“English Language: Value – Free vs Oppressive”

The following quotations may be seen as representing a range of opinion in a debate about the role of English as an international language:

"since no cultural requirements are tied to the learning of English, you can
learn it and use it without having to subscribe to another set of values […]
English is the least localized of all languages in the world today.
Spoken almost everywhere in the world to some degree, and tied to no particular social,political, economic or religions system, or to a specific racial or cultural group,English belongs to everyone or to no one, or it at least is quite often regarded as having this property.” Wardaugh, R. (1987)

“What is at stake when English spreads is not merely the substitution or
displacement of one language by another but the imposition of new ‘mental
structures’ through English. This is in fact an intrinsic part of ‘modernization’
and ‘nation-building’, a logical consequence of ELT. Yet the implications of
this have scarcely penetrated into ELT research or teaching methodology.
Cross-cultural studies have never formed part of the core of ELT as an academic discipline,nor even any principled consideration of what educational implications might followfrom an awareness of this aspect of English linguistic imperialism.” Phillipson, R. (1992)

“there have been comments made about other structural aspects, too,
such as the absence in English grammar of a system of coding social class differences,which make the language appear more ’democratic’ to those who speak a language (e.g. Javanese)that does express an intricate system of class relationships.” Crystal, D. (1997)

Between Language, Society and Culture

Language plays a very important role in our everyday life. Not only is linguistic behavior the central focus of many social settings, but it is also on linguistic evidence that we base many of our evaluations of the world around us. Language is obviously one of the most sophisticated cognitive skills that humans possess, and one of the most apparent differences between the human species and other animal species. No surprise, then, that language is often considered the main clue to the secrets of the mind. After all, it is through language that our mind expresses itself. It is with language that we can study the mind. Language then is indissolubly linked with the members of the society in which it is spoken, and social factors are reflected in one’s speech. And because language plays such an important role in the development of a certain society and its culture it is only vital that one should assess whether or not the usage of a foreign language such as English is something to be celebrated in totality or something that is indeed repressive and marginalizes indigenous languages.

The Spread of English through Globalization

In an era of increased communication through the telephone, fax machine, television, and modem, the world is becoming more and more globally oriented. Businesses, families, friends, and many other groups with common interests are able to form small "tele-" or "cyber-" communities that transcend geographic boundaries. Yet, despite our ability to transmit information across oceans, communication still relies on language to mediate interchange between individuals within these communities. Information is useless if it cannot be processed and understood. Therefore, in order to achieve true and complete globalization, we would have to eliminate language barriers and develop a universal standard according to which everyone could interact at the same level of understanding. As English has moved towards its zenith, the status of the other principal languages has changed. Even though they are spoken by more people today than ever before, they have been demoted, degraded in relation to English. Today, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Russian, etc., more or less have the status of regional languages, national languages that can be used beyond their national frontiers. But, they are losing their currency as the language of international communication, formal and informal: both in political and commercial contexts and in intercultural exchanges, as bridges between people who cross cultural frontiers or who like to enrich their lives with media products from abroad.

Linguistic homogenization is not only a consequence of global imperial domination; the process of nation-building has also contributed. Frequently, the creation of nation states has involved the adoption of a single national language, whereupon education and cultural expressions in other dialects and languages within the national frontiers have ceased. Not infrequently, use of subordinate languages and dialects has been forbidden or subject to political sanctions. Thus, globalization and the predominance of English at the expense of other languages is nothing new. It is rather a question of a radicalization and acceleration of a centuries-long trend, in which local varieties of language die out, and more universal varieties survive.

English as “Value – Free” VS English as Marginalizing

What was stated above can be seen in two levels: (1) Should the globalization of English be seen as the primary perpetrator of diminishing usage of local languages given the fact that this pattern of linguistic homogenization is also a result of national policies thereby saying that the people themselves (or the government at that) want to emphasize a foreign language first other than their own? Second, is “owning” the English the only way not to make it an oppressive language?

If we look at the first fold of the analysis, one might argue that indeed, it is our own fault. Why we had to develop a foreign language and abandon our own unique languages. But sadly, reality isn’t that simple especially that since we are in a third world country, economy and society mostly go in a Marxist view saying that the economy dictates society. By that, it means that if we have to ordain sustainable development we have to be globally competitive which means providing an avenue for a large percentage of foreign investors. Since this “relationship” means that we are on a leash from our first world masters, we have to be able to develop a society that is more than willing to serve their needs thus the sprouting of call centers in the Philippines. I concede in one point that English may have a democratizing effect and it actually improves at some point too our economic crises. But the question remains, is this in the long – run something to be celebrated even if economic problems will be solved?

I dare say NO. Because in the first place I strongly believe that this is not just an economic problem that has to be dealt with but it goes on deeper. Economy is just the tip of the iceberg. The problem primarily involves to the whole way of thinking and how the society is cultivated. Perhaps because of the fusion of several colonizers in the Philippines, then again, past is past and what matters most is what we do in the present that will prove to be a changing factor in the future. What we need to realize is that it is impossible to learn English without it being associated to western values, western culture, and such. But what is so bad about it? Primarily because our society (via our economic status) is designed to patronize them since time immemorial and government has been doing nothing but lip service in concentrating efforts to uplift nationalistic morale especially when it comes to saving endangered languages in the Philippines. I believe that we should not, at all cost, continue to use the excuse of us being colonized over and over to cover up for insufficient government programs to safeguard culture and society. This is important because in the end, when a certain state becomes economically stable, there will be a paradigm shift, it is the society that dictates the economy. But what can society do when it was brought up by its parents to always be dependent?

It is tear-dropping to know how some people virtually sacrifice their lives just to be able to use their own language. Take the Kurdish people of Turkey for example; government has outlawed the use of Kurdish language in favor of a national language which is Turkish. Kurds have fought and died for this right to be returned to them thereby showing to the world that their language is indeed something to be proud of and worth dying for. It is quite ironic in the Philippines that we let our own languages die right in our faces (although I know the irony that I am using English right now).

