Borat!

I have not seen the movie despite many, many plans to do so. Not my fault, I myself am not busy. However, the hubby, and the friends seem to not have the time in the world! Tan-aw lagi ta ani ba!

The movie is supposedly the epitome of everything politically incorrect and offensive. I wanna see that! See if I get the jokes (English baya, plus dugang pa mga generalizations that one would otherwise never know if you've lived somewhere else all your life like I did). Hala, excuses, excuses. It's stupid. Yes, I want to know what things are politically incorrect and offensive. I can't say that I may not use that in the future. I will try not to, though.

Speaking of politically incorrect, can you believe how many people are exactly just that? Politically incorrect in every sense of the word. I can name 5 in three seconds. Hehe... Admittedly, I have been politically incorrect many times. Sometimes consciously, to offend someone on purpose (I am not a saint!), or sometimes, just because of plain ignorance. As is probably the case with the rest of the world, except with those who strive to make 'politically incorrect' their middle names.

One of my friends was here in the States last year. I took her to the mall near my house. In the Philippines, we refer to people with darker complexions as 'lagom' or sometimes, something really similar to the 'n' word - which is never to be pronounced here unless you're a 'brotha' or 'sistah'. Where I came from, it is not necessarily derogatory, it is just to say that a person is darker than average.

So there we were at the mall, and my friend exclaims, "Look at that -----, she's so beautiful!" And let me tell you, this friend has really bubbly personality and has a rather loud voice. Holy Smokes! I turned around, and pretended I was not with her, in case a fight ensues. Whispered under my breath that we have to leave pronto, not look back, and start running if we're pursued.

Thankfully, she was saying something positive, and the object of the matter was either beyond earshot or totally distracted. Whew! Still, I was walking as fast as I could and ducked into the closest VS boutique.

We got home safe and sound. I explained that she is not to use that word around other people while she is here, and added a bunch of other words that are not be used around here. Like saying that someone gained weight and that his/her girlfriend/boyfriend have been really taking care of him would not get the same reaction as it would in the Philippines. Cultural differences, yes, they have to be respected in the host country.

I've had a bunch of faux pas(es?) since then, but nothing major. It helps that a lot of my friends here are really understanding, and whenever I have to, I pull an Arnold: English is my second language. *excuses, excuses*