Birthdays

Because of this post-facebook world, I cannot miss my friends’ birthdays.

Thank you facebook.

It’s time to go home.

“10. From a government that treats its people as an export commodity and a means to earn foreign exchange,  disregarding the social cost to Filipino families ® to a government that creates jobs at home, so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity; and when its citizens do choose to become OFWs, their welfare and protection will still be the government’s priority.”

From http://www.gov.ph (I encourage you to subscribe to the “Official Gazette of the RP”)

I never thought I’d see this but I finally do, as part of the new President’s agenda for the Philippine Economy.

While I don’t know how P-Noy, as everyone calls him, is going to do it, I hope the whole nation, especially those who see working abroad as a necessity can support our President in building  a stronger economy back home. It’s going to take time and a lot of change. 1,000,000 jobs won’t appear from thin air.

However, I hope Filipinos abroad pack their bags and realize it’s finally time to head home.

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On a side note, after 8 months abroad, I hop on a flight to Manila today. I’m excited for 30 hours in transit. Airplane world- the only multilingual and multicultural place in the whole world- here I come!

I’m from the Philippines but I’m Chinese

I’ve been studying in the US for two years now. Every time I meet someone new, they’re usually surprised to hear I’m an international. Sometimes, I take pride in not sounding like a foreigner.

Every time I get asked where I’m from, people are surprised to hear the Philippines as an answer. Then, they start reconciling their memories of Filipino-American friends who don’t look anything like me or my family. I think this ALWAYS causes them to remember me as a Singaporean even if I’ve never talked to them about Singapore. In fact, this happened again last Saturday. Also, I don’t have an accent similar to theirs so why the confusion??

After a while, I’d answer the question as “I’m from the Philippines but I’m Chinese,” which always gets an OOOOHhh! in reply. Somehow being here confuses everyone.

(I think sometimes, people except America to be the only melting pot of the world. Sure, the Philippines is not as racially diverse but we’re not all from Filipino descent either. )

When I do get to talk about my family being in the Philippines for 3 or 4 or5 generations, they always end up wanting to call me a Filipino instead. They say technically I’m not Chinese anymore like how 3rd generation X(African, Chinese, Japanese, whatever)-Americans are just American. These Americans might retain some of their racial culture but they’re very much American. They also sometimes have close to no ties to where their grandparents grew up. Much like the Chinese community in the Philippines. To us, China is a cool vacation place. Only a few of us still actually have relatives there.

I wish the Chinese community, especially the 3rd generation kids like me realize that they’re Filipino and learn how to live with it. Your home is in the Philippines (unless you move and settle abroad, then that’s fine) so don’t go around feeling differently because in the eyes of the world, you’re only as good as your passport.

Yes, we can

I turned eighteen almost a year ago. It marked a myriad of things- liberated drinking, criminal prosecution and most importantly, voting. I’ve been waiting to participate in our democratic government. And now, I’m really excited to choose my first President. No clear choice has emerged but I’m vigilantly scouting for the right one. Nothing underscores my excitement more than my experience on November 4, 2008 in a foreign nation. Hopefully, I relive the victory of the 44^th President of the United States of America in the Philippines.

I remember every detail of November 4, 2008. It was a Tuesday. When I left my dorm heading straight for class that cloudy morning, everyone spent a few minutes voting electronically. The voting booths reminded me of the instant photo booths found in malls. After voting, I saw a number sport “I voted for Obama” stickers like it was the latest fashion trend. I told myself, I’ll have a sticker on my shirt next year!

Most of the day was pretty uneventful until the evening when more and more of the states sent in their results. That night, my team practiced for a Management 100 presentation for Thursday. We met up at 10pm in Huntsman Hall. While we took the practice seriously, everyone knew we desired watching CNN instead. I glanced at my cellphone constantly hoping friends would text great news. After an hour, we were finally done.

And then, a little after 11pm, Barrack Obama was announced President-Elect. Around 140 years after the American Civil War and 40 years after the Civil Rights Era, an African-American finally took the highest office in the country.

I didn’t know the news then but I walked out excited for the results. Out of nowhere, a group of blue-shirted young Democrats came running out of a room with “Yes We Can” banners.  I shouted to one, “Did Obama win?”

“Yeah, he did,” he screamed back as he raced out the door. With no other words to describe my feeling, nakilig ako.

I immediately went back to the room trying to contain my excitement because my roommates are Republican. I mentioned Obama winning to my roommate and quietly left again. On the other hand, my good friends down the hall voted for Obama so I paid them a congratulatory visit.

Once they opened the door, we greeted each other with a “We did it” scream.  I went in as they did what most college students do close to midnight when they’re extremely excited and restless. Homework, of course! But I refused to let this night be about homework. Luckily, I only had one class the day after.