Next, we look at the second prong of the analysis: Is owning the English language the only way in avoiding it to becoming an oppressive language? There is some sound truth when Wardaugh said that it transcends everything because people have owned the English language much like a property. But this does not necessarily mean that one cannot subscribe to its attached western values too (as what was already discussed). What this implies is that by owning we become to see ourselves as a society who speaks English not just for economic sustenance but also as a means of communication. Although, this is only applicable to the educated population and leaves the poverty – stricken populace behind. Thereby creating another complicated sets of problems.

In southern California, there is a huge population of Chinese immigrants who are unwilling to learn English. Because of this, they created a sub – culture inside the state providing their own Chinese lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. in that way they do not have to interact other languages.

In conclusion, I’m not saying that we should totally close our doors to the outside world We should in some way still have an avenue to be globally competitive, but it should be in due time. We are not ready for industrialization and globalization. Our government should have the certain level of sobriety to be able to realize the moral degradation of neglecting our own cultural values because in turn this will hurt the economy. We will become no more that dogs on a leash to our first world masters.

Ballad of Bitter Ending

The lies, smiles, and sighs I combine

That drafted the web of my desire,

Spinning evil silk that make you up

To which all I can do is just admire,

amidst orgasmic pain from your device,

I woke up from all the opened flies and lies

I wasted my life on fleeting dreams.

Living a lie to the fullest time,

a modern zombie strapped on a high,

designing a life of grandiose wines

until the day you met your demise,

I woke up from all the opened flies and lies.

My veins, hard as rock, like a junkie,

From injecting your sweet words at me.

I knew there was something wrong, but I

Could not feel, could not touch, could not see,

so I had to be slapped by somebody wise,

I woke up from all the opened flies and lies.

I started breathing and stopped moaning

Because of my mother’s eyes and cried,

Of the countless nights and dethroning.

And I scream so hard in my mind,

Shaking off succubus and Jesus Christ

I woke up from all the opened flies and lies.

Inciting Anger to the People

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
On Target, Metro Section
Stopping an insatiable appetite
By Ramon Tulfo
First Posted 04:35:00 08/21/2008

There’s a saying among Christians and non-Muslims in Mindanao that if you give your hand to most Moros, they will want the whole arm.

President Gloria thought that by conceding part of Mindanao to these types, they would throw away their guns to live in peace.

The President, who’s part Mindanawon, should have known that appeasement would be taken as a sign of weakness.

Most Moros love war. Independence is just their excuse for waging war.

Give them Mindanao and they would want to have Luzon and the Visayas as well.

Fighting them would stop their insatiable appetite.

No, they should not only be fought, they should be crushed!

--------------------------

I am just really freakin appalled how senseless people could be. Especially when it comes to what's supposedly "responsible journalism". This article was in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (follow the link above to read the full article) a supposedly (my new favorite word for this post) responsible and esteemed newspaper. After reading the article above, i just wanted to punch his nose and could not care less being called Fedayeen anymore (hah!). But I went to reflect and instead converted my wonderful frustration and anger to writing the PDI.

In which I wrote:

I wish to express my great disappointment at the article that I have copied.
Whether or not the supposed section is for opinions, PDI should still have not posted such an article that incites anger and discrimination to the people.
Coming from Iligan City, I have seen first hand what this kind of speech does to the people. This only increases the christian - muslim hostilities in this region.
Therefore we do not need anymore tensions coming from this kind of posts that would be read extensively through out the Philippines given your prestige as a newspaper.

What Metro people should understand (I am assuming the writer is from Manila since the section is named "Metro")is that the problem is far more complicated than just doing an all out war.
We have to take into consideration the legal claims of The Bangsamoro people. They have been indeed driven out of their ancestral domain, some could not enroll in schools who require birth certificates because birth certificates are not present in a Muslim setting, etc.
This is the historical reality of it,and not simply making "Independence as an excuse for waging war".

Before the hostilities, Iligan City is one of the melting pots of Mindanao where Lumads, Christians, and Moro's live together peacefully. We know by heart that a person who will say "that most moros love war" is just plain ignorant and crass to make such statements.
We have always believed that this is not a religious war because all religions seek peace and understanding. Instead, this is merely a political one.

I urge PDI to stricly screen your posts and condemn writings such as the one mentioned. It brings more damage to our already tattered homeland. Be more responsible.

Thank you.


P.S

If you find this article also disturbing I urge you to write a feedback to PDI too.

**Take that vulgarly stupid people!!**

Because I'm Manic - Depressive

and today I choose to be Manic... hahaha.. (blame the hormones. friggin estrogen messing up my aesthetic sense)

Just for Laughs

I found this and laughed for approximately 30 mins. >:))))))))

Now I know why some people Hate Freshmen

Pisti ka na yawa na ABEO freshmen (?). I'll be watching you..bwahahaha..

actually, the whole gang will be.lol..

die die die!!

*epekto sa CASS Gen Ass. kapoy but fun nevertheless.. saksespol man dhai! viva!*

Hypocrite

Must be something in the water that made some population boom of hypocrites.

*ngita ug Hypo*

Thinking Out Loud

I'm graduating from college. I wonder how it feels to walk on that stage and receive your diploma. Better yet, how does life after college feel?

I feel like I've been waiting for this moment my entire life. And shiver mi timbers! Arrr! I don't want to go to law school immediately. Something my dad has been bugging me since I was like.. uh.. elementary? I can't imagine receiving my diploma and the next day i'm back to school enrolling for Law. O_o

Don't get me wrong, I love working in the legal office it's just.. I want to rest. I haven't had a summer vacation ever since I entered college. I've been taking courses outside my course curriculum. I've never typed "exhausted" so fast in my entire life.

I don't want to move to Manila just for law. There are just too...many...pink...things. X_x overpass, comfort rooms, etc. Somebody should gang bang (eww graphic.haha) the MMDA for this. And the traffic... sheesh..

I just realized I'm scared of graduating because of these future plans.

Somebody say something quick! *panic*

Why I'm never buying Del Monte Pineapples Ever again.

