Filipinese?

On the way home from the library yesterday afternoon, I was crossing a major road by my house. A Greek lady crossing towards me called out, "Excuse me, are you Filipinese?" To which I replied, "Yes". She then proceeded to pull out her business card and introduce herself. I looked at the text on her pretty green and white card, and read ATHENS HOME SERVICES. She said she was a hiring manager and asked if I was looking for a job. Being polite I asked, "Oh, so do you sell houses?" and that is when she started to ramble off about at home nannies, maids, and tutors and how she recruits and hires them. I explained that I was actually a student from Canada and that I was only here for the summer. She said "Oh sorry" and walked away. And then she came running back and said "Well anyway, if you have friends, you can tell them. Here is my email address. Ok bye!" As she walked off I can hear her calling out "And sorry again for the misunderstanding!"

And here I was thinking I thought I looked cute and fashionable, but instead I was mistaken for a maid/nanny looking for a job. I guess the ponytail hairstyle will have to go! Back to voluptious curls and volume. There is one good thing I can take from this though, here in Greece us 'filipinese' are the most sought after for these kinds of positions. I guess we are seen as nurturers, teachers, caregivers, and most importantly, trustworthy and hard-working. And with that, I will smile at my fellow filipinese here making a hard-earned living for their young families.