MY NAME IS APE

Forest Adventure Park, Subic Bay,  Olongapo City, Zambales

I've been trying to recollect more memories and experiences growing up as a Filipino-Chinese girl in Singapore but I found it hard to write a follow up to my previous entry cuz my memory fails me... gosh, and I'm only 28! I might possibly have goldfish memory.

And also, I would like to add that I'm REALLY, REALLY HAPPY to know that Part 1 was an entertaining read to many! How can I top my own article? Tsk tsk, the pressure I give myself.

Whatever! You will read what I give you, reader!

"I heard 95% of Filipinos can sing really well. You MUST sing really well, then!"

Congratulations! You're the luckiest person to have met me cuz you've just met a rare gem!!

I'm the 5% who can't!

Karaoke sessions with new friends and colleagues always involve being forced to take on songs by Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and the likes. I politely decline because I would like to preserve my dignity and spare their eardrums but they always throw this at me, "Nonsense! I'm sure you're just being humble. I'm pretty sure you're a power-belter. Come on, just one song."

Everyone thinks they know better than me.

Well.... it's not like I didn't give enough warning. To quote my friend and former colleague, Adam, "April, you weren't kidding when you said you can't sing." I'm absolutely sure he kept the second part "please don't ever sing again" to himself.

"Do you know how to sing Anak?"

This was a very common question in the 90s when Freddie Aguilar's song was making its rounds outside of the Philippines. The new generation know nothing about folk classics so I don't get asked about it much nowadays.

To answer the question, yes, I know the song. Yes, I can sing the song. But no, I can't sing it well. See point above, hahahaha.

By the way, if you want to know more about the song, here's the Wikipedia page. Apparently, it's been translated to 26 languages! I knew there's an English version but 26 languages! That's kind of a big deal! Here's the original Tagalog version, you can search for the different translations on YouTube - they're everywhere.


"Do you eat balut?"

YES, OF COURSE!!!!

Well, sort of.

See..... I do eat it, but I eat around it. I drink the soup, I eat the egg white, and sometimes the hard white part. Everything but the chick. I just can't seem to make myself eat the whole thing. I know it's pretty unfair cuz I FORCED Ian to eat it when we were in Boracay. I was being all bossy and forceful about it like "Oh, come on! Everyone here eats this like it's just a potato chip." Hahahaha!

I'm sorry, Ian. I know you still love me anyway. BBWAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

The Bora beach life with Ian.

"Have you been to Boracay/Palawan/Davao/insert place here? What can you tell me about it?"

I am not Lonely Planet. Until recently, my answer to this has always been "I'm a tourist in my own country." Dude, the Philippines is a HUGE country with like 7,107 islands. I understand people would like to get some first hand travel stories but I don't really travel to anywhere outside of Manila often cuz I can't seem to save up enough monies.

A big yay this year cuz I finally got to go to Boracay for my family vacay - so that's one off the long list! But if you'd like to find out more about Philippine travel destinations, your best bet would be TripAdvisor, and not me.

"You're Filipino-Chinese, you must be rich."

Most commonly asked by taxi drivers after asking me if I'm sure I'm Filipino cuz I'm so fair. First they focus on the Filipino part "Why are you so fair?", then they focus on the Chinese part "Your family must be rich in the Philippines!"

Yes, we are rich because we have each other.

And love is all we need.

BA DUM TSSS!!