It All Started...

...in an email in the yahoogroup. Somebody posted this:

HELP FIGHT GRAFT AND CORRUPTION!

TO ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES
TO ALL OUR KABABAYANS AT HOME AND ALL OVER THE WORLD

WE NEED YOUR HELP- PLEASE HELP US
Kailangan namin ang inyong tulong!

THE SUCCESS OF OUR MOVEMENT WILL ALL DEPEND
Ang tagumpay ng ating Kilusan ay nakasalalay

ON THE HELP AND ASSISSTANCE THAT YOU WILL GIVE US
na lahat sa inyong mga tugon at tulong sa amin

PARTICIPATE, JOIN, COPY, DISPLAY AND DISTRIBUTE OUR POSTER
Maki-isa, sumapi, parisan, isabit at ikalat ang ating "poster"

TO ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES, RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
Sa lahat ng inyong mga empleado, kawani, kamag-anak at kaibigan

TO CREATE "AWARENESS" TO BRING "CHANGE" IN OUR COUNTRY
Na makakatawag ng pansin upang magdala ng pagbabago sa ating bansa!

OUR COUNTRY AND OUR PEOPLE NEED US NOW!
Ang ating bansa at mga kababayan ay kailangan ang ating tulong ngayon

LET US SHOW OUR PATRIOTISM FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY AND OUR PEOPLE
Ipakita natin ang pagmamahal sa bayan at sa mga kababayan!


and he replied like this: ----> It seems that Filipinos who are computer literate can not understand English!!!

The tone he used irritated me so I emailed back: ----> Sir, What was that supposed to mean? Kindly read the English text first, the entirety of it. Maybe you read it by line and everybody knows that some of the lines don't make sense. Translated po in Tagalog yan. Also, aren't you a Filipino? You speak like you aren't one. That's very bad.... =)

To which he replied: ----> If you want to write in English, just in English and if in tagalog, just in tagalog. Direct to the point, that's what I mean!!!

Normally, I would negatively react to such tone but this was what I sent him back: ----> Yeah, I thought about that, too after sending the message. You have a point. Maybe I am just trying to reason out po, but let's consider that maybe this came from something, a flier or whatever. My reason sounds lousy but I just could not help but react to the way you pointed that out. You can say it nicely if you want.

You know how it sounds? Like you degrade Filipino in general for writing something like that. And I take it you are living abroad. Living abroad does not mean you are superior to Filipinos living in the Philippines. It isn't nice to treat your kababayan like that and some foreigners might be subscribed to this yahoogroup as well.

I do not have any intention of inflaming anyone here but sometimes let us consider what other people may feel with our posts. My apologies if I did offend anyone.

And he snapped with: ----> Filipinos are superior in English language all over the world, so why translate it. As I say, Filipino's who are computer literate prefers no translation at all, you just confusing the readers like me. It's just a matter of GMRC in communicating.

Hope that I am clear to my intention.

Well, I withdrew my contention since he did not mean it so bad, after all. So I just rested my case with this: ----> Okay, I got it. Intention understood. My apologies again.

He is always like that in the group; always prepared to be noticed. He is still blabbering there and this is the 2nd time I replied to his unnecessary use of condescending tones. The a**hole thinks he is some kind of demigod. Puhleease.

And what's with the screaming? My gawd. You don't have to type all those exclamation points, you know. If I am that bad, I should have pointed out that your use of Filipino's should have been Filipinos because you are using it as a noun, not as a possessive pronoun. But I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe in your haste and you were overwhelmed with your emotions, you mistyped them. Sometimes, I do commit the same mistake, too.

What really made me react was the use of such patronizing tone. I am not generally accusing those Filipinos living overseas but I solemnly guarantee that some of our fellowmen are guilty of such attitude. Come on. It is such a craP (not crab)mentality to acquire while living amongst the fairer race, don't you think?

As I said, I have no intention of offending anyone at all. I am just trying to emphasize a point here. Cheers!