Giselle’s Blog

I definitely can relate to this when it comes to the racism of other nationalities.

When Racism Strikes you, STRIKE BACK!

by: Giselle Sanchez

Filed under: Features — admin at 2:13 pm on Wednesday, September 9, 2009

My Louis Vuitton blog entry has virally spread over the internet. Thank you, bloggers, for spreading it like fire. Hopefully this one does too:

I just watched Bruno, the funniest movie in my life written and starred by comic genius Sacha Baron Cohen, creator of Borat.

After being the  7,148,170th viewer of this trailer, I knew I was going to laugh sooo hard that I brought my entire gang of amorous laughers (that will be my brothers and sister-in-law who are not ashamed to laugh out loud) and chose a relatively new mall (the new Eastwood mall) so that we could laugh to our heart’s content.

I was so afraid that my “Power Plant movie experience” was going to have a sequel because I was discriminated by the elitist moviegoers in Rockwell for laughing so loud. You see, it’s very difficult to live in the Philippines when you don’t go with the norm. You will be looked down and be ostracized. In short, if you don’t go with the norm, you will be a victim of  discrimination.

You have to follow certain rules like: In an elitist atmosphere, BAWAL ANG MALAKAS TUMAWA. HINDI KA SOSYAL KUNG MALAKAS KA TUMAWA. MAY MASAMANG MANGYAYARI SA IYO KUNG MALAKAS KANG TUMAWA.

Matthew Estabillo, a “YS” writer for Philippine Star would agree with me because he wrote a  similar experience while watching the same film I watched two weeks ago in Power Plant mall.

Two weeks ago, I watched a very funny flick Hangover in the said mall’s cinema. It was very appalling because the movie was full of people watching yet I was the only one laughing so hard. The movie contained so may punchlines, I was laughing almost every five seconds.

Komedyante ako, e, masaya akong tao. Mababaw ang kaligayahan ko. The bad thing was that when the lights opened, everyone was looking at me like I was some kind of freak who was bothering their “serious viewing” of the film.

I looked back at everyone and said, “What? It’s a comedy. You’re supposed to laugh!”

What was worse was the Caucasian guy behind me kicked my chair three times every time I would laugh so hard. This pissed me off. To kick me once could be an accident. Caucasian men do have long legs, he was probably stretching. The second time was a harder kick but I thought, maybe he was just irritated with my loud laugh. But on the third time, he made me get up from my seat, turn to him, and point directly at his face.

I said: “Please stop kicking my chair. You did it thrice already. I’m warning you!”

He stared back. The “Burgos chic” wrapped around him like an accessory stared at me as well. (Burgos chics are dark, exotic Filipinas picked up by foreigners on Burgos Street near the Power Plant mall).

My 5’9″ tall husband aided me and joined the staring game, so did his six foot tall brother and my sister in law. Caucasian guy and Burgos chic were outnumbered. Add the fact that he’s in the Philippines!  Ipa-deport ko kaya siya?

This was not the first time I stood up and defended myself from Caucasians who think that they are above you just because you’re Asian.

My husband Emil, Tifanny (a friend), and I were leaving from our holiday in Malaga. We were in line to board  the plane to Guangzhou, China,  when suddenly an elderly posh French couple, who were both wearing white with matching hats, cut the line. Being schooled in U.P. (University of Pila), I usually don’t have the patience for people cutting lines and tell them to fall in line. But I was also brought up to respect elders. So, I gave the French seniors the benefit of cutting the line even if Mrs. Sosyal looked at me condescendingly from head to foot before rudely cutting in.

I could read her thought bubble, “I’m French, youre Asian. I can cut your line.” If she could only  read my thought bubble, “Kung di ka lang matanda, di kita pasisingitin.”

To my amusement, she was in economy just like us and was seated directly behind me. Akala ko pa naman sa First class siya kung makabihis at makatingin sa akin, pweh. I was into deep sleep when the attendants began serving meals. Mrs. Sosyal probably wanted me to pull up my seat because her meal was being served, but being a  bigot, Mrs. Sosyal slammed the back of my seat instead of asking me nicely.

