My background is Filipino which is why my character is holding a flag of The Philippines. But since I spent most of my life growing up and living in Canada, I donβt know a whole lot about my own culture aside from a few things. There is one thing that Iβm confident in explaining, however.
With no actual furniture to represent The Philippines, I had to get creative here. The two tin buckets seen right beside me represents that every early morning in The Philippines, vendors would be walking around the neighborhood yelling βTaho!β, which is a simple snack they sell for around 50 pesos. If converted to bell currency, it would only cost 114 bells! If you couldnβt tell already, itβs one of my favourite Filipino snacks to eat. Anyway, Taho contains silken tofu, tapioca pearls (but we typically call them sago), and brown sugar syrup. One bucket contains the silken tofu while the second bucket contains both the tapioca pearls and the brown sugar syrup. Ideally, the vendors would sell them hot and have it all finished before noon. This is why you see my character doing the encouraging emote and that it was taken around 6 in the morning in front of Stitchesβs house. Usually, the vendors would give you a small plastic cup to put in the taho, but if you brought your own cup, theyβd put it in there instead! The DAL mug represents how you can do just that. Back when I was four or five years old when me and my family went to The Philippines to meet my relatives, I remember one time that I cried because I wasnβt able to get taho in time. Thankfully, the vendor came back eventually and I was a happy boy with my grandma giving me company. On a side note, Stitches should start waking up earlier or else there wonβt be any taho left for him!
Focusing on my character, Iβm wearing a chef hat. It means that I cook for my family when my parents arenβt able to. I donβt want to be lazy and try to help them out when I can. The shirt that I wore here is a custom design I made for myself. It is a Formula 1 McLaren team T-shirt to show that I am a fan of the team, sport, and racing in general. The rainbow stripes show that I support the LGBT+ community to help them feel comfortable and get a better understanding from them, even though Iβm a straight male. You could also interpret it as a subtle way to support the community. This is because my family sadly doesnβt really view them in a positive way so I try to keep quiet when I can or else theyβll think Iβve been βindoctrinatedβ. To me, I believe that listening to one another with an open mind regardless of who we are makes a more positive environment. After all, thereβs more to the person than just their sexual orientation and identity!
The next thing I want to point out on the shirt is the green ribbon. For those who donβt know, June also happens to be scoliosis awareness month. I personally donβt have scoliosis, but my mother does. Sheβs had it for a very long time even before I was born. Because of her back pain coming up every now and then, especially after doing some tasks, Iβve had to give her a massage to alleviate the pain. Despite my mom experiencing pain many times, she does her best to take care of me and my sister. Thanks mom!
The rest of my clothing is just aiming for a summer aesthetic. Nothing else to it.
The red car on the right side of the photo shows how much I really like cars, ever since when I was young. The Gran Turismo series played a huge role in my passion for cars and I remember playing with my dad in split screen mode when I was younger (I got left behind sometimes, but now it's the other way around!). I even discovered some great music to listen to. Long story short, it helped me to drive better, have an appreciation of cars, learn a small bit of their history, and identify numerous cars on the road while going on a car stroll with my dad without having to take a closer look at their names. Eventually, I started seeking more content in this area to broaden my interest and knowledge. Iβd love to talk more about this subject, but I donβt want to go off track. That pun is totally intentional in case youβre asking.
Back to the part where I lived most of my life in Canada, I noticed how I have a very different lifestyle compared to those living in The Philippines. Sure, I know how to speak Tagalog (and even then I mess up sometimes), cook and eat some dishes from the Filipino cuisine. However, I speak mostly English aside from talking to my parents and sound more like a person with a Canadian accent. I also barely wear clothing from my own culture which is why my character doesnβt wear traditional clothing and donβt feel qualified to do so. Basketball has a lot of following in The Philippines. The country even has its own basketball league called the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Yeah, I watch basketball sometimes, but itβs a small drop in the lake compared to my enthusiasm for cars. Moreover, I rarely see people with the same nationality as me who also have an interest in cars and racing (especially when actually taking part in motorsport). When I do, it makes me happy that Iβm not the only one. My point is, I don't see my own differences as a burden. In fact, I'm pretty happy of who I am since I can easily tell it's me with that description!
In conclusion, I interpret diversity as listening to others with an open mind, accepting others, and enjoying many things that life has to offer, no matter who you are!