i have been working in a call center for almost a year now. and yes, its good working there because it pays good. but its not easy working in a call center because it is tiring, requires a lot from you. its not an easy job. but moving forward, what i have learned from my work is that our own Philippine government falls short of what the US government is doing. i wish i don't have to fell this one but, its the reality. for example, in the US, credit card holders are protected from FRAUD usage. here in the Philippines, we're not. its not even included or written on the papers that you'd be receiving from the credit card companies. you can even dispute charges that you feel you did not made. card members can even request cards for free, while here, you will be charged P400. and yes, government officials can be really strict with the business firms. they cannot, really in its sense, CANNOT fool around that easily because THE RULES ARE BEING APPLIED. here? OMG... i cannot even think of it. but hey, it doesn't mean i don't love my country because i do. its just that it would be really nice to see my country move forward to a better country. hoping to, and praying to. its not yet late for it.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Malu Fernandez, Manila Standard Today, Bigotry In The Media
With the recent irresponsible, elitist, bigoted, and discriminating comments made by Manila Standard Today columnist Marlu Fernandez in her People Asia magazine article “From Boracay to Greece” in which she makes many belittling comments about Overseas Filipino Workers and Filipinos in general, the response from Filipino bloggers have been overwhelming, and have not been light on the criticism. When do we say enough is enough and that we will no longer stand for the bigotry and discrimination that takes place, not only in this country but all around the world?
For her part, in her “apology”, Malu Fernandez addressed the emails responding to her article. However, the apology, was nothing more than another attempt to take a jab at Filipinos and to once again assert that she’s an elite that those in lower socioeconomic classes just fail to understand or comprehend her “wit”.
The People Asia Article
Key Statements In Malu Fernandez’s People Asia Article
However I forgot that the hub was in Dubai and the majority of the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) were stationed there. The duty-free shop was overrun with Filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume. Meanwhile, I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.
While I was on the plane (where the seats were so small I had bruises on my legs), my only consolation was the entertainment on the small flat screen in front of me. But it was busted, so I heaved a sigh, popped my sleeping pills and dozed off to the sounds of gum chewing and endless yelling of “HOY! Kumusta ka na? At taga sann ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba?” Translation: “Hey there? Where are you from? Are you a domestic helper as well?” I though I had died and God had sent me to my very own private hell.
On my way back, I had to bravely take the economy flight once more. This time I had already resigned myself to being trapped like a sardine in a sardine can with all these OFWs smelling of AXE and Charlie cologne while Jo Malone evaporated into thin air. All in all, it’s been a pretty good summer. Jetting from the Aegean Sea to the Pacific may sound a bit pretentious until you wake up in economy class smelling like air freshener.
Response By Marlu Fernandez
Understandably, The Manila Standard Today, received a few emails of complaint, so Malu Fernandez decided to respond.
As I type this, I’d like you to know that it’s not about whining, complaining and bitching but just stating the facts. Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit. The bottom line was just that I had offended the reader’s socioeconomic background. If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. Most people don’t get the fact that they need bitches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre. I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading.
Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. One group will never get the culture of the other. Although I could mention that it is easier to understand someone who has a lower socioeconomic background that would entail a whole other page and frankly I don’t want to be someone to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes. I leave that to the politicians in my family who believe they can actually help. Now I seriously ask you, am I being a diva or are people around me just lacking in common sense? Perhaps it’s a little of both!
Response To The Response
First of all, there is nothing funny about bigotry, and tongue-in-cheek does not have to entail irresponsible and insensitive statements such as the statements made in her article. Second, she mentions a few emails, but only mentions the offense of one reader’s socioeconomic background. Notice that reader’s is singular (is this an editing mistake, are there actual editors who edit this crap?). Or maybe, Malu meant that all the emails were complaints of readers having their socioeconomic background offended. But either way, the fact that Malu tries to deflect the actual complaint and goes on another rant in which she again lambastes lower social classes, making another strong statement that indeed she is an elite herself, is further proof of her worth as displayed by her perceived higher class status. In her illogical rant, she implicitly says that the poor have lost their reason to understand her discriminatory comments.
Let me make it clear, the offense is not based on a socioeconomic issue, the offense is based on her statements of bigotry, discrimination, and intolerance against her own countrymen. Politicians, I mean noteworthy and honorable politicians, certainly do believe that they can make a difference. Just because she feels that she can’t make a difference, doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. The fact that people are actually trying is much more noble, than playing aristocrat and hinting that The Philippines is a lost cause. Yes, I do believe, we can make a difference. And this means, calling out horrible individuals like Malu Fernandez.
I wonder if these acerbic statements will be too harsh for Malu’s diva reality?
For her part, in her “apology”, Malu Fernandez addressed the emails responding to her article. However, the apology, was nothing more than another attempt to take a jab at Filipinos and to once again assert that she’s an elite that those in lower socioeconomic classes just fail to understand or comprehend her “wit”.
The People Asia Article
Key Statements In Malu Fernandez’s People Asia Article
However I forgot that the hub was in Dubai and the majority of the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) were stationed there. The duty-free shop was overrun with Filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume. Meanwhile, I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.
