Emma had to put items in a shoe box that dealt with a specific topic, all of which she had to talk about in her class, so she chose Philippines. I’m really proud of her for choosing this all on her own, even excited with all the things she had in mind to show her classmates. So we found and included the following for her presentation:

• a picture of her at Camiguin Beach: to show the pristine white sands and clear gradient of the water of the Philippines
• a picture of her at Bukidnon, ziplining: to show the attractions and adventures, hot spots for tourists
• a picture of dancers in Marawi: to show the rich culture of music and dance where her dad grew up
• pastillas candy: to show the love for food, with delicious treats and tastes
• handkerchief: to display the beauty of the textiles and patterns of the Phils.
• a Mindanao State University shirt: to show her pride of where her grandparents work and where her dad grew up and studied

This was a great way to show her even just the skim of who she is…I hope little by little, she will have the curiosity to learn on her own and develop a love for the Philippines. She will probably carry a stigma of being an American and being raised here, not knowing the Philippine language, and people telling her she is not a Filipina, but I want her to still carry a love for her country. I want her to be proud of her duality in cultures- God made her that way and I hope she’ll learn to embrace it and use it to further her purpose in life.