meeting old friends

it was one interesting weekend. a grand alumni homecoming involving all years from 1965-2011.  it was a time of meeting some classmates from high school.  a few came after 35 years of not seeing one another as a group. for our batch only about 35 of us came out of the 150 classmates. it was really fun time not only for our classmates but for all of the other batches.  some of them i also knew having stayed at the school from elementary thru college.

and to think it was held about two weekends after my family reunion --- a cousins reunion, actually. it was the first ever organized and we had a chance to meet most of my cousins, some i haven't seen for about 20 years.
really interesting month is may 2011.

old flames

The weekend was one important event for me.  I met my classmates in high school.  For some of us, it was a first time for the last 35 years.  What really colored the affair, was not so much the attendance of an old flame, because I've gotten over her long time ago.  This particular girl arrived and didn't recognize me (who would expect after a long time that she could instantly recognize me).  I knew she might attend because she was contacted.  Someone close to her told me when she was not around that had a crush on me way back then.  What my classmates didn't know was that she was one of the few interesting girls in high school.  At least for me. So reserved, so dainty.
This was not really new to me since somebody told me the same way back in high school.  But I didn't press on because she already had a boyfriend from among my classmates.  Still she is someone interesting.
The problem is somehow when a classmate told me last weekend, the thought seemed to linger with me.  Feelings and all.  At my age, I didn't expect to react that way.  Some sort of a deja vu.

If we only had a chance to talk alone, I might have gotten over these feelings that have been aroused.  It may not be that romantic anymore, but at least some of the issue might have been resolved.

Maybe we could get to talk one of these days.  Maybe I'll tell her how I felt way back then.

lavish royal weddings amid extreme hunger

it' not our money they are spending, i know. but think of the widening disparity between the worlds. where a family of five share a living area of three square meters in poor countries.  this space is just enough for a comfort room in many homes in the rich countries. they couldn't care less they have the money to splurge. where many families have to share two meals in a day, some families in the rich countries share them too --- in food fights.  i wonder if they put out their lights on earth day in rich countries.

so what? the rich may just say, we can spend however we want to spend. wouldn't it be better if we can show some concern for the less fortunate?

honored by the boss

it really is so uplifting hearing from no less than a direct superior that your work is excellent. after almost ten years of serving with the government under him, he has been been so thrifty in praise.  of course, i get excellent marks during our semestral work evaluation.  but it really felt different when he praises my work in front of everybody else in our department.  and coming from a workaholic boss who demands quality work from all of us, this is so exhilarating.  and he has caused my promotion (twice in three years).

although there may have been lapses in my line of work, still i am confident i have delivered beyond what others have done and beyond certain standards.

text brigade

the problem with text is that people use it to take advantage of gullible people.

- you won a small fortune in a lottery in which you never participated.  how could somebody win without betting?

- say a prayer and pass to friends to avert disaster.  it would be more productive to stay calm and prepare for disaster. miracles are worked for and not hoped for!

the telcos (smart, globe, sun) stand to gain millions in times like these! does this mean they have something to do about these?

t-t-t-t-t-t-t-textinnnnnng!!!!!!!

ironic how some people take advantage of a crisis situation. yesterday, a text message circulated around the archipelago warning that radioactive material will somehow find its way down the philippines by 4pm following a a nuclear accident in japan. the first sentence was correct. but the subsequent advisory warning that asian countries will be affected. and thus everybody should stay home, close windows and doors after visiting the health center for a swab in the thyroid area.

such a nuclear accident is really nothing compared to the two bombs dropped in nagasaki and hiroshima during WWII. and the adverse effects were limited to a small area.  so how could a nuclear accident be a cause of concern for the rest of asia.

of course, the precaution is good. but only to those living in japan.

what worries me is how the people reacted.  some schools suspended classes. some government offices sent their employees home. domino effect.  without verifying the truth of the information, many reacted.  others say no harm was done simply by following simple text message. i disagree. it means, people are still gullible to dubious text messages. we could have verified information first before acting.

