ARCHIVES
"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand Utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents. And to live now as we think human beings should live in defiance of all that is bad around us is itself a marvelous victory." -Howard Zinn
Welcome.
E-mail me.
TAGS:
It doesn’t have to be obvious like adobo, for example. It could be a filling in a pastry bun; I can’t name it but it’s always there. It’s a part of me because it’s something I’ve learned from my parents. So even though it’s French classical cooking, there’s something there that is Filipino. I’ve been in the States for more than 25 years, but in my heart I will always be Filipino.
In just a two-month period, our call for a million smiles for the benefit of Filipino children was met with great enthusiasm. It shows how much the country cares about its children. As a people, you are very generous with your smiles.
Hirokazu Ishizuka, Sony Ericsson Corporate Vice President and head of Asia Pacific
Sony Ericsson promised to donate a peso to UNICEF for every “digital” smile collected in its camera phone kiosks scattered throughout SM shopping malls. By the end of the two-month campaign, there were one million smiles in the Philippines. via ABS-CBN news and Inquirer.net
(via pinoytumblr)
It’s easy to have visions of a better Philippines. Having lived in first world cities, I find that the standards I have for my homeland are largely based on my experiences abroad. Clean roads, sparkly buildings, straight lines, unjammed traffic. I have long resigned to the fact that I will never see this sort of Philippines in my lifetime, that it was just too far off. But perhaps the flaw in my thinking is that the Philippines may not reach the stage I’ve envisioned at all - simply because it has to transform itself into something that is uniquely its own.
Basic needs and rights like good education, decent healthcare, humane living conditions, and a sense of dignity, among other things, are universal. These things we can target and develop and improve. But as for envisioning the country and expecting Quezon City to be like San Francisco or Manila to be like New York is majorly flawed; we can even say that it’s yet another form of self-imposed neocolonialism. We can learn from the developed countries of the world, but let us not lose our own distinct flavor, because that richness is ours and ours alone. We do not have to pattern our entire image after a developed country; the Philippines can and, given our persistence and dedication, will evolve into a developed version of itself. I needed to realize this, and I am thankful I have.
Litsonero
This looks promising!
What an amazing art collection.
The Bourne Conspiracy: Director Interview (via Hobbittio)
Mixed Filipino Martial Arts, Kali, used in video game. Filipino Game Director, Emmanuel Valdez.
