The "Filipina" who is NOT on the advertisements

[aposhark]

I was replying to Piamed but my reply got too long so I thought it better to make a new thread.

I was wondering when Rochelyn & I are in Thailand soon, how many Thais will speak to Rochelyn as if she is a Thai herself.

However, when I am around the shops in the UK, I can always see Filipinas from a long way off. I think Filipinas have a very special certain look.

I mean the decendents of Malays, but I know there are many descendents from the Chinese in the Philippines also.

It is that nice Malay face but with the very distinctive Filipina mouth
I know all of us men love the look of our Filipina wives, fiancees or girlfriends.

I always found it shocking whilst in the Philippines how prevalent, especially in the advertisements on the billboards and on the TV, what shows the "ideal" - the very white skinned Chinese Filipina models.

I once met a Filipino store owner of Chinese descent, who told me he had married a Filipina too. When I questioned him further, he told me that the Filipinas from Malay stock were the "real Filipinas", yet from what I noticed in the media, the models seemed to paint a different picture as to the aspirations that commercial entities want to portray, and all the ladies there look up to their icons.
My wife's icon is Angel Locsin, once again, a model and actress from Chinese stock.

I was talking to a 14 year old Filipino boy in a store on Negros and he told me that although he had a "Filipina" girlfriend, he was looking for a "Chinese" as "they are better with money".
I just laughed at this, but I do think it so important when travelling to try to understand popular trends in different cultures.

In a way, I understood the boy's thinking as I once worked in many countries in Asia and the many businesses run by "Chinese" families attest to their business acumen.

Now, don't get me wrong as I also think Chinese ladies are very attractive, but personally, I prefer my "Filipina".

Her face is so special to me
I am often stopped dead in my tracks by her Filipina beauty.
Of course she has her own particular personality but there is something magical in the Filipina look, combined with their never-ending warmth of personality and spirit.

We're very lucky, us men with a Filipina love

[Piamed]

Her face is so special to me
I am often stopped dead in my tracks by her Filipina beauty.

You romantic you! I already replied on your other thread so won't bore people by repeating it here!

[aposhark]

Hi Piamed,

I suppose I should be thankful that it only costs me a small fortune is skin-white cream and various other products in the Philippines.

I worked in 13 West African countries and although I saw how the ladies hair styles changed over the years, I never saw whitening creams.
This could have been due to the fact that I was last there in the 1980's and that also many countries there were behind Europe and Asia in terms of beauty treatments then.

If a man falls for an African beauty these days, it sounds as though he better expect to pay a lot more than the "old" days.

It's good to be a man...........sometimes

[Piamed]

Hi Piamed,

I suppose I should be thankful that it only costs me a small fortune is skin-white cream and various other products in the Philippines.

I worked in 13 West African countries and although I saw how the ladies hair styles changed over the years, I never saw whitening creams.
This could have been due to the fact that I was last there in the 1980's and that also many countries there were behind Europe and Asia in terms of beauty treatments then.

If a man falls for an African beauty these days, it sounds as though he better expect to pay a lot more than the "old" days.

It's good to be a man...........sometimes

The product I always remember was Ambi. My aunties never traveled with out it. All had the characteristic light, patchy faces with a firm line of demarcation at neck level where their bodies appeared to be someone elses.

[scott&ligaya]

As Toks said the whole of South East Asia is obsessed with trying to be whiter, the sales of and advertisements for whitening products are enormous.

In the Phils of course as well as the Chinese and Malay factor there is the Spanish influence and many of the top 100 families that still run the country are from the old Spanish rule, just check out the senate for Spanish surnames and "linked" dynasties of father, son, daughter, wife, cousin etc.

Personally I like to see Ligaya with her skin darker but of course she gets told off by her mum and family if she goes home "dark". Crazy but true.

When we lived in Hong Kong many visiting mainland chinese would ask her directions in mandarin assuming she was Chinese, she also had the same thing happen with Thailanders.

When I first met her I would point out another girl in HK and say is she Filipina only to be told she is Indonesian. I guess I had that all Asians look alike viiew.

After several years I can usually distinguish between most nationalities and have come to appreciate the uniqueness of our lovely filipinas.

Enjoy Thailand

[ANDRES25]

It's funny i also experienced the same when my husband and I visited thailand last year. Most Thais talked to me and I replied in English saying I'm not Thai, I'm filipino... I was a bit annoyed because everyone thinks I'm Thai.. So when we went to visit the temples and foreigners had to pay 400 baht or something , I told my husband "just get one ticket , everyone thinks I'm Thai so I'm Thai for now,." I went to the queue of the locals and pretend I'm Thai ,and just imitated their bow and nobody found out ha ha ha! So we saved some money that day.... I know it was dishonest but we got really ripped off big time the other night so i thought it's pay back time. IT was fun and we really had a good laugh that day.

