Simple Happiness

My mother and niece are here in Switzerland for a month visit. My mother is already in her 70s so we have not been around that much yet because my mother gets tired easily.

We just went for a short walk to the hilltop.

The next day, we went for a walk along “Vierwaldstaettersee” or Lake Lucerne.

After a few days, although we have not been around Lucerne area yet, we went to Geneva because the weather was nice.

I still have three more weeks to show them around. So, you can be sure that we will be very busy.

I vlogged (video blogging) about the Black Eyed Peas’ Filipino Song, Bebot Generation Two, on September 25, 2006. This is just a follow up. I have been trying to find the Black Eyed Peas Bebot Generation One too then, but with no luck. Finally, punkmeister, the same one who uploaded Black Eyed Peas Bebot Generation Two at YouTube, uploaded Bebot Generation One on October 17, 2006.

This is an excerpt from an article “Positively No Filipinos Allowed?” by Ana La O:

“Generation Two’s” counterpart, “Bebot: Generation One” pays homage to parties in 1930s Little Manila. The video follows Apl.de.Ap, an asparagus farmer, as he leaves the toil of the fields for a night of diversion at the Filipino Rizal Social Club. Inside the club, well-dressed Filipino men in snazzy suits swing dance with a diverse crowd of beautiful women in cocktail dresses and pearls while other men gamble at a rowdy taxi dance hall next door. “In a sense, nothing has really changed, everyone‚Äö√Ñ√¥s still trying to, after their 9-5 gigs, put on their best clothes and meet ladies,” remarks Ginelsa. Like “Generation Two,” “Generation One” also brings in some familiar Filipino artists such as Next Phaze, the Speaks, as well as DJs E-man and Icy Ice.

Bebot Generation One music video is different from Bebot Generation Two. I already noticed something at Generation Two but I didn’t really mind. It’s the way they do music videos now. I think it depends on how you look at things now a days. It’s maybe a little bit wild for others especially the “old” generation but probably not for the young generation. I really don’t belong to the old generation but not to the young generation as well, so I won’t comment on this issue. Is there really an issue here? I don’t know, probably yes, probably not. It’s for you to find out. I’ll just smile. 🙂

What am I talking about? Well, I found something while I was surfing on October 17, 2006. I wanted to write about it but I opted to blog about the song “Anak” of Freddie Aguilar being played on a Swiss radio station. Although the Bebot Generation One was uploaded on October 17, I didn’t find it then, I just found it today.

This is what I found on October 17, an “Open Letter on Bebot” from The Wily Filipino Blog.

An excerpt from the “Open Letter on Bebot”:

We, the undersigned, would like to register our deep disappointment at the portrayal of Filipinas and other women in the new music videos for the Black Eyed Peas song, “Bebot.” We want to make it clear that we appreciate your efforts to bring Filipina/o Americans into the mainstream and applaud your support of the Little Manila of Stockton. However, as Filipina/o and Filipina/o American artists, academics, and community activists, we are utterly dismayed by the portrayal of hypersexualized Filipina “hoochie-mama” dancers, specifically in the Generation 2 version, the type of representation of women so unfortunately prevalent in today’s hip-hop and rap music videos. The depiction of the 1930s “dime dancers” was also cast in an unproblematized light, as these women seem to exist solely for the sexual pleasure of the manongs.

I definitely recommend that you should read the entire article, just do not rely on the excerpt.

Update: I remove some of the links. YouTube user punkmeister does not exist anymore so the video was removed too. I replaced the video with another one from Vimeo.

I am always amused every time I see a Filipino movie being shown on television in German and Swiss channels. I am also amused every time I hear a Filipino song being played on a Swiss radio station. Once again, I heard Freddie Aguilar’s “Anak” being played on the radio.

I heard this rap song several months ago when I was surfing YouTube. I saw some young Filipino guys’ amateur music video inside the car lip synched it. I just can’t remember what music video in YouTube and when exactly was it when I saw that amateur music video. I thought those young Filipino guys residing in Germany were okay. I thought not bad at all. I thought that the song was okay too but never really bothered to look for more information about it because I didn’t know the title.

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