Want to know just how Filipino you are? Take this quiz to rate your Filipinoness. You might just be surprised at the results!
Scoring: Give yourself 3 points if you can relate to the following characteristics yourself, 2 points if it relates to an immediate family member (mom or dad) and 1 point if you know of someone who has the characteristic.
Post your score in the comment section.
(more…)What is a Tabo? Pronounced tah-bow, a close translation to English would be a water dipper. They tend to vary from the standard plastic dish with a long handle to a small cup or other water holding container.
In a Filipino household a Tabo is often used in place of toilet paper, and for many non-Filipino visitors this may be an item of mystification. While toilet paper is usually available, you will typically find a Tabo next to large bucket or Timba (tim-bah) sitting within reach of the toilet. Don’t let this frighten you because now you will know what it is and shortly you will know how to use it! The Tabo is essentially a manual bidet.
To start off, go about and get your business taken care of. “Drop the kids off at the pool”, “Take the Browns to the Superbowl”, “Back the big brown motorhome out of the garage, “Free your chocolate hostages” or what ever term you use. Once you are done pumping a clump of dump out of your rump you are ready to use the Tabo.
(more…)Originally a 2 part article which I have condensed into one article. This article is about my grandpa, Eulalio Arzaga Sr, who currently lives in Killeen Texas.
FILIPINO SCOUTS MET JAPANESE INVASION
By MARK BROADAWAY Killeen Daily Herald
We’re the battling bastards of Bataan;
No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam;
No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces;
No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces.
… And nobody gives a damn.
Those grim words became the battle cry of former Filipino Scout Eulalio “Eli” Arzaga of Killeen, who helped defend the mountainous peninsula of Bataan for 14 weeks during the Japanese invasion of the Philippine island of Luzon.
With an empty stomach and sick body, his mind tortured by the strain of fighting with the knowledge that all hope of aid from the outside was gone, Arzaga fought until overwhelmed by hunger and disease.
“Beriberi swelled my face until I could hardly see,” recalled Arzaga, who joined the elite 26th Cavalry Regiment in March 1938.” By the time (Maj. Gen. Jonathan) Wainwright surrendered, I had the chills and my entire body was numb.”
Here is a list or signs that will help you identify if you are at a Filipino Party. Feel free to comment and add any observances you may have to help others identify if they are indeed kickin’ it at a Pinoy Party. ~You’re an hour late and there’s still Read more…
Last week I received word of an award winning author from the Philippines coming to National City to give a talk. I was intrigued not some much that a Filipino author was coming to town as I was in knowing more about his book, now in its 9th printing, entitled Read more…
Tisoy. For many of you this probably the first time you hear of the word Tisoy. You are probably thinking to yourself, WTF is a Tisoy? Tisoy is a Tagalog (Filipino) word describing someone who is of mixed race. In my case, Filipino and Scottish. For many bi-racial and multi-racial Read more…