I made an embarrassing mistake at the train station today. There were so many things going through my head and I was in a hurry that I didn’t notice using my left hand to insert the ticket at the machine. Of course it’s OK to use the left hand… but, I entered into a different passage and I only realized my mistake when the exit closed! It’s a good thing that the station staff saw me inserting my ticket. ^-^
“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” or “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart“… What happened to these quotes now?
Man’s, or should we say mass media’s measure of beauty drove lots of women to plastic surgeries and cause many cases of anorexia. In short, it is spreading discontent and low self-esteem. Though I am far from becoming an anorexic, I admit I had also fallen to such a misleading perception. Of course I agree that pampering yourself from time to time is good… but beauty should always come from within.
I applaud Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. Many women nowadays (of course, myself included) needs help in uncovering their real beauty. I have accessed few materials in their website but they sure are eye-openers.
So, how did our idea of beauty become so distorted? Here’s the answer:
Just couldn’t sleep without fulfilling at least one broken promise…
Child labor is a serious issue we have been facing in the Philippines. Despite the meager efforts of the government, children laborers are present almost everywhere, including sugar-cane plantations.
The GMA i-witness documentary: Uuwi na si Udong (Udong is going home) reveals the story of two minors , Udong and Toto, working as Sakadas (plantation worker). This documentary also gives us a glimpse of the harsh working conditions of the Sakadas.
Udong, around 15 years old, and Toto, 16 years old, were both compelled to work as Sakadas to pay off their parents’ debts. Udong’s father is also a Sakada while Toto had been sent alone, his father stayed at home. Everyday, they had to toil under the sun, for 12 hours.
To most of us, our consolations after a long, stressful day at work are good food and a cozy bed. But look at what they go home to: dirty, old container vans used as sleeping quarters which they fondly call as barracks (see picture on the left). Any mats? None. Pillows? A thin layer of folded clothes.
They had to work for 6 months without receiving even a peso. Everything they need, from food to clothing can be obtained from the store run by their employer. Of course, everything else would be deducted from their salary and each item obviously unreasonably-priced. If their family asks for cash advance, that too, would be deducted. Could they still get something at the end of their 6-month contract? Each worker’s 6-month hard labor is worth only Php14,280 (US$317). Please, do the math.
Toto got Php1,065 (US$22) after deducting his father’s debt, his family’s cash advances and his personal consumption. Bye bye to his dream of buying a TV set. But he was still glad. To him, at least he was able to help his family.
The plantation was in a different island so the workers had to take a barge to go home (see picture on the left). The travel might have took hours, the barge so crowded and dirty, but the approaching moment of being with their families again kept the workers in high spirits. What next? This story repeats itself… Udong might not like it… but he had no other choice but to go back to the plantation and work as a Sakada again.
Some of us might blame his parents for making him work. For me… it’s extreme poverty. Hunger does make people act irrationally. Who caused poverty, or who could help or at least initiate means to abolish poverty? We might have a common answer in mind. 
But we couldn’t just waste time just blaming others, can we? There should be a little way that we could at least do. Any suggestion? How about something immaterial… a prayer? Yeah, prayer for Udong and his family today… then prayer for other Sakadas tomorrow? Probably a prayer for corrupt government officials?
For more than 2 decades of trying to attain the best person that I could be, I’d have to say I’m still a big failure. Why? That big pride always gets on the way.
I had met a really, really good friend… could be my soul mate (SM). SM has been a part of my life and most of the time acts as my conscience. SM always tells me upfront what wrong things I’ve done… often brutally informs me of wrong decisions made… reminds me of neglected duties and broken promises… the list goes on and on…
I know SM wants only the best for me but because of this big pride, I find these reproaches very irritating (at first). It is so annoying how SM knows me more than I know my self. It is so exasperating that SM’s always right. And it hurts to be always reminded that I am far from becoming the best person that I could be. Under SM’s microscope, I feel like I am a really, really, bad person…
It all comes down to pride, right? I wish this is not as bad as it seems….
I’ve been putting off the last few episodes of Naruto and when I finally decided to watch the episodes, I couldn’t stop watching it. So, I ended up sleeping at early dawn. Then at around 11:30am, the alarm went off and I received a few messages from friends that we are meeting at the Shin-Osaka station at noon. After a 10-minute shower, I left the comfort of the air conditioner.
Waaahhh! It’s so hot outside! I had my hat and my arm covers on but it still felt like there’s a bonfire everywhere! So I just pedaled faster and finally reached the station. After a few minutes of standing, I felt like throwing up and my vision’s gone blank! I was so dizzy that I could no longer stand up. So I just leaned on a wall and prayed hard not to faint. Not in this place where I couldn’t completely understand the people around me. Not now that I don’t have extra budget for hospitalization! (Hospitalization here is REALLY expensive compared to the Philippines’)
I wanted to get something refreshing but I was still afraid of collapsing. After a few minutes of calming myself and praying hard for recovery, I got my vision back and I no longer felt like throwing up. But I was still a bit dizzy… and hungry?
