To my dear fellowmen: thoughts on 2013 election

Few hours from now, we will start putting our future in the hands of the selected few. After we experienced the campaign circus in forms of:

- dancing candidates in tune of novelty songs and their campaign jingles

- singing, serenading candidates to woo moms and grandmoms

- joking candidates-turned standup comedians to gain public attention

- acting candidates while filming their TV campaign ads

 and a lot more…

I could go on to my list, but that would probably exhaust you to read. Instead, I want to be direct and go to my point. My fellow Filipinos, we are now in the time to make a change. Let’s take this chance seriously by thinking carefully whose names we are going to shade for tomorrow’s election. Let us be guided with these thoughts that I could gather from my jumbled mind at the moment:

1. Not all old candidates are worthy to be re-elected. Some may have gained more experience in serving others, but the keyword there is some. The number of years in service is not a guarantee of being an exemplary public servant. I could give you many examples.

2. Popularity does not equate to good service. Candidates may be actors, models, singers, and even contortionists, but we must ask ourselves: What can they do to serve us? Do they know a thing in public service?

3. The father is different from the son. Or daughter. Or whatever. When the father, a mayor, finished his third term, he would run as a congressman and ask his son to take the mayorship from him. This son, who is a councilor, would then ask his son, a barangay chairman, to replace him. The cycle goes on for years. Political dynasties are common in the Philippines  and don’t we wonder why they exist? Are we assured that the mayor’s work, provided that it is honorable, will be followed through by the son?

4. Signages are not everything. In our country, it is very common to see basketball courts, waiting sheds, and even lampposts, with the lines “a project of mayor bla bla bla”. In my city, there are gigantic billboards detailing what the mayor is currently doing in his jurisdiction, with his huge smiling face plastered beside the photos of his work. Transparency and visibility are okay, but why do I feel that citizens must feel grateful and indebted as if we owe those projects to him? To add to the injury, few months ago a footbridge near my village was repainted with the line, “a project of councilor bla bla”. Interestingly, this councilor is the son of the current mayor and is running to replace his father for this election.

5. The number of times a political candidate appeared in TV is not a guarantee that he is worthy for the position. Media has greatly affected people’s way of thinking, but sometimes we have to stop and think: Perhaps he has enough resources to have a huge amount of air time? My favorite independent candidate did not even have his face visible, but I know he has excellent credentials. Shall I vote him?

6. Posters reflect the candidates’ priorities. Visibility is important to let people know that the politicians are there, but they must be put in proper places. Fellow Filipinos, do you see your public walls and lampposts full of political hopefuls’ diplomatic faces? Have you experienced taking public transpo with political stickers pasted on them? Do you know what will happen to those stickers and paper ads after the election? Few days before the big day, it rained in my city and to my surprise, a lot of areas immediately got flooded. It did not take a genius to realize that those posters are blocking the sewage. Is this how those candidates want to serve the public?

I hope this short list made you think. Do you think you already know these candidates? Think again. Why don’t you watch replays of political debates and read their profiles to know more about their backgrounds, credentials, and stands on both domestic and international matters? Do you even care? I hope you are not one of those who don’t even vote. Then later, these same people will complain and blame the government for their misfortunes. I really hate those people and I love you, so please don’t even copy them.

Dear fellowmen, it is high time for us to rise up and assert our rights. Suffrage is a gift given to us to carefully choose rightful candidates to be our voice in the government and protector of our interests. We have the power to decide who among these politicians can serve us unconditionally and not use the post for self-interests. They are public servants and we are the bosses, so why do we allow those already seated to rule over us? Let us stop this insane game of role playing. Tomorrow, exercise our right to vote and place eligible, sincere, and honest candidate to serve us the way we must be served.

Related articles:

http://voicepoints.blogspot.com/2012/10/comelec-allows-27-senatorial-aspirants.html

http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections-2013/data/candidates/senator?start=10

P.S. I wanted to post some photos showing those structures with the lines “project of mayor bla bla bla”, but to my surprise, all I could see when I googled some sample pictures were those from my city. Qué horror!

On being Aphrodite: How far can you go to be beautiful?

Few weeks ago, my friend, Micah, invited me to spend time with her after work. She suggested going to our basic hangout place, SM Mall of Asia. Having nothing else to do after, I decided to come along. Apparently, it was on her schedule to go to our local waxing salon to de-hair herself. With enough cajoling from my other colleagues to have my body hair under the mercy of strangers, I settled for “I will try”. And I did try.

