw me to an old-folks-home". A filipina won't. They'll care for you 'till your dying day. I don't know if this is entirely good.Well, that's good for the lesser-pretty type of filipina. Their future is set. They get to go abroad without a hassle, and they live the good live for the long haul. Take a look at my pretty friends - usually, their mind-set is, "I'm stuck here, how will get to go abroad when my boyfriend wants us to settle here?", and all those kind of stuff.There's also a not-so-good impression on filipinas -- courtesy of the Japanese. To them, filipinas are an easy lay because japan accepts around 100,000 filipinas to work as hostesses and GRO's in Japan. Couple that with the culture in Japan - it's still as patriarchal and traditional as it was years ago. A female officemate who worked in japan for a good number of months even told me, if you're a filipino male and you make enough female japanese acquaintances, you won't even have to go to a red-light district to get laid, lest pay for it.After hearing all this, I sighed to myself -- it was good and bad to be a filipino male. You are blessed with the company of the hottest goddesses to ever walk the planet, that is -- THE filipina; while at the same time, you are the most challenged nationality in the race of males in the world because in general, in manila, a filipino males' capacity to raise a family is severely crippled by severely downed economy.....but that, is another never-to-be-told story.
