Yolanda and our frustrations

I have no idea why Pres Noynoy walked out from the Tacloban briefing. But if I were him too, I would also do the same.  The frustration must have been too much.

It must have been pretty grave, the situation of the people in there. No food ration, no electricity, no communication, no water.  Just a few weeks ago, he was in Cebu visiting the people.  Again, the same scenario.

Mother nature is really on a roll here.  It looks like the foreboding winds and rains will be striking, again.  A tropical depressions is spotted and there is little time to recuperate from the already ravaging Yolanda that just barrelled through towns and municipalities of Visayas & Mindanao region.

And maybe this is what the President has looming over his head. Overlapping calamities, the national scandal of Janet Napoles, the lack of coordination of the LGUs since they themselves have been badly crippled from communication and logistics planning...

All this may have just been too much.

And for that moment, when he walked away from the briefing....the President showed his humanness and his frustration of losing so many lives.  And there is nothing wrong with how he felt.  After all, he too, is only but human.

So let's just give him a little bit of space and be assured that we, as a nation can surpass all this.

Just like the President, who came back to the meeting and continued preparations on his relief efforts, whatever storm comes our path, together, we can all overcome the darkness and carry on.  

A Tragedy Waiting to Happen

There are 4 million workers in Bangladesh who rely on the garments industry and in turn, multinational companies commission work from them to produce the ready-to-wear clothes that the  the western hemisphere displays on their stores all over the world. 

But the conditions of their workplace is so evidently lacking of structure and safety practices that in the nightmarish day a building collapsed wherein over a 1,000 workers are believed to have been crushed between dilapidated walls and concrete beams.  The screams were being heard, but the emergency response too overwhelming for the city officers.

The latest scandal on labor rights that have been a decade long stigma in developing countries. Cheap labor comes with their lives being gambled everyday;  cracked buildings that have not been renovated for years, long working house to meet the daily.  Cramped in small spaces with little ventilation, one is better off in a dog cage.  Most of these workers are women.

Just how much improvement these factories have put their effort in making their workers' conditions safer are still unknown. Had it not for the tragic incident that snuffed out thousands of lives ...many of them who are there to earn and feed their families, we will never know.  But amid-st the great tragedy, policies are being written well under way, Western buyers are demanding to change their working conditions as it violates basic human treatment.

And to say it dryly, they don't want to get bad publicity.

If you remember not so long ago, Nike's infamous sweatshops such as in Vietnam, China, Thailand, to name a few which saddled a lot of outcry because of low (and you didn't think it would go any lower  that it is) wages, poor working conditions and harassment from the factory operators who are , sad to say, their own kind.  

And when these disparities in wages, in benefits and the treatment are met with corporate responsibility, there wouldn't be lives lost, there wouldn't be a public outcry and maybe there will be a genuine economic growth of a country that truly deserves it.  They are not ranked number 2 in the world as top garment exporter for nothing.

The people do work hard, they work hard not only for themselves, but for the mouths they have to feed and the family they need to bring up and these are just a few motivational trademarks the Cambodians possess and that should not be put to waste. 

-end-

strands of hope

More to ponder on.. when do you take someone's advice without knowing if this will be the right fit for you?

Well... you don't.

But heck, you do it anyway because somehow...you feel that you got nothing to lose if you did. And if that advise did not turn out to your favor, then tough.   You go on with life.

This outlook may not always work but hey at least you know if it was worth it or not right? The most important thing is you got the answers because you tried.

The People's Paradise

My friends and I were lounging at Obama Grill, listening to some really wicked sounds while sippin' on Rhum cola. Time seemed to gravitate towards relaxing the whole afternoon when our initial plan was to do some water activities. Our spot was perfect.  Big beach umbrellas gave us the shade we needed when the rays were just too much to bare, and the speakers pulsated beats to the tunes of vocals & deep house music.  The banana & mango shakes didn't help us from getting up our from our beach chairs,  we gulped them like water and made more in.  We were digging the doing-nothing-sorta-thing.

I had a casual chat with Christy, who was selling isaw from a stall she put up beside the bar.  She asked if I got those towels, the large yellow ones that were given away by promo girls.  i asked her if she wanted to have mine.  She smiled and said yes, cause they weren't allowed to have one as it was really for the tourists. I got mine, put it in plastic bag and handed it discreetly.  I then asked her if she knew any "cheap" accommodations in the area  - just in case I wanted to stay longer than usual and would have me stay in a more affordable lodging.  Because to be honest, if there is work for me here to sustain me, I would definitely stay here.

Bora is a place of escape, a wonderland full of possibilities... and I dunno if you, too, get this feeling - whenever I look at the sunset, it fills my heart with total surrender... calmness and serenity takes over me.  No other place in the world would make you fall in love other than Boracay.

A friend owns a hotel in the island and he is blessed to see the sunrise everyday.  He can soak his feet in the warm water after a long day at work (or should I even call it work).  The low tide summons the kids to bring out their skim boards and show off their fancy moves, the locals showcasing their handmade hats & necklaces made of shells giving every tourist a run for their money. BBQ settings, guitar strings resonating the tunes of a  along forgotten Spanish love song.  Timid masseuses soothing backaches lulling most of the clients to sleep, friends basking under the sun albeit the hangover from last night's drinking spree...couples holding each other tight as the paraw slices through the waters of the sea.

