Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2013 12:01:30 GMT -8
| [rs=3][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 475px; padding: 10px, true][div style="border: 2px solid #ededed; width: 100px; height: 100px; background: url(http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i380/irelandhetalia/piri2av.jpg);[/style"] | [cs=3] CLARA MARCELA PAGSISIHAN-DEL ROSARIO | |
Female | 20 | Asexual |
Filipino | Philippine Ambassador | Government |
| [cs=5][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 475px; padding: 10px, true] APPEARANCE | ||
151.8 cm | 54 kg | Brunette |
Dark Brown | Dark Tan | Petite; Lean |
| [cs=3][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 475px; padding: 10px, true] PERSONAL | ||
| [cs=3] Personality | ||
| [cs=3] Clara Marcela Pagsisihan-del Rosario is probably the sort of person most people would describe as weird or an odd-ball. She prefers being classified as an eccentric, however. And eccentric she certainly is. If you were to meet Clara when she was away from ambassadorial work, it would be easy to mistake her as socially awkward. Although polite and usually hospitable with strangers, she comes across as quite shy. If she’s with someone she has just met, she will not speak unless spoken to and even then, it is quite obvious she is uncomfortable. Also, she can be rather suspicious of people she has just met. She does her best to hide it, but it is pretty obvious that she remains wary of strangers. However, she does do her best to make a guest feel at home, no matter how uncomfortable it makes her. It will take a while for Clara to get used to new people before she can fully trust them, accept them as a friend and open up to them. Even then, Clara would describe most of her friends as acquaintances. It appears to be the complete opposite situation when she is fulfilling her role as an ambassador. Clara seems to be able to portray an image of In some ways, Clara likes to remain quite distant from people, both physically and mentally. Mentally distant because of the fact she is usually quiet with people she does not consider a friend and rather secretive. She tries to keep her emotions hidden to others, but she doesn’t do a very good job at it. One of her major issues that would make people consider her “socially awkward” is the fact Clara has issues about her personal space. She becomes fidgety and uncomfortable if someone “invades her personal bubble”. This is most likely due to her shyness. She would rather keep a distance between herself and others. The only people she allows into her bubble are her close, long-standing friends and family. Clara is intelligent, and she knows it. Logic and her intellectuality are her major strengths. School was not something she found difficult at all growing. In fact, she appeared to enjoy studying more than socialising with strangers (accept of course, when there’s a festival of some sort- then she’s the first person out into the street for the parades) during school, and throughout her childhood was at the top of her classes and being moved up a year. The intellect is not something one can easily loose, and the Filipino enjoys long philosophical debates with others she considers “nearly as smart as herself”. There aren’t many of those according to her, though. She would be classified by many people as a classical “boffin”; hard working when it comes to work and a perfectionist. In fact, a perfectionist to the extreme. Clara is the sort of person who would over-work herself for exam if she’d got a B or lower on the previous test. She tends to beat herself up over tiny mistakes, and won’t let them go until she’s fixed the problem and reached “perfection”. This perfectionist attitude is similar to another trait Clara has. She can be obsessive over certain things, for example cleaning. She will hit the roof if anything is messed up in the house; be it some dirt from outside getting brought in or a spillage of milk. Knowing Clara and her neurotic manner, she is the type of person who would literally cry over spilt milk. Especially after she’s just cleaned the table. All of these things contribute to the first, overall impression that Clara is odd. If you are patient, are lucky enough to be considered a friend and can get past the initial timid side of Clara, you’ll see the more outgoing, easy-going Filipino. Although still as up-tight over school and cleaning, Clara does let her hair down around those she considers close. Ask any of her closest friends, and instantly they would describe Clara as optimistic and fun. Yes, she does know how to have fun! Life’s not all work and no play. This Filipino does enjoy a good sing-song, game of sport or dance during her free time. And who better