DE VERA, KATRINA LJ A.

BSE-ENGLISH 3-A

Borderless World Where is the Patis?

1. Reading and Annotation: 1. Reading and Annotation:
. A borderless world doesn’t preclude the idea of - The Filipino may denationalize himself
a home. I’m a Filipino, and I’ll always be one. It but not his stomach.
isn’t about geography; it isn’t about boundaries. This sentence really captures my interest. Indeed,
It’s about giving back to the country that shaped that we can’t easily change our standards in food
me. especially that we’re Filipino. We eat rice three
times a day. We want our food to be tasty and
This sentence caught my interest. Indeed, that spicy. If we go in another country, they don’t
there’s nothing can stop us from going to place really eat much rice. They are into breads and
we want. Leaving our homeland doesn’t mean pasta. That’s why many Filipinos working or
forgetting it. Sometimes, we leave because we travelling abroad are missing the aroma of
don’t have choice. Instead of staying in a place Filipino food.
where we can’t grow, go to a country where it can
help us to achieve our goals in life. Before, I used
to think only rich people can go abroad, but I was
wrong. People with determination can also go
abroad to change their life status.

2. Summary 2. Summary
- A Borderless World is an essay about having a - The essay is about a Filipino man who went
world that doesn’t limit you where you should abroad. It shows how a Filipino react on the new
stay. It is an essay that opens our mind about culture around him. When he went to a
different opportunities around the world without restaurant and order for a meal, he feels
forgetting your homeland. It allows individual to something is missing from it. He feels like there’s
understand why certain people are decided to go something wrong with the food. It’s not because
abroad instead of rendering their services in their the food is not tasty, he just misses his homeland,
home country. The essay also talks about how the Philippines. He often compares the food in
Filipino workers, especially on the field of other countries to the Filipino cuisine. The author
medicine, helps other countries like United tries to let the reader experience the
Kingdom and some in the Middle East. In the globalization in a way that she gives different
essay, it includes the author’s perspective about kinds of food coming from different countries.
leaving home country. Before, she also
disapproved people who choose to leave. But, as
she grew older, she realizes that there’s a reason
behind why people choose to leave their family
and work abroad. She mentioned that, not only
Filipinos are going abroad to work but also other
people from different nations migrate to create
new nation. Indeed, that leaving sometimes isn’t
a matter of choice, its coming back is. Whatever
the future holds, take the opportunity outside
our country and come home. We just can’t isolate
ourselves in a place where we can’t grow.
3. Themes 3. Theme
- The theme of the essay is wherever you go, do - The underlying theme of this essay is wherever
not forget where you came from. Simply because you may go, you can’t forget the things you used
this is when you begin to shape your goals in life. to do. It is love for our own Filipino food that we
It gives you plenty of reasons why you need to tend to choose rather than any other food from
make a change for your life. With the help of different parts of the world. We can easily tell the
globalization, it gives individuals to have an cultural identity here because of the condiment
opportunity to work abroad and change their called “patis”. We, Filipinos, usually put that on
lives. There’s no certain thing in this world. Just our food to enhance the flavor of it. We often eat
like Filipinos, who choose to live abroad instead rice in our everyday routine.
in our home country. We can’t blame those
people; they are left with no choice because they
don’t have job here in our country or their salary
is not enough to support their family’s need.

