derpinsel.com - pixels, stories and texts by angela solis

Ang Pagsundo

Sinundo namin si Sybil sa airport last Sunday ng hatinggabi (bale Lunes na ‘yun di ba?). Nagbakasyon kasi siya sa Pilipinas sa loob ng isang buwan. Ayun, para ring hindi siya umuwi kasi bihira naman din kaming lumabas dahil nga kinakain na ako ng buhay ng mga trabaho ko, he he. Tsaka lagi kasi siyang nag-a-upload ng pictures sa Multiply kaya alam din namin kung anong ginagawa niya.

Anyway, so ayun. Nagpabili ako sa kanya ng Twisted 7 at Twisted 8 ni Zafra. Babayaran ko na nga, kaso sabi ni Sybil pasalubong na lang, he he. Pumunta ako sa kanila pagkasundo tapos ayun, nag-unravel na naman sa harapan ko kung paano nagiging smuggler ang isang balikbayan (to quote Rex Navarrete).

How could this world be a breeding ground of hate?

Before I started my shift at work yesterday afternoon, I came across this article published by the Globe and Mail:

Xenophobic rage explodes in South Africa
Stephanie Nolen

A wave of horrifying violence has swept the townships around Johannesburg in the past five days. At least 22 people are dead, hundreds injured and an estimated 4,000 have been left homeless, most of them refugees and immigrants from other African countries.

The sudden eruption of xenophobic savagery has forced South Africans into a moment of uncomfortable self-reckoning, as the newspapers and TV screens fill with images of ethnic-based brutality of a kind not seen since the darkest days of apartheid, and considered part of the past in this country, which fancies itself to be Africa’s beacon of democracy and tolerance. [link]

I cannot believe that such acts of cruelty towards someone else actually exist.

Kailangan bang may magbago?

June: buhok mu lang nagbago sa itsura mu eh
Angela: baket kelangan ko ba talaga magbago?
June: i was expecting more changes..
Angela: like?
June: hmm.. di ko lam eh.. gusto ko sana un di na kita makikilala..
Angela: Well sorry I didn’t live up to your expectation. Bakya pa rin ako.

Isang bahagi lamang ito ng pag-uusap namin ni June, dati kong ka-blockmate sa UP, noong nagpang-abot kami sa Y!M kagabi. Isa siya sa mga malapit kong kaibigan noong kolehiyo kaya naman nabigla ako noong nabanggit niya ito sa akin. Kaya naman umariba ang isang tanong: Kailangan bang magbago?

Hindi ko alam kung isa ba itong patunay sa stereotypical image na nabubuo sa isip ng mga Pilipino kapag may mga kaibigan silang nangibang-bansa o tuluyan nang nag-migrate. Anong klaseng pagbabago ba ang inaasahan nila? Kailangan bang blonde o may tina na ang buhok? Kailangan bang slang o may twang na sa pananalita? Kailangan bang hindi na matatas sa wikang Filipino?

Hindi ko alam, medyo nabagabag kasi ako sa ideyang ito. Kasi kung totoo man ito, maraming implications. Tulad na lamang na kailangang alisin ang pagiging mukhang Pilipino at kailangang maging banyaga. Para “hindi na makilala.”

Pero sa totoo lang, wala akong makitang dahilan para dumaan pa ang isang Pilipinong nangibang-bayan sa ganitong magastos na proseso para lamang “hindi siya makilala” ng kanyang mga naiwang kaibigan sa Pilipinas. Wala namang nakakahiya kung moreno ang kulay ng iyong balat (ang mga sobrang puti nga, gumagastos nang maigi sa mga tanning salons para maging kulay tan o moreno lang eh). Wala namang nakakahiya kung nagsasalita pa rin ako ng Pilipino sa loob ng bus kapag kausap ko ang mga kapwa ko Pilipino.

