i read this article in inquirer and no words have been any truer. basta, it hit me like...like, i dunno. you dont have to fucking read everything ok, justget the drift.



Between poverty and paradise


By Paolo P. Mangahas
Inquirer
Last updated 12:49pm (Mla time) 02/06/2007


KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA- Last night, I had dinner with my German friend to talk about her planned trip to the Philippines. She had just completed an internship program in one of the law firms here in Malaysia and wanted to take a short holiday in a nearby country before heading off to Australia to finish her studies. She wanted to know more about the Philippines and asked me for tips on making the most of the two-and-a-half weeks that she had allotted for this vacation.

We planned her trip between bites, armed only with a faded map of the Philippines that we downloaded from the Internet. My goal was to identify all the “must-see” places (her criteria: beaches and volcanoes), plot them according to distance and flight routes then cram them all in 17 days.

A tall order indeed, especially for someone like me who’s never had a sense of direction even in my own neighborhood. For the life of me, I could not spot where Boracay was on her map. So I took the easy way out and told her to go to Palawan instead.

I carried on with the task like a diligent student trying to remember my geography, starting from the rice terraces in Banaue up north, moving down south to the Mayon Volcano in Bicol and the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. It was an embarrassing ordeal nonetheless as she could see that I was struggling to find all the other attractive destinations on the map, which in turn made me realize how little I truly knew about my own country.

She was very excited about the trip, eager to learn more about the country and its people. She imagined the Philippines to be an eternal fiesta of Spanish and Chinese Third-World flair, filled with warm and accommodating people who all speak with a clear American accent, where all men have the handsome earthy appeal of Jericho Rosales and women the heavenly mestiza charms of Kristine Hermosa (thanks to Filipino soap operas that have become so popular here in Malaysia).

It was certainly one of the most honest cultural impressions I’ve ever heard, and quite amusingly, one shared by many. In my German friend’s opinion, the Philippines is one of the most open-minded countries in Southeast Asia. I found this view rather interesting, especially since it came from a European who’s never stepped foot in the Philippines and whose only direct exposure to the country was me.

The funny thing about cultural impressions is that they often come from a place of both acute perception and blatant ignorance, split in the middle by what is painfully true. But they are what they are—impressions.

Quite naturally, my friend and I have come to build our own impressions about Malaysia in the several months we’ve been here. Malaysia is a beautiful country that seems to be in a hurry to develop economically, but is hampered by a palpable trace of social reluctance. It seems grounded on an age-old culture that simply does not mix well with progress, or at least the kind dictated and exemplified by the Western world. I find this true for most developing Asian countries, including the Philippines.

My friend pointed out that she’s never seen a beggar in the streets of Kuala Lumpur since she moved here and asked me if it’s the same in the Philippines. As a matter of fact, she admitted that she’s never seen a beggar up close in her whole life and asked me to explain how it is to live in a poor country. She wanted to know more about poverty.

Her question struck a chord in me because I realized that apart from Jericho Rosales, this woman had absolutely no idea about the country she was going to and how it was out there. Here was someone who came to me wanting to know more about my country and the best I could offer was a geographical representation of scenic destinations, which I hardly even knew myself.

By this time I had put down the pen I was holding, set aside the map, and got ready to explain details about my country. I didn’t know where to begin. How does one explain poverty to someone who’s never experienced it before?

To make things more relevant to her, I started by comparing the Philippines to Malaysia. I told her that blue-collar workers in the Philippines did not have the same opportunities as the ones in Malaysia, who can afford to eat in the same restaurants as executives or even shop in stores where their bosses shop. I told her that unlike the ones I have met in Malaysia, secretaries and administrative clerks in the Philippines eat in posh restaurants only on very special occasions and can barely afford to travel to other countries.

I then told her about the beggars, young and old, who parade in the streets of Manila, the children who knock on car windows selling sampaguita, the mothers who have to forage for food in garbage landfills, and the unemployed fathers who waste their lives on drugs and alcohol. I told her about the shanties that bedeck highways and railroads, the unproductive traffic jams, the garbage-infested streets and sewers, and the regular typhoons that flood the country and exacerbate already poor living conditions.

I told her that poverty in the Philippines hits you in the face unapologetically the very moment you step in. It’s an open wound waiting to be healed.

My friend looked shaken, as if experiencing for the first time a world she has seen only on TV. That was when my tears started to fall. I could not help it. I have never cried in front of a semi-stranger before but for some reason, I cried this time because she was still not immune to these things. Her unawareness taught me to see poverty as if for the first time myself - bringing a lot of pain. I’ve become so used to the pain that I’ve forgotten how it felt until I painted the sad face of poverty for her.

I then found myself having to explain to her that despite all these, the Philippines is still a beautiful country and this you also feel the very moment you get there. It’s a beauty characterized by the indomitable human spirit of a people who have seen better days and yet still have the capacity to find a piece of heaven in their lives. It’s beauty defined by the untiring faith of a people who have learned to acknowledge their plight with reverence and yet have never lost the courage to dream big dreams. It’s a beauty characterized by the painful history of a people who have been abused and pillaged through years, yet still have so much of themselves to give.