4. Author's Perspective: 4. Author's Perspective:

-Evangelista’s perspective on the cultural identity - Nakpil’s believe that Filipinos loves to add some
in the essay is not about the geography or the condiments to their food to enhance the flavor of
boundaries, but it is all about giving back or it. Even if you’re outside of our country, you’ll still
returned to the country that shape us. She is looking for a Filipino food. Filipinos who’s in
open-minded in writing this essay. She provides abroad really compare the food wherever they
reasons why people would want to leave our are into a Filipino food. It’s not because they are
country and work abroad. It simply because not tasting good but Filipino food is already
there’s a lot of much better opportunities than marked in their tongue. In writing this essay, the
here. author tries to show us what would a Filipino
react on food that he/she’s not used to eat.
5. Writing Style and Tone: 5. Writing Style and Tone:
In this essay, the author used formal and - In this essay, the author used formal and
persuasive tone wherein she provides us reasons descriptive tone wherein she provides us
why most of the Filipino chooses to work abroad description of variety of food in another country
instead of rendering their services in their that almost looks like a Filipino food. It helps the
homeland. It persuades us in a way that she reader to visualize what kind of food the author is
provided her real-life experiences in the essay. trying to tell them. Also, the author let the
The author tries to tell her readers on what the readers on how a foreign food taste like. This
possible reasons are why people leave. Also, in helps the readers to easily comprehend and
the part of the reader it’s quite comfortable imagine the different food from different
reading the essay since you’ll feel comfort and countries.
sadness somehow. However, it contributes to the
whole beauty of the content.
6. Use of Evidence and Examples: 6. Use of Evidence and Examples:

I come from a Third World country, one that is - We Filipinos invented it. It is sinigang, he
still trying mightily to get back on its feet after tells the astonished waiter, only not quite
many years of dictatorship. as good as we do it at home. And where,
for heaven's sake is the patis?
- A borderless world presents a bigger
- The Filipino may denationalize himself
opportunity, yet one that is not so much
but not his stomach.
abandonment but an extension of identity. - But this is the crux of the problem- where
- Leaving sometimes isn’t a matter of choice. It’s is the rice? A silver tray offers varieties of
bread: slices of crusty French bread, soft
coming back that is.
yellow rolls, rye bread, crescents studded
These evidence in the essay helps the author to with sesame seeds. There are also
convince the readers. It already gives the reader potatoes in every conceivable manner,
the factors that motivates Filipinos to work fried mashed, boiled, buttered. But no
abroad. Indeed, that Philippines is not yet fully rice.
recovered after so many years of dictatorships.
Many people can’t apply a job because of lack of This evidence in the essay is effective since it
opportunities and most of them are not qualified convinces the readers to know what exactly a
because they didn’t able to finish their studies. foreign food tastes like. Indeed, that there’s no
The requirement of having a job is quite difficult rice in other countries. Unlike here in our country,
for people from the poor side of the society. rice can’t be seen in the dining table. Every part
Overall, this evidence is effective since it can help of this country has rice and most of the people
would eat rice from day up to night. Overall, it is
the reader to believe and understand Overseas
effective since this can prove that most of the
Filipino Workers.
food outside the country are most likely to taste
like Filipino food.
7. Cultural Context: 7. Cultural Context:
- I come from a Third World country, one that is - But this is the crux of the problem- where
still trying mightily to get back on its feet after is the rice? A silver tray offers varieties of
many years of dictatorship bread: slices of crusty French bread, soft
This is the first thing that comes into my mind. yellow rolls, rye bread, crescents studded
This affects not only one Filipino but most of the with sesame seeds. There are also
Filipinos during that time. It affects the livelihood, potatoes in every conceivable manner,
education, and the life of Filipinos and that’s one fried mashed, boiled, buttered. But no
of the reason’s why many Filipinos couldn’t rice.
continue their studies. Many business owners are Every Filipino love to eat rice. We often choose
having a hard time to be with the same level with rice rather than any food. It runs in the blood of
other countries since we’re from a third world many people in our country. Indeed, that eating
country. rice become part of our identity,
8. Impact on the Reader:
These two essays have the same impact on me. As a reader, it makes me sad knowing that Filipino can
also be successful in their homeland, yet they don’t have enough opportunity and support from
others. Filipinos can also earn money here in our country, but it would not be enough to support their
family’s need. The essay gives an awareness on what are the possible reasons why Filipinos went
abroad and how we can understand their life outside their homeland. The arguments and examples
provide by the authors resonate me personally. Simply because, I also have plan to leave this country
and work abroad. We cannot deny the fact that Philippines has a low salary for teachers, and it can’t
support my family needs and my mother’s medication. I have a goal in life that requires to take risk
and I am ready for that. Just like the two authors, I will not forget my homeland.