You will always find a karaoke machine at a Filipino Function, and you will find a beer garden at a Slopitch game. My upbringing consisted of both, and I carry both aspects from each experience in my life now.
Now, what is a Filipino Function? A Filipino function could be anything; usually, you are celebrating someone’s birthday or hosting a barbecue for fun. You know the function will be a good time when you take a peak at the table and see it full of aluminum containers filled with food. You look to the other side of the room, and you see a boxing match on which all your uncles are howling at the TV and, to your left, your mom and Titas are singing Lea Salonga on the Karaoke machine. And remember when your lola and titas constantly bombard you with questions about why you don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend yet? That is a true Filipino function, and by the end of it, you will be going home with two plates sandwiched together cause you’re taking home the leftovers for sure.
But this differs significantly from a summer evening at the ballpark this year. I took many of my friends to my dad’s senior league softball games, and it is safe to say they are not the same, yet oddly reflective of one another. Picture this: it’s a lovely summer evening. You arrive at the dusty ballpark, and you waft in the stench of cigarettes, weed, beer, and dust. Rock n Roll music blasts from the Beer Garden, and you sit on the bleachers. You’re cheering your dad’s team on and having fun conversations with your uncles, who are not your uncles, but they basically are. You feel all the highs and lows of the game, but whether the team came out with a win or not, it’s a fun experience.
It’s really the best of both worlds. I share a deep connection with both experiences, and I try to embrace how different they are. However, I am in need of a Filipino function; it has been a minute since I have been to one. In short, living between the two will only continuously create more memories for me, and if you can relate, it’s really a niche experience.