well, now i had to see what this team could do. before i even came to the philippines for this trip i didn't even think about how good or bad or mediocre the team would be. because at that point i didn't care. this experience was exactly that.. about the experience. how often do u get the chance to see where u come from and what ur heritage is all about while doing what your most passionate about. this was an insane deal! i almost expected the team to be awful just because everything had seemed so perfect.. well, our team may be on the younger side, but do they have potential!!!!? they certainly do. not only that i firmly believe we can win this tournament in october. i don't think some of the girls give themselves enough credit. there is some quality soccer going on matched with some great attitudes. i mean i show up to games and practices and enjoy my teammates company and have fun with them. there were times when i didn't have that where soccer was soccer and i was playing only for myself.. now i can say i play for malditas, my teammates, my family, my country, and God. WOW!!! does that sound amazing.. i play for my country!!
anyway, i couldn't ask for a better group of girls. don't get me wrong we have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks. though we certainly have a fighting chance. i just hope we can rise to the occasion. we are underdogs, but i like it that way. everything tastes a little bit sweeter when ur proving everyone wrong ;-) .
the first field i ever played on in the philippines!!!
---
as for food!! i have had some interesting things.. and gahhh i don't remember names so feel free to comment and tell me again lol. so i had "banana leaf" and u ate on banana leaves.. haha it was good! and at the house i had like meatloaf with egg, cheese, and hot dog in the middle. this was definitely a new twist for me. it wasn't bad and was actually pretty good but then i just started thinking about how i was eating a meat loaf with a chickens egg and a cows cheese and a hot dog.. was just weird to think about all the animals i was eating.. but its actually very clever way to get multiple food groups and not waste any food!
i also OMG.. tried fish today!! milkfish.. first time in maybe 17 years lol when i decided it was cool to eat fish and rice for breakfast when everyone else got lucky charms and captain crunch!!! but yea it was actually good! lol
---
ok and lastly.. gosh.. got heated in the interview today lol. some guy was just asking such annoying questions. i knew he was just trying to start stuff but seriously .. unnecessary.. especially with such a growing sport that is fairly new to the country.. who is gonna think filforeigners are bad. its like I'm a freakin muggle.. i wanna be a wizard but I'm half human.. so now the wizards think I'm not as cool.. so i wanna embrace being a filipina and the filipinos say I'm not filipino enough! okay.. i could go forever on this topic but ill keep it short..
filipino blood runs through my veins.. i can't stand when people think I'm some really tan white girl. and for the people that kno theres something special i love sharing with them that I'm pinay. why wouldn't!? i may have never lived in the philippines but my nanny did for half her life.. and she obviously made an impact on me if the second half of her life later guess who's knocking at the philippines door!? me! it really at times can be hard to be half and half. at times there is a loss of identity or a confusion or just a feeling ur missing something. this experience has already began to fill that part i am missing. why deny the people that have the blood, the pride, and the passion to be a pinoy?? are we halfsies supposed to make our own country our own land. if we have two halves we have two halves. if we like both we like both!
my cousins!
i had a nick name in college in my asian cultural alliance. it was "hapa" which means part asian and part something else. this guy did studies on hapas, being a hapa himself (can't remember his name), and wrote about the identity crisis hapas run into and mixed races for that matter. of all places in the world.. the philippines would be one of the most accepting and grateful for a person to want to embrace their heritage. so for the haters or those who just like to question and start stuff for dumb reasons.. i kno what i am and i kno this is a part of me. u can't take it away from me. only i can define myself and kno where i belong. and right now, i kno i belong here in the philippines, playing for my country! #pinaypride #malditas #hapa
ps sorry if this is all over the place!! tired lol~!
pps for those who can't tell at all that I'm piney.. COUGH COUGH!
I'm the one on the right
my awesome family :)
loveee cooke
Media will always try to do that, same thing with the Azkals...
ReplyDeleteYour birthplace or where you grew up doesn't define you, Its your heart that makes you who you are
Glad you have a positive outlook on it. Haters are just going to keep on hating. They hate because they're ignorant or jealous. I think people with interracial backgrounds are lucky because they have 2 cultural backgrounds instead of 1. You get to be much more cultured and open-minded. It's good you are embracing it all. Better now than never. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you haven't learned any curse words. That's what people usually learn first. Lol. Btw, the phrase "who is this?" is spelled, "sino ito?" Ito is pronounced "e-toh"
Like.
ReplyDeleteYou chose to play for the flag, you deserve respect. That's all that matters. No doubt, you will our country proud. And this footballer is quite anxious to see you on the pitch, Maldita.
ReplyDeleteim full-pinoy and im glad u love ur pinoy blood... :) Being created half means you were called to be part of a specific mission bigger than yourself, a mission that requires that quality of being half.. in other words, u have a special assignment and purpose in the world! be proud! loving both roots is the first step! :)
ReplyDeleteif there is respect among all the races, there would be no need for patriotism, especially bloody ones...
more football power! unite the country through football!
Don't let the insecure fools and their pathetic mind games get to you, Heather! Know that more (many more!) Pinoys welcome you to our country with open arms, and are very glad you have chosen to play for the Philippine National Women's Football Team. 'Tis an honour, honestly. So nice to feel the enthusiasm in your writing - we can't wait to see you all in action! Go, go, Heather! Go, go, Malditas! Good luck with the AFF Championships!
ReplyDeleteGo Heather! We support and love you all the way! Godbless!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are having a blast Heather! Glad to see that you are trying everything to experience the cultures and meeting your cousins. If you think your team has ptotential and may need some encourgaement, you may be the one who is capable of giving them that encouragement to play better then ahy think they can. I know you have the personality to do so. Thanks again for sharing this with us and Southern Maryland is excited for you!
ReplyDeleteZane
sino ititch (spelling?) is apparently slang for who is this? lol
ReplyDeleteyeah it's a slang or more specifically gay word slang. I don't know about the US but here in the PH gays (mostly male gays) have their own slang words and it's so fun to hear them say it. it's like a code you can't understand a word they're saying especially when their really into it hahahaha. I hope you learn tagalog it will be best for you especially if you're gonna stay for a long while in the PH.
Deletethanks for the comments everyone :)
ReplyDelete