Lay Bare Waxing Salon is a waxing service franchise from US. I don’t think a lot of Filipinos are naturally hairy, but it seems my opinion was incorrect based on its growing number of branches in the metro and nearby provinces. In my village alone, there’s a branch exclusive for us!

Micah has been using its service for quite some time now, so I am not 100% scared that something will turn horribly wrong for me. Still, it’s my first time and like any other firsts, I was embarrassingly nervous. I do shave, albeit seldom, since there’s really no need to do so. I am almost completely out of hair. Really. Anyhow, I tried to put on my game face and pretended to be brave about it.

I signed up for eyebrow threading and underam services. Confession time: I don’t like touching my brows. They are naturally thin and go separate ways – I mean not like McD’s or Mazda eyebrow styles. I think they have only been “touched” less than ten times in my whole existence and those were the times when I really had to doll-up with the assistance of hair and make-up artists.

Anyway, let’s move on with my story. When my name was called to the booth, I walked slowly to my attendant. I explained that I was a newbie for the service and she gave me a smile which was often reserved for kids going to their dental check-up. Then she went on with her job. And I wished she hadn’t.

Never in my life had I thought that a single thread could give so much pain in my person. Imagine my surprise when the first “attack” happened. I was like an earthworm being tortured by naughty kids with rock salt. It was too painful, I cried. Too much for keeping a game face. The staff informed me that the pain will lessen soon, but I wasn’t soothed with that. I felt too much pain that when I complained again, the attendant scolded me of drinking tea on the day of a waxing appointment. According to the rules, drinking something with caffeine before going to a waxing session is a definite no-no. Thankfully, the next session wasn’t that as painful. We breezed through it while she complained that I don’t have any hair to remove in the first place. She went on with “Don’t go back here anytime soon”, “You just wasted money on these services you don’t actually need”, and “Your hair is like that of a baby”.

Why did I go with that “rite of passage”? Why did I even make myself susceptible to that beauty pain? What did I want to achieve? Did I want to prove that I’m already a grown-up and not a sweet, charming teenager? My mind was asking too many questions while I was waiting for my Micah in the lobby. When she finally emerged, she filled me with her stories on how painful it was to go Brazilian. It triggered more questions in my head.

Why do women have to go through a lot just to be called beautiful? And I’m saying physically beautiful. As far as I observe, pain comes along with beauty.

A pretty face has a price. How many of my Korean friends confessed of wanting to have parts of their body changed and some who really did it after? How many actresses and singers do we know have altered beauty? Do you doubt that they went through various kinds of pain just to achieve how they look now?

I personally know someone who had her surgery at the age of 16. She often voices her envy on my huge, ugly, double-lidded eyes. She thinks I am gifted with eyes of an owl and wanted  hers done. In her country, the surgery is quite normal that it is not surprising to meet others who have done the same thing no matter how young.

But will others get contented with just the eyes? In Korea, a perfect face must consist of: big, round, double-lidded eyes; straight perfect nose, and V-shaped face. Gangnam Style.

More alteration, more surgery. Well, at least I hope women who underwent surgeries are happy with the results. They might have gone through a lot of pain during the process, but I hope that they gained more self-confidence and satisfaction with what they got now.

Even though I personally dislike cosmetic surgery for myself, I don’t have anything against those people who went under the knife. They have their personal reasons, and mostly those are sound ones. However, I can’t help but frown at others who seem dissatisfied with life in general. Here are the not-so-common and can be termed “crazy” surgeries I think others do:

1. Dimpleplasty and chin cleft surgeries. Both look good at first, if you think a permanent “scar” as beautiful, but what about 5-10 years after? As we age, so does our skin. Who wants a sagging scar as he/she grows old?
2. Toe shortening. It seems others really find something wrong in their body. Those who do not like that their second toe is longer than the third or the rest of the toes go for this surgery.
3. Ear pointing. Who fancies being as pretty as elves and faeries? This procedure can be done by cutting a portion of the ear and stitching the two sides of the altered part. Result? Pointed ears!
4. Abdominal etching. Who doesn’t want those yummy abs? For men who want to get rid of those belly fat without exercise or any fad diet, they believe this is their answer. This is done by “sculpting” or “drawing” on layers of fat to make that sexy appearance. Again, what will happen when they grow old?
5. Cankle liposuction. Being a stick all my life, I never experienced worrying about my ankles. Call me insensitive, but it’s true. Lately, I read something about a woman fussing about her chubby ankles. Perhaps there’s something sexy and feminine with thin ankles? Whatever her reason maybe, I do not plan to waste $5000-$8000 by removing fats from my ankles.
6. Collagen feet fillers. It is true that wearing high heels boost confidence in women. Makes us feel beautiful, glamorous, and sexy. But wearing those stilettos and cigarette heels usually kill our feet. That is why some people decided to have some protein injected in the balls of their feet to act as cushion and padding while wearing those skyscrapers. Hmm what’s next? Surgery to make your feet like Barbie’s?
7. Pubic hair transplants. Seriously? Yes. I was also surprised when I read this. And to think that according to the article I read, it is common among Asians! WTH. Something to do with fertility. Ugh. No way, highway.