We had to go somewhere. We needed to celebrate. After some persuasion, I convinced my friends to leave the room. We were going out, nowhere in particular. While I waited for them to get their coats, people started screaming outside, across dorms and across buildings. I, too, greeted the people outside through the window 8 floors up. Woooo!

It was close to midnight but the party was just beginning.

Leaving tomorrow’s work behind, we waited impatiently for the elevator. Unsurprisingly, Obama supporters already filled the elevator when it reached our floor. Then, commotion filled the lobby of our high-rise dormitory. Students were rushing out like kids chasing to see Santa’s sled.

In a few minutes, a huge mob congregated outside our building. Everyone was shouting and chanting hysterically. Those who stayed in their rooms, cheered us on through their windows. As high as the 24^th floor, I saw people waving, shouting and taking pictures.

“Yes, we can,” “Obama,” and senseless shrieks of joy filled the air as we all continued to shout, jump and dance. Then, we started walking. I didn’t know where we were going but I followed the excited mob. We walked past countless off-campus apartments as we cheered Obama on. Students living off-campus were waiting for us by their doorstep. A “Yes We Can” scream greeted an “Obama” chant.

Our dangerous neighborhood transformed into a welcoming family of Obama supporters that night.  Drivers greeted the mob with blaring honks and flashing lights. Others stopped in the middle of the road to hug the supporters. I remember hearing a police car blast its sirens to greet us.

We walked to city hall that night, twenty blocks away from my dorm. Shouting and cheering accompanied us all throughout. Once there, dozens started dancing. Others sang and a good number wept tears of joy.

At around 1am, I walked back home with my friends. On the way back, I met my Management teammate wearing her “Yes, We Can!” shirt. She was just heading out. That night etched a permanent memory in my mind.

I didn’t vote for Obama; I couldn’t. And, even if I could vote, I wasn’t sure if I would have voted for him. But I definitely knew what his victory meant. He wasn’t just campaigning for Democrat ideals; instead, he also symbolized New America, where race was a matter of the past. And by winning, he proved this once and for all.

His campaign revitalized the youth as an important demographic in the national elections. In America, exit polls showed the youth comprised 18%. After some research, I found out the youth will comprise 60% of voters next year.

Obama connected with the youth. He utilized technology to reach out to them. Unsurprisingly, he had most of their support. In fact, the youth vote won a number of battleground states. He shared in the youth’s sense of idealism without forgetting the harsh realities of aging America. His victory was much awaited.

As more politicians increase their media exposure, I wonder what role the youth will play next year. Will a candidate reach out to us with truth and sincerity or will we only hear empty promises in awe-inspiring speeches?

I hope to see a Philippine President’s victory carry significance like Obama’s.  But instead of symbolizing America’s advancement on racial discrimination, my President symbolizes the victory of idealism and truth over despair and corruption. Until then, I won’t be part of a midnight mob on the streets of Manila.

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I wrote this a year ago before the Philippines had a new President, before Noynoy won. While I was a little dismayed by how easily people wanted to vote for him because of his name, I think he comes to represent an ideal they saw that I missed. Reading about what he’s been doing and excited about the State of the Nation address, I wonder if President Noynoy is the President I write about.

Forgetting how to relate

Recently,  a New York Times Op-Ed talked about growing White Anxiety from lower-class, rural White America. Also, not too long ago, a friend showed me an article about “ The Disadvantages of an Elite Education.”

Both are good reads but my main take away was an education in snotty institutions of higher education brings money and isolation although the NYT article doesn’t necessarily talk about this.

I was wondering if the same is true in the Philippines. Also, if it is true, our country is in deeper trouble because we create bubbles of education from preschool onwards.

In America at least, some high performing public schools still see a mix of socio-economic backgrounds from their students. If they do see this mix, it’s a mixture of the middle class, not necessarily the entire society which I think can mean big problems.

Are Philippine private schools stratifying Philippine society even more? It’s possible that public universities like UP fix this problem later on as private school kids end up going there but won’t it be a little too late?

Last I recall, people of from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the Philippines are never seen as equals by those from the higher up. In private schools, they’re seen as beneficiaries of service. You interact with them in special one-time service days in line with private school ideals. In the nonprofit world, they’re seen as beneficiaries of charity.  In business, they’re seen as a means to spread good company image and boost employee morale. While none of these are definitely wrong, is there a better way to relate with people from other income levels?

Perhaps as equals? Is it even possible? Will both sides agree to this? One could imagine the rich having a hard time thinking of empowerment over donations. Yet one could also imagine the poor rejecting this call for equality in relations because, quite simply, people do not have equal experiences or opportunities. Perhaps my thinking reflects the growing need of the upper-middle/upper class to feel better about themselves.

