"US troops wonder why Filipinos still smiling"..despite of ondoy

Philippines
October 3, 2009 1:54am CST
Not a Referral LInk : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091003-228116/US-GIs-wonder-Filipinos-still-smiling Hello Mylotters, this morning i check the news-paper and saw a lot of articles about the recent updates on this new typhoon. well, It's a nice thing that God had listen to our prayers that the Typhoon Peping (Pharma) had been weakened, there may have been some winds or rains. i even took my kittie from her house and put her in my room, to sleep. BUt there's another topic that catches my attention, which i thought had been understood by many about us Filipino. i guess I was wrong, i read this article about how they wonder that after all the calamities and the dangers, the people or specially the kids are just plain happy and smiling... here's one of the soldiers comments....it's all from the link i just attached. “We’ve seen things here [in terms of the destruction] that we haven’t seen before. This is really the least we can do. We wish we could stay longer,” said Lt. Commander Todd Endicott, the mission’s leader. [b] [i][u] “We all wonder how [Filipinos] keep smiling through all this.”[/u][/i][/b] “Americans probably wouldn’t handle this as well. Here, people are smiling, saying ‘Hi’ to us, giving us high-fives. This is a pretty miserable situation, how people keep smiling, I don’t know. It’s probably a testament to the culture,” Endicott said. This is really surprising, i though the whole World already about us being adoptable to all situations and with popular saying. "we laugh and smile in the face of danger and hardships" or it's probably rare for them to see an American that they had fun playing (kids) with them. It's one main reason why we shouldn't loose hope..that smile gives hope to every-one, and this is what they saw. they don't entirely take seriously, since most are optimistic that they can start over.
3 people like this
9 responses
@calyxus (825)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Haha! It must really be a surprise to their face. Some race still underestimate the Filipino people. So now is the time that we show them how tough we are. I can compare what happened when typhoon Katrina hit America, people are desperate as if it were the end of the earth. (no offense meant to our friends here) But if the same thing happened to the Philippines, the Filipinos could just smile about it despite the hunger, as evident on what happens right now. From the country of smiles, calyxus
1 person likes this
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
From the country of smiles it is my friend calyxus. you are right no matter how hard we have been through but we never forget to shrug it off and smile for another life given to us. the destruction just give another meaning to our lives and what we are more thankful is that though we loses many loved ones when the disaster strikes us but seeing each other again, that many fellow Filipinos is helping each other out and though how hard it is we still live and be happy for the remaining of what it is left for us. jhelai
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Hello calyxus, I thought they knew it already, it seems it was kinda shocked.well, not only underestimates but discriminates as well, it's so sad but true. yeah, I've watch that scenario when Katrina Hit New Orleans, it was damn flood that left almost every one home less, using the a stadium as an evacuation center.
@calyxus (825)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
Yes jhelai, with the advent of disaster we find ourselves rise again with a new conviction and persistence to live a brand new life. Keep breathing, keep smiling pinoys, calyxus
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
we Filipinos are just happy people. we smile despite of the hardships that we have.. I think that is the main reason that we are still thriving and still trying to stand up and to be one of the best countries again here in Asia. We appreciate the gift of smile and laughter and we do not take it for granted. So to all my kababayans, keep on smiling, and i know the heavens are smiling back on us.
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
yep that's true.. some just places importance on earning money, and just being advanced, and they forget how to live their life to the fullest.. how to have fun and just enjoy life, whatever the hardships and challenges maybe.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
Hello Ingkingderders, That's probably what i slacking now in other Asian Countries. they have become so advanced and hi-tech and so reliable on material things that they forgot what's really important. some even take for granted or even mistreat or send racist against us. but in the end we proven to tough as a rock...
@rsa101 (37952)
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
Yeah it is really unnoticeable to us Pinoys in here. It seems like it is just a natural thing happening to us when things like this happens. We may feel miserable at the time of the disaster but after the disaster happened we seemed to cope very well by making a joke out what happened to us. Maybe this is so because we are just used to having this kinds of problems in our daily lives.