Why do people go through all those kind of surgeries? Is being beautiful and sexy so important that we turn a blind eye on the pain that comes along with each? How about you? Will you have something done for your body? What is your take on cosmetic surgery?

As I kiss blogging goodbye…

Last year, I was nursing a broken heart when a colleague introduced me to blogging. It could be an outlet of my emotions, voice of my thoughts, medium of my personality, bla bla. If a sales lady talks me of buying a new can opener with her melodious voice, I know for a fact that I will purchase one even if I don’t really need it. That is why it didn’t take long for my friend to persuade me to create a free account in this platform and write a mandatory introductory post.

I struggled for the first few months. I did not have any experience maintaining a blog and it takes a lot of patience learning most of the things here in WordPress. I think I posted a lot of nonsense topics which earned one or two likes and no comment at all. I feel somewhat depressed. I know that I opened the site just for my personal use, but it would please my ego to know that at least other people are reading what I wrote. So I worked hard. I tried thinking of more interesting topics to write about instead of posting lyrics of Korean songs and their translation. Haha. After a few more months, I got noticed. I slowly received a growing number of likers. commenters, and followers. When I received my first blog award, I felt like being in school again. I am an achiever and it feels nice to receive recognition again. Oh, how happy I was at that time!

After that milestone, I continued what I was doing. I was polite to all the people visiting my blog. I read their works as they read mine. Quid pro quo. I gained some friends, too. Some even went as far as to extend the acquaintance personally. Now, I have virtual-turned-real friends. And just because of blogging! I was having fun. I didn’t expect I could gain a lot just by blogging.

However, they say that all good things must come to an end.

I am happy blogging about my thoughts to all the world to see. My life became an open book as I share my stories to you and I appreciate the way you accept them. I celebrated my first blog anniversary with a bang. But there were days when I feel incompetent. I feel that some of my posts are Dumpster-worthy. Not worth reading. A waste of time. And what hurts is the fact that you guys continue to read my trashy thoughts and even like and share an opinion or two. People continue to follow my site. For whatever reason? To read rubbish things written by me?

I feel guilty. I have this urge to give more to you. More than what you deserve. No matter how much I tried to squeeze out all my creative juices, I always come out with nothing. It ends up me polluting the cyber sphere with second-rate writings.

It is then that I decided to stop blogging. I don’t know if this will be a temporary hiatus or for good. I am not closing doors to anything and don’t want to see myself eating my words in the future. For now, I feel like getting a breather. Find my muse. Catch some inspiration. Whatever it takes to give you, my readers, what you deserve.

It has been a pleasure being with you on this momentous journey of my life. I did not know that I could write more than a hundred different topics. It’s a bonus that others read, like, and comment on them. I am glad that I was lucky enough to meet such wonderful and creative people from all over the world. Rest assured that if and when I come back, I will reward you with thought-provoking posts according to your liking.

It is at this point that I would like to end this post by saying a single statement which I would like to impart to you my dear readers:

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!

Related post:

April Fools’ Day (만우절)

On reading

Found these interesting and funny ecards.

Looking Back: Year 2012

As the year is about to close, I can’t help but look back to what 2012 gave to me. There were ups and downs, tears and smiles, opportunities grabbed and missed, people met and lost – all these made 2012 a memorable time of my existence. Together, let’s recount what happened to me this year.

January – It was my first time to be entitled for incentive leave. I was six months employed in my first job after graduating and all was doing well.

해솔 (Hae Sol) infrequently contacted me which struck me as odd. In our more than a year relationship, he couldn’t let a day pass without at least three calls and tons of messages.

February – Got my first bang hairstyle ever. The stylist insisted on that when I only availed a hair color treatment.

I attended the 2012 Philippine International PyroMusical Competition held in Mall of Asia. I watched the first event between South Korea and Malta. A week after, I watched Finland vs Portugal.

