Indigenous Dances by the Atayal Tribe at the Cha Ha Mu Park in Taiwan

Looking at this dances, I'm more than convinced that the aborigine tribes in Taiwan and the Philippines are indeed descended from Indonesians and Malaysians. I wrote about Malaysians and the link to aborigines in Southeast Asia. This dance by the aborigine natives are divided into several dances that have very ethnic names like Tayal dance and Saisiyat dance.

As I was watching these dances, they really remind me of the cultural heritage of indigenous Filipinos. The rhythmic movements would resemble to the Ifugaos and the Igorots to name a few. The different dances would similar to these...

Yes, I'm referring to the common links between Filipino aborigines and Taiwanese aborigines.

Filipinos Calling Indians as "Bumbay"

The song "Dayang Dayang" was given a parody cover called "Dayang Daya". Oftentimes, the song "Dayang Dayang" is thought to be Indian. Instead, it's arguably said to be from Muslim Mindanao or was brought in either from Malaysia or Indonesia. Historically, some of the settlers in the Philippines were Malaysians and Indonesians. So, it's probably safe to say that most Filipinos of brown skin descent are mixed Malay and Indonesian. I was even reminded how I mistook a Malaysian woman for a Filipino woman. Back on topic, the parody song has an introduction that says, "Kami Bumbay galing sa India..." (We're Bombay coming from India). I even tend to refer to Indians as Bombay--something I ended up tactlessly saying during my first trip to Singapore. Many times, Filipinos tend to use Bumbay not as a racial slur but to simply refer to an Indian. Some Filipino-Indians don't even mind being called Bumbay for a reason. I guess they got accust...

Ignorance: The Modern-Day Enslavement of the Filipino Masses

Today is Rizal Day . It was often the joke of peopel who passed through the Rizal Course that the easiest date to remember was December 30, 1896 (which would get a big anniversary next year). This history blog may just be a hobby . However, I thought about the need to study history not just from one historian but from many historians. I thought about this quote by Rizal that says ignorance leads to slavery. Ignorance may feel like bliss, but like drug addiction or overspending addiction , the bliss is only short-lived . Such bliss can result in destruction of one's appearance faster than natural aging or decay in the grave ever will. An old woman can still look pretty but a drug addict can look unnaturally ugly or even much older than their current age! Back in high school, somebody wrote a simplistic essay called "History: A Teacher". It's too bad that the person may not even have a copy anymore. I don't even have a soft copy of my high school essays as PCs requ...

Mao Zedong's Birth Was Indeed, a Christmas Season Disaster

Yes, disasters can happen during the Christmas Season. Google " Christmas Day disasters " and you will find that Christmas isn't immune to disasters. One of the worst Christmas season disasters aside from the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami would be the birth of Mao Zedong on December 26 , 1893. Yes, he was born during the Christmas Season. He wasn't there to spread Christmas cheer. Instead, he was born to cause disaster even beyond the Christmas Season! The Christmas season disaster that heralded a series of disasters It's amazing how some people still idolize this monster. Some victims of Christmas Season disasters may have gotten over and celebrated Christmas a few years later. However, Mao's rule caused one disaster after the other. A review of history would reveal the disastrous results of his dictatorship. How Stuff Works reveals this detail on Mao's rule: His Controversial Rule After solidifying his grasp on power, and winning over the ...

The Happy Aborigines Taiwanese Song

While looking for an Aborigine song that gave me an earworm--I found this interesting aboriginal song. By looking at this video, I suspect that this song is actually a love song between a man and a woman,. It does sound very Ifugao-like as well.

Learning About Jose Rizal's Chinese Ancestry (and Blood) Back in High School (and College)

JoseRizal.com Today is Rizal Day, and I found myself admiring him. I don't have his level of genius. Some people often joked that they practiced the Rizal hairstyle. He was only 5.28 feet, which may have been considered tall at that time compared to today's standards. This takes me back in time when my Filipino teacher (forgot her full name) asked, "Do you have to be born a Filipino to be truly Filipino. If we must accept it, Rizal's blood was Chinese." Rizal would be a Chinese mestizo. Look into his history. Rizal's great-great-grandfather was a Chinese immigrant . Those questions forever shook my mind slowly but surely. I'm Chinese by blood, but I was born in the Philippines to Filipino citizen parents, even if my great-grandparents were mostly from China. Concerning Rizal's ancestor, this is an interesting detail: Domingo Lamco: A Beacon of Resilience Domingo Lamco, also known by his Chinese name Cua Yi-Lam (“Ke Yi-Nan” in Mandarin), was a trailbla...

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