1 person likes this
@edujccz (929)
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
I remember last saturday during the heaviest pouring of rain, as I pass along San andres but the water was to deep so i inch my way to Mandaluyong via Pedro Gil and my fear of being trap in the flood was getting higher fearing that it will cause me again for another expenses to a mechanich or a tow truck. But upon passing Concordia College, I was met by a lot of kids in the street joyfully laughing and wading in the heavy rain at knee deep of water, their jubilation in the midst of the storm was like a fiesta. I cannot forget their smiles and laughter and realizing that my fear was also lost with them and soon I arrived safely back home. My wife and children was also laughing to meet me as I entered the house full of water, LOL, we are a happy people.
1 person likes this
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
Now that's the Filipino Spirit. Always happy despite the trials and whatever difficulties in life. We are always a happy people because there's always something to be happy about. Even if we lose material things but we have ourselves alive and that's something that can't be replaced. And smiling and being happy is just one way to help in healing the pain and the stresses in life. And it's always good to be ready with a smile especially when there are cameras and TV around during this time.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
hello sandy I agree with you that we always tend to smile on things even though were not as rich and afford to have everything. in fact most people lost everything because of the typhoon. it's such a poor situation that we are in. yeah, anything can be replaced, except life, and we only have one. well, they like being seen on TV.
@eichs1 (1934)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Indeed, Filipinos are resilient. And part of our that resilient mechanism is to be able to laugh and take things lightly all the tragedies that came our way. We already know that life is hard and we don't want to make it harder by sulking. But that does not mean that we are not serious on taking things. Right now, we are jolted by Ondoy and many have prepared enough for Pepeng. I do hope though that we will take things higher by ensuring that our waterways will be cleaned soon. I do really hope that the lessons we learned and will stop messing with mother nature.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Eichs, I agree with you there eichs, we had so much hard things in life that we should always not to take it too seriously that we end getting depressed. people doesn't really get affected by the typhoon because they seem they got used to it.in US only a few states experience this kind of thing..but not almost to the point they get into flood. i do hope everything get's cleaned soon..
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
That's the Filipino spirit! The Filipino people know how to handle things even at the most difficult times. Smiling in the midst of disaster is very uniquely Filipino.
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
hello Doris day, Yes, this kind of Filipino Spirit has been around for so many years. I have seen people handle all of their problems and in the end becoming more successful than they're ever before. it's nice actually seeing them moving on and trying to start over.
@mjmlagat (3170)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
hello there! filipinos are truly happy people, in fact we rank top on the list, according to surveys of happiest people in the world. aside from that, i always believe that we filipinos are great optimists-- we always see the brighter side of things and find meanings amidst difficult situations.
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Despite the crisis or calamities we can still laugh or smile our problems. Filipinos are happy people that's why we can still smile and gives hope to others that we can surpass all our hardships in life. For us if we face our problems seriously it makes us more depressed and don't able to cope up with our problems.
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
hello Mjmlagat, oh, yeah i remember the survey about that. this country had so much experienced in problems that they learned to adopt and made a optimistic aproach to life. besides, as long as we live, there's always hope for us. and those who live in the poor areas knows that because they're not too attached to material things.
@seanbryan (349)
• United Arab Emirates
4 Oct 09
Hi LetranKnight, It saddens me seing on television the sad fate for some of our kababayans after Ondoy strikes. However, seeing them standing still and smiling despite of everything makes me proud being a Filipino. As the saying goes: Filipinos "habang nasasaktan lalong tumatapang", a trademark to us Filipinos. Another thing is the continuous aids/donations from our kind hearted kababayans including the volunteers who are helping in the distribution of relief goods from the centers. It only shows that Filipinos are being united in times hardship and calamities. Character traits that our race should be proud of. Cheers!
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
Hello again Sean Bryan, It is sad indeed that our country had to experienced this first rather than other countries but it's part of the countries wheather and we can't just stop a storm.,. am glad they're volunteers there that are willing to help those who are in need, have a great day.