A day before Valentines’ Day, I lost one of the most important people in my life. Hae Sol decided to end everything between us. It was medically proven that our LDR was not healthy for him. A part of me died that day. What’s worse? I think it still dead.

March - A colleague “pestered” me in creating a blog to serve as an outlet of my thoughts and feelings. So on March 3, Impressions of a Princess was born. Now more than half a year later, I am proud to note that I have maintained writing here.

May – I took a few days off from work and went up North. Twelve hours from Manila, I travelled to Mountain Province with my friend and explored the life of the indigenous people of my country. I had fun hiking, caving and spelunking, trekking, swimming, etc. Life there was very much different from here in the city.

June – On the first day of June, I celebrated by first anniversary in my first job of my life.

At the end of the month, my cousin was married to her first and only boyfriend. I was part of the entourage and had the misfortune of catching her bouquet. The groom’s cousin caught the garter. As that certain belief goes, those who caught both will be the next to face the altar. Funny, that. I don’t even have a boyfriend.

August – The country was hit by strong, torrential rains from a seasonal monsoon. The government was tested when the entire Philippines almost drowned in flood. Lots of people died and went missing while billions were lost in businesses. There were no typhoon signals so I didn’t worry when I went out of office that day around 7 PM. It was my first time to see parts of my city flooded chest-deep. Since no cars could brave the water, I was forced to ride a city dump/rescue truck.  Seven hours later, I arrived home crying and drenching wet.

September – I joined a company subsidized program for health and fitness. Together with my colleague and friend, Micah, I signed up for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) lessons. Most of the students there were men, but that didn’t discourage us from participating. There I learned basic kickboxing, jujitsu, and grappling. There were also elements of capoeira and others, too.

November – I decided to have another drastic hairstyle change in the last week of this month. I have a natural wavy hair, but I always wear it salon-straight. That time, I wanted to see myself with curls, so I went to a salon I haven’t tried yet (my first error) and ordered for a hair perm treatment. After a few hours, my hip-length V-styled straight hair was straightly chopped to the shoulders. The worse thing? My hair didn’t bubble up and had big, bouncy curls. Instead, it had this small, electrocuted-like appearance.

December –Two days before Christmas, I finished my GoodReads 2012 Reading Challenge which I started last June 28. I haven’t created a post about it so I’ll end this now. Wait for my post!

After two years abroad, my Dad went back to Philippines and celebrated Christmas with my family. Of course, it’s so much better to celebrate the Yuletide Season with complete members of the house. Perhaps Dad will go back to Dubai in 2013 to continue his work, but at least he had the opportunity to extinguish that two-year long homesickness.

In this year, a lot of other things happened to me, too. I went to new places around and outside the Metro – searched and dined for more Korean and Japanese restaurants, mostly. I watched more movies this year than I had in 2011 which I also considered a feat.

Moreover, I met and dated(?) some people over the year. Some are worthy keeping as friends, while others proved to be jerks. Friends got worried about me and set me up for other dates, but there really wasn’t someone. Sure, I met a few who are promising, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for another commitment. Well, I’m only 22. I’m sure I still have a lot of time for that.

I also gained a lot of friends from all over the world thanks to this blog. There were those who always read my posts no matter how boring and redundant they are. Others were more accommodating to give me comments. A few even noticed me and send their recognitions via blogawards. Some even went to great lengths and contact me personally to offer advice, ask questions, and e-mail sympathies. My heart always swells with love whenever I see people liking what I share. It seems that even if a part of me died earlier this year, another one grew bigger each day. Before the year closes, I am glad to realize that I have found a new, addicting hobby and purpose – to write and blog.

2012 brought both happy and sad memories to me. It made me weak at first, but it also awarded me with friends and new hobby which made me stronger. With the knowledge that I have survived the supposedly End of the World (which I never believed), I am brave to face 2013 and everything it has to offer. Like a clock, I do not have any other choice. Keep moving.

How’s 2012 for you?

Related Posts:

They are murderers!

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Nothing Better

Take my Heart Back

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 9 (A photo you took)

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 11 (A photo of you taken recently)

P.S. Do check my Giveaways tab for awesome prizes to be won!

Daily Prompt: IMHO – VFA and the dumping of toxic wastes in the Philippines

For today’s daily prompt, we are asked to post a link of a news and try to create an op-ed about it. So after reading a news published by The Philippine Star , here’s my long opinion about VFA and the current controversy.

There has been a series of discussion and debates regarding the VFA. The RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement is a bilateral agreement affected last 1998 upon ratification of the Philippine senate. However, it was not ratified by the US government as it considered this only as an executive agreement, which became one of the reasons for the continuing argument on the matter.