to those who started and rode on the text scam as if it was a text brigade  for some candidate in pilipinas got talent or talentadong pinoy or pinoy big brother, please stop this!

in the wake of disaster

after a killer quake, a 10-meter tsunami left japan so devastated. tens of thousands have yet to be accounted for,  and dead bodies are turning out by the hundreds every day. aggravating the misery is the threat of a nuclear meltdown that could well render the surviving japanese very sick.

many countries are convulsing with their own problems. revolutions, civil wars, terrorism. recession.  and we see  before our own eyes in the luxury of our living rooms in high-definition color, the anger, the rage, the frustration.

then came the quake and the tsunami.

yet we still have to hear of looting, rioting.  all we can see are people patiently queueing up for their meager share. everybody gets to buy a little bit of something to eat or drink. no jostling around. no short tempers. no stealing. no one taking advantage.

is this the japanese way of dealing with disaster? the future is uncertain. yet like ants, they meekly accept what is and tries to do a little bit of good not only for himself but also a bit for a fellow japanese.  from a news item i read from an australian site yesterday, i learned that at the entrance of one of the evacuation site in Rokugo Junior High, the visitor is greeted by a row of neatly stacked footwear.  tacitly, it means, anybody wishing to enter must also leave one's footwear outside.  the local grocers delivered their crates of food and a net row of portable toilets were set up. in the carpark, volunteers (presumably the able-bodied of the survivors helped pump water for those who could not. outside a gas station, motorists calmly queued up to buy their share of gas.

i wish somehow, we could learn lessons from small things like this. especially during disasters. how to survive a disaster --- earthquake, tsunami, and a nuclear crisis. written by THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN!

sinful?

after about 30 years, i found myself walking down avenida (rizal ave, in manila, philippines) the other night.  the usual bangketas (sidewalk vendors ) competing amongst themselves trying to sell hardware items, pirated dvds, posters, clothing, shoes, etc. what caught my attention was the open display of dildos and vibrators and other sex toys right among the other merchandise.  the package plainly pictured what could be found inside. in plain sight of passersby of all ages. i feigned disinterest as though it was any other items for sale. maybe it was on display only at night, i thought.

is this legal? is this permissible?

the things we do for survival.

later that night, my colleagues in our hotel room engaged the services of girls around harrison area.  all in the cause of equalizing disparate incomes. and being gender sensitive, at that.  patronizing the services of our otherwise unemployed people.

typecasting in philippine TV

soap operas are the favorite pastime of many filipinos. they occupy up to four hours of primetime programming in  the free channels: ABS-CBN and GMA.  most of these programs are run-of-the-mill rehash of previous successes.  or downright reruns. like the Darna series. every two or three years, another actress plays Darna.  or the emergence of characters based on the 60s and 70s comics.  in fairness to some writers, the storylines are great.  however, if the story gets interesting enough, sponsors would want to extend the playing time. so instead of about three months programming, some could reach up to about six months.  the story gets so chopped up, many forgot what the story was all about.

worse, is the typecasting. policemen always arrive in the crime scene too late. policemen get roughed up by rogues, or they get to be on somebody's payroll, or they do not know how to dress up or act like policemen. this has further eroded the public's trust in the policeman.

and priests, too. many are too mundane to be credible for priests.  their role is that of any ordinary character. instead of portraying them as moral guides, they are painted as mere pawns in the melodramas.

the antagonists are so devious, so evil, so detestable. they do not have any ounce of goodness.  and the protagonists are so virtuous, so masochistic. as if they enjoy suffering. they enjoy crying all the time. they enjoy being manhandled, slapped around.

as if the world is painted black and white. black equals evil, and white equals good.  too simplistic for filipinos in the 21st century.

child labor

on tv shows featuring children actors, there are always disclaimers about them having secured the necessary working permits.  curious! what about them on the streets selling sampaguita garlands, kendi-yosi, etc. and by nightfall, even more interesting wares are available. this is not only true in manila, but in other big cities as well.

and even in the not-so-far-away farms, where children are expected to help their parents, do they have the necessary working permits? or does dole continue to turn a blind eye on them --- the future of our fatherland?