But if it is possible, how would that change the scene of service and charity in the Philippines,  or more importantly, in the schools where kids first learn how to interact with peers?

What is happiness?

Currently, I’ve been reading a book called “The Geography of Bliss” by Eric Weiner. Like the other travel nonfiction book I’ve recently read, which is joining the list of “now a major motion picture” books, Eric Weiner finds himself in need of a little vacation because of his seemingly sad state in life. He writes news for NPR but news nowadays tells only of death and wars. No wonder.

The book reads pretty well. Eric writes as if he’s speaking to a good friend about his thoughts, satirical yet insightful, as he travels the world in search of the happiest countries. Each chapter is devoted to his realizations of how locals make sense of happiness. Every now and then, he sprinkles happiness research as a part of the narrative.

Eric looks at different ideas about how certain factors like money, religion and family, contribute to a person’s overall perception of happiness. I would definitely recommend picking up the book!

I particularly like how Eric approaches the subject of money and happiness. In America, “research has shown” that 15,000 a year is the threshold for the correlation between money and happiness. After 15,000, getting more money won’t give you as much happiness as the first 15,000.

He properly observes an important flaw in economics which could also be argued away. He says economics never tells us when we have enough as we constantly seek to maximize our utility. Add to that a little evolutionary and neuroscience and you find that people don’t always act rationally. In fact, we often want things we might not like as weird as this sounds. For example, I realized that I want a business degree even if I don’t like a lot of the classes I’m taking for it.

I think too many people want money and realize they actually don’t like it. Money can buy happiness but only so much. Money, he says, should not be seen as an end. Yet so many people do.

The Underground

Most of the things I look up to are products of the underground revolution.

Why do you need the approval of the incumbents before starting anything remarkable? If you think about it, those incumbents are crippled by their own dogmas and superstitions. Record labels produce cookie cutter artists. Production houses produce formulaic movies. Broadcasting firms produce filler material for your brain. The list goes on.

If you operate outside their authority, you will discover a lot of new ways of doing things. Some of these things may be good or bad for your chosen craft but the important thing is that you’re able to explore. When the people of the world stopped discovering new lands, they became complacent. They stuck to their land and did what was necessary to survive. That’s what spawned the industrial revolution.

We are in a unique time in history. Ideas can be spread to the world in a matter of seconds. Could we ourselves be complacent because of this power? Do you think that your ideas are inferior to those who are currently in the spotlight? Thoughts like that are powerful. They can paralyze you. Disregard the mainstream when you work, but always keep an eye on it to make sure you’re producing far better output or even better, make sure you’re unique enough not to be compared to it.

What I like about the underground is that it makes the competition irrelevant by pushing boundaries.  Sooner or later, it’s ideas will become a shining light to the dull world of the mainstream.

You don’t need to work for that large multinational. You don’t need to go to the best school. You don’t even have to play fair. Well, just don’t cheat other people.

I’d rather be a pioneer than a drone.

Moving Forward

I’ve decided to learn more about the public education system in the Philippines. In the next few months, I’ll be using this blog as a notebook of sorts to record what I learn about the whole system.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m currently in an internship with Citizen Schools MA helping out with their MA Civic Engagement team. Being in the office has made education a daily topic and it’s interesting to see and learn how America is trying to solve her problems with public education.

Things I hope to learn during this period:

1. How is the Department of Education structured?
2. Who makes which decisions?
3. How are programs funded?
4. Which private companies are interested in funding programs?
5. How many high performing NGOs are addressing this problem?
6. What are our policies on education reform? Is it going anywhere

I’ll concentrate on these 6 first.

Get excited. I know I am.

Fathers’ Day

No one is perfect. If you’re not on good terms with your father, please make up right now.

My dad has done so much for me. I was stupid for always focusing on the bad things. Thank you, dad.

Happy fathers’ day!

The Tyranny of Average

Average is such a nice place to hang around in. No one calls you out for being crazy. Resentment is almost non-existent. People only compare themselves based on material possessions. Oh, I loved it there once.

Get a cool car, a big house, and the nicest watches. That’s what people from the land named Average aspire for. They work their butts off day to day to buy things and to live a good life. Naturally, their children do the same. This cycle goes on and on until someone along the way gets exposed to the remarkable.

All I know is that I have been exposed to the remarkable. My life has changed ever since.

I won’t lie. Material things are interesting to own. However, they are not my first cause. They only give me temporal happiness. They are just a bonus from working to be remarkable. Yes, you can be crazy and earn money. I failed statistics but I know that money and instability are not mutually exclusive.

Instability simply means the openness to change, to adapt new ideas and to realize that I could be wrong. Where I’m from, it’s alright to nurse mild insanity. It keeps you on your toes.

Don’t be fooled by life cycles. The real world is governed by randomness.

I can never know what’s coming. Now, that’s exciting.