Sometime ago, I had a (very) good laugh while chatting on the phone with my Filipina friend, who’s currently in New York City.
We started as second-year high school classmates. The friendship continued until our university years (both undergrad & grad). We both took business-related courses, so we were classmates in some of our minor subjects. We shared some silly fun together.
I say – my birth date plays a major role for us to keep in touch with each other. Why? My birthday is also her birthday. This fact has kept our bond for more than fifteen years. So every year, we greet each other.
Back to the original story – my friend shared to me about her shopping galore in some expensive NY boutiques. I said, “So, you are a typical Filipino now” out of the blue. I did not know if she got offended or not, but she just uttered, “No, I am not!”. At this time, I was already grinning at the end of the line. In reply, I said “Why? What is a typical Filipino to you living here?‘. She did not really define it to me, but we just kinda’ read each other’s mind. We just laughed at the idea that she kinda knew what I mean without saying it verbatim.
What is a typical Filipino in the USA? Leave it to your imagination. I have an opinion, but I rather keep it to myself. Sharing it will do me no good.