This is a head shot of the ill - fated MV Princess of Stars. Sulpicio Lines sunken ship proved to be more of a bad luck than ever. Just today, the news of a deadly pesticide named "Endosulfan" was reported to have been carried by this ship and is now in peril of breaking out into the sea. About 10 tons or 10, 000 kg is located in the cargo area and is only held together by a "normal" metal shipping cargo. Scientists report that even 10 mg or roughly about the size of a capsule could instantly kill an adult in just a few minutes. To that effect, the Department of Health issued a warning not to eat sea food products that were taken out of the region for precautionary measures. That is how deadly this substance is and to think that this is being used by DEL MONTE CORPORATION, Cagayan de Oro City.

Del Monte Corp. responded that they did in fact appointed this shipment to another ship and did not know that it was transferred to the capsized Princess of Stars therefore they shouldn't be blamed for such leakage.

-----------------

Putang Ina! That doesn't make a whole lot difference! Even if they used freight cargo's or submarines it doesn't change the fact that they are using this stuff as pesticides for their pineapples! What's worse and to be expected in this red tape of Phil. administration is that they probably won't be able to sue a lot against a Multinational Corporation like Del Monte. They'd probably just poke them a little here and there then leave them alone because our conscience and morality can just be bought.

A domino effect has been tinkered with because of the DOH's warning. The fisherfolks and market vendors are also suffering because they suddenly don't have anything to sell now that the people are also scared of buying seafood.

I could only hope we could all learn something from this tragedy. Sulpicio Lines, take responsibility.. and Del Monte, you suck! Big time. I'm switching to DOLE.

YOU SHOULD TOO!

I Never Get Tired of Seeing This

As the great Jedi Reston said.. "Praise the worldwideweb!"

A Tribute to Ma'am Christine

Datu Bantay at Starbucks
By Christine F. Godinez-Ortega

Starbucks at Robinson's
the round table and mock wrought-iron chairs
transport Linda and I to my Lola's veranda
over two cups of Ethiopian blend:
black, expensive.

The tiled floor isn't as cold as the
table setting—white man's ruse.
Flourescent lamps, not the sun, light this mall
where shadows of water
dance on plastic leaves.

Linda and I taste, think Ethiopian.
'round the glass sphere
colors fill its edges, the young
embracing mannequin's sneers.
We agree to grieve if styrofoam unicorns
racing above us would fall on
someone's head as we nod our own
keeping time with Madonna.

Our thoughts drift, spiral
with the sweet aroma, the hot liquid
spinning another galaxy—
Datu Bantay chasing his ancestors'
horses in the clouds
above the washed-out feeder roads.

The mayor chews on Datu Bantay's
red and gold tubaw*
as Li Gandingan** charges the air
where Datu Bantay's prayers
are splattered on the wall—
the tribe's coffee harvest
sits by the roadside in the hills.

We sip the dark opium warily
under loosed flourescent light
through foggy glasses barely,
Datu Bantay among the curlicues
of wallpaper.

--------------

I am so lucky to have been a student under Prof. Christine Godinez - Ortega. She reminds me of all that's great and holy in this world. Even her husband reminds me of literature (Zeus). I am absolutely one of those who would border on obsessive - stalker - fanatic syndrome over a person who I choose to adore. And since I usually have high standards for these things, Ma'am Christine is one of the few people that tops the list. I am absolutely in awe and in love with this powerful and intelligent woman. Her words, her voice, her brain, and not to mention her expensive bags and pieces of jewelry makes me mad. I don't have much role models in my life and her entering in my life as one of the most supportive educators I have ever known makes me feel honored. I feel so honored and blessed that I could kiss the floor she walks upon (see? I am THAT obsessed) I'm just so upset now that she does not handle any of my literature class. I'm so upset that I think I'm going to get drunk over coffee and wish the memories of my melancholy whores slap me to sleep.

WTF

I thought I've seen everything. Until this came along:

http://www.brainbashers.com/chicken

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On another note, this site is quite cute. Personality-ish test. Too bad this is the result of mine (Disclaimer: The sex life part is erhmm.. let's just not talk about it, shall we?????~!?!?!)

Just follow the white piggy!

Stupid Things

We all do stupid things once in a while.. o..k... maybe more often than not, we do a lot of stupid things. Things that made you wish that you had the power to turn back time or better yet morph yourself into a tiny worthless piece of toilet paper ready to be used by diarrhea - stricken fat guy (I know, graphic)..

Unfortunately I am not endowed with that kind of special power. I can't morph, transform, or even make myself invisible for even half a second. Therefore, I face the consequences of those things. Stupid things.

When it comes to relationships I know, I made a lot of those. Hell, I could feed Ethiopia if the list could only be converted to food. Sometimes, I pray so hard to God to just convert those things into something else. Something less painful. To me, or to others..

What I hate most about stupid things are the ones that you are aware that you are about to commit. It's like one of those epiphanic moments where the cloud suddenly parts and a ray of light shines through with the dove flying above your head. Only, you still do it. Stupid you. Stupid me.

I ask myself and side street vendors and taong grasa’ why I still do those things even if I know it is really stupid. Or why I let stupid things happen. Does that mean I'm even stupid-ier than I thought I was?

------
Just this night, I heard "Desiderata" being sung on the radio. The taxi driver apparently did not show any sympathy for me and myohmygodicommitedanotherstupidthingmoment. I tried to block the lyrics out of my head even if I memorized Desiderata.. Then came the climax, the driver changed the station and it went "All my bags are packed I'm ready to go.. I'm standing here outside your door. I hate to wake you up and say goodbye..." and I just couldn't help it.. I laughed. I laughed like hell at the backseat of that taxi.

It's like all my questions have suddenly been answered. All because the taxi driver changed stations.
-----
I'm sorry for the stupid things I've done and for letting them happen...
-----

They say, God is a great comedian created for an audience that were just afraid to laugh..
Well God, that certainly made my day...

My School is Cheating on Me

Ah yes.. June. The unholiest month of the year. The month where mothers clench tightly on their purses. The month where freshmeats..err.. freshmen students show off their new "cooler" status in life. The month where I shall start to be in my senior year.

Even if I still enjoy bumming around the house I am actually very excited for classes to start. Especially that this year, is a special one.. I'm graduating!!!!!!! *cartwheel* and I was pretty excited to get myself enrolled until I saw a new entry to the tuition assessment form..