Now her tears were falling, smearing the map I had earlier vandalized with circles and arrows. I knew it did not matter this point. I realized that my friend had learned all she needed to know about my country and my people. She thanked me profusely, saying that she came to me wanting to know more about how poor the Philippines is but in the end, she learned how abundantly blessed Filipinos truly are.

A beach is a beach and a volcano is a volcano anywhere in the world, but it’s the people who make the difference. I learned in that moment that I may not know the geographical features of my country all too well, but I sure know its heart and its soul because it’s who I am.

The real poverty lies in not knowing this.

Paolo P. Mangahas, 32, is currently working in Kuala Lumpur as Head of Communications for WWF-Malaysia (World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia). He won Honorable Mention in the 2003 Doreen Fernandez Food Writing Award for his piece “Adobo, I’m Home” and has published several essays on food, lifestyle, fashion, and social and environmental development.



Copyright 2007 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

missing these guys

i've been with sobs last night. as usual, my mind's still contemplating on sobs value and current significance. are we just a thing of the past or are we something 'forever'.

wow. "forever". that's cheezy.


i forgot how quickly they can make me laugh. and how often they make my tummy hurt. there's something about sobs humor that's so genuine i cant find anywhere else. its like the ultimate laugh trip.


my friend's been telling me i can belong somewehere else if i wanted to. it seems really fun, but i know i wont get to belong there. maski saan ka mag-aral, there's something that place will teach you that others wont be able to. take imma for example, it taught me to love books and like studying but it never taught me to really behave or be happy about myself. then there's st.paul. st.paul taught me how to be confident and 'charming' and friendly, but it never taught me anything that goes under 'academics'. take my word for it, if you want your child to pass her entrance exams, dont enroll her to st.paul. but if you are ready to deal with either and extremely vain brat, unmannered slut, or a horny lesbian.. or even a combination of all three wonderful characters plus stupid, then go on and enroll her in st.paul.


---


to dos:

1. aty plate.. 50% done. do mane, muscular system, skeletal.
2. scan xeroxed reference for english, write 4 more pages.
3. propose internet banner for gonuts ad plan, including 1 poster, 1 brochure and packaging. if possible. a commercial is kind-of too much. but if they're up for the challenge... why not.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

on egos..

i almost forgot.

im not perfect nga pala.

somewhere out there, someone's bound to be prettier, sexier, smarter, cooler, more fashionable or more eloquent than i am.

ive got enough ego to feed twenty insecure losers.

but even so, i know that im enough. minsan pa nga e, im kind-off more than enough.


---


you deserve to be happy.

last school year was hell for you, it really was. and now you're smiling and blooming and getting helluva skinnier...erm... curvier. :)

im extremely happy for you.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

i love you for sentimental reasons

I love you for sentimental reasons
I hope you do believe me
I'll give you my heart

I love you and you alone were meant for me
Please give your loving heart to me
And say we'll never part

I think of you every morning
Dream of you every night
Darling, I'm never lonely
Whenever you are in sight

I love you for sentimental reasons
I hope you do believe me
I've given you my heart



I love you for sentimental reasons
I hope you do believe me
I've given you my heart

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

post-valentines-post

currently eating miguel's "sexy bitch" hany.

this weekend is the free-est ive ever been since pre-hell week. yay for me! happy valentines day to everyone. :D

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

i have manners but i hate you. really.

i dont mind blogging in tagalog. i really dont. its just that i express myself better when i speak in english. when i was really young and stupid (and still am!), i'd always speak in english. i would, really! but it never made sense.. i dont really know how my speaking --or more fittingly, my mumbling-- went like.. probably: "i dont ever become to want that. you know. i know." ... something like that. to make it simple, really senseless.

my mom even catch me speaking in english ALONE! its weird and no one likes it! sometimes, i even make up my own conversations ALONE. tangina im crazy!!!


in the end, thankfully because i like reading books, i did learn to speak good english. i can even say im quite fluent. i like public speaking, i really do. im unbecomingly and unhesitatingly proud to say THAT I HAVE BEEN THE VICE PRESIDENT OF MY HIGHSCHOOL DEBATE TEAM... i actually even became the president for, like, a meeting or two, but the genuine one reclaimed her post. not that it matters actually, since the forensics doesnt really do anything of importance. damn, im honest.

in the philippines, because people are really impressionable and moronic, being able to speak good english just shocks them. to some extent, in a funny way. since i was in grade six, ive been 'shocking' people with my discussions and my debate. usually, it doesnt make much sense, but since my english could be called flawless (or so they seem), I WOULD WIN THE AUDIENCE's AMAZEMENT!

pretty stupid, isnt it?


but some people are waayy stupider. seriously, you've got to see salesladies in malls, ignore their current customers (who are most likely to buy something) when you start speaking. ahahahhahaha.

paolo thinks its annoying. he's english is much much alarming than mine, because he speaks really slang. kaso naman, he's just, as always, so humble! he could use it to his advantage but he never does. now his case is funnier. since he's got no trace of kaartehan in the way he present himself, he leaves people dumbfounded. hardeharharhar! i love him.

