The Beautiful American by Prospero Pulma Jr.

The Beautiful American

A few weeks back, a global survey painted a not so positive image of Americans. But the Philippines was one of the bright areas where America scored higher. And then a few days or weeks later, Julia Campbell, a Peace Corps volunteer, met a tragic end while hiking in the Banaue rice terraces. Through her online journal, http://juliainthephilippines.blogspot.com, she shared the Filipinos' quirks with the world. I particularly liked her entry about fiestas, cockfighting, house blessing, and how she mined humor from the desolateness around her (just like Filipinos who can crack jokes at funerals). Never mind if her Tagalog would make my Filipino teachers shriek in horror. At 40, she died too young for a beautiful and merry soul. Now, tell me why Filipinos generally do not share the world's low opinion of the Americans.

by Prospero Pulma Jr.