She slammed it so hard I thought our plane crashed and I stood up from my deep slumber shouting, “Haaa!” Then I realized that the plane didn’t crash.

It was Mrs. Sosyal who crashed after my speech. I turned my back and pointed my finger in her face. “You! Apologize to me now or have your guts stabbed when you’re out in the streets of China. You don’t know who my parents are. Apologize!”

The husband and wife started to panic and started talking in French in a very apologetic way. Hanggang French 100 lang ako sa U.P. at sampung taon na ang nakaraan kaya di umubra. “In English! Aplogize in English!” I shouted. By this time, two flight attendants were already trying to calm me down. I didn’t stop until they said the word “sorry.” Wala ako pakialam kahit mag-desolee (sorry in French) sila ng 100 times! When I sat down, I thanked my husband for not stopping me.

Emil:  “Okay sa script, ha, ano dating mo, anak ng Chinese mafia?”

Giselle: “Mukha naman ako Chinese, di ba? Malay ba nilang Pinoy ako. Para matakot ‘yang mga lecheng ‘yan paglabas ng Guanzhou airport. Tignan mo ngayon, sorry sila ng sorry. Natakot masaksak. Akala talaga nila Chinese mobster magulang ko. Kung alam lang nila na Bisaya magulang ko at anak lang ako ng pobreng ut*n. Hahaha!”

Tifanny: “Bilib talaga ako sa ‘yo, girl. Hindi ko magagawa ‘yan. Kung sa akin nangyari ‘yan, mananahimik na lang ako.”

I told Tifanny what Korean-American Margaret Cho said in her stand-up comedy DVD Notorious:

“If you are a woman, a person of color, if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, if you’re a person of size, a person of intelligence, a person of integrity, then you are considered a minority in this world……When you don’t have self esteem, you will hesitate to do anything in your life. You will hesitate to ask for a raise, you will hesitate to report a rape, you will hesitate to defend yourself when you are discriminated against…For us, self-esteem is truly an act of revolution, and our revolution is long overdue. I urge you all today to be yourselves without reservation and to love each other without restraint. Unless you’re into leather….”

I was lucky to be brought up by parents who raised my self-esteem to the highest level despite the fact that we were poor. So parents, I urge you, love your children, never put them down, always praise and build their confidence. So that when your children go out in the real world, they can defend themselves from being ostracized. Because no matter how rich you are or how powerful you are, you have no right to belittle anyone.

Ang mamatay nang dahil sa…OFWs!

by: Giselle Sanchez

Filed under: Features — admin at 6:29 pm on Wednesday, May 21, 2008

As promised, I will update my blogs every three days, with weekends as exception of course. (Bigyan niyo naman ako ng day-off, yaya ng anak ko nga, eh, may day-off!).

I am leaving on June 14 for a concert with Miss Judy Ann Santos in Ireland and on June 15 in Milan. Mapapaligaya ko na naman ang mga bagong bayani ng Pilipinas—ang ating mga Overseas Filipino Workers. Sobra talaga ang respeto ko sa mga taong ito. Matok mo, kaya nilang i-sakripisyo ang sarili nilang kaligayahan at mahiwalay sa pamilya para lamang mamuhay ng maayos ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Talk about self-sacrifice! Kaya naman nang laitin ng manager ng Louis Vuitton ang OFWs sa Italia ay talaga namang nakipagpatayan ako, kahit malaki ang mawala sa akin, maibalik lang ang dangal!

Ito ang picture ko last year sa Piazza Espana or Spanish Steps sa Roma nang mag-concert kami ni Piolo Pascual sa Roma.

Fourteen years ago, I was also in the same place, but I was not smiling like this. The Spanish Steps is a very popular place, especially to tourists and Europe’s Rich and Famous, because this is where all the designer shops are located.

Fourteen years ago, I was also invited to hold a comedy concert for the Filipinos in Rome through a group of Batangeño producers. Pagkatapos ng concert ko, sumama ang sosyalita kong kaibigan na si Cutie del Mar sa akin para mag-bakpak at libutin ang buong Italya.

