Back home

I was 19 when I left the Philippines for good. In a few days, I'll be turning 36. Hard to believe I've been away for 17 years, it just doesn't feel that way. Thanks to the internet, I can easily communicate with friends and relatives back home. I'm also up-to-date with local news and showbiz happenings. I still watch Pinoy soap operas, and I'm familiar with showbusiness' latest faces. Not much has changed. The Pinoys still favor fair skinned skinny people. Even ordinary folks are popping whitening pills and using whitening products regularly, and I won't be surprised if they're also using hgh releaser. Cosmetic surgery is more prevalent. Liposuction, implants (breast/butt/cheek etc), botox and body sculpting have become the norm.

Honestly, with my dark complexion and meaty physique, I'll feel out of place in my own country. Some Filipinos have a way of making you feel like a second class citizen when your skin is dark. Trust me, I know. I've been there. I'm just glad I won't have to deal with that mentality anymore.