At least I thought I was. But then the internet came about and suddenly there was an on-rush of ‘Idealized Filipinas’ as perceived by the American GI, the pornsite king, the friends of Leani Lei. The Filipina for them, was the “little brown gal” often found in Olongapo City bars or some other American GI R&R location.

That did not perturb me in my quest for my soulmate. Often on chat, I’d warn them that I was not the stereotypical ‘Little Brown Girl’ that Filipinas are often pictured as. I’d tell them that they can call me a Manila Girl, the urban Filipina, City Girl.However, the term Manila Girl also has bad connotations as I found out. Tell them you are a Manila Girl and they ask if you are from Ermita or that famous Ferguson Plaza or the L.A. Cafe’. AAArrrggghhhhh!

Okay so what is the one term that will describe me now?

So now I am married to a ‘foreigner’ and living in the Philippines…can I now relate to the word ‘Filipina’? Not so fast lady. Not one word to describe me, I just tell them I am from Metromanila, Philippines (trying too hard not to sound like a Ms. Universe wanna be!).

Ok so kool, I now do not have to describe myself online as I have reached my goal of getting Mr. Right. But why do I feel I still am not a Filipina?

I am here in the Philippines, in Manila, still living in the same house where my grandparents started their family. It is near the house where my great grandparents started their family. I can trace back more then 5 generations of my ancestry here in this same town. I can look forward to 3 more generations from nephews and nieces still in this same country. But I still do not feel like I can even be described a Filipina.

I can cook litson or nilaga or adobo, but I cannot cook kare-kare, or sinigang, or cassava cake. I have been used to eating bread instead of rice. Last item to appear on my dining table is the rice, and we only have a small rice cooker good for 5 people in the family.

I started learning Tagalog only when I moved to an Immaculate Conception School from the English speaking Maryknoll. I think in English and translate in Tagalog, unlike other ‘Filipinas’ who think in Tagalog and translate to English, “Open the light!”

I can prepare a good German Potato Salad, breeze through cooking a breakfast steak, make boiled and fried cabbage, lasagna, all kinds of pasta. I do not really like eating kakanin or puto, but I can make pizza from scratch, bake a party cake and ice it properly.One time I made champorado, I made it with oats and Milo, not with sticky glutinous rice or tsokolate. I got delicious raves for that.

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I was born here. I was raised her. I was educated here. All in this small town of Malabon, this is where my life is, all of 47 years and counting. I now live with my 52 year old Irishman and I look like a half and half Chinese-Malay descent. He is a British Passport holder, I am a Philippine Passport holder. He has three children by his ex-wife who is Irish, I have three children by my late ex-husband, a Filipino. He has six grandchildren by his eldest daughter. A fact that made me an instant Grandma by default of marriage. So our total brood for now is six and six: six children, six grandchildren. However, we both define our new family as: him, me and my three daughters, all living in Malabon City.

That I have lived in this country instead of abroad is my choice. That I have married my English speaking husband is a Godsend. I met him over the internet in 2001. We had our first eyeball meeting two months after our first emails. Before that we had seen each other through our pc cams and had talked everyday, at least once a day, at the most three times or six times a day. I am the quasi conservative Filipina, who waited for the man to make the first move, and he is this lady’s gentleman, always there to help.

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Thank you GMANews for another article from Sunstar about Ophelia A. Belo.  She was a DH but set her sights more on just being a DH.  I loved her message,  we all know we export a lot of human labor.  And through time, OFW kids just lose interest in school just to go abroad and get any job that they could put their hands on.  This is quite a disturbing trend.  And Ms. Belo is struck a nerve when she asked, What happened to the ‘Pearl of the Orient Seas’?

I do agree with her messages:  1)  Never stop learning; 2) Do not squander OFW money; 3) Stop repeating the same mistakes.  I share the same sentiments as hers, especially that I always got to read about the trend in our culture that we no longer care about our education because there are call center jobs that don’t require a college degree or a job waiting for you abroad as a janitor.  Let’s start being the ‘Pearl of the Orient Seas’ again.   Thank you Ms. Belo, you’re one of the few courageous people who would open our eyes.