Mas gusto ko ang ideyang sa kabila ng matagal kong pamamalagi sa ibang bansa (at pagiging mamamayan nito), ay napanatili ko pa rin ang mga bagay na makakapagpatunay na isa pa rin akong Pilipino. Hindi iyon nakakahiya. At hindi iyon kailangang magbago.

On Janina

I guess a lot of you have already watched this. I laughed, I’m sorry. I frowned, because I was disappointed.

Tita Connie wrote something about it. Joann and I talked about this whole Janina San Miguel brou-ha-ha, and well. More »

Citizenship Afterthought

Ngayon lang ako nagkaroon talaga ng oras para pag-usapan ‘to, pero eto na nga.

Last Tuesday nanumpa na ako sa harap ng hukom at naging citizen na ako ng Canada. Late 2006 ko pa ‘to napagdesisyunan at na-process lang lahat last year. So around June, nagpasa na ako ng application, tapos noong November, nag-exam na ako. First or second week of January this year dumating yung resulta at sinabing kelangan ko ngang mag-oathtaking.

During the process of waiting for my application, wala namang bumabagabang sa akin. Kasi nga, ang goal ko is to get over with it. Kumbaga, naka-focus lang ako sa goal ko, that is, to get a citizenship, para makapag-biyahe na ako sa ibang lugar without worrying too much about my passport, my citizenship, my visa, etc. Kasama na rin dito yung pag-iisip ko sa future career ko. Dumating pa nga sa point na medyo napaisip akong bakit parang ang daling maging citizen (kasi madali lang yung test). Napa-isip ako kung ano ba talaga ang meaning ng pagiging isang legal na mamamayan ng isang bansa, pero masyado nang hahaba ‘to kung sasabihin ko pa dito. More »

Ignorance is Universal¹

Joann received a feedback from her article at Filipino Journal. A part of the comment (LLB daw siya, so I assume na laywer siya?) says that:

Following the rules and laws of our society need not be taught, it should be inherent in every individual. [Emphasis mine] People break the law because it is their own choice or they are ignorant of the law or by a mere accident. Your (sic) correct in saying that though it is discussed in (GMRC) in Philippine schools there is no emphasis on the law and it’s (sic) consequences. But even the most seasoned of lawyers does not know all the laws and it’s (sic) consequences. For all you know, knowing to (sic) much about law may lead to it’s (sic) controvertion. I believe that it is enough for the citizen to know his basic rights and not dwell to (sic) much on the law.

Okay, please enlighten me if I am wrong, but when did RULES and LAWS become inherent in every individual? Tell me, WHEN? Because as far as I know, whether you’re using frameworks in Psychology, Sociology and even Anthropology, I don’t think there’s such thing as rules and laws being inherent. When you were born, tell me, do you know that you cannot speed way over the limit? When you were inside your mom’s womb, do you know that stealing is bad? No.

His statements made me think. Yes, aside from the wrong use of “its” and “it’s”, the mispelled “Philippines”, among other things, something doesn’t sound right. I am not sure how Joann will respond to this, but for me, every citizen has the right to know what laws govern the society they live in. Otherwise, how are we going to exercise whatever rights we are entitled to? If other people are already oppressing us, how are we supposed to know if there are laws that will protect us from such maltreatment?

Sinabi na rin niya na if you know too much, you will just abuse the “power” and “privilege” that you have, therefore, it is only okay for Juan dela Cruz to know enough. But what is “enough”? Hindi na naman balance yung power. If the majority of the people in the society only know “enough” and then there’s a small group of people who “know too much,” nasaan naka-sentro ang power? What kind of government is he planning to set up, then?

Joann and I are talking about it right now, and really, I feel so strongly about it, it’s not even my article!

¹ Complete line is “How can it be a matter of class difference when ignorance is universal?” from the book “Eats, Shoots and Leaves“.

We’re dancing to the same old tune

Two contrasting opinions from two of my friends. Also read another friend’s entry about how he is apathetic about the current political issue.

