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Filipinos. In the Philippines I met Filipinos. Well, actually I didn't really meet them personally, I didn't introduce myself, never bantered, or make any acquaintances or even go away with any names... but more observed. Im passive, things typically have to come to me... so naturally observing is more my thing. But what you watch is actually kinda sometimes better. Because these are types of Filipinos I've never met before. Some of which I never imagined I would. And by that, I mean not all together at the same time. Welcome to Boracay, the biggest mix of filipinos from every socio-cultural-economic background. Good times.

What we got: the overseas rich Filipino, the super yaman (rich) local Filipino, the poor local Filipino (throw a rock and you can hit one 99% of the time), the middle class local filipino, the balikbayan filipino (like my parents... ones that moved away and live abroad), Fil-Am and Fil-Can twenty thirty somethings from all over the US and some Canada who cant speak tagalog (ones like me, my brothers and sisters), the spoiled kid versions for Fil-Am / Fil-Can, the gorgeous halfers ( soft spot for the female variety of this group), the not so gorgeous halfers (like what the? how? 90% of mixes are good looking... never really considered the 10% that arent), the rich young Manila super maarte Filipinos speaking in a wierd Manila-style English, the middle class young Manila even more maarte Filipinos speaking in an even worse Manila-style English, the filipino women with old white husbands (throw a rock and you can hit on 99.999% of the time), the filipino men with blonde girlfriends (my brother... and thats pretty much it) and of course the French Filipinos going to the International school in Manila, of which one Manny said he thought looked like Jessica Biel, but happen to suck in Volleyball. Those ones were disorienting, because there was like a big group of them, they all looked part Filipino, but they like had French accents? And swore by saying yelling 'Merde'? But told us that the out of bounds lines was by the tsinelas? Who are these people...

As gorgeous as Boracay by itself is, one of the truly most beautiful places I have ever been, this mix dynamic was probably the most interesting aspect of it. To me anyways. It blew me away that there were all these Flips from around the world that you could probably relate to so easily, only if I pipped up and talked to them more than I did. Oh well. More photos coming soon.

Glossary:

Maarte (tagalog)- Overacting / Overly Dramatic.
Tsinelas ( tagalog) - Flipflops
Merde (french) - Shit

Too late..

The Ultimate signs of blogger sloth:

1) Not posting. Like hardly ever.

2) Making excuses for not posting.

3) Using Videos and Pictures instead of writing.

By that count I have struck out this month. A big Bo Jackson type whiffff, the kind where you swing so hard and and miss with such velocity and power that the bat breaks on your overly muscled back on the follow thru. At the very least I give good analogies.

So wheres the Videos and Pics then? Below. The Pics I can take credit for, but the videos I cant. Manny did those, and did a full-stop bang up sweet tits job, he managed to create something really spectacular, seriously its something fierce. (Good job Manny)

Pictures are below the videos are Boracay. Tomorrow, hopefully there should be more pics from the other places of the philippines along with stories this time. Until then...



ABECIA CHRISTMAS 2007


ABECIA NEW YEARS 2008


VACATION CLOSING 2008

Crossing the line

Um... Im doing something questionable and maybe unethical. Im posting while in a meeting at work, a product workshop where account managers and senior engineers from the US and Canada come all the way here to Ireland for a 2 day session on strategy for 2008. And heres me blogging, arent I sooo awesome. This is the brilliance of WIFI. People actually think Im doing work or taking notes.

Something I always wanted to try.. and I shoulnt press my luck any further than this. I should cut this short, and not expand anywhere close to 200 words. So not so badass of me... only a 2 minute distraction. Back to the business at hand soon.

Ill write again soon to satisfy Mike and update on the Philippines trip. I promise, loads to talk about cuz it was good (even though that promise is probably not worth the html code I write on)

Be back soon. Happy New Year.