Against the World

In my other blog, I have written about suicide, about asking non-suicidals to help prevent it. And just today, a friend now based in the US and I had been chatting about suicide of Filipino teens who were uprooted from here and live in the US. About being bullied and being the "other" person elsewhere.

Then, I am confronted about my niece who went to live with her mom and stepdad whom she had grown to hate. Genee had been complaining and telling us stories. Then, here comes her stepdad using her own Yahoo Messenger. It's creepy, like stalking and invading privacy. And white americans were supposed to be the champions and paranoid about privacy. And he had been lecturing me about family and morality! And this is what I told him:

...we do not have a very good relationship with our dad, but it does not mean we destroy ourselves, right? So, I think it's an american thing about blaming others for stupid things that happen to themselves, so why you need shrinks and Iraq, or Afghanistan, but we don't.

I've always avoided being discriminatory, but when it comes to US-related stuffs, I simply can't. But to anybody out there who meets Genee Tano, she's in Pittsburg right now, previously in Virgin Islands: please tell her to go back HOME, the Philippines. I am using the internet because there's no way we can contact her now.

Rico Mambo Cebu

These videos really overwhelmed me and made me a prouder Filipino...

I will follow him - Sister Act Cebu Version

Cebu's Biggest Dance Group

Tip: Lost Receipt, and You Need a Replacement

Yep, I had my batteries changed to Energizer. Thanks to the staff of DIY-CB Balingit Mall. And here's a tip: if you lost an OR (official receipt) for a defective stuff you'd want to have a replacement, be sure to recall the exact date and time you bought the stuff. Then, put the request down to writing with your name, contact number, signature and address (in not exactly this order). And go through this experience I had...

It was not a walk in the park, as I was asked to produce a declared lost receipt. Why, I buy all batteries from DIY, not because it has a good looking shop as compared to the other Chinese shops proliferating every city and town of the Philippines, but because of trust and reliability. So, as compared to a corner watch repairman who will issue a roughly handwritten hand-torn cigarette box paper receipt, I'd keep the torn cigarette receipt, but not a DIY receipt. Because buying in an established shop is supposed to be the guarantee itself.

Anyway, so, there. After I cannot produce a receipt, I was asked of the date of purchase, about 6 times. And the name of the sales man. Hah! Like, I was supposed to be saying, "Hi, what's your name? Andy? Nice name. I'd like an Energizer Battery, Andy!" But all I said was, "Uhm, pleasing personality, good talker..." and they start laughing. Thanks. I really meant to be funny at that minute.

Then, I was told about the sales report forwarded to the main office, and they no longer have any file copy. And that all I can have is a replaced Camelion battery. Well, I didn't want a Camelion. I mean, one should be doubly suspicious once a spelling of a suspicious character like a chameleon is the brand name of a product. But I did not use my editing sense (okay, okay, common sense) at that time.

Then, a kindly encoder tried to open her computer files and I was asked about other stuffs I bought that day, and of course, having the photographic memory of a manual camera (Pentax, baby), I described the stuffs I bought that day at DIY. And the encoder uttered the total ammount I paid, with an alarming voice that kind of says, "she's a voracious DIY shopper!" or something to that effect. Well, there are now a lot of Japan-home labelled Chinese manufactured items at around $2 at DIY, not necessarily hardware or construction stuff but housewares, in case you haven't noticed.

And the manager said they cannot do anything if a receipt would not be attached to the replacement report they need to submit. Otherwise, i would need a notarized Affidavit of Loss. Uh-oh. Count: Lost office hours, attorney's fees... So, why not print that invoice file, I asked. And the manager stammered about the impossibility of printing a computer file of an invoice. Reminds me of a famous quote about the endless list of excuses to not to do a thing.

But finally, the manager's sense came falling down on her, and made use of the letter I earlier sent through my work-mate for an earlier exchange (which they did not honor, nor entertained). She told her staff to copy the invoice number, place my address and contact number on the letter and all.

And that was it. It took about three to four hours of my productive time, but the heck, it was still a lesson learned...

Aborted Photography

In my other blog, I am supposed to be posting new photos every now and then. But courtesy of DIY, yes the do-it-yourself hardware, and the salesman who has recommended Camelion battery from China while I was trying to buy Energizer rechargeable AA batteries, my photography career is over...

Remember the brand. And if DIY's not gonna replace this, remember the hardware shop!

Learning & Unlearning

If it's the US attack, it is just numbers... 9 children. Jesus Christ. If it's Iran or Iraq, or somewhere down south in Mindanao, it's terrorism. I've got my kids in my mind all the time, to feed and to educate. And yet, how can we ordinary people ignore what's going on with the rest of our world? Anytime now, when the US wants it, any point, any corner of a street, CAN BE declared as a terrorist den, and an entire neighborhood is swept.

Haven't you noticed it yet?

Are we just here to read or view the news? Are we here in this world at all?


(Image borrowed from Green Eyed Angel)

Desperate Racists

Using an entire nation for a punchline on a desperate show is racism in its lowest form. The news reported that: "In the season premiere that aired Sunday on ABC, Teri Hatcher's character, Susan, goes in for a medical checkup and is shocked when the doctor suggests she may be going through menopause.

"Listen, Susan, I know for a lot of women the word `menopause'" has negative connotations. You hear `aging,' `brittle bones,' `loss of sexual desire,'" the gynecologist tells her.

"OK, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Just to make sure they aren't, like, from some med school in the Philippines?" Susan fires back."

For update, the ABC folks already apologized to the entire Filipino community, and we're talking of a 10 million workforce scattered globally.

I don't believe Teri Hatcher's character could be aware of the implications the slur inflicted but I am sure somebody from behind, like the desperate script writers, were politically motivated to emhasize that line.

This is political and economic in reason (Wow! I feel like I am gonna run for a 2010 office! eeech!). Quality of Philippine education has been as questionable as our government officials, but it does not mean Americans or Europeans have started doubting the quality of health care Filipinos could provide. They have not, and that will be maintained for as long as Filipinos remain a Christian nation. It's all in the heart, and not in inserting some tasteless smart-ass-tism lines in desperate television shows.