While I was on the plane (where the seats were so small I had bruises on my legs), my only consolation was the entertainment on the small flat screen in front of me. But it was busted, so I heaved a sigh, popped my sleeping pills and dozed off to the sounds of gum chewing and endless yelling of “HOY! Kumusta ka na? At taga sann ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba?” Translation: “Hey there? Where are you from? Are you a domestic helper as well?” I though I had died and God had sent me to my very own private hell.
On my way back, I had to bravely take the economy flight once more. This time I had already resigned myself to being trapped like a sardine in a sardine can with all these OFWs smelling of AXE and Charlie cologne while Jo Malone evaporated into thin air. All in all, it’s been a pretty good summer. Jetting from the Aegean Sea to the Pacific may sound a bit pretentious until you wake up in economy class smelling like air freshener.
Response By Marlu Fernandez
Understandably, The Manila Standard Today, received a few emails of complaint, so Malu Fernandez decided to respond.
As I type this, I’d like you to know that it’s not about whining, complaining and bitching but just stating the facts. Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit. The bottom line was just that I had offended the reader’s socioeconomic background. If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. Most people don’t get the fact that they need bitches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre. I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading.
Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. One group will never get the culture of the other. Although I could mention that it is easier to understand someone who has a lower socioeconomic background that would entail a whole other page and frankly I don’t want to be someone to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes. I leave that to the politicians in my family who believe they can actually help. Now I seriously ask you, am I being a diva or are people around me just lacking in common sense? Perhaps it’s a little of both!
Response To The Response
First of all, there is nothing funny about bigotry, and tongue-in-cheek does not have to entail irresponsible and insensitive statements such as the statements made in her article. Second, she mentions a few emails, but only mentions the offense of one reader’s socioeconomic background. Notice that reader’s is singular (is this an editing mistake, are there actual editors who edit this crap?). Or maybe, Malu meant that all the emails were complaints of readers having their socioeconomic background offended. But either way, the fact that Malu tries to deflect the actual complaint and goes on another rant in which she again lambastes lower social classes, making another strong statement that indeed she is an elite herself, is further proof of her worth as displayed by her perceived higher class status. In her illogical rant, she implicitly says that the poor have lost their reason to understand her discriminatory comments.
Let me make it clear, the offense is not based on a socioeconomic issue, the offense is based on her statements of bigotry, discrimination, and intolerance against her own countrymen. Politicians, I mean noteworthy and honorable politicians, certainly do believe that they can make a difference. Just because she feels that she can’t make a difference, doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. The fact that people are actually trying is much more noble, than playing aristocrat and hinting that The Philippines is a lost cause. Yes, I do believe, we can make a difference. And this means, calling out horrible individuals like Malu Fernandez.
I wonder if these acerbic statements will be too harsh for Malu’s diva reality?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
What is the Goth culture?
It is basically indefinable, because "Goth" means different things to each follower. Many adopt unusual fashions in order to separate themselves from other youth. Gordon A. Crews, associate dean of the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University in Bristol, CT is an investigator of what he calls the "occult" which-- in his opinion -- includes the Goth culture. He said: "It is up to the individual to define what Goth is for themselves ... The mentality is, 'I want to be left alone but I want to be seen. I want to see the shock on other peoples' faces." 11
Some factors that are commonly observed are:
- Its unique music, art and literature.
- The use of extreme black clothing, light colored makeup, unusual hair styles, body piercing, bondage items, etc.
- A fascination with medieval, Victorian and Edwardian history.
- Wearing of symbols such as a Christian cross; an Egyptian ankh or "Eye of Ra," or "Eye of Horus;" a Wiccan pentacle, a Satanic inverted pentacle. etc. 14
- Goths tend to be non-violent, pacifistic, passive, and tolerant. Many in the media have mistakenly associated Goth with extreme violence and hatred of minorities, white supremacy, etc.
- Many Goths write about being depressed. Followers seem sullen and withdrawn, when in public. They are often much more "happy and carefree in the company of [other] Goths." 1 Examples of depression are:
- "Tigriss," commenting on her own life, writes: "So my gothic persona fit me quite well. My black clothing and dark music aptly reflected my own depression, pain, and anger which was what I made most of my life about. Most of my goth friends had dysfunctional families and troubled childhoods as mine. We could identify with each other through our dark make-up and painful pasts." 12
- Researcher Jasin Tamlin comments: "If you take a look at the 640 sites that are listed on the Gothic Web Ring, you will find many of them filled with desperation, depression, anger, hatred, despair and angst." 13
- "A lot of people turn to the Gothic subculture after having a hard time in school, feeling alienated, and looking for a way to express themselves that mirrors those feelings. Others find the scene through literature, still others want to be shocking, and some people just find black clothing slimming." 1
- Goth music often deals with thought-provoking topics, concentrating on societal evils, like racism, war, hatred of groups, etc. Their music tends to concentrate on the very "nasty, unhappy" topics that "North American culture" wants to "ignore and forget."
- A fascination with death. They try "to find a different way of thinking about life, like trying to find beauty in life, pain and death. It's all a quest for immortality." 2
- In contrast, many Goths are optimistic about the future and see much beauty in the world.
- Some Goths enjoy playing role playing games. However, RPGs are not an integral component of Goth culture. It is just that those intellectual and creative challenges that draw them to the Goth scene make them more likely to enjoy RPGs as well.
- Other interests: writings by authors like Dante, Byron, Tolstoy; German Expressionist silent films; writing music; painting, etc.
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