You’d be amazed by how many people I’ve met that have absolutely no idea where the Philippines is. I myself am astonished and honestly, flat-out insulted by how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of the question “Is that near America?” You’d think that they would know a little something about geography. At least get the continent right. It’s in Asia! And no, it doesn’t snow in the Philippines; when does it ever snow on the equator?

I’m nearly at my wits end, and have lost almost all patience for people who think Filipinos are somehow cut off from the rest of the world and effectively know no english. I probably get complimented on my “impeccable english” as often as I am asked whether we have malls and cinemas. Frankly, I like our malls and cinemas better. They’re bigger. Forget we’ve found ourselves listed under the heading Third World Countries, we have the biggest malls – complete with an ice-skating rink! Can anyone say onli in da Philippines =) And then, when the same people continue what I can only describe as prying and find out I have an English father, you can actually see it in their faces and hear it in their voices that they’ve decided that’s the sole reason why I speak fluent english. The nerve! Heck, millions of Filipinos can speak better english and with proper grammar (not using me instead of my; for instance, “my coat” instead of “me coat”) than these people do.

I am by no means saying that the entire population of the United Kingdom exhibits such behaviour because they do not. In fact, only few of them do. (But frankly, people do tend to mildly obsess over the not-so-nice things that you experience. At least I clearly do.) In the same way, I am not in any way saying they should start using my. It sounds sweet really how they use me (especially if the one talking possesses that oh so delightful, honey-filled Irish accent), but when I hear the whole speech – for the nth time – about how Filipinos surprisingly can speak english so well (surprisingly is the keyword here), I feel myself filling up with something we call Filipino pride, the Cebuano strain =) (Admittedly, we are more vicious and aggressive than the rest of the Filipino population when provoked – kind of silent but deadly. You’ve only got to think of how the great maritime explorer Ferdinand Magellan was mercilessly killed on the shores of Mactan by Lapu-Lapu and his men), and find myself hit with a full dose of nationalism that infects you with the desire to stand up for your country (The question is whether to do a Bonifacio or a Rizal. I’m clearly going with a Rizal right now. =)). I get this unwavering urge to open my mouth and articulate the monologue I’ve rehearsed in my head many times over about how it is simply unforgivable and downright impudent to imply that the entire Filipino population is not well educated. I completely understand the maybe some people just don’t know. But it’s not what they say that bothers me as much as how they say it. I would be completely fine if only these people were genuinely interested and not one bit condescending.

Arrogance is, I think, substantiation of ignorance (And I have come to realize ignorance is not bliss. At least it isn’t when you really think about it.). I know it is unfathomable for someone to know everything and that there will always be things that you will have absolutely no clue about (Just like I have absolutely no clue about politics, and I don’t think I ever will.), but as long as you don’t pompously flaunt all that you know – especially when no one asks – and consider those who don’t know what you know as belonging to a substandard group, then it’s all okay. People simply know different things. I, for instance, am intellectually inclined to physics and maths; that’s what I like, what I choose to learn, what I enjoy. However, I know only what is considered general knowledge about human anatomy. Ask me what MCL stands for and I wouldn’t know. (Well, actually I do now since I googled it – three cheers for google! It’s the medial collateral ligament.) But then ask me what CERN is the acronym of and I’ll tell you. (It’s European Organization for Nuclear Research. I know what you’re thinking: where’s the C?) Again, people simply know different things. And accepting that prevents developing a superiority complex, which is by no means attractive. On the contrary, it is rather repulsive.

I was talking with my friends about this earlier today (At Starbucks! Oh, and with Junjun’s pee-tasting mango flavoured drink.) and one of them (Eric, that’s you!) said exactly what I’ve been trying to put into words. He said that although we, Filipinos, spend a lot of our time complaining about everything from our government to the traffic, and even the heat (!), when we leave the country, we understand that the Philippines is our home. This is what I’ve come to realize. Nevermind that the crazy CITOM guy is manning the traffic again, or that the woman at the register at National Bookstore asked you to line up at another counter – after standing in line for nearly 10 minutes – because she has no change, or that the jeepney overtook you and then stops in the middle of the road right after to let passengers on and off, or that the pirated DVD you just bought doesn’t work (100 pesos down the drain!). At the end of the day, it’s home. Dorothy was right, there’s no place like home. And I doubt there ever will be.