Internet Fee...................................... P100

me: oh, that's new. I wonder why they didn't inform us much earlier of that. We must have new computers *smiling with glee*

me, after a few hours: Wait.. That's not right.. Where are the new computers? The gizmoos? The "world - class vision thingy?"

me, after a little more thinking: Huh?? So this fee is for the Wi - fi connections installed in SOME parts of the school?

me, now: WHAT THE....... Wi - fi Internet Fee?!?! But the student's don't even have laptops for crying out loud!!!


I do understand that P100 is a small fee nowadays for such a service, but if you think about it we're paying for something that we do not even have access to. It's just unfair and just another shot at making our mothers cringe for their purse. Moreover, if you multiply 200 bucks (for the whole schoolyear) and the number of students in the school that would be equal to 600k! To think that I haven't even enjoyed my varsity status yet because of the red tape! Arrgh.. This makes me want to rethink about my being senior. I know we'll be in deep sh*t when graduation time comes. I could only imagine what they could think of next *cringes*

I saw murder

It wasn't his fault that he was hungry and decided to take a look inside our house in hopes that he might get something to eat. It wasn't his fault that he was born into this world without proper owners that could tame him and feed him well. It certainly wasn't his fault that no proper animal welfare act was installed in this freakin country that could take care of stray cats.

I saw murder point blank. One of our dog killed the living lights out of this poor cat. Call me crazy if you will, but murder is murder, no matter what you call it. This dog grabbed this tiny cat's neck and twitched it several times. It did not care when I threw hot water on him, it did not care even if I threatened to beat the crap out of it. It just did not care because at that moment all it wanted to do was kill this cat. This hungry, old, half - blind cat.

It tried to struggle out of this hate - scorned dog. When it finally managed to get out of his grip it stumbled to a nearby chair and could not walk, could not get up, could not even get the slightest breath. My father and my uncle (who were savages and kept on cheering the dog) fell quite for that moment that we look upon this poor creature whose tongue was locked between his jaws. We could all hear its loud wheezing struggle to breathe. My father suddenly had this brilliant idea of just killing the cat now (euthenasia) because it surely could not survive anymore. Brilliant, just brilliant dad.

I saw the cat being placed in a sack and being taken to a place where they could kill it. I felt my knees weaken and tears started to flow from my eyes... I could remember the times how I missed my meal because this stupid cat stole it. I remember how I kept on saying that if I get my hands on this cat I'd beat it to death. Now that I saw it... I just can't help thinking that nobody should ever be treated like this. Even criminals still have the right to be treated decently.

I hate this dog now. But who can blame him too? Before it came into our house it grew up, always starving and had a yearning to kill all competition (cats and other dogs even). I hate why this single incident that most people could just brush off (it's just a stupid cat they would say) kept me crying for half an hour. I hate it. I hate not having anything, someone, or something to blame.

Indie Films!I

I have been a long fan of indie films especially pinoy ones. I'm so happy then that a friend of mine (Sheron Dayoc) won two seats in Cinemalaya's Top Ten Short Films! Congrats Sheron!

This made me go into my usual indie film hunting mode and I got this for ya :p

More video from downelink.com

Bloggers Unite! - Blogging for Hope

Today, May 15 2008 Marks Amnesty's Bloggers Unite campaign. It is a movement wherein millions of bloggers who signed up is writing the same thoughts at the same day. It hopes to achieve attention and more awareness to the pressing human rights violation issues that needs action. One of these issues is the call for the release of Shi Tao and other prisoners in China.

As you may all know, Beijing Olympics is fast approaching (August to be exact). Everyone is happy, everyone is on panic buying for fan t-shirts and banners, everyone getting ready to chant their team's song. And yet how many of the them... how many of us... know what is really happening in China. To better understand how this issues aroused interest in connection with Beijing Olympics you have to be aware how China got to host the Olympics in the first place. Being a host country for such a prestigious event doesn't just mean that you are seriously committed to sports it also means an avenue for a very lucrative opportunity both economically and politically. Initially, a lot of objections were raised on China's moral ascendancy to host the games. After all, the Olympics is suppose to be the avenue where we wield camaraderie and cooperation from different nations. Those and other principles where in direct contradiction with China's human rights records. They promised to improve those records, that is why we now have Beijing Olympics

But what's happening now?

There are still several prisoners of conscience that China holds on to. Shi Tao for example who is a journalist and wrote to an international organization via internet, the kind of system China has. There was no intention for rebellion or whatsoever. He was after all a journalist. Now, he is imprisoned. There are still several people who have stories like this. Ironic to think that in this day and age the internet is being hailed as the ultimate source of information. In China you can get imprisoned for being "too much informed" especially on things like democracy, press freedom, human rights.

Yahoo! Don't Violate Human Rights

Unfortunately, even companies are not spared from violating human rights. Yahoo gave the Chinese government what was supposedly private information from an individual. Yes, they spilled out private information which led to the 10 year imprisonment of Shi Tao without just trial and investigation. That means Yahoo infringed his right to privacy and sold out Shi Tao!
Imagine what a company could do to common people like us. You could be the next (or me O_O)

Let's take action for Shi Tao and other prisoners. End internet censorship! Everyone has the right to information.

Let's not forget Shi Tao and others who's only sin was exercising their human rights!


Help Shi Tao. Click Me!

Free Shuttle Service for Call Center Employees (Night Shift)

I've recently received an online petition calling for the call center companies to provide a free shuttle service for call center employees who are in the night shift. The route doesn't have to be from work to their house but at least they will be dropped off to a safe place (well lighted street, easy access to transportation). The author of the online petition is a concerned mother who sees the dangers of commuting late at night. I have a lot of friends who works for call centers and at a night shift who have had tales of robbery and even rape attempts by malicious and unfortunately ugly taxi drivers. Therefore, me thinks that in this day and age, it is only justifiable that such a service be provided by call center companies.

