Since When Is The Miss Universe An Exam For English Class?

Shamcey Supsup's answer to her final question wasn't bad. It was nowhere bad. In fact, it's gotta be right up there together with Ukraine's and Angola's. Still, it goes back to this fact that English isn't her first language. That may have slightly played a factor in making a huge impact in the end.

Notice the candidates who had interpreters. They paused, and let the interpreters speak for them. That short gap in between speaking allows them to think of their next set of words carefully. That 1-2 seconds of transition is long enough to help counter the pressure of a candidate. Shamcey, who I am pretty sure was trying her best to avoid doing a Venus ("Major major"), answered it very well. However, it got me to think, would her answer have been any different if she had an interpreter?

The thing with this country is that we're too proud to admit we need one. We always like to show the world that we can compete with them, even if we can't. We have this thinking that we are far less superior so we try our best to counteract that by any means necessary. To be honest, it doesn't make anybody look bad if we answer the Q&A in Tagalog. I mean, it's our mother tongue. The rest will understand that. The sad part is, the people who don't our no other than the Filipinos themselves.

I can already imagine people saying, "Bakit naman kailangan mag-interpreter? Ang galing galing natin mag-English eh!" The Miss Universe competition isn't a contest of who speaks the better English. I'm sorry, did you get that memo? Angola won, with the help of the interpreter. Previous winners have been crowned, ALSO with the aid of translators. What's the deal?

Until a candidate we send is smart enough to realize one little change in tactics is enough to stomp over this WRONG idealism we have, we stand no chance not only in a competition like this, but also a society in general. In the future, I would love to see a representative ask for an interpreter and go all the way as the winner. The effect it will have in the way we think will dramatically change. Then we don't have to pretend like we're such a 100% problem-free nation, because we're not. We have some issues we need to deal with.

In case you didn't get where I was going for this entry.. It was in no way targeted towards Shamcey's answer, or how she handled herself. I'm very impressed with her answer, as a matter of fact.

EDSA: Celebrate 25 Years of Mediocrity

Here we go again. We have a bunch of morons who think they are free just because EDSA happened. We got annoying educated (but uneducated in some way) people who have only one idea of freedom: Facebook and Twitter. They have this thinking that just because they can say whatever they want online and offline that they are free. Such a classic case of close-mindedness.

Proud to be Pinoy because of EDSA? Please. Be proud if in the 25 years since that fateful day in our history, something changed. Have you seriously come up with one significant improvement in our society since that day? I'm not just talking about infrastructures, but also the flow of our minds as one nation. In those 25 years, we're still in the same shithole. We're still recovering from the Marcos regime as I type this. While doing that we have yet to figure out a way to solve problems which have always plagued the country.

We are not free. We have a false sense of nationalism. Think about this, the success of the newest Youtube sensation Maria Aragon is NOT based on her ethnicity being Filipino. If that's the case, then you people are trying to tell me that ALL Filipinos can sing that well, since apparently her bloodline is all there is to it that led to her stardom. How many times do I have to say this that it is an individual accomplishment. It has nothing to do with where her parents came from. And by the way, she is Canadian. Her ethnicity may be Filipino, but she is legally Canadian. People from the Philippines always find ways to associate themselves with the success of others. I remember the time they found out NBA player Nate Robinson is 1/8 Filipino. Are you fucking kidding me? They really had to go there, huh? It's like they're using all these celebrities and famous personalities as escapes to whatever sad and poor reality they have. They find joy and contentment in those little things. Here's an idea, why not try and create something for your own.

One more thing, Manny Pacquiao's rise to fame ALSO has nothing to do with him being Filipino. Can all Filipinos box that well? I think not. It's really so stupid to say that because we're being laughed at by other countries. We don't even try to listen what we are saying. We sound stupid, really. Pacquiao is trained by Freddie Roach and his system. Without him, Pacquiao would be nothing. He won't be able to depend on our own local boxing program to help him get to where he got to today. Sure, I can give you the tiny bit of excuse to say you're proud if Manny did get all the training from a respectable Philippine boxing program. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. It took someone from another country to train him into a lean mean fighting machine that he is now.

And if we are the best in the world, then why is the Philippines still a third-world country? We have this false sense (again) that we are the most superior nation of people in the entire universe that whatever we do will surely be better than others. Gee. We're a nation of hypocrites. That's what we are. We say one thing, but portray something else. Here's one more good example of how hypocrital we are: We always say we laugh at almost anything and that's one of our finest traits. Hmm. Because last time I checked, we always get pissed (pikon) whever the country is included in American humor. It is a sitcom. It is a talk show. It is a comedy show. Naturally they are not serious. It is humor. So why can't we just laugh with them? Check out what I am talking about in my previous entry here. Aren't we a bunch of idiots who love the fact that we get mentioned in almost any form of media as long as it's from the US? We are hypocrites.

And getting #EDSA25 to the top trending topic for today already signifies a united nation? C'mon. It's the funniest shit I heard all day..

EDSA is just another excuse for people to feel good about something for one day. They are blind, and that's a good thing for our president because as far as he is concerned, his mother is the most revered personality in this occasion. Is that your idea of freedom? We can't even stand on our own. Most people's idea of freedom is being able to write a blog like I am now, or to be able to update their status in Facebook. It is more than that. It is time to grow up, get real and get your shit together, Philippines!

UPDATE:

Are we not better off today than we were a generation ago?

Ted Reyes, gives juicy answers for Noynoy Aquino to chew on. Ted, in his blog post – Where is the Philippines 25 years after EDSA that:

25 years after EDSA, the Philippines is ranked as the most dangerous place for journalists. In the nine-year administration of Gloria Arroyo, scores of media men have been killed for doing their jobs.

25 years after EDSA, the Philippines is ranked in the top 10 most corrupt nations on earth.

25 years, after EDSA, many works of art are still getting censored out if they are contrary to the government or the church.

25 years after EDSA, the government, Muslim, as well as, communist rebels are still engaged in peace talks and in between, thousands die.

25 years after EDSA, the Philippines is still under heavy debt and has yet to find itself out of the bracket of third world nations.

25 years after EDSA, election fraud continues to decide who will govern.

25 years after EDSA, the politicians in power today bear the following family names: Marcos, Romualdez, Aquino, Cojuangco, Estrada, and Enrile.

Most of the heroes and villains of EDSA 1986 maybe dead and gone, but the demons that made the heroes rise up and fight are still alive and kicking.

Perhaps these demons will outlive us all, including the spirit of that miraculous four days on Epiphanio De Los Santos Avenue.

If 25 years after EDSA we still question its point, then it has no point at all.

If a quarter of a century has passed since EDSA, and we still question if it succeeded, then it failed.

It may be hard to swallow but yes, the spirit of EDSA is dead.

We grieve as we surrender to the truth that 25 years after EDSA, nothing has changed.

For short – NO, we are not better of today than we were a generation ago- it actually feels we are WORSE. There are more thieves, clowns, and incompetents in government. A generation ago, I was living and working in the Philippines and had no reason to migrate. Funny how a few years can make a difference. When Erap won the Presidency, I felt it was time to for my life to move on because the Philippine electorate isn’t ready for honest-to-goodness development, yet. More disturbing, however is that in the last Presidential elections – Estrada was playing second to Aquino. If Aquino lost, Estrada would have been president.

Source: Antipinoy