People in the Philippines are definitely diligent. Working overtime comes not as a surprise, but as part of the working habit. Contrary to the misconstrued notion that Filipinos are a bunch of Juan Tamad, Filipinos are actually workaholics whether they live in the City or at some distant province or even at a foreign land. Notice the diaspora of Overseas Filipino Workers all over the world. Foreigners tend to hire Filipinos because they are known for their faithfulness, diligence, and integrity. However, in spite of Filipino's enthusiastic working routine, Filipinos are still famous for being a happy person. Studies actually show that Filipinos are in the top list of the happiest people in the world. Filipinos have developed a skill to find pleasure in the midst of tumult.



In a place where people work from dawn till dusk, pleasure is much needed. People's frenzy lives yearn for a better side of the story. Everyday, work becomes too tedious, exhausting and unbelievable. The need for pleasure becomes a need for air to breathe. In the eyes of a worn out person, the workplace becomes a jail where he or she is slowly stripped of life and essence. For this reason, he or she seeks to find an alternative world where he or she can really breathe; can really live; and can really be free. Oftentimes, Filipinos see Karaoke Bars as the paradise of pleasure. In this context, singing, although out of tune, becomes a form of their escape. There are two ways of how Filipinos use Karaoke as an exodus from their stressful lives. On one hand, they often choose to feel the passion in the song which purgates their emotions. On the other hand, they let singing sever the "self" from verity.

A typical Filipino loves to put himself/herself in the shoe of the other. This is why Filipinos weep over the predicaments of the characters in their favorite soap opera or abhor the antagonist of the novel that they are reading. Filipinos put too much emotion in singing. They sing the lyrics of a sad song as if they were the ones who were hurt. Whenever they sing happy or love songs, you can actually feel the rush of their adrenaline. According to Plato, a person undergoes purgation after weeping over a sad story of any form of literature. His/her soul is cleansed. Afterwards, he/she feels more contented with his/her life, happy that he/she lives a better life than the overly sensationalized stories of various media.

Similarly, Karaoke puts Filipinos in jubilant state. Upon entering the bar, a Filipino leaves everything at the doorstep including his business worries, financial problems and relationship concerns. As soon as they find a good position, they play a good song, grab the microphone and belt out the lyrics with all their might forgetting the harshness of their respective lives. Karaoke sends people to a temporary euphoric condition where life becomes nothing, but bliss. But this bliss is transient for after the singing, the Filipino goes back to reality where he faces his problem, now reinvigorated.