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Lu Norton - unveiled

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Greetings!

I am very busy and I rarely log in. But whenever I do, I always spend hours reading threads.

The first Ayn Rand book I read was Anthem, when I was in college. I grew up in a very collectivist and mystic society - the Philippines. I have no "Objectivist" influences in the Philippines. I personally shut myself from the environment I lived in before I move in United States last October 2001. When I was young, I created a perfect world in my mind - the Atlantis in Atlas Shrugged - where I am free to think and be an Objectivist. I have always lived most of the Objectivists’ virtues before I even discovered Objectivism. That is why I am tolerant to ‘potential’ Objectivists. I may be one of the first Filipina who abandoned the horrible mysticism that is predominant in the Philippines. I am proud of it.

The first Objectivist I met was my husband, whom I met in United States. I came to America because of money.

I am currently taking a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting at Portland State University. I already have a Business Management Degree and I am narrowing my field into Accounting, to focus more on managing the financial resources of a private firm.

It is interesting to be in a forum to pick minds with. I am grateful to the founder of this forum. More power to the “Prime Movers”! :dough:

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I am originally from Sri Lanka - which is very mystic, like the Philippines. I'm always happy when I hear stories about people who have managed to maintain rationality whilst being surrounded by irrationality. Flowers growing out of rocks, if you like. Welcome to the forum.

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I am currently taking a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting at Portland State University. I already have a Business Management Degree and I am narrowing my field into Accounting, to focus more on managing the financial resources of a private firm.

Welcome, Lu!

I automatically respect anyone who can spell "baccalaureate."

You are very focussed on reality. You are studying accounting because you expect to actually use it, not to amass a stack of degrees.

Best to you and Patrick!

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Greetings!

I am very busy and I rarely log in. But whenever I do, I always spend hours reading threads.

The first Ayn Rand book I read was Anthem, when I was in college. I grew up in a very collectivist and mystic society - the Philippines. I have no "Objectivist" influences in the Philippines. I personally shut myself from the environment I lived in before I move in United States last October 2001. When I was young, I created a perfect world in my mind - the Atlantis in Atlas Shrugged - where I am free to think and be an Objectivist. I have always lived most of the Objectivists’ virtues before I even discovered Objectivism. That is why I am tolerant to ‘potential’ Objectivists. I may be one of the first Filipina who abandoned the horrible mysticism that is predominant in the Philippines. I am proud of it.

The first Objectivist I met was my husband, whom I met in United States. I came to America because of money.

I am currently taking a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting at Portland State University. I already have a Business Management Degree and I am narrowing my field into Accounting, to focus more on managing the financial resources of a private firm.

It is interesting to be in a forum to pick minds with. I am grateful to the founder of this forum. More power to the “Prime Movers”! :thumbsup:

Hi! I'm a Filipino immigrant turned Objectivist, too! :D My parents brought me here when I was eight years old -- back in December 1994!

I definitely know what you mean by the deep, persistent mysticism there! :o I lived in a rural province in northern Luzon, so the collectivism-mysticism was even more prevalent in my life than in the lives of Filipinos in Manila.

I came to America because of money.

Doesn't everbody? :P

You know the mythology about America in the Philippines. Seems like every Filipino wants to move here--especially after hearing about the lives of Filipino immigrants. As a child, I remember receiving exotic consumer goods from relatives living in America who come back occasionally for vacation. They would always bring huge boxes full of gifts to give to us, gifts that would fuel my imaginations about America. Then there's the stories of how they live--descriptions and things that I now find mundane (after having lived here for ten years) but nevertheless I'm sure my cousins who live in the Philippines would find very fascinating.

[edited, added last paragraph]

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You know the mythology about America in the Philippines.  Seems like every Filipino wants to move here--especially after hearing about the lives of Filipino immigrants.  As a child, I remember receiving exotic consumer goods from relatives living in America who come back occasionally for vacation.  They would always bring huge boxes full of gifts to give to us, gifts that would fuel my imaginations about America.  Then there's the stories of how they live--descriptions and things that I now find mundane (after having lived here for ten years) but nevertheless I'm sure my cousins who live in the Philippines would find very fascinating.

When I was young, my father was the only one who inspired me to go to America. Not my relatives who are already here because I rarely saw and talked to them. My father is pro-capitalist. I remember from my childhood how he keep instilling in me to excel in my studies to be able to go to America (for Immigration purposes). He explained to me the great standard of living here in America as to the lousy standard of living in the Philippines. He gave me a purpose to go here - which is to have a better life. Unfortunately, he is a mystic... like everyone else in that country.

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For most people, in order to understand them I usually disregard what they say they believe, and instead observe what they do. Though your father may make mystical pronouncements (if that's what you meant), the suggestions he made to you about prosperity, not to mention an explicit appreciation of America and explicit understanding of reasons behind its success, make him a nice father to have indeed!

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Welcome to the forum, Nu. And good luck with your studies. May you do well and prosper.

I lived in the Philipines for a while when I was a child, but know very little about it. I was a navy brat, and things were too dangerous for us to spend much time off base -- and never without my father. (Some uprising or another in the area.) I do remember that the people seemed to decorate everything in the most cheerful and vibrant colors, which impressed me. I couldn't figure out how people who could fill their lives with so much color could be the same people I had to worry about over things like Huk spears! I was a child. There are few nuances in childhood.

I spent most of my early years on various US Naval bases in Japan, but I had a relatively brief stay at Subic. The country was beautiful, but terribly poor, even around the base (which is unusual, in my experience). I'm happy you managed to come to America and follow your dreams and I welcome you.

Edited by oldsalt
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