In a nutshell, “The VFA is essentially about the treatment of U.S. armed forces and defense personnel who would be visiting the Philippines take part in activities covered by the 1951 Mutual defense Treaty and approved by the Philippine Government…The Agreement gives substance to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty by serving as legal framework in promoting defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States,” as stated in the VFA Primer by the US Embassy.

Ideally, this agreement is for mutual benefits of two parties involved. Basically, the US can maintain their “temporary” stronghold in Asia by basing US Special Forces in the country while the Philippine Army can get enough military training as well as getting “second-hand” armaments. There are other provisions stated in the two-part agreement and should you wish to read more, you can do it here.

When former President Arroyo subjected the country to the then President Bush’s whims against Global War on Terror, the Philippines was again “visited” with the presence of American troops in the territory. But when that episode already lapsed and Bush stepped down, why did the VFA still remain? Are the “mutual” benefits that promising?

I’m afraid to say that it isn’t. Far from it. If I may be bold, I’d say it is a one-sided, unfair agreement to the benefit of America. I won’t bore you with most of the reasons for my sentiments, but for the news link which is the topic of this post, I’d like to bring up two controversial issues of the said agreement that caused demonstrations and violent protests in the country.

The first one is about criminal jurisdiction. Which country would have jurisdiction to military personnel when he violates Philippine laws while in official mission in the Philippines? The answer might be obvious, but sadly, I’d like to prove you wrong. For in that scenario I have just mentioned, the United States must claim jurisdiction for the offending personnel.

It is not enough though that this remains as a scenario for it really happened last 2005 when a Filipina was proved to be gang-raped by four US Marines and Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, one of the four, was found guilty beyond unreasonable doubt by a Regional Trial Court in the Philippines

The experience that the Philippines had at this point was utterly embarrassing. For the US embassy insists that a US military personnel who violated Philippine law will remain under their custody during the trial and after a verdict has been issued. So in the end, Smith was transferred from a city jail to the US Embassy, with concurrence from the Philippine DFA and DILG. Many had banged their bloody fists for the unfairness and unconstitutional of it, but nothing happened.

Another controversial issue, which was strengthened by a current event, is the alleged dumping of toxic waste by US vessels to Philippine waters after last month’s military exercise, particularly in Subic Bay.

Last October 24, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George Washington, docked in the Philippines. The super-carrier is 1,092 feet long, 257 feet wide and 244 feet high. It can accommodate 80 aircraft and carries more than 6,000 men. This was the third time this year that a US nuclear-powered ship would make a port call in the Philippines, Philippine Star reported. What kind of port of call was it? A timed one for toxic waste collection and disposal?

Even before, American troops already left their toxic wastes in Subic and Clark, but didn’t mind cleaning them properly as it was not stated in the Military Bases Agreement. There had been studies and investigations regarding the effects of toxic waste they left to the inhabitants of the former bases and it is sickening to know that both countries allowed such things to happen to innocent people, not to mention the environment.

With the re-election of Obama, it will not be surprising that the VFA agreement will continue along with its current provision. There will be more military exercises which may result to increase rape cases and toxic wastes as Obama vowed to help Asian countries for military modernization. Or for a counterweight to China in defense of the US interests in the region? Unless the Philippines will do something to it. Uncle Sam is not the one greatly affected, humiliated, and offended by the agreement anyway, so who must initiate the change?

Many Filipinos called for the abortion of VFA as it is a decade or so since this agreement has taken effect, but the results were minimal or worse, cannot be seen. Instead of the benefits that the country should have reaped, we were affronted with controversial issues which only marked the one-sidedness of the agreement. Yes, the two parties belong to different spheres of influence as proven by the difference in political and economic power, but as a mutual agreement, I think it is just enough for my country, the Philippines, to ask for more.

So what must we do, Filipinos? I say that is long overdue for us to stand for ourselves and not kowtow to ANY political and economic might that come our way. It is time for us to have our own game and rules. Yes, we are still forever defined as a developing country with little economic power, but there are other countries which are worse than us, but do they let themselves be underdogs of the hegemonic state? The country, and more importantly the people, is in deep slumber and we must now wake-up and not let the Philippines be a dumpsite in exchange of battered, hand-me-down military armaments. Of course, an active leader is necessary for the country to achieve this and both the President and Secretary of Foreign Affairs must do their best, with the help of the people, to protect the country’s national interest. Keyword: our national interest.

