Typical Filipina

One afternoon in early December, I went to one of the nearby malls to get my Christmas shopping partially done. I was walking around, looking for little things that beckon me to buy them as gifts when I saw a crowd of humanity convening at the centre activity area. I checked it out and saw that it was a sort of exhibit of different nations and some of their products, an international bazaar of some sorts. I ask myself if I should check it out. Why not!

I dive into the mass and go to the first booth that grabbed me, the lady with champion weightlifters for ears (My friends can attest to how big my earrings can get!) --- Pakistan's accessory booth. I make my way and go peek at all that glittery goodness when I notice the proprietors stare at me with mouths gapping open. I decide to ignore it and continue my scrupulous inspection of Pakistani jewelry when I hear a deep voice speak in Urdu. I look up and see the owners smiling at me, eyes wide open, expecting a reply. So after a good blush, I try to explain to them as best as I can that I'm not Pakistani and that I don't speak any Urdu. They, rather embarrassed, then tell me in their thick accent, "We're sorry! We just never thought you were Filipina!"

Little did I know this was to be only one of many instances where my nationality would be questioned!

Typical Filipina. It's something not usually attributed to me. For some reason, one look at me is enough to make people automatically switch to English just to talk to me from the vernacular (which I sort of don't mind since I'm more comfortable in English anyway!). For some reason, a very much overused question posed to me is "How do you find your holiday or stay in the Philippines?" In fact, I've even shocked a NAIA customs officer by the mere fact that my passport had "Passaporte Pilipinas" emblazoned on it!

My looks are certainly not typical Filipina. No, I may not have auburn hair and sparkling emerald eyes or something like our Caucasian cousins. But apparently, my jet, India ink black hair is too dark for a Filipina. My eyes are actually a deep shade of midnight blue, so deep it almost looks black (but with proper lighting you'd see the blue undertones). Then there's my high, protruding cheekbones --- a feature usually seen in our Arabic and Indian cousins. (So, I guess that explains the Urdu! Haha!)

But it doesn't stop there. My tastes are not very typical of a Filipina. The average Rihanna-listening, comedy-watching, Twilight-devouring Filipina girl might find my preferences too stuffy. My Norah Jones, Adele and 70's music-filled iPod is usually mistaken for my Dad's. My movie collection (most of which requires subtitles) leaves many people scratching their heads in confusion of why I like them. And my books? Gosh! Too long of a story to put here!

So with all of that non-conformity, it's pretty clear to see why even foreigners mistake me for a...well, foreigner. I mean even my primary language speaks of my being atypical (English, not Tagalog). I guess that means I'm not really that Filipina.

But wait a second? Is Rihanna really the sole basis of whether you're a Filipina or not? Can you be deemed a Filipina and still enjoy your Jean-Pierre Jeunet? Is nationalism really equivalent to conforming?

If you think about it, some of the people the Philippines considers most nationalistic aren't typical Filipino at all. Rizal spoke over 6 languages, atypical from the usual 2 (Spanish and Tagalog). Bonifacio relished in reading about the French revolution, a topic that wasn't really of interest during his time. No, I'm not saying that Filipino pop culture and taste is bad (That would just lose the subjectivity of art and culture.). I'm just saying that there's something more important to be considered in nationality: Love.

Love is what drove these people we now consider heroes to stand up and make a difference for the country. And it is what drives today's modern heroes to still stand up today. It is love that drives a Filipino to pick up the trash and throw it in the appropriate bin. It is love that drives a Filipino to follow traffic rules. It is love that drives a Filipino to help out in worthy causes. It is love that drives a Filipino to fulfill his responsibilities, aside from know his rights.

And yes, Filipinos can be brown or white skinned. And yes, Filipinos can be brown or blue-eyed. And yes, Filipinos can listen to Rihanna or Adele, watch Joey Reyes or Jean-Pierre Jeunet, be spoken to in Urdu or not!