And of course there is the problem of costs that is going to be the first rebuttal by the companies. Well, it's really simple. The fact that they have outsourced their labor force (which means we are cheap labor) equates to an already staggering amount of money saved on their part. In fact most of the employees in call centers are underemployed. Besides, shuttles services are also present in other companies who are even less inclined to be at risk compared to agents who have to walk or commute to work at 12 midnight.

If you have a brother/sister/parent/friend who is working on a call center, please follow the link and sign the petition:

Help save a loved one and spread the word! :)

http://www.petitiononline.com/ccenter1/petition.html

A Response to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Scandal

You will not see the video in this blog. I have no plans of searching for it either. I don't want to and you can't make me. I find it unnecessary to put it here anyways, the video has turned around a lot of heads already so you virtually have to be living under a rock if you don't know about it.
----------------
The video contains the surgery of a 39 year old man in operation room in Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital, Cebu City. A couple of doctors, nurses and some student interns were laughing and giggling amidst the operation - pulling out a 6 inch canister from the anus of a man. When the doctor finally pulled it out, he shouted "Baby out" and again the operating room was filled with laughter. The nurse then started spraying the can to other nurses who was evidently enjoying every moment of it. A few days later the video was uploaded to youtube, passed on email to email, and yes you can even find it in your local piracy stores.
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The medical profession in the Philippines has long been under scrutiny. We have had a number of stereotyped images and lines (remember the "Desperate Housewives" episode?) referring to Filipino doctors and nurses. To top it off, we now have a new scandal - another cherry to our sick-flavored sundae. What I could not and never will understand is why the doctors/nurses spent all their money going to med school only to end up as intelligent morons. The video shown was a clear breach of the privacy act wherein the patient's integrity and life should strictly be protected.

I wonder how they would feel if their husband's/wife's false teeth got stuck in their penis/vagina and the operation was uploaded in youtube??? (O_O)

What I also do not understand is how the Philippine Medical Association is still "deliberating" whether the license of the people involed should be revoked. When interviewed by ABS - CBN they reasoned that this was an isolated case and such punishment would strongly affect medical tourism in the Philippines.

By not punishing these individuals in the utmost terms they are implying that they are tolerating such cases even if it was isolated. Medical tourism in the Philippines has already been hurt when they posted the video on the internet and not because of the punishment given to the people involved.

Lastly, what I heard from others is that the patient is to be blamed in the end because he engaged himself in homosexual conduct. That he is the catalyst also for the misconduct of the doctors

Whoever made comments such as these seriously has to read human rights modules. All laws should protect the life and dignity of the person regardless of race, age, or sexual orientation. All should be provided with equal care and respect as members of the human race. Lesbian, Gays, Transgenders, Bisexuals are still human beings. They bleed too when you poke them.

Hindi nalang sana sila nag doktor. Sana naging Direktor nalang sila

Frustated. I'd give anything just for people to care!

I've graduated on doing
community involvement work and all that

Words coming out from a friend when I asked him to join Amnesty International. It never fails to amaze me how easy it is for people to brush off something that could have given a big effect on both their lives and others. On how easy it is to say yes to have a one night stand or whatever compared to giving just 5 minutes of your time per week. Yes, you can do things in AI with just 5 minutes of your time. You can boast to other people that you gave your freakin precious 5 minutes of your time for the rest of the suffering people in Iraq or Zimbabwe.


But nooooo.. Rarely do people want to help. It's a dog eats dog world out there. Sheesh. No wonder suicide rates are so high now..

Which reminds me of what Aneil, the AI London Director for membership and mobilization said last Annual General Assembly of AI in Manila:

Why do we brush our teeth? We don't ask ourselves that. We just do it. It's something that is inherent to people. They want to look good, to feel good, to be presentable to the rest of the human race. The average person brushes his/her teeth for about three minutes.. So in a month that's about 1 hour you spend brushing your teeth. And in a year, combine all the minutes and the hours, that's probably a day. Imagine for one year, you spent an entire day just brushing your teeth...

Now, imagine the last time you saved a life. Or you cared for someone in your community. Or was concerned for someone whose rights were stepped upon in China or Zimbabwe or anywhere in the world. When was the last time? In AI, you can spend 5 minutes of your time sending a formatted message to certain public officials whose attention should be grabbed. Saying that somebody is watching at them. That they won't easily get away with the violations they've made.


Aneil really touched me with his message and despite the pessimism this world has to offer, I'll still continue this! I just hope people would rather spend 5 minutes of their time saving a life than brushing their teeth.

81st Republic, Zamboanga City

In the hustle and bustle of Chavacano and Tagalog speaking people of Zamboanga city comes a "virgin" and still to be explored place. A place where people come to dine on exquisite and creative dishes solely made and concocted by the owners of 81ST REPUBLIC.

81st Republic is located inside the Catribo Complex of Buenavista St., Zamboanga City. It's a cozy place that really has a "buenvenidos" feel to it. Right now, the place boasts of its uber summer theme festival that makes you wanna dance to the tune of DOS FUERTES (these guys, rock!!!!!!!. And the amazement doesn't just stop there, the food man.. the food! you'll stop being anorexic right away when you taste their embolbido and shakes.. aaaccckk.. I still dream of the cheese shake and zambo white... and oh did I mention they have delciously deadly alcoholic drinks too?

The popular ones are named after the owners: Tropic of Honee, Tropic of Mikoy, Tropic of Reagan, and Tropic of Angelo. And I tell you, first time I was whacked off my seat was because of Tropic of Mikoy. I was virtually drifting off to drunken master land by the time the pitcher was in half. I never thought being so drunk could be so... liberating.. haha XD

You would also notice how the PR skills of staff and management are very well developed especially that the place is crawling with capitalistic and very competitive bastards! (oops..sorry..) It's like every customer is treated as if he/she has a sign in his/her forehead that says "Welcome me, i'm filthy rich!"
and get this, I've actually tried to wait on tables and OMG... it was hard. I had to juggle food and "PR/GRO" skills (hahaha.pakshet) at the same time. It was very educational though :p

I only wished that more of these stores sprout all over Mindanao! Especially here in my hometown! With good food, great thinking, and hardwork comes great experience! Viva 81st Republic! I give you two thumbs up! ^__^

Vagina Monologues 2008

It was held last May 2, 2008 (i know, this post is uber late) and marks the second run in Iligan City in celebration of Women's Month. The Vagina Monologues is a play by feminist Eve Ensler. It talks about different monologues collected all over the world from interviews by Ensler. The pieces can be dead hilarious (like mine) to really moving stories (comfort women).

