Finding the Asian-ness of Filipinos

An interesting read about finding the Asian-ness of Filipinos from BakitWhy dot com, a portal for everything on the Filipino-American lifestyle.

But - I'm Not Chinese (Are Pilipinos Really Asian?) in Bakit Why

In the broad scope of things, maybe it really isn’t such a big issue that needs heavy debating. It doesn’t make sense for us either way, for our culture has never been defined on such terms - we are a people of many colors and cultures (you can see it just by eating our food) with a long history of colonial oppression and international relations to draw from (from Spain, to Japan, to the United States). What makes us special is that amidst all the cultural amalgamation and mixing we’ve experienced as a people, we’ve still managed to come out of it holding a very clear sense of Pilipino-ness that no drop of mixed blood, mixed look, or miscategorization can take away. All I know is that at the end of the day, when I hear that accent and those F’s become P’s, when I smell that spam crackling with a good lump of white rice waiting on the side, and when I see that magic mic set and ready for an onslaught of spit and high C’s, I know that I am surely Pilipino. Bubble in all else that apply.

iPad? iPass.

I was updating my other Twitter account last Wednesday while preparing for a dinner party my parents are hosting when I chanced upon a tweet telling that any minute Apple would be unveiling their new product. I quickly grabbed my trusty netbook and browsed the live blogs of Engadget, Gizmodo, and the NY Times BITS blog to have my fill (and the feel) of the event.

I was gushing all the time as my browser tabs refreshed and guests came in. My dad, who was in the living room, went to where I was and asked what's the fuss. Apparently, I was making too many ooohs and aaahs that the guests might think I'm deranged for the night.

"Apple is unveiling a new product today and I'm reading it live," I told my dad to defend my honour. He asked in return, "Really? What is it?"

I told him that it's Apple's new tablet device then showed him the pictures.

"It's like our iPhones," my dad said, "in the size of the letter-sized paper by the looks of it."

That statement woke me up and brought me back to reality. I already have an iPhone so there's no need for the recently converted fanboy in me to gush over this nifty thing. Sure, the iPad is nice to have, but it's not a need-to-have-right-now device. There are a lot of things that my netbook can do that the iPad can't upon seeing its features. (Not to mention that it costs way less than the bottom of the line iPad.) It has potential, for sure, to grow on people (especially to haters) since it's just the first version of the device. The functionalities will add up soon and probably the fugly form factor will be altered too in its next life. I'll hold out my money for the second (or third) version of the iPad. Right now, the Apple fanboy in me won't be a blind one.

The only thing that I'm excited about is the keyboard dock for the iPad. I am fervently praying that it will also work with the iPhone. If it does not, I hope they (or some other company) will make a portable one for the iPhone, just like Palm's. (I miss the glory days of lugging my PDA and its keyboard to the halls of our library and typing away related literature for my thesis. Well, in my defense, I type faster than I write longhand.)

Genius is the ability to remember your childhood.

I wasn't drawn to the drawing made by Chris Piascik; I was drawn to its message.

Indeed, not everyone can be a genius. I'm just glad I am.

[spotted]

Gelato

Yesterday I whined and whined all night long for something sweet after dinner until my parents gave up and drove me to the mall.

Mom wanted a photo of her on the magnetized diagonal walkway.

Was aiming for donuts, but immediately saw the gelato stand. There were so many flavors to choose from! The shape of the gelato reminds me something that is better left unsaid, especially when someone's eating.

Got the smallest size which feeds like two people. Love it! ;)

It's so nice to be a brat sometimes.

Western Spaghetti

It's so galing I can't stop watching it over and over.



Whoever did this got my now-missing imagination.

Winterize your skin

My mom's amiga told her that Jeddah experienced rain and sandstorm last week which usually is the signal for the turning of the season here in the Middle East. Yesterday's hot and steamy road trip to hear the mass at the Aramco reinforced this news. However, this morning, the weather was back to being subzero. No, it's actually colder today than the previous week. I look like a homeless individual when I came into the office today. Lesson learned for me: never trust unconfirmed weather forecasts.

Since it's still cold, I'll share with you some of my winter skincare tips:

• Keep skin hydrated. It's ideal to drink water to keep hydrated, but it's best to spritz it on your skin. Follow it up with a heavy moisturizer to keep the skin well supple. Remember that with humidity, it's not about the water you consume.
• Showers should be warm, not scalding hot. Taking hot showers not only scald your skin (tee-hee), but it also draws moisture from your skin thus making it itchy.
• When it comes with soaps, switch to moisturizing ones. I've read somewhere that you should always match your skincare products with the season, so do that. Liquid soaps, too, are more moisturizing than the solid, bar ones. Plus, it prevents soap scum because it's synthetic.
• Wash your hair often. I promise you that your hair won't fill up the room. Also, invest in a good, rich conditioner to combat the frizzies.
• Stay kissable with lip balms. I always reapply after drinking or eating (or putting something in my mouth). Don't miss a beat with this one. It's also ideal to have one with SPF.
• If you feel that heavy lotions make you feel icky when applied during the day, slather them on your hands and feet at night before sleeping. To get best results, wear socks and gloves after applying.

Harry's Tales

I heart these contemporary designs of Harry Potter book covers made by Michela Monterosso, a graphic design student from Milan, Italy. It's more mature than the ones we have right now and it would make my collection of HP paperbacks cooler than my friends'.

You can check out the more detailed editorial designs here.

Heart Umbrella

I'm loving this Heart Umbrella from Art Lebedev. So perfect for Valentine's.

P.S. It's also available in twelve other colors.

Alma

Alma — Pixar animator Rodrigo Blaas’ first short film as a director — is an award-winning animation that is lovely as it is downright creepy. It'll definitely spook you out, I swear! I myself kept on shouting at the protagonist when she entered the store.

Okay, so I won't give spoilers out but I suggest you watch the thrilling five-and-a-half minute short on full resolution, speakers cranked to the highest level (you'll adore the scoring done here), and the lights turned off.

[spotted]

Coca-Cola Avatar

It's my first time seeing this amazing advert for the biggest softdrink manufacturer from a friend's Facebook page. I totally heart the avatars! Kawaii overload ito! Wish there's some goggles or spectacles I can wear to see people's online personas.

I also agree to its message that the most meaningful peer-to-peer connections happen face-to-face.

[spotted]

My nonexistent New Year goals.

Rejoining the cubicle nation isn't as bad as it looks like in my daydream world. Everyone warmly welcomed me back with huge smiles and tight handshakes. The only thing I didn't like is how they discreetly commented on my new tan. (I easily get a tan even if I don't want to. This is probably the only thing I don't like when in the Philippines.) I gave out pasalubong to my colleagues and superiors like polvoron and dried mangoes, and they all loved it. It's a mini-fiesta in the office a while ago.

While catching up on my work email, I glanced at the new calendar and was kind of placed in a trance--it finally dawned in me that it's already 2010. Yikes! Usually, I spend days before (or after) the new year setting out outrageous goals for myself. Now, however, I feel like I've been living my initial days of the new year as a happy-go-lucky person. I don't like how this is going because it's so unlike me, but I'm kind of enjoying the idea of not having to pressure myself to do things within a time frame.

Nevertheless, I'll jot down some goals that I want to achieve for 2010 as soon as I do some self-reflection later. Right now, my concentration has a similar lifespan as that of a confetti bomb. Good luck with that.