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Comment on Rock & Roll by In Whitney’s Wise Words… | 57 Octaves Down

In Whitney’s Wise Words… | 57 Octaves Down — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:00:25 +0000

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Comment on My Glass is Half-Empty by Michael

Michael — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:43:32 +0000

I feel like I face the same situation, at times. I remember missing studying for the learner’s with everyone at Steeps one day by like 15 minutes or something, I don’t immediately recall if you were there or not, one of the ones that I had just missed. But yeah, after walking into Steeps to see everyone had left I just thought, oh I’ll just go walk around Whyte Ave. which is one of my favourite places in Edmonton. I looked around for a while. Later, I ate at this vegetarian cafe that I hadn’t been to in years, and I was really looking forward to it because when I had gone I remember it having been really good. But then I was disappointed with the food and they forgot my drink. So when I left, they apologized and gave me my drink to go and I decided to walk down to the other side of Whyte. I took a wrong turn into a residential area thinking, for some reason, it would be faster and I remember it really clearly. The street was super quiet and still and I was finishing my drink noisily and I let the hand with the empty cup drop lazily to my side. Then it struck me how lonely and sad I felt. I know I could have phoned someone to ask where they were, like it was sort of my fault for not making sure to meet up with the group, who for the most part were largely people I considered to be… inner-circle people. But then I feel like I was sort of forgotten at the same time. I was told about the whole thing and how I should come along, especially since I was one of the few who DIDN’T have the learner’s yet. But then after that, no one told me the concrete time to meet and no one seemed to make the effort to phone and ask where I was. Not sure where I’m going with this, but the point is that that was one of my lowest points in… a while. Not exactly because of that day, but because of a bunch of things which I guess led up to it and that day then made really obvious. Personal obstacles and whatnot.

I’ve been trying to catch up with your blog and I noticed we made really similar posts on this day. Minus your pessimism.

Comment on No Pity for the Poor by Michael

Michael — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:38:22 +0000

I too have watched Wowowee and let me say: I completely detest the show. You are completely correct on the blatant exploitation and commercialization of Filipino Hardship and Struggle with the side of unrelenting eye candy. And I absolutely cannot stand Willie Revillame. And the rest of ABS-CBN, for the most part. My experience with Filipino popular media is that the whole thing is so self-absorbed. Actual gossip is televised and encouraged. Newscasters and weathermen host variety shows. Manny Pacquiao’s mother is a staple celebrity for no other reason than because she is his mother. It’s mad.

But from what I’ve gathered, I can see why we’ve come to this. I think it can be traced back to American colonization and the Filipino approach to coping with poverty. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “300 years in the convent, 50 years in Hollywood.” After three centuries, we became relentless in our faith, and then after fifty more, I think, we came to almost misplace some of it in the wrong Western ideals. I mean the Philippines, from what I know at least, was starting to grow to become one of the more promising nations of Asia until we had to deal with economic crises and whatnot. Look at EDSA and the People Power movement, for example. I don’t know where it all went wrong, perhaps it was with the corruption of the government. I know the Marcoses did some good at first if I can recall correctly, but they did FAR more damage to the nation, which is still apparent.

What do I see now in the Filipino people? I see them trying to escape. I do not know a whole lot about the Filipino movie industry, but I know it’s past its golden age, so when the movies don’t satisfy the Filipino people (which I am almost sure of) they indulge in the rest of Philippine celebrity which has been enabled and led on by Americanization. They see themselves in the stories of tragedy and hardship and perseverance and eventual triumph and they can’t get enough. That is why I think stuff like Wowowee is so popular. That is why I think we’ve one of the few (if not only, how embarassing) states in history to democratically elect a movie actor to the highest possible political post. That is why I think we are so invested in the idea of Manny Pacquiao, little Santino, whatever. They represent our faith, and our faith in the idea that we can overcome our unfortunate circumstances. However completely loaded and misguided the representations and intentions are, I think.

And look at OFWs, they are treated like heroes, literally. For escaping the poverty, often to face new hardships in leaving and in being in foreign lands. Not that they shouldn’t be, I mean they contribute so much to the well-being of the home country, but that’s just it. I don’t think that there is any other country which sends out its own sons and daughters to such an extent for the purpose of trying to lift itself out of poverty.

Of course, that speaks a lot to the character of the Filipino people. Our joy and humour, our hard work and industry, our faith and religiosity, our family values, our resiliency as a people. So I have to say, like you, I am proud of the Filipino people. We are an inspiring people, I’m sure. Or at least, if anything, we are just so interesting.