Back in college, I struck up a conversation with a random guy while I was waiting for Andrea on campus. When he found out I was Filipino, he mentioned he'd spent time in the Philippines while he was in the military. He abruptly held up his hand to pause the conversation. "So, being Filipino, you probably have a Hispanic last name."
"Nope. I doubt you'll find a lot of Capuyans south of the border."
"Huh. Well, you're Catholic, right?"
"Nope. Raised Protestant."
"Well...do you at least come from a very large family?"
"Nope. Only child."
"Man, you're an ethnic impossibility."
I've observed that another hallmark of Filipinos is their innate ability to sing. A karaoke machine is a staple in just about every Filipino home, but not at Casa Capuyan. While most of my relatives sound great in front of a mic, I'd have trouble carrying a tune in a bucket. Apparently when talent was being handed out, they were standing in the "golden voice" line while I was picking up extra portions of "can fold fitted sheets" and "be particularly annoyed by pictures hung crookedly".
One native son of "The Pearl of the Orient" who acquits himself admirably in the vocal department is Arnel Pineda. After Steve Perry separated from Journey, the band went in search of a new frontman, eventually getting a bead on this guy from Manila. Admittedly, it's not the first place you'd think of finding new pipes for Journey's repertoire, but fans embraced the newcomer with sold out show after show. The first album in the Journey - Pineda collaboration, Revelation, was released in June 2008. It went platinum in less than a year and a half.
Meanwhile, Pineda brings a new energy to the classics. Check him out rocking a hometown crowd.
But I wonder if he can fold fitted sheets...
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