My piece is entitled "The Vagina Workshop". It talks about a woman coming from a high class in Britain who did not even know that she had a clitoris, much less know where it actually was. It meant to show that women's issues and society's marginalization of them was all encompassing. That even the high and mighty rich people were affected by these issues.

It was really a great experience to be part of a diverse cast and great play. I hope more people would come to see it and realize that it's really not a porn - play (HELL NO!!!!!!! ignorants!). The money raised was donated to the Women's Crisis Center in Iligan City. So the more people who came to watch, the more money we could give and help the center.

People should realize that even if we are in the 21st century there are still crimes predominantly commited to women. We need more action. Each one should help.

Have the balls to act now.

Why we need Amnesty International at home

Amnesty International is a worldwide organization with human rights protection and monitoring as its core purpose. We the members are saddened, angered, and moved to act upon such violations. Whether you have a gay friend who was killed because of his sexual orientation, a brother in Iraq who was tortured, an aunt who got barred in the airport just because she's a muslim, or a classmate who got imprisoned because he believed that government should not have abolished his house without compensation. All of these things are happening now and we need each one of you to act, educate, and be aware of these issues.

AI has a lot of campaigns and activities depending on which local group or country you belong to. Unfortunately, there are not enough groups and members here in the Philippines. I have thought of opening AI Iligan. Just a small group of people doing trainings, kite flying events, concerts, and such to start with. I really hope that people would come and join this cause that concerns everyone of us.

The problem really here in the Philippines (but not exclusively) is that the youth has become apathetic with such causes and would rather indulge in hedonistic activites 100% of their time. Which just makes me cry a bucket per hour.

On an optimisitic note however, this won't stop me from starting this group. I'm willing to shell out my own allowance for the group activities and to get it started (donations are very welcome!!! please!!!!!). I hope to see more people getting involved and therefore getting empowered especially the youth.

Why are artists poor? Because they choose to be

There is a big difference between being poor because well.. you are poor and choosing to be poor. Because frankly, artists are not really that poor. They just simply decided not to exert effort in capatilizing their talents and skills. They (and I..hehe) avoid the money zombie vortex that sucks people off their brains and talents. Instead they focus on their passion and the things that makes you smile before you go to sleep..

In reality and on a personal note, if we really exerted all our talents and creative juices.. dang! all the artists would have been multi - millionaires by now! I remember one time, a painter - friend of mine was asked by a NGO to do some art for a fundraising event. And OMG... his art raised a lot of money for the children with disabilities. Just shows how they can really make money.. There was this other friend of mine who was asked to sell some creative stuff for a conference and the people who will be joining were esteemed people from an international organization. And right again... She raised a lot of money..

So why are some artists still poor?

Hehehe.. well.. in the paradigm of an artists mind comes creativity and laziness. And well, ok.. maybe a bit of luck. But the point is! Artists were never meant to be poor. We just simply choose to make our brand distinct and exercise freedom more often than not :p

Heavy Lessons Learned: Choices

Basically, all the things in the world boils down into just two or three choices which you have to decide. Life would always be unfair. There will always be pain and agony at every corner of that choice. But there's as much joy and happiness there too when the right choice is made. All of us have to accept the undeniable truth that we were not born as fairy godmothers - that is to make everyone happy with the choices we make in this life. There will always be someone whether a friend, a family member, mentor, or your lover who would get hurt by a difficult choice. The thing is, you just have to "see" who deserves to be "not hurt" with your choice. A lesser evil you may say. Example: you both like two subjects and their professors. One professor is especially close to you and is expecting you to enroll at his class but circumstances say that you are more in need and (later find out) that you liked the other subject more. As grueling as the decision may take, you just have to choose one. Yes, the prof might get hurt (a little, considering he is a professional in handling this) but since you have carefully weight things then things will turn out to be ok. Because faith my friend is one thing that keeps this world go round and round.. Stand with your decision. Don't be chicken sht and run away from problems and the decisions that you have to take. Life is a long lesson that will teach us to make every path we step a strong pillar in our lives.

So what the hell am I talking about? About people hurting other people. About making the wrong choices... Dr. Meredith Grey in one time said something which I find really interesting and true..

"We are all damaged. In one way or another. We carry this damage since childhood. And now that we're adults we carefully set on the task on making things right again or at least trying it."

There are many faces of a coward. Not all of them looks like a chicken (pun intended.pnyeta..haha). The cowards I abhor most are the ones who stick to wrong decision simply because they decided na eh. Ayun, final na. Irrevocable daw. Haha.. that's just funny..

I've been through a lot these past months. But I've learned a lot of things.. It's still painful. but i'm trying to live life to the fullest pa rn. Because not all hope is lost. No matter how pathetically stubborn I may seem to most people (oo na po..oo na..) I still believe that all people are born good. A priori kumbaga... and that everyone should have a chance. More people should think like that. Heck, there should me more people like me!!!! haha.. (shut up narccissistic whore, I'm not as hyped up sau. You know who you are. O cge, palaban dira.lol)

After all, not all people who betray are the same. But be more cautious this time.. Because they do have one thing in common.. They betray.. Then again.. Live, love, because life is what we make it. I will make my life, my family, my friends, my "future partner" (hahaha...yeah, after 3 years pa next relationship ko..haha) happy with me. Thanks for all your help guys.. I could not be ok if it were'nt for the counseling sessions.. I owe you big time.. I'm ok now. ^___^ (see the big smile?)


"People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun sets in. But when darkness falls, their beauty comes from their light within"


and I have that light within... I am strong.. and I will continue to make this world a beautiful world to live in..

