1. Some of our compatriots go abroad, and after having stayed in a foreign country come back to the Philippines already affected by foreign influences in manner of thinking, dressing, and speaking. Do you know any person who has acquired such foreign traits? What do you think of him/her?
♣ I don't know any person who has acquired such foreign traits but if ever I will encounter such, I would believe that he/she is a trying hard person. A social climber who wants to impress others by showing the people around that he/she has adopted the culture of a foreign place where he came from without considering that others may misinterpret his/her actions.
2. "The New Yorker in Tondo", a satire that has perennial relevance in the Philippine society, has been hilariously staged and enjoyed inside universities, colleges and even high school campuses and in professional and semi-professional theaters. What do you mean by adaptation which National Artist Daisy Hontiveros... Avellana had done with Marcelino Agana Jr. play?
♣ For me, the adaption which National Artist Daisy Hontiveros... Avellana had done with Marcelino Agana Jr. play means the way a person adjusts to a foreign place and as he/she adjusts, that person begins to act the way the people in that foreign place do.
3. Kikay meets her moment of enlightenment and shows her true color, she discovers her real self again under the Tondo sky which she had hated earlier and from which she was trying to escape. This is true to the nationalistic tone of the play which teaches love for one's native land and native ways despite the laughter that it provokes. Do you think that Kikay is sincere when she decides to forget her acquired ways and accept her old friends once again?
♣ In my own point of view, Kikay is sincere when she decides to forget her acquired ways and accept her old friends once again since doing so is not that easy especially for her who pretended to be a New Yorker lady which is not really supposed to be done. And it is hard to pretend that you are a renewed person influenced, suited and conformed with a particular foreign place where you came from and yet at the end you will give up those in spite the fact that it is a very shameful thing to do. She never mind what others might say and accepted the truth that the true happiness comes if you will be true to yourself and stop pretending.
4. Read some books and magazines articles about New York, USA. What are some of it's features that attract foreigners?
♣ Some of NYC's features that attracts foreigners is their BOTANICAL GARDEN. According to the article that I have read, going and visiting their Botanical Garden is like a trip to the tropics without leaving New York. You would see some wonderful plants with names like ice cream bean, Panama hut palm, and the autograph tree, just to name a few. You can almost feel the warm of tropical breeze. And rest assured that kids and adults alike will appreciate the fantastic explorations and investigations some of nature's mysteries. With so many ways to engage with plant world, it is a feast for the senses and fun for the whole family. The New York Botanical Garden is just one way to engage with nature amidst the frenzy of New York City.
