First of all, I like this picture. Second of all, I'm sure I will think of a better conceptual image later, but this adorable little girl stared at me all the way down the street. Yes, I know it's a baby and they are generally fascinated with everything, but let me just say that being stared at is certainly not uncommon.

I've been talking to a lot of Cebuanos about this and apparently, they find light skin, light hair, light eyes and Caucasian noses (yeah, I don't really understand the nose thing either) very attractive, so in turn, everywhere you go, you get a ton of gawking eyes. In a country of tiny people, being a 5'7 female doesn't really help either.

Story 1: I had just met a co-worker's friend in the city, very very nice Filipina, but when we left the restaurant 1. she immediately linked arms with me as is typical here and 2. was parading me about town, smiling and waving as we passed. I felt like a prize poodle and I really dislike poodles.

Story 2: It is an old Filipino belief that if a pregnant woman touches or stares at someone frequently, their child will adopt some of those features. You see that happen with both Caucasian men and women.

Also, similar to tanning lotion, whitening lotion is readily available and in most every sunblock.