The Summer of my Life

I went to the beautiful city of ZAMBOANGA! and I just really have to say that learning Chavacano (local language) is a real challenge and treat! Chavacano is a pidgmin language of Spanish brought about by their stay here in the Philippines for 300 years

Going back, the city boasts delicious seafoods! and when I say delicious I mean exquisite shrimps, giant crabs, fresh fish and shells! I could not get enough of the food! hehehe.. And with great food comes a great beach.. well actually island. Just off the coast of Zamboanga is a small island named STA. CRUZ.. and did I mention this was a pink beach? The sand is pink!! Something which I believed should be posted in either Ripley's believe it or not, or Guinness World of Records. The sand is pink due to the corals that surround the island. The tidbits of coral structure float across the sea and unto the sand which makes it gleam in the sun.. I was never a fan of the color pink but Sta. Cruz totally changed my mind. Hani and Jason, my best pals in Zamboanga accompanied me to the island and it was virtually all ours for the taking because the local government didn't have enough resources yet to cultivate it to become a tourist spot (but I totally agree that it's a good thing.hehe)


Zamboanga, is a great place that everybody should visit whenever they can! Great food, great beach, and of course great people! =)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.. Well, what about a slideshow? :p


Create Your Own

To the human cause!

It seems like the society I live in today is quite apathetic about human rights violations, poverty, soaring gas prices, violence on women and so many more. Some just simply live on. Living for themselves and not giving a damn thing about the world..

Which is ironic really, because we all live in the same planet, breathe the same air, eat almost the same kinds of food.. Each of us has a 99.9% similarity with each other!! And yet, the question still remains unanswered like a one big piece of feces that people avoid stepping into:

WHY DON'T WE CARE FOR EACH OTHER?eren't born to r mass executions. But just because you don't see it happening right in front ofe-up and crap like there's no tomorrow. -_-

A Psychoanalytic Approach to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"

As one of the first novelists of the modernist movement, ambiguity and complexity were techniques used extensively by Conrad. The title of Heart of Darkness then is both an explicit enigma and a medium by which Conrad explores the human mind and behavior. The phrase “heart of darkness” itself is a recurring motif and used in such a way that the reader feels as if he is being guided to a place of self – actualization. The journey to the heart of darkness is an exploration into the human consciousness, and the culminating experience is the realization of the pervasiveness of our unconscious desires.

Conrad and Freud were both pioneers in stressing the irrational elements in human behavior which resisted orthodox interpretation. One of Conrad’s great contribution is exposing the nightmarish qualities of irrational politics which depend on the neurosis of a leader (i.e. Kurtz), in turn upon the collective neuroses of a people (i.e. the Europeans). This irrationality is best seen in the story on Kurtz’s greed for ivory. It is an object for the rich and hardly necessary for physical or mental survival. Such an insight is timeless, we ask ourselves, for when has human race carefully preserve life while also squandering it so carelessly? Conrad not only caught the hypocrisy of the conquerors in the story but also the “dark” side of nature in human behavior which tries to justify itself, only to surrender to explosive inner needs. These are the same material that Freud was concerned of. To analyze the seemingly illogic, the apparent irrationality of dreams, etc. Conrad and Freud both wanted to penetrate into the “darkness”. The state wherein people are free to pursue they’re deepest desires. Whether in sleep or like Kurtz and his followers- reality.

Marlow is a man of order and moral courage. He looks upon the world’s work as simply just and fundamentally good as long as it is done by civilized men (the white man’s burden). For example, he never asks why white men should be in
Congoor whether they should be there in the first place. He just assumes that they should be as bringers of civilization. But the great revelation took place when he sees and thrown into a world that is of chaos, “unspeakable rites”, inexplicable. A law – abiding man thrown into a chaotic world. In contrast, Kurtz is as much as an inner embodiment of Marlow. He is an “apparition” and a “shadow” which can be read as him being a part of Marlow’s psyche. Kurtz is the monumental testament to western colonialism. The desire to rise at everyone’s expense, the manipulation of people for selfish ends, the obsession for image and personal power. This and the various inner desires, he makes the id of Marlow’s mind. The id/Kurtz is the representation of Marlow’s impulses and beliefs that he dared not follow and suppresses it.
The idea of restraint is very evident in the passage describing the restraint of the cannibals. Marlow “would just as soon have expected restraint from a pack of hyena prowling amongst the corpse in a battlefield.” They are able to withstand the “devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its black thoughts, its somber and throbbing ferocity,” They do so and Marlow cannot begin to understand why. These cannibals exercised restraint even the most desperate circumstance involving the most basic human need – food. These “cannibals” (if they were really) must choose between the restraints of civilization and the natural desire to feed themselves, and the reader will wonder why they choose the former. It is then quite absurd. The world is absurd and ironic as Kurtz choose not to restrain himself to something that is entirely pointless. Traditionally, beauty for the few is gained with blood of the many (e.g. the creation of pyramids involved the slaving and deaths of many Jews). The absence of social morality is equated to the nonexistence of Kurtz’s superego.

Marlow had plunged into the depths of his soul and seen a glimpsed truth. He had not only discovered himself but also “all the hearts that beat in the darkness” – what he saw is universal. He had identified the source of darkness in himself and in the consciousness of his civilization; and at that moment finding for the first time the heart of darkness.
Marlow’s discovery of the heart of darkness gave “light” on his life and the title illuminates the story for the readers. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a powerful exploration into the complex unconsciousness of the human mind.