Palibhasa, hindi ako sanay na isang bakpak lang ang dadalhin ko para sa isang linggong paglilibot. ‘Di ko yata kayang magsuot ng parehong Tshirt sa loob ng tatlong araw. YUCK! Ang baho na nun ng over! Kaya dinala ko ang isang Louis Vuitton na hand carry. Pero, ito ay isang Louis Vuitton na peke, japeyks, class triple-A, galing Greenhills. Alam ko na mali ang bumili at gumamit ng peke pero sana maintindihan ninyo ako. Fourteen years ago, nag-uumpisa pa lang ang career ko. Kapiranggot lang ang kinikita ko at nagandahan lang ako dun sa maleta kaya binili ko. Wala pa akong malay sa brands noon. Kaya ganito na lang ang pagkukutya ng kaibigan ko sa akin.

Cutie: Oh my god! Is that a fake I see!

Giselle: Sorry, hindi ako anak ng Congressman tulad mo!

Cutie: Giselle, ano ka ba! Giselle Sanchez ka na! You can’t be seen with a fake! You already perform for the rich and famous not only in the Philippines but all over the world! When In Rome, do as the Romans do! Halika, punta tayo sa Louis Vuitton diyan sa Spanish Steps and buy yourself an original!

Ang bilis lumakad ng sosyalera, wala ako choice kundi sumunod kahit wala akong planong bumili. Plano ko lang tumingin at bilhin yung usong model sa Greenhills uli. O.A. kaya ang presyo ng Louis Vuitton bags. The cheapest, smallest bag will cost you P25, 000. Regular bags range from P35, 000-90, 0000. And the big and real nice ones cost P125, 000-P180, 000. Sa pinakamurang bag, mapapakain ko na ang pamilya ko nang limang linggo. At sa pinakamahal na bag ay mapapa-aral ko na ang kapatid ko ng college! Ako pa naman ang breadwinner ng pamilya. Why would I waste my money with such over priced bags?

Eto na, pumasok na kami sa napakarangyang Louis Vuitton Shop. Siyempre, hindi ko naman maiwan yung peke kong maleta sa labas, so sama si japeyks sa loob. At pagkakita ng mahaderang manager sa bag ko, bigla akong nilapitan, inikutan at tinignan mula ulo hanggang paa.

LV manager: Excuse me, but what is your Nationality?

Giselle: I’m Fil…(hindi pa nga tapos)

LV manager: (whispering but loud enough for me and Cutie to hear) I knew it! You Filipina maids come in here to copy our designs. Get out of my store!

Giselle: Excuse me! I am not a maid! I am an actress and I came here in Italy to perform for these “maids” you were referring to. And don’t you ever call them that!
They are called Overseas Filipino Workers. Do not look down on our OFWs because they have dignity in labor. Do you work on commission, what’s your most expensive here?

LV Manager: (Points to this type of a cabinet where the bags are displayed).

This one! It cost ___ million lira. (Nakalimutan ko na yung value, basta million-million kasi lira yung currency. Basta halaga ng tatlong buhay ko.)

Giselle: Ganun! What’s your second most expensive?

LV Manager: (Points to a luggage na kapalit ang dalawang buhay ko)

Giselle: Forget it! You! (pointing to a cute salesman in the counter) I will not buy from you, Mr. Manager. I will buy from him so he can take the commission! I’ll buy this, that, this, that, and this! It’s too bad I’m not an overseas Filipino worker because they can buy more than what I can!

So what is the price of dignity? P500, 000.00—maxed on my credit card; paid slowly for three years; with my mom screaming on my ears every now and then.

In fairness to these overpriced bags, they are very durable. I started using them fourteen years ago and I still use them up to now! People think I’m so classy using coordinated Louis Vuitton handbags, make-up kit, and shoe bags. Little do they know that Giselle became classy because of her being crassy. Moral of the story, kung di niyo kaya, huwag manggaya at baka mapahiya. I never realized that paying for your sins can be quite expensive! Di bale, basta mapagtanggol ang dangal ng minamahal kong Overseas Filipino Workers! Mabuhay kayo…kahit mamatay na ako sa utang!

Note: I don’t own these articles, credit goes to Ms. Giselle Sanchez and PEP.