to spend it with than your friends? If you can get this close to her, you might be lucky enough to be allowed to call her by Dalisy; her Tagalog name. This is a nickname reserved especially for only the closest friends and family. Cheerfulness is one of the more becoming attributes Clara has. She’s not the sort of person to get stroppy over nothing (unless you’ve irritated her in some way by hugging her or breaking something). She’s not one to be pessimistic about life. Usually, she does her best to “always look on the bright side”. Although, she’s only human, and there are times when Clara finds this difficult. Another one of Clara’s “strengths” is the fact she is incredibly polite. She was always brought up to be hospitable and has impeccable manners. This is something she prides herself in. Also, Clara is incredibly respectful, especially to her elders. She will never speak out of line to anyone who she feels should be treated correctly. Another thing she was brought up to be is family-minded. Being the oldest of her generation in her family, she sees herself as a mothering figure to her younger cousins. Family is always close to her heart, and most of the things she does are for their best interests. Another thing that is close to her heart is food. She has a ridiculous, extreme love for food of any kind. Some people may consider her to be greedy because of this, but Clara will always deny that vehemently. Really though, it is true. She does love to stuff her face. Her family think it’s a miracle she doesn’t put on any weight. Clara may also appear to be quite selfish sometimes, especially over her stuff. She doesn’t like people borrowing her things, as she constantly worries that they will break them. Ok... maybe she’s a little paranoid too. But she’s not any of these things in a malicious way. It’s just the way she is. Surprisingly, with those who are closest to her, Clara is very chatty. As a matter of fact, she’s a gossip. Again, not in a malicious way. She just loves to hear and tell interesting stories about other people’s lives. So long as it doesn’t get back to them, no harm done, eh? Overall, Clara Marcela Pagsisihan-del Rosario is the sort of person who many would describe as having lots of layers. When you think you see something, there’s actually another completely different side to that underneath. It just takes a while to find it, sometimes. | ||
Likes | Hates | Fears |
// ✓ Technology: Clara's addicted to electronics and gadgets. She never goes anywhere without her phone, and is nearly always tweeting or browsing Facebook when she has the chance. Another passion that branches off from this is her love for inventing gadgets and tinkering with electronic items. It's a bit of a hobby to try making new inventions, and she pretty tech-savvy. // ✓ Cooking: One of her favourite pass-times. Her cooking style is quite experimental; most of the time she tries to create a fusion of Filipino and Spanish cuisine, due to her roots. She is a very good cook, actually. // ✓ Food: Well, if you like cooking you must like eating too! She eats a lot, never missing a meal and having frequent snacks between. It must be some kind of miracle that she doesn't put on weight. Some of her favourite foods are: // ✓ Dancing: More specifically, the Tinikling dance. It's great fun, even if it hurts occasionally when your ankles get caught in the poles. Really, though, she loves any kind of dancing as well, such as Cariñosa. Tinikling just happens to be her favourite. // ✓ P-Pop: For Clara, Philippine pop music is one hundred times better than J-Pop, K-Pop or American pop! She loves to dance to it, and sometimes dances Tinikling to more modern music. She likes karaoke too. However, you'll never catch her singing in front of strangers. The only time you might hear her singing is when she’s in the shower or when she's doing karaoke with close friends or family, but otherwise she isn't one for singing in front of people she doesn't know. // ✓ Cleaning: Clara hates dirt, and seems to enjoy getting rid of it. She's a little obsessive when it comes to mess. Everything must be kept as clean as possible and she goes to great lengths to keep it that way (e.g. She forbids anyone to wear their shoes inside. They should have a pair of indoor and a pair of outdoor shoes so no unwanted mud is brought in). // ✓ Languages: Clara is a bit of a linguist, and is fluent in Filipino, English and Spanish. Sometimes she'll casually flip between the three when taking. She's also learning Tagalog, Arabic and a few other regional Filipino languages. // ✓ Flowers: When Clara was back home in the Philippines, she used to grow flowers and owned a rose garden. Jasmine is by far her favourite flower, and she wears Sampaguita