Mindanao discount

[At a mattress store]
1: So can we get a Mindanao discount? [smile]
2: No, no, I’ve given you the best I can.
1: Common. How about an Asian discount, we’re related! [laugh]
2:[laugh] Honestly, it’s the best I can do!
1: [sigh]
2: Okay. For the base, I will give you my employee discount.
1: Safe! See, we’re good together. And you’re from Mindanao!
2: Actually, I’m from the northern part of the Philippines.
1: Not where the Muslims are from eh? [smile]
2: There’s Muslims everywhere, but also in Mindanao.
1: Right, right!
2: The Muslims speak different languages in Mindanao. We don’t understand them. I speak Ilocano.
1: Oh, not Tagalog?
2: Tagalog is a different language. It’s the national language. The Philippines is like India, there are so many languages.
1: Right. A mechanic I know is from Mindanao. He said the Muslims speak different languages from them. I think like Tausug or Maguindanao. He said he lives in a mountainous area, and the Muslims live elsewhere.
1: I have Muslims in my family.
2: Really?
1: Oh yeah.
2: Here? Or there?
1: There. My two cousins.
2: Did the family accept it?
1: Not really. You know we’ve been raised to not mix with them.
2: Really?
1: Well no one really says it but you know.
2: But you know when you grow up, you can think how you want.
1: But the Philippines has so many Muslims. It isn’t like here where some white people are Muslim. It’s quite sizable. Isn’t there more familiarity?
2: I guess it depends where you live.
1: Well we got Robin you know? [smile] You know the actor, Robin Padilla. He’s Muslim.
2: I know.
1: That’s huge. A celebrity Muslim. Do people know?
2: That he’s Muslim? Of course.
1: He probably doesn’t live in Mindanao. [smile] There’s a Filipino lady on our street who converted. She’s married to an Indian Muslim. She told me she got push-back but then they got used to it. I know it could be understandable but when the news of the world focuses on a sliver of a sliver of people and puts that news on repeat, no wonder there’s so much hate.
2: I don’t really believe in all this racism. That’s why I don’t watch the news.
1: So we can go to Mindanao together. [smile]
2: To see Abu Sayyaf? [smile]
1: Oh so you know Abu Sayyaf eh?
2: Not really.
1: Who is that guy? Is he even real? [laugh]
2: There’s some problems.
1: The car I bought was off a Filipino guy. He told me that the story is framed one way. He said there are real issues, the Muslims are a minority community and they’ve been neglected. The mechanic guy doesn’t think so when I told him, but this guy was sure of it. He said he understood why there’s problems but of course the government isn’t going to expose their weaknesses and lack of action, and just put it on the Muslims.
2: Yeah, I’m not sure, but I wish there was peace.
1: The government is corrupt, don’t expect it.
1: I know. It’s never-ending. If you don’t harm me, I don’t harm you.
2: Exactly.
1: Let’s talk about Mindanao later. [smile] I hope I like this mattress!
2: I’m sure you will. I’m jealous. You got the best one here.