One filipino commented to me once ” we are all brown “, and I replied, Not brown, but ” natural ” for this part of the world and that is what I really think about it. Americans are from so may different backgrounds it is a wonder others would consider that we all look alike but I guess that may depend on what the observer is looking at. Complexion, fashion, hair color, overweight, underweight, height, stance, gestures etc. Speech can of course many times be a give away as to where someone may be from although we have different accents in different parts of the USA as well.

I think if anything that may have captured my attention more than anything else is a stereotype that ” All ” Americans are ” wealthy ”

One of the most important things to me in visiting a far away land is in seeing how average people live and things involved in their daily life that differ from ours and with the friends I had made in the Philippines before I went there, this allowed me to see things on a first hand basis. This gives me a better understanding of why many people in the Phiippines get the impression that everyone in the USA is wealthy. One thing I feel many there may not understand is the cost of living here as compared to there. Some of my Filipino friends gasped when I described the cost of things here and that gave them a better understanding of why it appears that we get more money in our pay checks. Most Americans are far from being wealthy but then again that is a relative term subject to a finer definition than you will find in any dictionary. Since visiting the Philippines however and having the privlidge of making so many friends there it does give me a much better perspective of how they feel All Americans are wealthy. I wouldn’t go quite that far but I can easily see that we are much better off in most cases.

Another item I informed my Filipino friends is that many people here buy so many things on Credit and some get so far into debt with credit cards they may never get out of debt. You can not always get an indication of someones financial worth by the things they appear to own, an individual here could have bought it all on credit and spend the next 10 years or more to pay it off.

Another area that I think gives an inaccurate impression and this would apply to many countries, is TV programs, many of which I feel are far removed from average everyday America ( if there really is such a thing ) . SOmetimes you have to take a step back and consider everything you see on a screen is not reality. These days I guess the same could be applied to the Internet as well, not everything you see or everything you read is absolute fact. it may only be someone elses impression of something.

SPeaking for myself and from my own and possibly so far limited exposure to being in the Philippines I was well recieved, respected and looked out for by friends and acquaintences. Even those I dealt with in stores, recreation areas, dining and drinking establishments and hotels I can not remember one occourance of feeling I was being treated as someone from ” out of town ” .

One of the most memorable examples of this was at a ” restobar ” near the hotel I stayed at. Almost every night my friends and I gathered there as it provided an ideal place to relax and enjoy our company with food, drink and hours of pleasant and interesting conversation. After the second night, the staff member at the entrance recognized me. I was greeted with a warm smile and a handshake which I feel was genuine as I dont think they did that to everyone that entered the place. These are reasons I am planning on returning for future visits to the Philippines. I don’t need to see the whole country in its entirety, when I find a place that I like and feel welcomed to, I like to go back to that kind of place.

As far as Military personell all looking the same ? Sure if they are all in uniform and viewed from a certain distance under certain conditions, maybe they could ” all look the same ” but then again that could apply to alomst any military I would think.

Well..a lots been said about this subject already in here, and I don’t want to get too political about this, but just seems to be simple ignorance on the behalf of one politician. Who I guess seems to resent US intervention in his country still. But that is ok…we are use to that here in USA. I for one am glad that the USA steps up to help other countries when in need, and I am sure that this politician is very happy when other countries come to the aide in their times of need. But I guess they expect us to just leave when a crisis is over.
My grandfather during WWII, was wounded for the first time in late August 1944 while his Army unit was taking the port city of Brest, France. Paris had just been liberated from the Germans, and he was sent to a hospital just outside of Paris. In late September 1944, before he was to be sent back to his outfit..which was now in the Schnee Eifel on the front along Germany, he went to Paris for a 3 day pass. The parisians were already wanting the Americans to go home…most were very rude to him. This was at a time when there were still Germans holding French soil…lol. So I guess the USA will never be totally appreciated is what I am saying, and I guess that acceptance from other countries is not always needed. I guess we know we are doing good..and the best we can. I am not talking about Iraq, I know we have alterior(sic) motives for being there, and not to just get rid of a tyrannical government there…if we were just there for that..we would be involved in 100’s of wars all over this world. I am talking more of the humanitarian efforts we give to other countries…during natural disasters and efforts like that.
Ok..I have rambled enough about this…going to work now..salamat to you all there.

ang inyo ng higala,
Danny

What do you expect from the philippine politician? you’ve been here long enough to know that!

anyways, i think one of the reason why there are some filippinos think that americans are all the same is that they are not well expose to see american in their daily life particularly in a remote areas. and when they say “they all look the same” i think they meant it literally and not to insult them.

I’ve been dealing with different nationalities everyday, american, australian, britisn, swedish etc..etc.. of course they don’t look the same to me but looking at them at a far distance, to me they look white not particularly an american, i can only guess their nationalities when they speak.