It all began in Downtown LA, after going to the USCIS to fix my papers and documents. My parents and I had brunch at the food court in the LA mall, and they ordered chinese food. Of course, there were 2 fortune cookies and I took the liberty of opening them up.

I opened the first one, and it said: "You outdistance your competitors." The second one stated: "You are gifted in many ways." Both fortunes were encouraging and motivating, and I felt supported in a way. It seemed that God answered my prayers through those fortune cookies.

The day went sane, and I guess I am grateful. I went to Kim Parker's house, and I bonded with Tracy, Audrey, Lisa, Britney, and Becca. We pigged out on Ice Cream and cookies and just had a heated discussion on life.

I know, you'd probably think it's an insipid subject, but I really loved it. You see, the difference with Americans and Filipinos is that with Americans, you can talk to them about ANYTHING, and they wouldn't judge you or go all legalistic and act like a bunch of pharisees.

With Filipinos, it's strangely different. You have to be extremely vigilant with what you say because Filipinos take things personally, and most of them (especially girls) are not trustworthy. They will judge you immediately, from your appearance to your accent.

I enjoy being with my new friends now, because they try their best to understand and relate to your personal life. It's obvious that they don't have vested interests, and they'll just let you be, unlike other people who'll backstab you to the bone, probably due to jealousy and insecurity.

Just imagine if we were like White people, with an other-centered attitude. We can make a big difference to our society, because we are more careful with what we say and how we manage ourselves. If we were like them, we would be more apprehensive with other people's feelings, and we would make sure to abide in the government rules for the betterment of our country.

I'm not going to go all political here, but just conceptualize the possibilities that could happen if we changed our hearts for the greater good. There's bound to be a revival, and the hope that many people have been seeking will be found.

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