Jasmine in her hair. // ✓ Philippine Folklore: Clara still remembers all the myths she was told by her parents when she was younger. Those stories are special to her now, and although she won't admit it, she does believe in some of the magical creatures and entities. // ✓ Family: Her family is one of the most important things to Clara, and she shows great respect to all her elders. She tends to also consider some of her very close friends as "siblings", and will often refer to them as older/younger brother/sister in Filipino. // ✓ Dressing Up: Especially in the beautiful national dress of the Philippines; the Baro't saya. Clara really loves going over the top with her looks, usually when there is a festival, national holiday or formal event taking place. ║ ❀ ║ ❀ ║ ❀ ║ // ✓ Eskrima: Also known as Arnis and Kali. A weapon-based martial arts from the Philippines. Although she doesn't really play, she does know the basic techniques and may use a bamboo pole to defend herself, using any moves from Arnis. She prefers to watch it, though. // ✓ Festivals and Fiestas: There are some spectacular festivals in the Philippines, including Dinagyang and Kadayawan. Clara simply loves the celebrations and always goes to watch the parades and festivities. // ✓ Reality TV and Soap Operas: Some of the popular reality shows in the Philippines are versions of famous shows from other countries, such as Pinoy Big Brother, Philippines' Next Top Model or Philippine Idol. Then of course, there are the day-time Teleserye (Philippine soap operas) and even K-Dramas she loves to indulge in. Some of the best Teleserye (in her opinion) are shows like Maging Sino Ka Man or Pangako sa ’Yo. She streams most of the shows she enjoys via the internet so she doesn't miss them when living abroad. // ✓ Sipa: A native Philippine sport that is like a mix of volleyball and football. Clara enjoys playing this with her friends and siblings. // ✓ Siestas: Yes, Clara is a little bit lazy, and often takes an afternoon nap after indulging on another large meal. // ✓ Tarsiers: They are adorable! Clara still has a cuddly toy tarsier from when she was younger which she calls Maganda. He's her little "mascot". // ✓ Shopping: Especially at the markets. She also enjoys haggling for prices. It's just something she finds exciting. The market in Covent Garden is her favourite thing about London. // ✓ Christmas: Well, quite honestly, who doesn't? In the Philippines, they've combined Spanish and American influence with Filipino culture to create a spectacular event each year, which Clara looks forward to without fail. // ✓ Dogs: Clara loves dogs. Although they aren't usually popular choices as pets back home, she owns an askal called Bantay which she brought with her to London... He follows her everywhere she goes, much to the annoyance of some of the people in the embassy. ║ ❖ ║ | // ✗ Traffic: There's terrible traffic where she comes from and here in London as well, and it gives her such a headache. Clara has an odd habit for always being late, never on time, and traffic is what she always blames her lateness on. Clara never arrives on time for anything. Even she doesn't know why, but if you want to meet up with her be sure to arrange much earlier than when you really intend. // ✗ "Are you a nurse?": There's a stereotype that Filipino women are all nurses who immigrate to the USA, and Clara can't stand it. If anyone ever brings that up, she gives them a long lecture about how there are plenty of bankers, mechanics, teachers (etc.) who are Filipino. She reacts the same way if anyone says anything about mail-order brides. // ✗ Invading her Personal Bubble: Never invade her personal space unless you are family or a very, very close friend. If you do and you are not either of those things, Clara will hit you with a bamboo pole. If she doesn't have one with her, she'll just wait until she does and then she'll hit you! // ✗ Deforestation: Why can't people leave the rainforest alone?! It really angers her to see so many plants and animals getting endangered by this. She’s a big supporter of Greenpeace and the like, and is usually supporting these sorts of charities to stop deforestation. // ✗ Glasses: Clara requires glasses, but can't stand wearing them. Usually she wears contact lenses. The only time she does wear her glasses is when she's busying herself with another invention. // ✗ Her Height: Like the usual Asian stereotype, Clara is not very tall. She stands at 151.8 cm (4' 11.8"). One thing she can't stand is when people comment or tease her about the fact she is vertically challenged. // ✗ Alcohol: She hasn't ever had much to drink (because she refuses to touch the stuff), but she thinks alcohol smells terrible. Besides, most of the people