[acs]

I am often stopped dead in my tracks by her Filipina beauty.


you really are with your wifey aposhark.

[aposhark]

It's funny i also experienced the same when my husband and I visited thailand last year. Most Thais talked to me and I replied in English saying I'm not Thai, I'm filipino... I was a bit annoyed because everyone thinks I'm Thai.. So when we went to visit the temples and foreigners had to pay 400 baht or something , I told my husband "just get one ticket , everyone thinks I'm Thai so I'm Thai for now,." I went to the queue of the locals and pretend I'm Thai ,and just imitated their bow and nobody found out ha ha ha! So we saved some money that day.... I know it was dishonest but we got really ripped off big time the other night so i thought it's pay back time. IT was fun and we really had a good laugh that day.

That really had me laughing
I just love it when things like that happen.
I bet you had a problem trying not to laugh, especially if your husband was looking at you smiling

[aposhark]

I am often stopped dead in my tracks by her Filipina beauty.


you really are with your wifey aposhark.

Thanks acs

It is not just me. I saw an old man almost walk into a wall as she passed by him, on my last visit this year.
It is not that she wears clothes that are too sexy, it just seems to me that when she is out of the province where she dresses "simple" to stop any gossip, she really enjoys being her other self in the city, a chance to put on make-up and wear higher heels.
I really admire her for the way she "dresses down" on her island, she is so respectful there and wouldn't dream of offending anyone, especially her elders.
I really like it when we both go the "wheel" to wash, and all the things that a slower life in the province brings.

However, it is the moments in the bigger city that amuse me the most.
It is like watching an actress walking down the street.
I often get ignored by her (which is easy when you know me ) when she is in "Filipina Princess" mode. It is her elegant posture that is most noticeable.
Yes, she is easy to be smitten by..................
It's high time I skidaddled back over there............

[Geraldine]

Ohh enjoy your holiday in Thailand...wish to go there again but not til my boys are big enough, our last trip last Dec was a nightmare with 2 little kids and a pregnant lady! I as well experienced being mistaken for a Thai. They will speak to me then my husband will say in Thai that I am Filipino. They usually laugh and abit surprised bec my husband can converse in Thai while Im clueless what they talk about. In some tourist spots I was able to get in free by pretending to be a Thai national...I let my husband do the talking of course pretending he is practising to speak Thai :P

[aposhark]

Ohh enjoy your holiday in Thailand...wish to go there again but not til my boys are big enough, our last trip last Dec was a nightmare with 2 little kids and a pregnant lady! I as well experienced being mistaken for a Thai. They will speak to me then my husband will say in Thai that I am Filipino. They usually laugh and abit surprised bec my husband can converse in Thai while Im clueless what they talk about. In some tourist spots I was able to get in free by pretending to be a Thai national...I let my husband do the talking of course pretending he is practising to speak Thai :P

Thanks Geraldine,

Seems like a lot of you Filipinas use your Asian look to your advantage. LOL

[Mrs.JMajor]

You know what Mike,

you are really such.......................


.



..................................................sweet person ( sweet husband for Rochelyn)

[aposhark]

You know what Mike,

you are really such.......................

Thanks Juliet, Blush

[Jay&Zobel]

In Filipino movies or TV soap operas (or even in real life)

Filipinas with:
Fair and whiter skin are the "stars" of the show or The rich & the famous; The one who stands out
Dark skinned/tanned/morenas are the villains or The poor, the servants; The unpopular

How cruel is that? lol...




P.S.
I used whitening products once in my lifetime (peer pressure) coz I wanted to "fit-in" ... lol (who pinay here with dark complexion did not?)... but when I met my husband - my mentality changed hehehe... and I am loving my true Pinay colour... ...

[irobot]

Irobot ..." Sunny... Different From The Rest..."

Hi Poshark.... I too like Chinese women as well as Philippine I think it is the high cheek bones ..... but beauty is skin deep and Love comes from your heart as you know....but yes it is like being a blonde in Asia every one likes or wants what is not the norm...

When I was in Thailand I went down for breakfast and no seats available and a British guy said come sit with us so I did, I ordered my brekkie and we started to chat he said how do you like my wife I said she is very pretty and has she got any sisters for me thinking she is Thai and could not understand me... lucky enough I never said anything too rude ....smiles... but the joke was well and truly on me as she was Philippine and spoke very good English after perhaps 10 minutes of silence to my horror... a lesson learned.....Phil...