Mrs. Melania Trump’s advocacy as first lady would be bullying according to the news report.
If there’s someone on earth who is an expert in this topic it’s ME. yES! Me as in Annie C. Tan-Yee, aka OMB.
I am a victim of bullying. One of my classmates’ and schoolmates’ favorites to be picked-on. Whether they are male or female, they just like to pick on me. Maybe I am the only favorite.
Why kaya? Aba sila ang tanungin nyo, hindi ako.
Sige na nga, let’s try to analyze. Is this a good exercise, reminiscing the bullying days? I might start crying. Oh no, not anymore. Sipain ko silang lahat.
1. I am Chinese — Most people in Binangonan looked at Chinese people as different. They referred to me as ANAK NI KA CARDONG INTSIK. May pera, may negosyo, Intsik yan, Utangan mo wag mong bayaran. I experienced being touted and teased for being Chinese.
I would never forget that night when I was standing on the sidewalk with some of my classmates waiting for the procession. A group of teenage boys from well-off families were looking at me. One guy (I think he became a doctor of medicine), told the guy sitting beside him “Hayan si Annie Tan, yan ang kaibiganin mo kasi may pera yan, anak ng instsik).
First of all hindi kami mayaman, but true, anak ako ng tatay kong intsik. Masipag ang mga magulang ko at maabilidad, hindi pareho ng mga magulang nila, mahilig mangutang sa parents ko.
Hoy, magpasalamat ka sa akin dahil isang beses nagpunta sa bahay namin ang nanay mo, lumapit sa mama at papa ko at kulang daw ang iyong pangmatrikula.
2. My surname is Tan — They liked to make fun of my surname. Annie TAN-GEE-EY- TANGA!
mUKHA ba akong tanga? Excuse me, mukha akong inosente, pero hindi mukhang tanga. Boys would yell out my name as soon as I set foot on the quadrangle. Their voices echoed and bounced on the church’s walls and school buildings. Annnnniiiieei Tannnnn Gee Ey!!!!
Tan gee ey,
Tan gee ey.
Every step I made towards school was so heavy because I didn’t want to go to school. I was so scared to enter the campus because boys would scream my name and call me names.
Asan na itong mga boys na ito ngayon? Nadun pa rin sa Binangonan. Nakikita ko pa rin sila. Mabait na sila sa akin ngayon. Magalang. Karamihan sa kanila ay ganun pa rin ang buhay. Some of them address me as MAM. They probably don’t remember that they caused me tremendous hurt when we were young. Pagnaaalala ko pa yun, kumukulo pa rin ang dugo ko hangga ngayon.
3. TIKLING / payatot
I was very skinny when I was younger. I think most teen girls are skinny.
Aside from being called Tanga, they also liked to call me Tikling, payatot. Ako rin si Anning Tikling kasi daw my legs were so thin parang patpat. That’s one of my nicknames, TIKLING. Not only did they tease me at school, they also touted me every where they see me. A few times they chanced upon me at the public market. They followed me every where while chanting “tikling”. They also blocked my path. It was one of the saddest days of my life as a young girl.
Tingnan nga natin ngayon yung legs ng mga misis ninyo kung gaano katataba at kapapangit. Karma yan kaya pangit ang mga misis nyo dahil mga pintasero kayo nuon. Hayan sige nga, ngatngatin nyo ang binti ng misis nyo na parang kasing lapad ng palu-palo at parang troso ang mga hita. Magasgas sana ang mga mukha nyo sa gaspang ng legs ng misis nyo. Tseee!
4. HIHIPUAN
Boys and men also liked to touch me. My legs, my arms, my hand, my cheeks. Para akong isda na paboritong pisil=pisilin. When I was in grade 3 or 4, During recess time, I was standing in the corridor when a group of boys approached me and lifted my skirt up, revealing my white panty. I didn’t say or do anything. They ran laughing and giggling. I just froze. One of them came back and did it again. Then they started teasing me “puti ang panty, puti ang panty”.
I just froze there, feeling so low. I was mad inside me but I couldn’t do anything. magsumbong sa teacher? Wala naman gagawin yun. Isa pa yung wala sa ayos, matino ba yung umiihi sa lata sa likod ng blackboard?. Magsumbong sa parents? Baka ako pa ang mapagalitan. It happened several times. It just ended when one time, I saw them coming towards me, I prepared myself and before they could lift my skirt again, I hit one guy with my right fist. He’s big, but I hit him hard and it landed on his left jaw. I was shaking and was on the verge of crying and at the same time I was angry. That was the last time they did it.
Nagsumbong sila sa teacher. “Titser, titser, si Annie ho, nanununtok”. Buti na lang hindi ako pinagalitan nung teacher kasi baka sya rin masapak ko.
Writing this makes me angry and I am now crying. Parang naawa ako dun sa little girl na yun. That was me.
To be continued.
Cheer up An. That was the past. You have bloomed into a successful person. Beautiful inside and out.
Until now, pag-naaalala ko sila, nabubwisit pa rin ako.
Salamat Alvin.
Nakuwento mo na din naman ms. Annie kung anong kinahinatnan nila. Enough vengeance na rin yun kahit wala kang directly ginawa sa kanila. Karmi martin na nila yun. Hehe.
Dear S,
Almost twenty years ago, I joined FVR’s trip to London, Belgium and Paris. I was with the business delegation. From Paris, the rest of the delegation proceeded to Spain while I stayed put in Paris for two more days to enjoy the city. On my last night before coming home, I spent a few hours staring at Eiffel Tower. I just sat there admiring its beauty and watching tourists. At around 9 pm, I gathered my jacket and prepared to walk back to my hotel. I stood there for a few ore minutes and just before I left, I talked to God. I could never forget what I said to Him. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“Lord, Thank you for everything. Thank you for bringing me here. Nung isang araw nag breakfast ako sa London, Kahapon, naglunch ako sa Brussels, ngayon, dito ako nagdinner sa Paris. Sige, quits na tayo Lord. Bawi ka na sa mga masasamang nangyari sa akin nung bata pa ako. Pinalitan mo naman ng mga sobrang gandang bagay. Salamat po”.