Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Delen: Humor By Annie Delen Jaded Mind
DARN, where is a tape recorder when you need one? Jokes that can make Ebenezer Scrooge laugh hysterically were literally pouring out of Manong Tom (Picana's) mouth faster than I can remember last Thursday at Luisa's café, watering hole of the tired and the jaded.
True, some might be considered unprintable but heck, everyone was guffawing and no, it wasn't the effect of alcohol.
The jokes were funny and timeless that although we've heard it in the past it's still good for a laugh. Unfortunately, translating it in English would destroy the humor.
If there is one thing that Filipinos have aside from the hackneyed idea of hospitality is humor. We have been known to see the funny side of almost everything.
In fact, some pop psychologists believe that it is our way of coping with difficulties that come our way. That may probably be true but I have the feeling that Filipinos were born with a funny bone to compensate for something...being saddled with a government of the fewpols (few politicians) by the fewpols and definitely for the fewpols perhaps.
But if there is a downside to humor, it's the possibility of physical injury or worse, death.
Very common is the story of the devout Moslem who upon learning that his co-workers fed him pork as a practical joke turned amok. Every retelling of this anecdote a new twist is added but there is only one lesson that should be learned never joke about a man's religion if you don't want to meet your maker ahead of schedule.
Alas, despite our good humor, we also have the tendency to take things too seriously at times. Many a fan had found him (they are mostly men I gathered) injured over a simple bet.
Ironically enough, despite these dire possibilities, we continue to flirt with danger by continuing to churn out jokes that deal on the four sensitive subjects namely religion, politics, race, (tribal affiliation if you may) and yes sex.
Take the following examples:
Customer: Kape you man with melk.
Waiter: 10 pesos sir.
Customer: Ania, 8 lang di kalman
Waiter: Nginmina gamin gasoline tatta sir.
Customer: Ket uray han mon kabilan gasolinan ah.
* * * * *
Erap: Waiter, Isang kape nga.
Waiter: Black sir?
Erap: Bakit, may iba pa bang kulay?
To be totally honest about it, the "customer" in the first joke was supposedly from Ifugao.
True or not, I would say it is one of the countless jokes associated with the people of Ifugao who according to many have the natural ability to make people laugh even when they are not trying.
I'd say when God blessed this world with dry wit; the bulk of it fell in Ifugao and I meant that as a compliment.
So, do you have a sense of humor? If you think you do, make sure you can take as much as you dish out.