I am not for the abortion of the agreement. Instead, I am willing to have it revised in the terms laid out by the Philippines and agreed by the United States. It is a bilateral agreement, right? So why does it seems that it is always partial to Uncle Sam?

For the revision, I have read columns from my university dean who is always vocal about any topic of International Relations. I’d like to share his devised provisions:

“I submit that the VFA review should, among others, spell out in precise language, the following:

“1) Any US soldier who commits a crime within our national territory, whether in line of duty or not, shall be tried in a Philippine court and, if convicted, incarcerated in a Philippine jail.

“2) How much the US will pay us for using the VFA as the vehicle for maintaining a “light footprint” on our sovereign territory. Three Billion dollars should be the absolute minimum, with no strings attached please.

“3) The revised Agreement should be ratified as a treaty by the US Senate as called for in Section 25, Article XVIII of our Constitution.

And in his other column, he had this dream conversation between the American and Filipino delegates:

I actually dreamt about the talks and it went this way:

PH: Will you retaliate instantly in case China blows us out of the water in Scarborough Shoal and other areas owned by us in the West Philippine Sea?

US: Well, we have the MDT…

PH: That is not the answer we are looking for. We know that the MDT does not provide for instant retaliation on your part. There is the constitutional processes provision in the Treaty which means you have to go to your Congress and that could take forever…

US: We can tell the Chinese to back off…

PH: Ok, we hear you… If you please, we will now take your leave. Thank you for hosting this meeting. 

US: No, wait. We have been friends for a long time. Surely, we can find a mutually acceptable solution to this…

PH: We need your categorical commitment on this one first before we talk about other things. If you can’t do that, we’ll look for other ways to help ourselves. And if we may be direct, you have been taking us for a ride for over a century now.

US: How about we give you $3 billion a year with no strings attached for starters? We have just come to realize that, after all, Pakistan, for instance, which has not exactly been our friends has been getting so much, much more, from us. And we have never even had military bases or a single soldier stationed in that country.

PH: Now, you are talking. We want a small flotilla of warships, not like the old second-hand stripped coast guard cutter that you made us pay for. Oh, and we want a squadron of F16s. In exchange, we will help you attain your desired “expanded” presence in Southeast Asia by allowing you to have what you call a “light footprint” on our sovereign territory which we both know is a mere euphemism for basing your troops in our country… on a “rotational” basis is what you call it, right? We take it we will also revise the MDT to allow for instant retaliation in case either one of us is attacked by foreign forces. We should also amend the odious provisions of the VFA. 

US: You drive a hard bargain. What if we stopped giving you aid?

PH: We will survive. A little over $100 million a year ain’t that much. We can easily cover that and more by clamping down on smugglers alone.

US: Removed our huge investments in your country?

PH: That’s up to your businessmen. They wouldn’t be in our country in the first place if they weren’t making any profit. But if they want to spite us by cutting off their noses, that’s their problem. We can always invite other foreign investors to take their place. We have a much better investment climate under President Aquino now, you know.

US: What if we boycotted all your exports to the US?

PH: We’ll look for markets elsewhere naturally… China maybe. It will be tough, but we will manage somehow.

US: What if we didn’t give your people visas to go to the US?

PH: That would be fine too. First, your visa fee is too high. Second, with the racial discrimination being experienced by our people in the US in recent times, we doubt they will want to go to the US anymore. They can go elsewhere.

US: What if we told other countries not to accept Filipino immigrants or tourists? 

PH: Your call. Let’s see how they react.

US: What if we deported Filipinos without official papers now living here?

PH: Again, your call. We will be ready to receive them. You know, of course, the implications of such a move on human rights, about which you keep reminding us and the world at large.

US: What if we froze the assets in the US of your crooked government officials, politicians and businessmen? 

PH: You’d be helping our Anti-Money Laundering Council a lot… Do we get our $3 billion or not? Review of the MDT and the VFA?

US: Ok, but please take it easy on our ambassador there. He really is a nice fellow, you know.

PH: Thanks. See you later this month when Presidents Aquino and Obama sign a new “maximized” agreement between us.

US: Ok. By the way, we have admonished Marion Barry and that Assistant Attorney General in Guam to stop discriminating against Filipinos.

That’s when I woke up.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/opinion/2410-touche

*This post is written in response to the Daily Prompt titled IMHO for November 16, 2012.

Are you blind too?

