North by Southeast

Cracking some beers with my brother from another mother. We talk about the similarities between the film and medical industries (who knew), air travel mishaps, service industry jobs, identity politics (uh-oh), growing up in different parts of the world, and just generally shoot the shit. Don't take it too seriously because we certainly don't.

Holed out in a beautiful cabin by Kawartha Lakes and flanked on both sides by strong, independent Filipina women. Nikki, Fran, Ina, Nikka, and I dive into the juicy bits of dating in Toronto versus Manila.  Finally, after all these years, I can now say that I know what's on a woman's mind... (*Disclaimer: The dating views and opinions expressed here belong to heterosexual individuals, and thus does not represent the entire spectrum in either Canada or the Philippines.)

Having a good old chat with two of the strongest, independent-est (is that a word?) women I know in Toronto - Nikka Velayo and Fran Aguila. We talk about how we each answer that quintessential Canadian question "how's it going?", the economic advantages and career opportunities of being abroad, adapting to a new culture, and of course - dating.

The third and final segment of my long ass conversation with Chino Santos. We cover dating in North America, friendships, and owning one's dual identity.

Part 2 of my conversation with Chino Santos - we talk about why we have North American accents, and how our fluency in English has helped (and sometimes hindered) us along the way.

Who we are has a lot to do with where we're from. Last year in 2018, I sat down with an old friend from my college days in Manila, Chino Santos. Chino hails from the mountain region of Baguio City, Philippines and traces his heritage to a group of indigenous head hunters. He's one guy you don't want to mess with. But beneath his gigantic exterior lies the browniest of hearts and the truest of friends. Chino and I discussed our vastly different backgrounds, how our paths crossed in the Ateneo de Manila Unviersity, and how a confluence of cultural and societal factors shaped who we are and where we find ourselves today. Sounds fancy, but we were drunk for most of it. Down a few shots, get on our level of tipsy, and enjoy Part 1 of our conversation!