culture

Tonight we went to the 4th Annual Lapu Lapu Award Dinner hosted by the Congress of Visayan Organizations. Dave's dad is big into the Filipino community, so we often go to these events that he is always a coordinator of. It's funny because when you're around them, Dave's mom is the more dominant vocal person, but Dave's dad is the one who is involved in all these organizations, fundraisers, ceremonies, parades, and dinners. Anyways, Dave's entire family, minus him, has won one of these Lapu Lapu awards, so either he'll continue to be the odd man out in his highly prestigious family, or he'll succumb to the pressure and try to win one of these awards too.

I have to admit that I HATE going to these dinner things...beyond the free food, it's nothing that I would want to participate in myself. Granted, once we're there the entertainment is usually pretty cool and it's interesting to look around at all these people in their Filipino grab, but beyond that, I would rather stay home.

First of all, I never know exactly what will be appropriate to wear...you always know when you go to one of these things, though, that there will be women in full on gowns and at least one couple wearing jeans and looking totally out of place. Dave and I strive to be in the middle somewhere. Tonight, however, finding a dress that still fits my ever growing body was kind of a challenge. Luckily it only took three tries or we might have ended up staying home.

Secondly, tonight has got to be the FIRST night that someone has NOT asked, "Oh, are you the son that went to Harvard?" Dave always has to explain that no, he's not that son...he's the other son. It always is half funny, half irritating to me. The reason no one asked tonight is because we were seated next to Dave's mom and on the other side of me was a couple who I'm pretty sure didn't have that good a grasp of English. Usually we get stuck making small talk to some random people.

Anyways, while we were there Dave said that he's sure his dad will pull him aside someday and remind him to instill a love of his Filipino culture in Caleb. Dave's dad is probably very disappointed in Dave's lack of Filipino-ness. He longs for the day when Dave will become interested in being an active member of the Filipino community...I think he still dreams that Dave will continue on his path.

I do wonder what kind of cultural traditions baby Caleb will grow up with. And I do worry that we are so "localized" that he won't have any strong Japanese or Filipino cultural traditions that he'll remember when he gets to be an adult. I even wonder what kind of foods he'll like...I haven't learned to cook Filipino foods, don't eat halo halo, bibingka, and cascaron. Dave will eat it, but he doesn't know how to cook it either. He won't have the luxury of both parents speaking a different language to learn from. I wonder if Caleb will learn how to speak any Visayan...will he even know Japanese at all? I'm sure he won't go to Japanese school like I did, he won't go to a Buddhist Sunday school like I did, he won't even go to a preschool affiliated with a Japanese church like I did. My parents are more local than old school Japanese so he won't even get it from them. And I'm not even thinking about his Chinese fourth...how will he even know anything about being Chinese? It'll be interesting...