The Inner “Child”

Travel is a lot of fun. Travel to the Philippines is the icing on the cake.

My assistant lives on the island of Leyte, in the middle of the Philippines. To get there, the best way is to travel on the domestic airline Cebu Pacific ( I call them Cebu Specific). They use small-ish DC-9 aircraft (about 200 passengers), and on the one-hour flight, the cabin crew entertain the passengers with parlour games such as charades or I-Spy.

It was the week within which Valentine’s Day fell, February 14th, and on this occasion, the plane was decked with red ribbon, heart-shaped balloons and pink tickertape.

Philippines’ people, just like Japan and Korea, love karaoke, and all through the week, passengers were requested to stand up at the front of the plane and serenade their loved ones with “a capella” song.

On my way from Manila, a few Pinoys got up and sang a few lines of English songs.

The request went out “Any more potential singers out there?” I raised my hand. I was encouraged to come forward.

Over the PA system I then impishly sang a whole verse of a well-known Tagalog song.

The irony was delicious: A Japanese girl singing a song in the Philippine language, to a plane full of Filipinos, in the Philippines!

I was applauded back to my seat.

Sometimes a sense of humor helps.

On my way back to Manila three days later, the same request was made.

When I was asked to come forward this time, I played a joke. I became the host of a popular English quiz show called “Name that Tune”, where contestants had to identify a song from a few notes only.

I began with… “Ibibigay, ang lahat lahat…” There was a shout from one of the passengers. Someone had correctly identified it as “Kapag Ako Ay Nagamahal” (How I have loved). This is a song I have covered elsewhere.

The next was easier. I sang “ ‘Di magsasawa, hindi magbagbago….” And the shout was “Laging Tapat” (True Love):




Finally, I sang “….Magsisisi…” and after a pregnant pause, someone sheepishly said “Anak” (Child), one of the most popular songs ever to be recorded in the Philippines (Freddie Aguilar):

).

As I took my seat, I was given a standing ovation !!! I was chuckling inside, my own inner child was having fun. (Lewis Carroll from Daresbury would have probably invented a name for it, but we had to be content with “chortle”.)

That was a few years back. I remember it well because I landed in Manila 30 minutes later with no money to even pay for the hotel I was to stay in that night (RAF Mansion on Roxas Boulevard), nor the taxi to get me there – but that story can wait!