PILIPINAS KONG MAHAL... On Julia Cambell and the foreign troops lovin' RP...

Whenever I hear some foreigners affirming our country, loving our Pinoy dishes and exclaiming the beauty and environmental treasures of the Philippines, I couldn't help but smile from Mercury to Pluto.... Yep I ultimately admit, I have this big smile plastered on my face... eh sa natutuwa ako eh!! Hehehehehe!! There are 3 situations that I'd like to share, which made me smile:
1) After watching a few episodes of PBB and the housemate swap scenario (yeah I watch PBB... it's nice eh... and take note, my folks even subscribed the PBB24/7... call them tube addicts but I'm glad that they find joy in watchin the show), I found it amazing that Tina embraced our culture with open arms, even it was just for a week. It was seen on her face that she really had a great time learning about the Philippines, even if it was just in the four corners of Kuya's house. =)

2) When I was in Bangkok, I met Akiko (a Japanese HR consultant based in China) and Yee Hwee (Data Analyst from Singapore). Akiko shared that she visited the Philippines and went to Boracay with her college friends. She said that Boracay's the ultimate paradise, with the clear water and white powdery sand, she just fell in love with it. She also said that she wants to go back to Bora with her husband. Yee Hwee exhuberantly commented on our famous dessert: the buko pie. When she tasted it for the first time, she loved it so much, she even forgot her name (Hehe exagg pero parang ganun na nga). It was so funny the way she said it, but she was like (in her Chinese accent) "Hey Gladys, when you go here to Singapore, you bring lots and lots of buko pies.... and when I go there to the Philippines, bring me to Boracay!" Hahahahaha!! So patay patay tayo sa baggage check-in when I bring her 100 boxes of buko pies. =)

3) My friend sent me the link to Julia Campbell's blog (http://juliainthephilippines.blogspot.com/). As I read her journal entries about her immersion in the Philippines, I couldn't help but cry incessantly. I've never seen so much love pouring out from this yankee. She loved our country so much: the places she visited, the dishes she tried, the families she interacted with and the "only-in-the-Philippines" culture she encountered. Too bad she died in a tragic way. If she's still alive, I would love to meet her and share my thoughts and aspirations about our country.

These are just a few moments on how these foreign troops love anything and everything about the Philippines. So is there a challenge from all these things? YES. What's our challenge? Keep on loving our country and have faith, even if current circumstances are pretty f****d up. When I hear people say that Philippines has become a God-forsaken country, I'd still have a positive disposition and would usually say "hey, it may be s****y, but there are still so many good things about our country."

I may be an apathetic citizen (guess who hasn't registered yet and hasn't practiced suffrage for the past 7 years.... hehehe!) of this country and have become so cynical with Philippine politics, but I have sworn to myself that I will keep on portraying as the Ambassador of Goodwill and be proud about the Philippines.

If these foreigners see the goodness of our country, so can we! MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT... oohhh yeeeahhhh!!! (makikibaka ba ang aking dating dito??? hihihihi)