In just a few days, I finished watching all episodes of Hello! Miss and Attic Cat. The effect on me: this short test reveals all ^-^
| Your Love Life Secrets Are |
 Looking back on your life, you will only have one true love. Although you may have been hurt before, you tend to bring very little scars into new relationships. You expect a lot from your lover – you want the full package. You tend to be very picky. In fights, you love to debate and defend yourself. You logic prevails – or at least you’d like to think so. Getting over a break-up doesn’t take long. Easy come, easy go. |
The result is somewhat accurate except for the last one. I definitely don’t get over a break-up easily… no siree…
For me, some rock music are noisy, heavy metal is unbearable and classical music – so boring. I was never drawn to Beethoven or Chopin, and opera houses was never appealing. I found it so weird why people would spend so much just to hear an orchestra playing. Not to mention, dressing up!
Then I watched the Japanese Drama: Nodame Cantabile. The drama made me see classical music in a new and different perspective. In there, I discovered the deep emotions that are integrated into the music. I never imagined classical music so complicated… and so beautiful! I am now convinced that classical music is the real music.
In the future if my budget’s no longer tight, I would never mind dressing up and spending a few bucks just to hear an orchestra playing live. 
A middle-aged couple stepped on the escalator. The man took the right side, while the woman took the left side…
Man: Chigau yo! (You’re wrong)
Woman: Ehhh? (What?)
Man: Osaka wa… (In Osaka…)
At first, I found this escalator’s “lanes” concept weird but I now find it convenient. It’s an unwritten rule, but there are fast and slow lanes in the escalators. Here in Osaka, fast lane is on the left side, and the slow lane is on the right side. But in Tokyo, it’s the other way around. So, if you’re just contented with the escalator’s speed, then, stick to the slow lane. When I’m in a hurry, I get irritated when some people block the left side. To appease my self, I just assume that those people might be new to Osaka.
I don’t know of other places where this is observed but definitely not in the Philippines… or am I only unaware?
The Babuyan Islands may be rich in natural resources, but the people there are living in poverty. Farmers stopped farming because it’s very hard to transport their produce to a more populated area. Fishermen stopped fishing because fishes are becoming scarce due to dynamite usage. Years ago, the seas were turned into “gold mines” because the residents found gold and silver coins from the sunken shipwrecks. But when there’s no more coins, they turned to salvaging steel from five sunken shipwrecks that are all within humpback whales breeding grounds. To make the task easier, they use dynamites. This doesn’t only destroy the corals, but this scare away the whales! Plus, without the proper diving equipments, these people are always putting their lives on the line.
I couldn’t really blame the locals for doing this. They’re very desperate to survive and to get out of poverty that they’re not thinking about the effects of their actions. Promoting the place as a tourist spot would definitely generate jobs. Certainly the people then would also come to realize that preserving and protecting the sunken shipwrecks and the islands’ natural resources is definitely a good thing.
I hope the government would do what they are planning to do as soon as possible. Rescue Babuyan Islands now before it’s too late…
There’s an interesting update from byronfgarcia about those Dancing Inmates. They were let loose just to perform Thriller!
I’ll just quote byronofgarcia for the details
“The inmates of CPDRC performed a surprise number in front of Capitol. This performance was a request by the inmates as their contribution to the 438th Founding anniversary Celebration. The Governor and Provincial Officials were so moved that they included all 1500+ inmates in the giving of the mid-year bonus for Capitol employees. Each inmate was given P1,000.00 pesos ($US 22.00)an incentive for good behavior. The inmates want to express their heartfelt gratitude to the people of the world. Pls. pass the good news!”
When I was still a little girl, I really hated watching boxing. I hated watching people hitting each other while the spectators are cheering them on. But ever since Manny Pacquiao and other Filipino boxers started earning their well-deserved victories, I just couldn’t miss any major match.
I wish I could watch live tomorrow’s event: Philippines vs. Mexico in the Boxing World Cup. I am away from the Philippines… there’s no ABS-CBN channel… no TFC… and I’m not a subscriber of ABS-CBNnow! Well, I have no other choice but to wait for somebody’s uploads in youtube. ^-^
I’m a Filipino so I really want all the Filipino boxers to win… Go Philippines!
Update: RP bags boxing’s World Cup with 5 victories! The first round knockout defeat of Boomboom Bautista was just so sad. But still, congratulations to all the Filipino boxers!
Yehey! Today’s the last work day and tomorrow’s the start of our summer vacation!
Going somewhere?
Nope. I’ll just hide from the sun and spend the 9-day vacation mostly in the apartment.
Doing what?
I won’t strictly impose to do’s for my self. Surely, there are lots of Korean/Taiwanese/Japanese dramas out there. Then there are at least two blogs that I’ve been trying to finish for over a year. And I do hope I won’t be too lazy to go train joy-riding. I’ve always wanted to drop by every station from Shin-Osaka to Shin-nagata. Oh, I always pass by Ashiya, known as the Beverly Hills of Japan. Perhaps I could explore that place and post some pictures soon. Last, but the most important of all: I’d definitely get lots and lots of sleep!
That’s all?
Well, there’s a possibility that our boss would give us a call and ask us to work during the vacation. Honestly, I want to receive that call. I really need to make up for my absences.
Less than 8 hours to go and I’m outta here.. ^-^
