"A happy childhood has spoiled many a promising life." - Robertson Davies, "What's Bred in the Bone"

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More US students seek Asian experience (The Straits Times, 3rd July 2008)

"For Filipino-American... spending five months at NUS last year helped him understand his heritage.

'As an Asian-American, connecting to my roots in Asia is very important to me. It helped me to understand my place in the world - something not many Americans understand, or even feel is necessary to understand'"


Even if he had gone 'back' to the Philippines, this talk of connecting to his roots would’ve been suspect, but in Singapore?!

Even if he had been hanging out with Filipino maids in Lucky Plaza his gushing would've been problematic but the more likely possibility is that he came here, went "Oh, I'm in the Orient Asia" and soaked in the local culture with other exchange students.

Racio-geographical essentialism is bad enough, but anyhow racio-geographical essentialism is even worse.