Boracay at its best

A paradise for everyone -  so much life, so much movement, music and laughter - yet the stillness of the sea strikes a perfect balance amidst all the vibrancy.

The scenery continues to amaze me.  The white. red, orange and blue specks of grounded sand and corals will always take my breath away.  I examine them closely, making sure that I wasn't daydreaming 5 years ago when a  family friend asked me to take a closer look at the  heap of sand he placed on my hand.  had it not been for his enthusiasm, I wouldn't have known that these were once shells and corals crushed millions of years ago.   I am sure whenever he tells his trivia to others, they give him the same bright-eyed  wonder as I did that day.  It was simply awesome.

And who wouldn't be amazed, a paradise recognized as number one in the world,. The splendor is magnified with the smiling faces, bountiful seafood & the cultural delights. The vibe resonates even beyond the shores of the island... ingrained in the hearts of the locals and foreigners.  Bora gives them refuge, a way of life....

Sunny days are always welcome

The culture, the sea, the people - all this give life to those who visit.

And for those mesmerized by the beauty of the island, simply stays and make it their home .

WinonaForever

If I would take a picture of my favorite star, it would be her.  Chiseled, tiny face making that seems harmless….but has touched, captured, broken hearts of men.. Piercing eyes that shout a thousand stories to tell. Seemingly stolid from the public’s constant attention…unassuming….consummated with love.. …..secrets…..

Her roles in films encompass most artists’ comfort level.. and I think that’s what she wanted to do… be different – as her character as little Lydia Deetz;.be  quirky – in Edward Scissorhands, be loved – in Reality Bites; be passionate – in Bram Stoker’s Dracula;  daring – in Girl Interrupted alluringly brilliant – in The Age of Innocence

And I wouldn’t be surprised if all these traits is all part of Winona. Just as we want to be careless, precarious, jovial, and still keep our sensitive side intact amidst acts of impetuousness… this makes us level with a Goddess who dared to share the world her true self..

exploration

Every morning, I imagine myself walking up to a tunnel that will lead me to a delightful surprise.  As soon as I open my eye, it can be anything I want it to be and it can be take place anywhere I want to be....

Racks and racks of Adidas and Onitsuka sneakers....foam party with my friends......a playground with all my pamangkins present..... An intimate dinner with Luvey capped off with a nice talk over hot chocolate (for her cause she does not take coffee) and I, my Illy brew, in front of our dream porch of our dream house.... surfing lessons in Surgiao, despite multiple failed attempts of riding it out can ....A diving expedition with some friends whom I know have been constantly telling me to get certified .... Seeing creatures dancing under the sea makes my heart jump, captivated by their effortlessness.

I am definitely looking forward to all of this.......everyone needs a breather. a way of escape which you can find solace to... and when you come out of that world, you feel energized. you feel that the more you gain strength from that suspended realm.

I guess that's why books were written to keep the imagination working...fueling other kids' thoughts with dreams and hopes...so that when these kids grow up, they strive to realize those dreams as reality.

so play. imagine. make believe and always give your mind something interesting to explore.
after all, we are all tuned to gain knowledge & make find out things that we never thought possible.

Just a minute or two

I was on the train to work, usual time as yesterday and the days before. and when i was to switch trains to get to my office, i was standing in front of the door. once it opened, two guys came in,the other, a shorter guy was brimming with smiles and waved his hand to the one standing next to me. He waved back. The shorter guy removed his earphones, and looking at the guy next to me, seemingly expecting to strike a conversation. Then he looked down and started browsing his phone.

A classic example of disengagement. Will phones and computers rule over our natural instinct to talk to someone whom know? Will we always be glued to the TV and internet when there is a bright sunshine waiting for us to play ball?

What have become of humanity with all these gadgets looped around around our ears, neck and heads? The moment I step in the train, I see that 5 out of the 6 people sitting across me, all wear some type of electronic gadget. Don't we all have been stuck with our pcs in the office? And on weekends, have we all been reaching for our mobile phones to check out the latest sports event and switching on TV to know the latest gossip in Hollywood?

None of this makes sense when we need to nurture our souls with laughter, when we need to take a break and meet a friend and ask them how they are? when all it takes is 30 minutes to get to our parent's house and give them a hand on that broken fixture on their porch?

And so, the guy went about just standing there, waiting for the guy next to me to finish his browsing , which he never did, by the way.

As I looked at my reflection, I saw at the corner of my eye a lady smiling, hands clasped together and uttering something. I was locked into what she was doing.. trying to figure out the motion of her lips and the smile she was radiating. And then I saw her eyes looking up .... she was praying. She was talking to God. Amidst the busy train, the gadgets, the short guy looking ahead and realizing there was no point in waiting... A lady gave me a glint of hope that not all want to disengage.

That talking to Him is the best way to feel human again. And then I get off the train. Walking. Praying. Smiling.