I have been planning to write for my contribution to FilipinaImages.com in the past months but a current ‘project’ has kept me busy. I have to do it in parts since it’s pretty long. It’s also a 1st blog anniversary gift for our very own Sexymom( Dina Racoma) who deserves the best in life for being a supermom of seven and still be able to pursue her successful career then achieve her MBA to boot!

What does the term “sexy” mean to you? And I ask the same question to myself. The use of the term is relative. In this case, allow me to use it regardless of race.
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Filipina exposed. It’s about time that people started laying it out in the open. Through Janette Toral’s Filipina Writing Project and the efforts of Lorna Lardizabal-Dietz, Dine Racoma, and Noemi Lardizabal-Dado, all Filipinas now have a venue to participate in this global effort to reshape the image of the Filipina.

I, a sexy Filipina mom, a gorgeous Filipina, and an empowered Filipina individual is jumping in to join this online campaign by doing what I do best… blogging.

I believe that the Filipina in the nude is a sexy Filipina. The brown color of her skin is dazzling and beautiful. Her dark hair is mesmerizing. Her short, flat nose is adorable. Aside from her obvious beauty, she plays different but important roles that make her a force constant in the Philippine society.

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The Top 100 was announced at the recognition awards gala at the Filipina Summit on October 25-27, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington D.C. The recognition event was also a celebration of Filipino Heritage Month in October.

Congratulations

View the list of Winners- 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U. S.

Read The Event itself- 100 accomplished Filipinas, one crazy night

FROM the 1896 Revolution to the first Philippine Republic, the Commonwealth period, the EDSA Revolt, and the tiger cub economy, history marches on. Thankfully, however, some things never change. Like the classics, things irresistibly Pinoy mark us for life. They’re the indelible stamp of our identity, the undeniable affinity that binds us like twins. They celebrate the good in us, the best of our culture and the infinite possibilities we are all capable of. Some are so self-explanatory you only need mention them for fellow Pinoys to swoon or drool. Here, from all over this Centennial-crazed country and in no particular order, are a hundred of the best things that make us unmistakably Pinoy.

1. Merienda. Where else is it normal to eat five times a day?
2. Sawsawan. Assorted sauces that guarantee freedom of choice, enough room for experimentation and maximum tolerance for diverse tastes. Favorites: toyo’t calamansi, suka at sili, patis.
3. Kuwan, ano. At a loss for words? Try these and marvel at how Pinoys understand exactly what you want.
4. Pinoy humor and irreverence. If you’re api and you know it, crack a joke. Nothing personal, really.
5. Tingi. Thank goodness for small entrepreneurs. Where else can we buy cigarettes, soap, condiments and life’s essentials in small affordable amounts?

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These are the steps for you to look sexy. Before you read them, please always bear in mind that every woman has the capability to look sexy. Kudos! 

HOW TO LOOK SEXY 

1. Get clean. Start with a good shower every morning, or a bath at night. Feeling and looking clean is crucial. Wash with a nice smelling body soap. Get out and pat yourself dry with a towel, and rub in some rich body lotion. You need to be soft and able to cuddle at all times (do not neglect you hands, elbows, and feet). If possible try to layer matching scents on your body, such as soap, lotion, powder, and perfume (ie. vanilla, citrus, rose, etc.)
2. Practice good dental hygiene as well. Get a check up and have your teeth cleaned often. Invest in a good toothbrush, waterpik, and mouthwash. Always keep mint gum, mints, or breath spray on hand.
3. Get groomed. Work with what you’ve got. But keep it neat and tidy! Trim finger and toe nails weekly, remembering to clean under the nail. No fancy nail polish colours are needed, but a simple beige colour can play down any nail discolouration. If you choose to sculpt your eyebrows, tweeze weekly to avoid going back to square one. Once every 2 or 3 weeks, have a pampering day, including a manicure, pedicure, facial, and bubble bath, even if it’s just a spa day at home.

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