Egypt On My Mind

One of the benefits of living in Germany is that I have established friendships with a more diverse mix of foreigners than I have in the Philippines.

These recent riots in Egypt have been given a personal face by my friend Azza (not her real name), who is worried sick for her family in Cairo. She and her husband had lived in Egypt, and moved back here. The journalist part of myself is pumped, saying damnedfuckwhyamInotinCairo? As a Filipino, I see many parallels between what is happening in Egypt now and what happened in the Philippines in 1986. Yes, I am old enough to remember the end of Marcos rule and the shaky first Aquino administration. As an expat, I understand her worry.

She has said that she has an agreement with her parents that they have to miss call her phone every two hours as a sign that they're fine. She tries to call them back, but because the mobile signal comes and goes in waves, she hasn't always been successful. Government has all but cut off internet, and one sole provider, who services 8 percent of the country, still has its servers open. People are digging out their old modems and go dial up to at least have some form of connection on-line.

But her parents are not telling her the whole truth. Her sister, in a rage, called her because mom and dad were not picking up the phone. Her Sister told her everything that her parents have kept from her. That she (the sister) tried to go to work but police blocked all roads. She went out of her car to see what was going on and the police clubbed her head for daring to ask a question. She was able to go to work but is now trapped at the office. That was a week ago. Looters have been taking advantage of the absence of the menfolk and have been stealing from homes while holding the female residents at gunpoint. Because of this, grassroots-level neighborhood watches have been organized, since they can't trust the police to help them. And her brother has gone to the streets, which is even more dangerous.

She also says that rioting is starting to spread nationwide, which is a surprise to me since normally, revolutions mainly take place in the capital. Although I imagine that the more remote parts of Egypt have been spared from the breakdown of order.

I've been watching Al Jazeera "the only network that doesn't get its news from the hotel balcony," she says, and I am just gripped by what has been happening over there. I'm also worried for Egypt's economy. I know that the income gap is huge in Egypt, and I understand why Egypt's prosperity is not yet trickling down to the poorest of the poor, but I would feel so frustrated if I were Egyptian, since they are the largest economy in North Africa. I also personally feel heartbroken for Egypt's archeologists. Azza told me that the human shield protecting the museums, formed by people who care for Egypt's heritage, has been broken apart by violence. Who knows what's going on in there now. Apparently, the military is guarding the museum now .

Have you been riveted by what's happening in Egypt as I have been? I guess once a news junkie...

Wake Up and Smell the Indifference

Before you read this post, I would like you to take time to read this from Howie Severino's blog. Many Americans don't know about the Filipino-American war, how America perfected Vietnam and Iraq in the Philippines.

What really gets me is a commenter on this thread who asked.

"i'm glad to hear that obama won in the elections because it will really bring change. but i wonder kung ano ang impact nito sa ating mga Filipino..."

You know, before I left the Philippines, I had a not so nice impression of Americans. Americans are idolized and treated like kings in the country, much to the consternation of other nationalities. Everytime Thomas walks around the Philippines, he is greeted everywhere by "hey joe!" or "Kano!" which is short for Americano. I had a job interview once where the American interviewer talked down to me, and I had another acquaintance who thought I wanted to sleep with him just because I am Filipina, and all Filipinas wanted to marry a Joe, right?

When you are Filipino living in the Philippines and has a myopic view of the world, meaning that the world you live in revolves around the P.I. (as servicemen call the Philippines) and the USA, you think that wow, we are so important in the world.

Please, I hope that Filipinos wake up to the reality that America doesn't give a fuck about us. They don't care. Americans don't know that Guantanamo, Guam, and the Philippines are all tied to the war of 1896. We are never going to become the 51st State of America. Americans don't even know that we speak English in the Philippines! I, for one, am tired of having to explain my not-quite-so American accent and how I got it. "Wow, your English is so good!" Americans would say.

Give up the ghost, Filipinos. I don't agree with the Socialists in the Philippines, but the term "Tuta ng Kano" (America's Puppy) is a good adjective to describe the Philippine government. Look, my grandad also believed that the Philippines should have been a state. But you know what? They never wanted us to be a state. They just wanted (and want) our gold and copper, without having to cower behind environmental watchdogs. To Canadians, google Marinduque Mining Disaster if you don't know what I am talking about.

And this article just to see how sad and desperate we look, like a lunatic bride chasing after George Clooney. Please President Arroyo, I know you went to Georgetown with Bill Clinton, but we shouldn't have any illusions that America will take care of our problems. Please, let us grow a spine and think of ourselves first. America's President will of course take care of Americans first. We should do the same.

Our history of colonialism has made us unable to self-govern. This is not a rant against Americans. They are at a high point in their history, and I congratulate them for achieving the unimaginable 40 years ago. This is an appeal to the Filipinos to wake up and think for ourselves.

Thank God.

Glad to see the end of idiocy. That was a really vicious and nasty campaign.

Move on, nothing to see here.

Pakistani's Bhutto Killed in Attack

When I read today's Yahoo Newsreport on Benazir Bhutto's death, I knew that it was an inevitable conclusion to a very long and storied life.

When she returned to Pakistan, narrowly escaping death a few hours after arriving, I already had an ominous feeling that she was living on borrowed time. How sad that my intuition was proven correct.

I had interviewed her before, and she struck me as a very strong person, yet she was not arrogant at all. She took time for little old me, a 21 year old cowering in fear of this world-renowed woman, at the corridor of the Manila Hotel.

Will Pakistan do an EDSA? They have their Ninoy. But the problems in Pakistan are a many-headed beast. Musharaf is not the main problem. People there can't help but abet Islamic-fundamentalist terrorists, after glorifying it's existence for 30-odd years.

She loved her country. She was a wonderful woman. I wish her a good journey into the afterlife.