“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.”

This morning while reading online articles and news as a weekend habit sipping my favorite instant coffee in NANGINGIBAW slogan made creamy by it's PERFECT MATE na nakaka CREMEME ang sarap stirred in my favorite coffee mug from the middle east in a very popular coffee shop around the world with a green mermaid logo. Ahhh...What an intro! I want to be funny here 'coz the topic below is quite serious.

Seriously, after reading this article written by a certain writer called RAUL DANCEL a Filipino writer/correspondent of THE STRAIT TIMES Singapore assigned in Manila, wrote an article entitled Backhome in Manila, and feeling out of place.

Negative criticisms made the article and this person popular in social platforms. I would like to keep mum on the issues raised by Raul having lived outside the country for seven years and loving the kind of life in Singapore but sorry, I just can't.  I have no personal issues comparing Singapore and the Philippines. Yes, Singapore is a beautiful, disciplined country and very strict as well. I have visited the country years ago and I have liked it and the same with Raul, I made a comparison between SG and PH. I even thought of  living and working there because it is peaceful, secure and efficient transport system. 

I have made an analysis and dissected  every issue raised by him about the Philippines and I am not surprised about my findings and conclusions. Almost everyone if not all  in the world knows about the Philippines. The corruption, the poverty level, the slums of Manila, the traffic and pollution, what else? Help me identify. On the other hand,  we are known to be happy people, accommodating, friendly, always smiling despite tragedies and natural calamities we have suffered. We are known as well as good singers, artists and the likes. The beautiful beaches, mountains made us famous too! The workforce behind multi-million/billion dollar companies prefers Filipinos because we are trustworthy, diligent, hard-working, English language proficient, love and care for humanity and family oriented. OMG! there's a lot more! Needless to mention.

Now, let me go back to my analysis. People, I am not surprised too about Raul's observation of the Philippines. For God's sake! You have already lived almost half of your lifetime in Philippines and you have a first hand knowledge and have spent everyday of your life in the Philippines. As you said, you grew up here and for sure you have been exposed to our way of life. I am not saying that a way of life should remain unchanged. Of course, we want our people, our country to be progressive and disciplined as any other model society. What I am pointing out is the way to have written your article. A reader would assume you as a total stranger having lived first time in Manila. 

The issue about Raul is not the issue of the Philippines as a country but of it's people. My Analysis is about Raul's behaviour. How he has changed and how he imbibed the culture and way of life in Singapore in a short seven years. I was laughing at his judgement and I pity him for his ignorance about the Philippine history and Singapore. Seems he has lost his intelligence having lived outside for seven years. It has become his issue about the English terminologies used in Singapore such as Loo, Lift, Take Away and the likes. To refresh your knowledge, Raul, the Philippines is using American English terms. Be mindful that Singapore was a British Colony and the people are accustomed to  British English terms as the government have retained  the spelling and grammar and forming it as part and basis for SSE or Standard Singapore English.

The issue is your behaviour Raul. I am not convinced with the part of your article stating "Manila may have its warts and quirks, but when I take a step back, I know that these are precisely what makes the place interesting. It’s not Singapore, I know that too."  This is just to sugar coat your blunder. Your main reason of writing such an article is to highlight how you have changed. How you wish people especially your reader would perceive you as someone who is more knowledgeable and perhaps different from the rest of us. I FIND IT SO STUPID and ARROGANT of you using British term ordering from a local KFC store and so proud to write  you had to say "take-away" three more times before you finally accepted take-out. You were not born British, man!  Im just curious, you did not use the word "PARCEL" as it is widely used as well in Singapore by Indians and understood generally.  

Honestly, I do not know what he meant by culture shock. How can you suffer culture shock when it is your own culture? It's arrogance for that matter. I have been away as well for seven years and have never felt culture shock when I returned home. No matter how long and far you have gone, once you are home you will never feel like a stranger. That is  the best feeling anyone one could ever get once they have returned. As they say, Home is where the Heart is.