...

i have manners but i hate you.

this can be my personal mantra if i want. it just says that you can be really mean... as long as you have manners. ive already bought kate spade's "manners" to help me hide my cruelty... and i guess its working quite well.

...



so, its already one am. and im not asleep. ang kapal ng mukha ko. madaling araw, im not asleep, BUT IM NOT DOING MY PLATE! harharharhar. i still hate me. but i like writing. i just want to pour it all out right now. and since the entry is long, boring and insiginificant enough, i bet the readers have already dozed off or skipped to the next entry. and so i can write what i feel.


...

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

hate

i hate myself for not doing my plate. ive had enough time today. ive had time yesterday. nakakabadtrip talaga!! :((

i know i have valid reasons for not doing them, i could say "its not my fault" because, obviously, it isnt. some circumstances are just hard to say no to.

and tomorrow, i dont think id get to accomplish much as well... ive got pe, a lunch date with my friends, and pao's staying for the afternoon.

i hate cramming, i hate having to worry about stuff. :(

i hate hating myself. i keep on saying its not my fault, but i also complain that ive had like more than three hours hiatus, but instead of working i go online, chat up someone, or just lie down and think of what i should do! i hate me. :(




...

happy birthday teta! :D huggiehug. i wish i could give you braincells or something, but aside from not knowing where to get them, i dont think it would be much help. besides we love you already.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

these girls....

these girls are rocking my college life:


teta - stereotype cute cute girl whose got guys 'falling' for her left and right. i know im the judgemental type and i really should hate girls like her... but we cant help it. we loooooove her. she's not really, umm.. ah... um um...., dare i say it, intelligent, but that doesnt really matter... we love her for that. she's our own little sunshine.

louise - two words: stunning curves! (sorry, cant help but tell them that. :* ) no one in the whole university would ever understand me the way she does. her opinions are always different from the others, USEFUL AND ALWAYS ALWAYS MAKES SENSE. she's taught so many stuff i have to learn to survive.

nica - the ultimate teeny bopper. she lives for the colors. without it she'll wither away and die! she's ever present, and ever virgin! she's the original "super-duper-mega-over" everything! she's a reminder of how young we are and how much we need to enjoy.

we live for the guy spotting, hunting, stalking and maybe someday soon, attacking!

then there's jihan
-she's the muslim (ahahahahha) with the compulisively detailed and obsessively animated stories. she's uber friendly and uber simple. but please be conscious when speaking english around her. she's got this tendency to laught at your face for using "ee" instead of "i". ... she knows the difference!

gel - she's our baby. she's gone through fucking much and is currently overly inlove. she honestly looks like this rebel bitch with dark eyeliner and curly hair, buttt she's really all heart underneath. she cant even say no. she can go on all day just saying "di kaya", "gagi ka" or "utot mo".


and last but super definitely not the least: geno - i know im a hundred percent fashionista... but geno's 200%.. or more if you please. he lives for the magazines, the labels, and ofcourse, the night life. he's got THE REAL TALENT! but most of all he's the sweetest of all the sweets. supermaalaga...! with all the weird trips like evap shots, picnics, and cerealicious overload... he'll take you anywhere and everywhere! basta, so lambing!


i know this entry isnt really literarily illuminating, but really, its all feelings. i just want to appreciate and give them the credit they deserve for being lovely people. i love your kidneys, girls.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

I HATE PAINTING!!!!!!!!

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

girls

a nonstop ten-hour girl bonding is BOUND to get people close.

1. i, or rather WE have no right, at all, to complain about our situations.
2. we all may be different, both trivially and extremely, but we are all the same.
3. nothing EVER beats girl talk.



its been more than 24 hours i cant get over the conversations. i love you guys. especially the most special one... (you girls know who she is... we love her.)

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

almost successful

the only thing ive bought for, like, the last thirt days are the suspenders and 2 pairs of huge hoop earrings. im still trying not to spend... and its working. seriously!

im sorry girls if i dont shop with you as much as i used too. its not just about tipid (but that is a beneficial factor), its about MY wanting to change a little.


me me me. all i talk about is me. i am so selfish. well this IS my blog... though mySELF is boring.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

why am i in here?

...

maybe i sould do better.

ayoko na. ang hirap.

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments

loving the weather

its nippy, but not too cold you want to stay home. its romantic and stressless. if i had a fairy tale, id want it to be as cold as how mornings feel.

i like having the country called 'tropical', but id really really enjoy the tagaytay weather.

Happy Birthday Nica! Nice gift, good weather. :D

posted by the irresistably conceited Jenni | 0 comments