For once, I actually have nothing to say. Not trying to sound knowledgeable about a lot of things; not trying to write something really insightful about the crisis back in my home country. I think that the things that I have to say right now has been expressed a long time ago, and it is no use to say them again. I still have faith on my fellow Filipinos — they we should do what we think what we really have to do in order to protect our rights, our freedom, and our country.

Right now, what matters to me the most is that all of you guys are safe and sound.

EDIT: Atty. Fortun’s take on the situation here.

Mukhang tanga lang

Eto lang ang masasabi ko matapos kong mapanood sa balita at mabasa ang mga blog entries tungkol sa absolute pardon ng dating presidenteng si Estrada.

Mukhang tanga lang! Ano na naman kalokohang ito? Hindi ko na nga dapat iniisip dahil madami pa akong aasikasuhin dito, pero hindi ko ito puwedeng ipagsantabi. Masakit masyado sa ulo, at talaga lang dapat dikdikin ang taong nagpasimuno nito. May mga pinag-aralan naman, pero ginagamit naman sa katangahan at kagaguhan ang anumang natutunan nila. Sobrang dami nang naaksaya at nasayang: pera, oras at panahon. Sa huli, sinasampal pa rin sa ating mga mukha kung gaano kabaho at kadumi ang sistema natin. Ang masakit pa nito, hanggang ngayon ay nakalublob pa rin tayo sa sistemang ito. Hindi ko lang alam kung may balak pa tayong lahat na linisin ang kinalalagyan natin, o baka naman tulad din ng iba, magbubulag-bulagan at magbibingi-bingihan na lang.

Hindi pa nga natatapos yung balita sa pagsabog sa Glorietta, eto, dadagdag na naman.

The uglier side of bullying

I came across this news on the newspaper while I was on my break at work, and the first thing I said was, “WTH is wrong here?”

A six-year-old Pauingassi boy drowned as a result of bullying from his peers, RCMP confirmed Saturday.

Six-year-old Adam Keeper died after he disappeared early Tuesday evening, and a community-organized search found his body hours later near the banks of Fishing Lake.

Sgt. Steve Colwell said three boys — ages seven, eight and nine — stripped Keeper naked and pushed him into the lake. [Link]

Bullying is just an ugly sight, but upon hearing this news, I come to detest this subject even more. I just cannot imagine how the kids involve were able to commit such act.

Pinakaligtas na paksa

Hindi ko alam kung paano ‘to nagwo-work sa ibang culture, pero pansin ko lang na dito, usually ang pinakaligtas na paksang puwedeng pag-usapan ay ang panahon/temperatura. Hindi ko pa napapansin ang aspetong ito sa Filipino context, pero kapag nasa trabaho kasi ako, kadalasan eh eto ang napapag-usapan namin ng kasama ko (hindi Pilipino ang tinutukoy kong kasama sa trabaho). Kung minsan pati customer eh.

Noong nag-aaral pa ako ng Elementary Japanese, isa sa mga tinurong greeting sa amin ay, 「いいお天気ですか？」 na ang ibig sabihin ay, “isn’t the weather great?”. Siyempre ang isasagot mo ay 「そうですね。」　kahit hindi naman maganda ang panahon. Isa daw itong paraan para makapagsimula ng conversation, which I think is also applicable to certain situations, regardless of one’s nationality. O baka ako lang ‘to.

Well, kung dito ka ba naman nakatira sa Winnipeg, aba, eh di na nakapagtatakang laman lagi ng usapan ang panahon (i.e. sobrang init, sobrang humid, sobrang lamig, sobrang dami ng snow, lahat na lang SOBRA). Pero di ba, ang odd pag-usapan ng panahon? Ewan ko ha. Parang ang dami-dami naman kasing puwedeng pag-usapan bakit weather pa. Kung gusto mo mag-start ng conversation, bakit hindi tungkol sa ibang bagay ‘di ba?

Sa akin ata, ang pinakaligtas na paksa na puwede kong gamitin para makipag-usap sa ibang tao ay walang iba kung hindi… eskuwela.