“They have the greatest respect for sleeping persons, and the greatest curse they can pronounce against anybody is to wish that he die in his sleep. They can not abide the idea of waking a sleeping person, or when they are obliged to do it, it is always done as gently as possible; they carry this repugnance so far that one can hardly expect them to wake up a priest or doctor to come to the aid of a sick person.”

This epigraph to Part 1 is taken from The Philippines (1846), a study by French doctor and amateur anthropologist Jean Mallat. While the excerpt highlights the sanctity of sleep in Filipino culture, it also sets the stage for exploring Filipino culture through a colonial lens. The narrator views the local customs in a patronizing and even humorous light, underscoring Western science’s role in shaping a perception of Filipino culture that justifies colonialism.

“In this perfect picture-book American tableau, plaid hunting jackets, roaring cellophane fires, smoking chimneys, and stark winter forests of skeletal trees provide costume and setting for Hollywood’s version of a typical rural Christmas.”

Rio’s perspective on American films reveals the deep impact of Hollywood’s idealized portrayal of American life on Filipino consciousness. This reflection on the quintessential American Christmas scene, with its typical wintry imagery, highlights its distance from life in Manila. Hagedorn uses this observation to critique the romanticized images presented in Western media, emphasizing their role in distorting the Filipino perception of the West within the context of postcolonial culture.

“I have yet to meet a man named ‘Ned’ or anyone with the surname ‘Nickerson.’”

Rio’s observation about not knowing anyone with this name underscores the disconnect between the Western media and her reality in Manila. This statement highlights the irony of consuming media that depicts a world far removed from her own experience.