Beside the two men was a little Filipina who looked the same age of the son. She stood not even shoulder height to me and might've weighed 110 soaking wet. It was obvious that they were there to process a fiancee visa for her. I hoped for her sake that she was marrying the son, for at least he was much closer to her age, tall, somewhat handsome, and didn't seem as aggressive as the dad... but no, she was marrying the dad.
I know this because while we were talking to the information officer - a Filipino like all the employees on the exterior of the embassy - he tromped up and angrily demanded to be let into the embassy. The officer told him that he cannot let him in yet, and the dad got even angrier and louder: "I'm an American and you cannot keep me out of MY embassy! I demand an interview for my wife!" I'd seen this type of conduct many times before by my fellow sailors who would speak derisively of non-whites in foreign countries - and these same sailors would never say anything bad about the Australians because they're Just Like Us. Anyway, the Filipino officer was eventually able to calm the guy down and get him to wait off to one side. Later I approached the officer and in Pilipino apologized for the other American's conduct. But the real victim is the Filipina, for if she is a mail-order bride as she seems to be, she has no conception of what awaits her. I feel deeply sorry for her - he'll never bring her happiness. He - like too many of my fellow Americans - has no concept of right conduct.
Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's unreasonable to expect my fellow Americans to treat smaller, browner people with the same respect they'd expect for themselves. But it still ticks me off to see such utter disrespect, such blatant arrogance by those who hail from a country whose founding document reads that it is self-evident that all men are created equal.
On to better topics! I made the mistake of inviting my family to a nice beach this coming Monday (a national holiday). I don't know what I was thinking, because I'd first assumed that it would just be a few family members. Problem is, I'd forgotten that if A is invited and B isn't, B will be insulted and so will C, D, and E through Z. That's why, instead of paying for taking five or six family members to the beach, now it's 40. Yes, I'm paying for taking 40 family members to the beach. Call me Ali Baba. What's funny is that these 40 are ONLY my wife's siblings and their spouses and children and grandchildren. Only one cousin is invited (our maid). If I invited the cousins, well, then we're talking three digits. Seriously.
Article comments
1 - STM
Yeah, nice one Glenn. Glad to see Oz get a mention too :)
You are right, of course, generally about the right behaviour of most Filipinos. Reason: Catholicism and the importance the latin culture from whence it comes places on family ties.
I wish my kids would just pull back a bit sometimes and think about their behaviour. They have everything here and don't realise how lucky they are to live in a wealthy, developed country like Australia, but to hear them sometimes, you'd think they had nothing. Perhaps it's just a Gen Y thing, but it is a worry and I know from acquaintances and friends in the US and the UK that they are experiencing identical problems with their kids.
Also, the beach holiday. Is it that place north of Manila that Filipinos rave about, which also has surf??
2 - jeannie danna
so bittersweet...I applaud you for moving out of this spoiled brats land...and you son sounds like a real gentleman, Glenn.
In your link, did people actually stay in their cars for nine days? I would have had trouble with ten minutes!