why do you think do we have poverty? is it not because we have so many children to care for in the average household? does this mean a drain in the already measly pay the parents get? and the average worker is only semi-skilled? and the average household only has one wage-earner? semi-skilled because he has barely finished elementary schooling? and he wasn't able to finish because he has to help his parents in the farm?

about 50% of our labor exports are semi-skilled workers and domestic helpers and who barely know how to speak english. all because, not only dole, but the country in general, tolerated the practice of child labor in the farms, who do not eve know the need to have the necessary working permits.

kidneys, anyone?

news item in al jazeera: philippine kidney trade! (quezon province)
what would drive filipinos to sell their kidneys? is this unique to the philippines?  how far will a few thousand pesos just for a kidney go?
poverty. the need for a quick buck.
i think where there is poverty, there will always be a market for kidneys.
not far! since filipinos do not grow back their kidneys to be sold again.

alas president noynoy's stopgap solution to poverty is a no-no for planners and development workers!  local news items report that those who get their cash get waylaid and fell victim to daylight robbery. beneficiaries do not anymore feel inclined to earn their keep.

so more kidneys will be sold after this cash transfers cease. and not only kidneys. other organs too, like eyes, heart, etc. but blood donations (sales) are more lucrative and more sustainable.  then when the kids are able, parents would volunteer their children to do the same.

reunions

december 2010 saw several reunions. of classmates, of family clans.  it was a time of renewing the bonds of friendship among classmates.  some came in pretty much the same package. some have become rounder while some managed to stay in shape. some have still some straggling wisps while some have just turned silver. whatever the shape or size, it was a time of joy. after 34 years, about 30 of the 150 graduates from MCC batch 76 came to attend.  although many of us have become really much wiser and more serious, the mere sight of each other was enough to evoke among us the innocent playfulness of our adolescent years. and we laughed and we joked around. it was really a day of fun. merely sitting around listening to vignettes of each other's trials and tribulations amidst some wine and song and some good food.

i don't know whether we would still be holding another reunion aside from feb. 20 and may 28 this year.  but this i can say for myself, i'll be among the first on the list who will be attending. wherever or whenever it will be. 

culture of helplessness

philippine primetime tv shows have always been too melodramatic. leading ladies are always at the mercy of supporting actresses. stories from the bygone days of radio soap operas. and some even revive in toto stories of these soap operas.  where once soap operas have ruled the airwaves in the daytime, primetime tv is now dominated by these melodramas.  and ratings are so high! meaning, many still value being underdogs, of being a victim. and always dreamin of a day when some knight in shining armor comes to the rescue.  though many opportunities present for an early resolution, but being a martyr (and bucketful of tears are shed for the helpless ---also stupid--- heroine) and ratings go up!  tv shows drag on for months for as long as ratings are good, though the storyline becomes too thin!

these has dominated the filipino psyche for about a century now.  a culture of helplessness, a culture that values martyrdom and patience, a culture that awaits for outside help, a culture that waits for some divine intervention for a resolution.  we can translate this also to our attitude that only agents other than ourselves can really uplift us, whether it be government, lotto, the politicians, the NGOs, anyone but us!  and for as long as we patronize these shows, more patrons would want a long-running soap opera, even offering prizes for viewers, the more the cycle of helplessness and reliance on outside help becomes even strengthened.

another year

another year has passed and very soon i will be a year older too.  towards the middle of the year,  my wife and i will be celebrating our 25 years being together.
so what is new with the new year for me?
it's another year hurdled with the kids. they are drawing nearer to their own dreams.  and who knows in the next five years or so, i will be holding my first grandchild! wow, it will really be some accomplishment!
by april or may, we will have a family reunion (maternal side), and already preparations are going on. pledges are being collected. and we're going to hold it on a beachfront. about four generations of villaflors will be meeting together. wouldn't it be great!
may also will be a grand alumni homecoming for our high school batch. it will be a grand affair really!
and maybe within the year, my eldest decides to go to singapore --- greener pastures for a software engineer!
who knows really what the new year will bring!
so let's go for it and who knows what will happen next!!