she knows back home in the Philippines don't hold their alcohol well at all... It doesn't really look very pleasant, in her opinion. // ✗ Expensive Things: People may call Clara cheap, but she doesn't care. All she cares about is if she can afford it, which is why she often haggles over prices when out shopping. Clara tends to like cost-cutting by recycling things and mending clothes instead of going out straight away and buying new. // ✗ Racism: People say that the Chinese treat Filipinos as second class citizens, and that really irritates Clara no end. If any Chinese person is going to disrespect her, she'll set Bantay on them. // ✗ Disrespecting Family: Clara was brought up to be a very family-minded person. She feels sick when she sees people disrespecting or ignoring their family. Honestly, people should have much better family values! // ✗ Mess: She may like cleaning, but that's only because she's getting rid of the mess. If anyone brings mud into the house or messes up a room, she'll hit the roof. Then, at least she'll enjoy the cleaning after. // ✗ Animal Cruelty: Why would anyone hurt a dumb, helpless animal?! She can never tolerate that! Once, a man kicked Bantay in the street and Clara went berserk. The man was released from hospital a few weeks later... // ✗ Insects: The hot, humid weather in the Philippines means there are a lot of insects. Clara's not scared of them, but it's not pleasant when you find a huge bug in your house. // ✗ Politics: This is hard to explain as she is involved in politics. It’s more that she does not like the falseness of it all; people pretending to be friends just for more votes. She’s rather honest in that way. If she doesn't like someone, it’s not hard to work out. The corrupt officials and crookedness she keeps hearing about in the Government is exhausting. // ✗ People Interfering with her Work: Or touching her stuff. Last time that happened one of her the maids at the embassy broke her computer... That did not end well. // ✗ Strangers: Although hospitable, Clara does not really like strangers. It might take a while for her to warm up to somebody new. This is surprising, especially in her job. However, she is good at keeping a friendly façade. // ✗ Being Called a Gossip: Yes, Clara does like to hear stories and them pass them on (and she hears many stories in her line of work), but that's not being a gossip! It's just... spreading important information(?). // ✗ Gambling: Clara just can't understand why you'd want to risk losing your money on a card game. It's total stupidity, in her opinion. // ✗ Chillies: She doesn't really use them much in cooking, because they're a little spicy for her. // ✗ Dull Colours: Things should be bright and cheery! Not drab and boring. It’s just a little quirk, in some way. Clara’s clothes are always bright and cheery, and make her usually stick out like a sore thumb. | // ✖ Aswang: A vampire in Philippine folklore that has always terrified Clara, since she was a young girl. People in the Philippines believe that when people go missing, Aswang is to blame. To this day, she fears that Aswang might come and get her in the night! Yes, it's childish, but this fear developed when she was very young, and she still hasn't been able to get rid of it. // ✖ The Dark: A fear that spanned from her fear of Aswang. When she was much younger, she always thought Aswang was hiding under her bed in the dark where she wouldn't see it... Now she can't stand the dark. // ✖ Missing a Meal: Just... don't ask. It's ridiculous, but one hundred percent true. // ✖ Bagyo: Better known as tropical cyclones or typhoons. They're pretty common in the Philippines, but the cause so much damage that Clara will never get used to them and will always be terrified when it's announced one is coming. She won't get affected by them in the UK, though. So she's safe~ // ✖ Lindol: Earthquakes; another natural disaster that affects the Philippines and, again, terrifies Clara no end. Again, though, she won't get affected by them in the UK. // ✖ Tikbalang, Tiyanak and Multo: Horse-men, demon vampire babies and ghosts are all pretty terrifying. All are part of Philippine folklore and, although they don't scare Clara as much as Aswang, they are pretty scary. // ✖ Getting Groped: Clara has huge personal space issues, and would be petrified is someone tried fondling her. Besides, it's disgusting! // ✖ Lack of Personal Space: As mentioned above, Clara has a personal bubble and it freaks her out if people come into it. She also has claustrophobia, and cannot stand small, enclosed spaces. // ✖ Failing: Being a perfectionist, failing is never an option! She might have a panic attack if she does. // ✖ Horror Movies: They're terrifying! Why do people go to see a film to scare themselves?! Clara can't stand them. |
