AMoores

I had another one of those serendipitous moments again where one thing just leads to another and somehow they all are interconnected one way or another. First, I found the YouTube video above quite by accident as I was checking my YouTube account. I love art and I love the song Bayan Ko which is the background music. That song always brings tears to my eyes and combined with the beautiful images from the famed Filipino artist, Fernando Amorsolo, it just filled my heart with pride. Yes, I am Filipino through and through.

I know I am Filipino all the way through without even taking this little quiz that I found on Francesca’s blog which asks, Are You a True Filipino? But I thought it would be a fun exercise to do this meme anyway. So here it goes…

Take this quiz if you want to know just how Filipino you are: (my answers in bold)

1. You can speak Filipino - YES and Ilocano too (that’s another dialect)
2. Whenever necessary, you take the hand of an elder relative and pat the back of the palm of that hand to your forehead and say “mano po”. This is a sign of respect that I still feel compelled to do with elders when I am back home. Here in the U.S. though, this practice has been replaced with a hug or a kiss on the cheek.
3. You know “bayanihan” and had witnessed it personally at least once. YES! Bayanihan is when a community comes together to help an individual. This is similar to the ‘barn raising’ practice that used to be common here in the U.S.
4. You’ve seen a bahay kubo at least once. YES, my grandparents lived in one! Bahay Kubo is the traditional Filipino home in rural areas, made of straw.
5. You’ve ridden on a jeepney at least five times. YES. When we lived in Baguio, I used to take the jeepney all over the place!
6. You have separate clothes for in-house and outside use (pambahay at panglakad). YES. To this day, when I get home I take off my work clothes and put on my pinay duster. That’s a brightly printed loose dress that I get direct from the divisoria, compliments of my mom and lola.
7. You’ve eaten adobo, dinuguan, kakanin, tuyo, dilis. YES and many more.
8. Your meal is incomplete if without rice. YES! I am like that V8 commercial when I don’t get my rice. Just not right.
9. You hear Sunday masses and attend Misa de Gallo with your family. I’ve been, but we don’t practice it anymore. Not that there would be somewhere to go here even if I wanted to.
10. You can sing “Lupang Hinirang” very well, with no lines missed. This is the Philippine National Anthem and sadly, no I don’t know all the verses beyond “Bayang Magiliw…”
11. You don’t care donning ragged and torn clothes exclusively for use inside home. YES. My most comfortable house clothes are ragged and torn
12. You have bought items in a “sari-sari store” at least ten times. I used to when I was growing up. We don’t have sari-sari stores here.
13. You have played patintero, tumbang preso and piko during your childhood; YES to all the childhood games, and like Francesca, often by moonlight too.
14. You can sing at least five OPM songs, and know what OPM means. OPM? YES to Original Pinoy Music!
15. You know the Philippine presidents from the year of your birth onwards. YES since Marcos dominated the first half, it’s easy to remember the rest.
16. You have witnessed “balagtasan” at least thrice. YES, and in Ilocano too. This used to be a traditional event in fiestas and other celebrations. How about zarsuelas… you remember those?
17. You’ve been recounted with stories involving aswang, tikbalang, manananggal, nuno sa punso. YES. My aunts’ favorite past time.
18. You’ve been read, have read or have heard Filipino legends (Ang Alamat ng…)ng Pinya, yung si rosa na di makita pinahahanap ng nanay niya? Then yung nanay niya nag wish, na sana dumami mata mo! YES. My lola and aunts were the best story tellers and the creation stories were my favorite.
19. You’ve lived, stayed or visited Philippine places other than your city or town at least seven times. YES. Visited… I only lived in three places while growing up in the Philippines: Baguio, La Union, and Sagunto.
20. You’ve visited local (or public) wet market at least five times. YES. And I still love going to open markets because it always reminded me of home.
21. You have heard guys trying to sing Englebert Humperdink songs on a karaoke machine. Ano yun? YES. My dad was one of them. lol!
22. Your main means of expressing anger is tampo. NO. This is one trait that didn’t stick.
23. You eat with your hands or use your fork and spoon together. YES to all.
24. You visit home taking with you a few balikbayan boxes. lol! YES

Francesca’s additions:
25. You visit home town and start to say english with full fake slang to all your neighbors, family and friends, in bathrobe and highheels house shoes… (may kilala akong ganun), lol
NO, thank goodness. Actually, when we went home last year, my Filipino/Ilocano came back to me with a vengeance as soon as I started to talk. So much so that someone commented behind my back, “are you sure she grew up in the U.S.?” hehe!
26. You drink your hot coffee with the teaspoon on it. NO. Only black and strong now
27. You are joining Paluwagan. NO. I’m actually not sure kung ano ang paluwagan. Para bang hueteng? hehe!

MY 3 additional QUESTIONS:
28. Does the song Bayan Ko bring tears to your eyes? YES. See the video above.
29. Do you have Bagoong or Patis in your cupboard? YES! can’t live without them
30. and the ultimate benchmark, Do you have a picture of the Last Supper or wooden Fork and Spoon on your wall or, as in my case, your mom’s house? just thought I’d throw that stereotype out there

Here’s the gauge to tell how Filipino you are:
———————————————-
19 - 20 = The Filipino blood, spirit and flame burns intensely in you. You are the typical Filipino, who takes pride of your nationality.
15 - 18 = You are proud of your being Filipino and that the traits unique to most Filipinos live in you.
11 - 14 = You are the Filipino who, even adopting strongly the cultures of other nations, still you dont forget the old ways of the Filipino life.
7 - 10 = The Filipino culture has little by little been forgotten by you. You need to at least try some of the items mentioned.
4 - 6 = The Filipino culture has substantially faded in you, or that you have not been exposed to the true, authentic traits of being a Filipino.
1 - 3 = You’re a Filipino, only that you may have not been born and raised in the Philippines and had not lived up or been accustomed to the ways of Filipino living.
0 = You’re not a Filipino.

———————————————-
My score, 19 ! Told you I was Filipino through and through!

How about you, would you like to test your ‘Filipinoness’?

If you are Filipino and read this, then you are tagged!

This does not prompt you to repost this quiz, however it would be better if you did. You have to add at least three items to the quiz, and you should tag a dozen people after your post. There are a lot of unique Filipino traits and I don’t see any reason why you can’t think of three of them. Do not copy the listed items; provide/make your own and add them to the list above. Let’s see how long the list can get.

I don’t think I have quite a dozen to tag specifically, but I’ll tag these Filipino Expats:
Mari in California
Nance in New York
Chesca the Exskindiver - she owes me a meme
Meeya the Domesticated Party Girl who I think is now in Texas?
Tin of PinayHekmi who is also in Texas

Have fun!