Shanty Socialite

Photo Credit: Google

Recently, I was able to watch New Yorker in Tondo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). It was a classic Filipino theatrical production written by Marcelino Agana Jr.

New Yorker in Tondo is a story about a Filipino named Kikay who used to live in a slum area in Tondo Manila and had a chance to live in New York. After several years of living a sophisticated life in New York, she visited Tondo again and she no longer knew how to converse using the Filipino language because of the so-called “a culturization”.

Another character that I enjoyed was of  Aling Atang, mother of Kikay, who has been carried away by her daughter’s way of living. She tries to converse with everybody in broken English.

*Here are some of the scenes I enjoyed in this play;
Tony: Aling Atang, andyan ba si Kikay? (Aling Atang, is Kikay in?)

Aling Atang: You should not call me “Aling Atang”

Tony: Bakit hindi? (Why not?)

Aling Atang: My daughter says that it's more civilized to call me Mrs. Mendoza.

Tony: Ah sige aling… ay Mrs. Mendoza..(Ah ok aling…oh, Mrs. Mendoza)

Aling Atang :Wait a moment and I will call Franceska.

Aling Atang: Oh! And Tony..You ought not to call her Kikay.

Tony: Ano naman ang itatawag ko sa kanya? (And what shall I call her?)

Aling Atang: You ought to call her Francesca..

Tony: Francisca?

Aling Atang: Not Francisca.. Fran-CES-ca..

Tony: Pero bakit Francesca? (But why Francesca?)

Aling Atang: Because in New York , she says that’s the way they pronounce her name, it sounds like “chi-chi” so Italian, be sure to call her Francesca and not Kikay.

*Kikay and Aling Atang (Note that Aling Atang tries to speak in broken English, I just couldn’t write it here for the sake of everyone)

Kikay: Oh hello darling people!! Nena my dear!.. and Tony, my little buddy, how are you? And Totoy… my raishing! You look goodness, you look like a Tondo Super Production in Technicolor!! But sit-down everybody and let me look at you, oh mumsy!

Aling Atang: What’s the problem now?

Kikay: How many times I must tell you, never to serve fruit juices in water glasses?

Aling Atang: I couldn’t find those tall glasses you brought home.

Kikay: Oh, poor li’l mumsy. She is so clumsy, but never mind, don’t break your heart about it. Here sit down.

Aling Atang: I must be going to the market.

Kikay: Oh, don’t forget my celery. I can’t live without it. I’ like a rabbit, munch all day.

Aling Atang: Well, if you people will excuse me. Tony, remember me to your mother.

Kikay: And remember, a little bloom on the lips, a little bloom on the cheeks and say mwah, mwah!

Although it was presented in a funny way, I must say that the cultural theme of this play touched the audience. It portrays the actuality how most people likely forget their real identity once they move overseas. And this is true amongst some Filipinos abroad although we can't really blamed those folks who altered their ways because they have to incorporate themselves in the new environment that they are in. They were put in those circumstances, and they have to deal with it since in the long run, they moved to get a better life. Though, it would be much better if we build up ourselves, yet we should keep our real identity.

Let’s be proud of our nation for the reason that whichever way we look next to it, we will constantly be a Filipino.