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| [cs=3] History |
| [cs=3] 20 years ago in Manila on June 12th, a baby girl was born. The mother, Malea Pagsisihan named the child Dalisay, a Tagalog name meaning “pure”. However, many people in the area gossiped; rumours spread that the child was not as pure as one would believe. A bastard child, conceived in rather... controversial circumstances. Gabs did gossip that the mother had had an affair nine months ago with her employer. Her employer, it turns out, was the Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines and Malea was a maid working at the embassy. José Mariano del Rosario was unmarried, and had been in the Philippines for a year when he met Malea. And they had fallen in love. However, it seemed like an impossible love; the ambassador and the cleaning maid. Wouldn't that be frowned upon? However, it was a few months after Dalisay was born that the two decided to ignore anybody else's views on their relationship, and were soon married. The baby was given her father’s surname and a Spanish name and so, Clara Marcela Pagsisihan-del Rosario’s life with her family began. Clara was a gifted child; there was no doubt about it. Despite being a native Filipino, she attended an International school, and quickly picked up English. She already spoke both Spanish and Tagalog at home, and was a fast learner. At a very young age, she seemed politically aware, and was an excellent student at school. In some ways, she was the stereotypical Asian “boffin”, and was moved up two classes above her. Clara was a star pupil; the teacher’s favourite. Yet, her intelligence didn't exactly make her very popular with her older peers. Quite the opposite really; she was bullied. It was never anything that involved violence, but the name calling and hurtful words really got to Clara. She became closed off and shy, yet had a natural talent for putting on a confident mask. However, you could tell if Clara trusted you or not. If she did, she’d allow you to call her “Dalisay”. If not, she was simply “Clara”. So, whilst she excelled at school, socially she hid in her father’s shadow at Embassy events and simply... acted. It was easier than she thought it would be. The family spent ten years in the Philippines in total, before Clara’s father was sent to his next posting: America. Clara actually settled into America quite well, despite the fact she was often homesick for “the Pearl of the Orient”. But still, life went on without much hassle. Clara continued to be moved ahead through school, whilst her father’s diplomatic career went strong and her mother found herself a new circle of friends. All was peaceful, simple. And then, excitement hit the family. The teacher’s at Clara’s school decided that she would be able to graduate and attend university a few years earlier than average students would. Of course, her parents were over the moon, and Clara herself was ecstatic. She had already planned that she would go into the Diplomatic Corps like her father, and had been looking at potential universities before she even moved to America. The excitement in the family only grew when she passed the entrance exam to Yale. This gave her a huge boost in confidence unsurprisingly. So, after graduating college, Clara packed her bags and went off to Yale to study law and international relations. She graduated from Yale at the age of 18, and almost instantly was hired by the Philippine diplomatic corps. Of course, although he would never admit it and Clara had no idea of it, her father played a huge role in getting her a job. A job which, actually ended up being very, very controversial. Clara was given two years of "preparation"; a sort of training for possible future ambassadors before she was assigned to a major posting. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Oh my, was there uproar in the Philippines when news broke out that such a young, inexperienced woman was given such an important posting. There was anger amongst those working for the Philippine foreign ministry, and even a few riots amongst civilians back home. Clara even received a few extreme threats in the post, that were incredibly intimidating and even more concerning. Despite the controversy and uproar, the government did not go back on their decision, and Clara was appointed to Ambassador. She has only been in London for a week now, but is still getting news back home that there is much anger about Clara's role the embassy. However, in the week she has been here, she has remained completely professional and already seems to be trying to make her positive impact in the system. |
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