Filipino photo shoot

I was excited to see the Philippines because I was yet to meet anyone that had something bad to say about the islands. "Amazing" was the usual word used to describe the Eastern Asian country. I've had the pleasure of working with MANY Filipinos in the medical field. I find them all to be very sweet, competent and hard working. Some of the best nurses I've encountered. When they found out that the Philippines were part of my itinerary, they were extremely delighted and quick to offer helpful suggestions. I greatly appreciated their advice and, for this reason, barely did any research on the country before I left. They were locals and knew their country better than the writer of any guide book. They talked so highly of their mother land. Now I see why.....  

The first peculiar sight I saw when I left the airport in Manila by taxi was a vehicle called a jeepney.  A jeepney is a long, bus-like jeep with 2 long passenger benches inside on each side. They're big, bold and obnoxious with bright, colorful designs and images such as Jesus and the Virgin Mary intricately painted on the sides. 

90% of Filipinos are Christian. It's been almost a week, and each time I see one of these Jeepneys cruising down the road, I still giggle. This vibrant vehicle can often be seen stuffed to the gills with locals, even hitching a ride on the roof as it sputters by, belching black smoke. Sometimes there are squealing pigs in wicker baskets strapped to the back. 

The other popular form of transportation in the Philippines is the tricycle. Simply put, it's a rickshaw. A little metal house with a seat, constructed over a motorbike. Each one has a name painted on the front. Besides the fact that the drivers try to charge foreigners 5 times more than the locals, they're pretty fun to ride. 

I met Lina, from Bulgaria, in Manila. We discovered we were both traveling to Puerto Princessa, Sabang and then to El Nido so we decided to experience the travels together. 

Once we arrived in Sabang, we thought it would be a good idea to spend the afternoon lazing on the beach and work on our tans. I went shopping for a new sarong and met Lina on the beach about an hour later. Being the only tourists laying out on the idyllic beach, we felt pretty lucky. There was only one problem: I had managed to lose any sort of tan I may have picked up in Southeast Asia and was now gloriously glowing white. I had carefully protected my skin while in Korea and Japan, just like the locals did. When in Rome. In the Philippines, I'm quite an attraction with my albino hide. I thought I better get rid of this pasty skin pronto. Lina was nice and bronzed with her Eastern European skin. Not more than 5 minutes after carefully spreading my sarong on the sand and situating my head on my purse for a pillow, we have our first curious visitors. There was a group of Filipinos, all wearing the same hunter green shirt, symbolizing the tour company they were doing a tour with.

It couldn't have been more obvious that they were taking our photo. They stood a mere 5 feet from us, with a nearly empty beach, and pretended to take pictures of each other with the beautiful ocean in the background. One by one, they took turns taking pictures with us in it. They finally mustered enough courage to approach us and ask permission for a photo. I merrily obliged, but Lina was less enthusiastic about it. After one picture, she retreated to the ocean for safety. I, on the other hand, reveled in the attention. I smiled warmly and laughed with the Filipinos. They asked me where I was from and seemed pleased with my answer. I wanted to give Americans a good name. 

They shook my hand after each picture. I felt like a famous person. After I posed in my bikini with one Filipino man, just like in China, there was instantly a long line-up of hopeful locals. I decided to have fun with it. I knew I wouldn't have this celebrity status for much longer since my trip was coming to an end. Soon I would be on a beach in Hawaii and no one would think twice about it. There were at least 100 Filipinos in this group. I had the full attention of my audience and I didn't want to disappoint as their entertainer. I pretended to kiss one man on the cheek during a photo and the crowd erupted in laughter and hoots and hollers. After that, each one would request that I kiss him on the cheek for his picture. I was causing quite a scene, but it was all in fun. They absolutely loved it, and I was glad to make them happy. I thought the whole situation was hilarious. Hmmm... I wonder where all those pictures will end up?

It really cracks me up when people want to take my picture, and I'm more than happy to pose with the Filipinos since they are such lively characters. I just love them. They are really good people. I've found them to be extremely endearing with their zest for life. Life is fun for them and they don't take many things too seriously. Their sweet smile and winks confirm this mantra.