Thursday, March 31, 2011

Do the right thing

University has kept me on my toes these days, especially the paper deadlines that I am now used to. Finals are coming up though, so I'll be gone again for a while but I'll try to update this blog every month as much as I can. I still have some pending posts regarding some anime and Japanese films and once I have the time to actually write them, not just jot them, I'll post them up here too. 

Anyway, this would be a really random post; an assortment of ideas that have been running on my head so I just thought I'd share with you. 

By now most of us in the globe are aware of the the Arabic revolutions and disasters striking in the Eastern and South Eastern Pacific. If you have not heard about it at all nor aware of it, then I will ask you: what are you doing on the internet? It's thanks to this technology that people from the Islamic countries are able to post videos or tweets a millisecond faster than a CNN correspondent, transcending time and space. It's a wonder what globalisation has brought to this era. 

Now, for these events, we do not want them to happen. We do not wish for them to happen. But what can we do? Prayers help, that is true, but aside from prayers, if you have anything that you can do, help. Donate. Volunteer. The Red Cross is a wonderful international organization and I'm sure your donation would be a great help and it would go farther than what you expected. And besides, if you're able to buy a small double-double, you can afford to donate something right? And it's not just Red Cross where you can donate to. There are hundreds of groups and medium for you to give. So if you have something you want to give, please do. Someone needs it more than you do.

Now back to the Philippines. I thank my parents because we don't have any Filipino channel at home because we're just not interested. I may have offended a fellow one but that's our choice. My parents are not exactly tech-savvy either, so they can't just turn on the computer to read some news back home. What connects them to the country though, are the local Filipino newspapers circulated for free in the city. And a conversation my dad overhears or is a part of. The thing is, because we don't have these channels on our tv, I am also not aware of every news that are happening in the country. I believe it does have its consequences to me, because I am beginning to break the connection that I have for it. There is still an association, but only because of the memories in that country, but not the government. I do love the Philippines, but only the country as a geographical and tropical country with its lush and unique environment and wildlife that the government should be active in preserving it. Okay I'm digressing too much. 

Here are some pictures Joey Mendoza designed himself, and I'd like to share with my fellow Filipinos and you can post them on your Facebook wall. I got these from Carlos Celdran and I thought about sharing them as well.




Like I told you, this post is scattered, like I just threw them all together to one brew, but if you think about it, it makes sense too (oh hey, they rhyme). 

Friday, March 4, 2011

Homecoming Part 2: Is all hope gone?

Due to lack of interest and the constant slandering and complaining, I have shunted myself from any news about my motherland. I'm not surprised that it eventually led to this, because after living in this country for three years, I have become accustomed to some of the norms and culture that is expected of me. My culture is still preserved; I still speak my language at home or when I am with my Filipino family, friends, and acquaintances. However, current news in that country is the one thing that I want to stay away from, despite living there my entire life and have a community of relatives and friends that I grew up with. 

It's not my fault. To be indifferent and unconcerned never crossed my mind before migrating and leaving my home land for good. But what can I do? The more I learn about the culture and history of this progressive, first world society, I unconsciously compare it to the deteriorating third world country that I grew up in. It sounds arrogant if one thinks about it, but honestly, I'm not the only one who have these thoughts that cross their mind. Despite all these hatred I convey to the people around me everyday and some posts here in my blog, there is still a trickle of hope that there would be change. Unlike my friend who believes that all hope is gone, he even humourly suggested that the country should be wiped out to begin a new one. Again, he was just kidding. I apologize if I offended anyone. But whenever we have these discourses, we always come to a consensus: the people should change. 

I believe that the Philippines will develop. I have hope that the country would flourish. I want people to practice their rights, to initiate the change themselves especially if the government is useless. If structural reformation is what the country needs (and very badly, considering the current situation of politics in that country), then the people should do something about it, as quoted by Tindal and Tindal in their book, Local Government in Canada (55). If the developed countries today were able to do it in the past, then I think the Philippines could do it. All they have to do is to take the initiative. One has to be a better person first, by being knowledgeable and successful through hard work and perseverance. 

That said, I need to hit the books for some reading (more like skimming. heh.) for tomorrow's class. It's been a while since I've updated this blog, and I miss posting here. I actually have some pending posts I haven't finished yet, and I can't wait to publish them because they're mostly about movies that I like. So this is just a quick post to remind myself that I have a blog.