I was sophomore in high school when I started wearing eye glasses. I remember complaining to   Mom back in sixth grade that I couldn’t read the writings in the black board in front of classroom, but she somehow ignored that and only had me tested after a few years. I was fidgeting in my seat while the ophthalmologist asked me to read the letters in Snellen chart a few feet away from me. After that, he had me in autorefractometer/biomicroscope whatever and soon, my eye vision was determined: I had astigmatism and myopia.

After that day, I started wearing prescription glasses. At the age of 14, I found myself too young to wear eye glasses as I often see a pair worn by grandparents. During that first year wearing my first spectacles, it took few adjustments for me to be comfortable wearing my “second pair of eyes”.

Fast forward. I was a sophomore again, this time in university. I was still wearing glasses though with higher grade. It was always my trusty companion especially in attending classes, taking notes, reading books, using the computer, checking the menu board in fast food restaurants, and so on. After a few months or a year, I have to change eyeglasses and the checking of my eyesight became routine that sometimes I cheat whenever they use  eye charts for me. I somehow memorized them!

Move another four years. I am now a graduate and have an editorial job in one of the leading publishing companies. And yes, I still wear my eyeglasses. In fact, as I am creating this post I am wearing my reliable specs!

Now, I know you guys are good at Math and would figure this out soon, but so as not to break a sweat, I’d tell it anyway: I’ve been wearing eyeglasses for almost eight years. Soon to be a decade, huh? I’m sure some of you have been wearing glasses for a while too and that you can agree with me when I say that this pair of lenses is very important to us. To some, even dependent to them.

And since we are already here in this topic, I will be listing some experience that I have with and without my dependable eyeglasses. Disclaimer: According to my recent check-up, the eye doctor claimed that I don’t have any other eye condition other than myopia.

With eyeglasses:

• I look older, more mature, and a librarian. I know I have just committed a mistake under grammar— parallelism, but I just wanted to make a point.
• With my older pairs, there were always marks beside my nose bridge and in the eyeglasses’ arms whenever I remove the specs. Ugly, I know.
• I keep on pushing the spectacles up whenever it slides down. Even while talking. Mostly while talking. Nerdy.
• I don’t like it when my eyeglasses looks like sunglasses in photo. It just looks weird.
• Others may tease you a Harry Potter wannabe even if you are a girl. Even when your specs are squared.

Without eyeglasses:

• I squint a lot so I can focus my eyes to read what is there from afar.
• I frown most of the time. Not because I want to. It just goes along with squinting.
• I am myopic and cannot see much far objects. So I read books inches away from me. You can also use the phrase “buried her nose in a book” to me. Same with mobile phones.
• My parents always complain when they spot me sitting near our TV. The TV set is a big, smart, LED one so my folks are somewhat baffled why I still like to view near or in front of it.
• My friends, acquaintances, and colleagues often tease me as a snob. Worse, they just assume that I am. To be honest, I am not, but since I cannot see a tiny wave or a shy smile even a few feet away, they cannot get any reaction from me.
• My close friends are my eyes. When we are talking and they will point at something, they’re always like, “And we are laughing like crazy. Oh, look, look! That guy in blue who’s standing in the corner. Isn’t he cute? Ah, never mind. You can’t see.”
• I feel partially blind in total darkness. Since I cannot sleep with even a bit of light, my room is like a cave. Whenever I go to bathroom or get a glass of water, my arms are outstretched like that of a blind person – feeling my way to the destination. Same goes in theatres.

Are you laughing now? Or nodding? There are other things that I could list here, but I do not want to kill you of my boring experiences so I’ll stop. The end point in this list is eyeglasses are created to make our lives more comfortable and convenient. There might be disadvantages wearing them, but the benefits that one can get will outshine them. So even if wearing specs may create your image as Ugly Betty, it would surely make your daily life easier. Don’t you think?

 For some, can you see yourself in those I have mentioned in the list above? Or are there other experiences you’d like to share? Come on and don’t be shy! 

Escape

[photo: The Phantoms of the Forest by Casoni Ibolya-Iby]

 

With my young heart, I loved

purely and innocently, I gave

yet I was inadequate

for he left.

 

Soon another one grew

but was abruptly cut

as a bud, it didn’t blossom.

The cycle repeated.

 

The leaves changed colors

for how many times –

I could not remember

as my frail heart

weakened to beat.

 

Oh desolation! This emptiness

when will it leave?

I grew weary and prayed

for this misery’s end.

 

Until now, in here

surrounded by earth, I pushed

this limpid glass over me

as I screamed for someone to notice

someone to care.

 

Then, it dawned on me.

This is how my journey

my lifetime

will finally end.

