We are Filipinos

A Chinese guy asked me a few days ago about the pronunciation of the word “circumcision”.

Needless to say, it led us to a conversation about circumcision. The Chinese guy was so proud to tell me that he is still uncircumcised and that his “is still perfect”.  I, on the other hand, was kinda proud to tell him that I was circumcised at an early age in grade school. We were both confused until we both figured out that we were caught in the middle of a cultural difference.

It turned out that being uncircumcised is a sign of purity for Chinese (that, of course, one should be proud of) while being circumcised is a symbol of manhood for Filipinos.

It’s really funny how we boast something that is kinda shameful to others. Koreans are a very example to this. The word “chinita” (which means thin eyed) is a positive adjective for Filipinos. It means that if one is thin eyed, it is a plus cosmetic factor in the Philippines. Koreans, however, want to have bigger eyes so much that they undergo plastic surgeries such as having fake double eyelids. Many a time have I been surprised by a Korean fellow saying that a certain Filipino is good-looking just because of the big eyes. This case shows the principle of desiring something that people among your group don’t normally have.

Like, whenever people learn that I am from Baguio City, they would ask me about strawberry. So one time, I gave strawberry candies to some fellows who are so eager to taste a Baguio strawberry. There was nothing so special with the strawberry candies (they just taste like strawberry, just like the strawberry juice that they can buy in any store in town). I watched their faces while they chew the strawberry candies until they slowly nod and say, “It tastes… good.” while their eyes say, “…so that’s it? Strawberry, it’s not the most delicious thing on earth.” Well, euphemism or shall we say white lies are very essential to social interaction.

But no matter how many languages or dialects or islands or cultural practices we have in the Philippines, one thing is noticeable- most Filipinos are exceptionally hygienic. Filipinos will only realize how hygienic they are once they are exposed in the international world. Do you have any idea how silly it sounds for some foreigners that Filipinos find it necessary to take a bath every morning and change garments every single day? A very crucial fact: After defecating, Filipinos wash up using their very hands with soap. Other foreigners find this gross as they use tissue instead.

The bottom line is this- to avoid misunderstanding and cultural ignorance, we need education by international exposure. This wouldn’t make us the smartest guy on earth but this will certainly make us an “internationally able person”.