 

No more melancholy, despair, and sadness

as I stopped battling with the glass

I now understood. The way I came and

the way I go will always be like this.

Alone.

 

 

30-day Blogging Challenge: Day 23 (A way in which you want to be remembered)

When I have reached my twilight years and the last breath has been snuffed out, I want to be remembered in a way that would personify my character. My thoughts, ideas and hobbies will remind those I have left behind of the existence that I had before.

I want others to remember me as who I was: a daughter to my family, sister to my siblings, faithful wife, loving mother, public servant of my country, and child of God. I want them to be reminded with fond memories of how much I enjoyed life with them. Filled with love, hope, faith, and happiness, I want my life to be an example of how beautiful God’s gift to us humans.

But I guess the best way I want to be remembered is through my writing and ideas. I want to immortalize myself through the things I have written that even those generations after I lived would still hear and know about me. Wait. I don’t want to make myself a saint along with my followers; no, I’m far from that. I just wanted to share my random thoughts and takes to everyone and it would feel nice if others will find it in themselves to agree to some things I have written.

Greek philosophers, for example, are more than decayed even before my great grandparents were conceived. Still, their political, social, and scientific thoughts are being echoed until now. How many modern philosophers derived their school of thoughts from those great men? I know I cannot draw parallels between me and those philosophers, but they are my inspiration. Even for just a little, I wanted to be remembered and quoted from my learning and writing.

Just as the Bard of Avon mentioned in one of his famous sonnets, “So long as men can breathe, and eyes can see, so long lives this and this gives life to thee.”

Why is red associated with communism?

I always have random questions popping out of my mind and I don’t know if it is normal or not. Yesterday, another thought came to me. Why is red associated with communism? Or socialism? Or violence?

I have read things about the association of the color with communism and many have agreed that it is about the idea of the proletariat rising up in a revolution. We can remember the Jacobins in the French revolution who flew red flags to honor the blood of the martyrs who had been killed. Later, when they ruled the country during the Reign of Terror, they made the red flag as their national emblem. In  the 1848 French revolution, socialists and radicals demanded the red flag be France’s national flag, but the government rejected the idea. However, in the Paris Commune, the red flag was again used and since then, the red flag, or red, became a symbol of socialism/communism.

Today, when asked about red flags, two countries often come to mind: Russia and China.

The color has a long association with socialist Russia (the Soviet Union) long before the rise of Communist China. For both socialist and communist, I believe everyone has in mind a single symbol which marks these two ideologies. The red star.

According to Mikhail Khvostov, Soviet troops fleeing from the Austrian and German fronts found themselves in Moscow in 1917 and mixed with the local Moscow garrison. To distinguish the Moscow troops from the influx of retreating Russians the officers gave out tin stars to the Moscow garrison soldiers, to wear on their hats. When those troops joined the Red Army and the Bolsheviks they painted their tin stars red, the color of socialism, thus creating the original red star.

The red star became the national emblem of Soviet Union. In fact, it became the most prominent symbol of the former Russia. Buildings, monuments, aircrafts, and awards were often decorated with this insignia. Following this, the five-pointed star became a symbol of communism in general. It was sometimes thought to be the five fingers of a worker’s hand which runs the five continents. Other times, it was thought to be representing the five classes of a socialist society: intellectuals, soldiers, youth, farmers, and workers.

With the Soviet Union in the lead, other Communist states adopted the red star. They combined it with their respective flags and coat of arms. Below are the examples of such countries and movements:

Vietnam

North Korea

Yugoslavian Partisans

Communist Party of the Philippines

Now, on a different approach, let’s try the psychology of color. According to Precision Intermedia, red is the color of energy. It is associated with movement, energy, and of course blood. Furthermore, the color signifies leadership qualities and promotes ambition and determination. It symbolizes strong-will and confidence. Studies show that people who are surrounded by red tend to have an increase in heart beat and a feeling of out of breath. Sometimes, being in a place with too much red can cause irritation, agitation, and anger.

With the paragraph above, I guess it’s a no-brainer why the color is associated with communism. Assertiveness and aggressiveness bring out the red in those people who believe in this ideology.

Hmm, which reminds me of a phrase we use whenever we feel angry: I see red. What does it mean? To become angry or lose self-control. It may also mean heated emotions and violence.

So why is red associated with communism again? I hope I have made sense in this post and added something in your memory bank. To wrap things up, I am going to share to you one trivia I have read over the internet regarding red and Russia.

“Did you know that the color red in Russian (красный) is almost similar with their word for beautiful (красивый)?”