A Deconstructive Approach: On Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” and Yannis Kitsos’ “Penelope’s Despair”

A Deconstructive Approach: On Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” and Yannis Kitsos’ “Penelope’s Despair”

“The Story of an Hour”

Derrida’s deconstruction states that the meaning of the story/text includes what is left out of the text or ignored or silenced by it. Because deconstruction is an attack on the very existence of theories and conceptual systems, its exposition by Derrida and others purposely resists logical definitions and explanations, opting instead for linear presentations based on extensive wordplay and puns. Therefore, the text may offer several interpretations that are also valid and it is the reader’s task to analyze then the elements into which there may be subtle or explicit connotations/denotations.
Extending the philosophical excursions of Nietzsche and Heidegger, Derrida criticized the entire tradition of Western philosophy’s search to discover the essential structure of knowledge and reality, ultimately confronting the limits of human thought.. Derrida criticized the entire tradition of Western philosophy’s search to discover the essential structure of knowledge and reality, ultimately confronting the limits of human thought. As an extension of his theory of logocentrism, Derrida posited that all texts are based on hierarchical dualisms (e.g., being/nonbeing, reality/appearance, male/female), where the first element is regarded as stronger and thus essentially true and that all systems of thought have an assumed center, or Archimedean point, upon which they are based. In a deconstructionist reading, this unconscious and unarticulated point is revealed, and in this revelation the binary structure upon which the text rests is imploded. Thus what appears stable and logical is revealed to be illogical and paradoxical, and interpretation is by its very nature misinterpretation.
One of the themes that the story evokes is freedom which has conditional meanings situated at the various parts of the story. Kate Chopin suggests that in certain situations, the death of a loved one may be a blessing. Such situations may include an abusive relationship, or an unhappy marriage, as this story suggests. In Chopin's story although the circumstances might lead the reader to believe that Louise's husband's death would cause her great pain, ironically, when she hears the news, she feels a great sense of relief. This suggests that death may not always cause grief. Louise's characteristics add to the theme of this story in several ways. One of her characteristics is her youth. This characteristic is important because it is symbolic of a fresh, new start at her life of freedom due to the death of her husband. She has her whole life to live by herself. She will be free to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. There are a lot of symbols/lines that allude to the element of freedom in this story thereby greatly emphasizing the “privileged” status that has just been given to her. The spring day symbolizes a new beginning of her life in which she is free. Spring is the time when living things propagate and are reborn. Likewise, Louise believes she will become productive, energized and reborn. Louise has her whole life of freedom to look forward to. A second symbol is the open window in her bedroom. The window suggests that there is no material object standing in the way of her new life. There is a clear passage between her life of captivity to her life of freedom. Her husband was the only person holding her back, but now that he's gone, she's able to look forward to the future when she can live her life for herself. It should especially be noted that the place of women at these times were quite strict and confined almost always to that of a housewife. The explicit emphasis on freedom then is a repression which Louise (or Kate Chopin for that matter) wants to fulfill.
One of the important binary opposites then that we may encounter and analyze is the opposition of marriage – freedom in the story. Louise struggled with her feelings about her marriage for years. Louise thinks "what could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being." She admits that she did love Brently, but often she did not. On the other hand, the story suggests that Brently was completely content in the marriage and assumed that Louise was too. This conflict is reflected in Louise's internal struggle. When she realizes that Brently is alive, she must die. This is the only way she can win the freedom she was struggling for within herself. She dies because he is alive, he is ultimately responsible for her death. With all of the exposition of personality and character of Louise we can surmise that marriage was something that wasn’t that of a necessity for her or at least not at that point or perhaps if she were to give up her treasured freedom it should be for someone who she truly loves “most of the time” (as oppose to her love for Brently which was not often applicable). His death therefore had stimulated a gradual change from a repressed individual not realizing her husband has caused her to feel repression in the first place, to a person who is greiving over her husband who has kept her restrained from things she didnt know she could be doing. Mrs. Mallard started to realize that she had to start living life her way, instead of behind Mr. Mallard's shadow. One passage that concretizes this element is Chopin’s usage of a simile describing Louise as a “goddess of victory” which states how she over came the greif and repression of her husband.
This representation lead us then to another important conflict and opposition thread – surface appearance and reality. To all people it would appear that Louise would grieve over Brently since they would assume she was happily married and content in her sub-serviant role as a housewife. Louise's sister Josephine exemplifies such a judgment of how Louise's reaction to the sudden death of her husband Brently. Josephine misinterprets Louise's behavior, thinking she is hysterical over Brently's death. She pleads, "Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door-you will make yourself ill." To Josephine, Louise appears to be heart-broken, but in reality, Louise is relieved by his death. I think also, the title itself takes part on this conflict because it says that this story must have occurred within an hour but Chopin made it seem like it was a few days at least. This is ironic because Mrs. Mallard only needed an hour to realize that she didn't need her husband to be happy, whereas it would take another wife, maybe a few years to fully recover from a spouse's death. The doctor's judgment of how Louise dies also deals with the appearance versus reality conflict. For example, the doctor predicts that Louise died from the "joy that kills," believing she was so overcome by the joy of seeing her husband alive, she is physically incapable of dealing with such a strong emotion of joy. But she actually dies because her free life has come to a sudden stop, And is heart-broken that she will not be able to live her life as she hoped she could, alone.

“Penelope’s Despair”

Penelope as seen in the Odyssey is the wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Penelope spends her days in the palace pining for the husband who left for
Troytwenty years earlier and never returned. Homer portrays her as sometimes flighty and excitable but also clever and steadfastly true to her husband.
In this poem, we see it in her point of view. The poem has striking similarities towards the treatment of freedom, marriage, role of wife, and what not as in “The Story of an Hour”. It details the feelings and anxieties of Penelope’s “despair” not because of the waiting for her husband but the realization that he is still alive and he comes back. Contextualizing it in the story and not the prototypical Penelope “faithfulness” it can be surmised that the dread was actually knowing that she is still tied to her marriage and commitment. Just the same dread that Louise Millard felt when she found out that her husband is still very alive and well.
After all, who’s to say that being chased upon and waited by countless suitors is not a wondrous thing to feel and experience (I think it’s every woman’s fantasy). Ergo, it can be said that all the waiting wasn’t in despair at all because she had time for herself, some satisfaction, and even some sort of ego- boosting and fulfillment of affection. Things that her husband wasn’t able to do because of his own adventures. Surface Appearance then tells us that she was patiently waiting for the return of Oddyseus but is very possible that she is also enjoing every minute of her freedom while he is gone. To be chased upon by countless admirers who are also very patient with her.
It wasn’t a romantic happy startle that was depicted in the poem when she saw her. It’s the kind of look that something you’ve waited for and amidst hoping that will never come true has suddenly been realized and you can’t do anything about it. No amount of praying or whatsoever action can stop what happened or what’s inevitable. I think that’s what Penelope felt. The dread of seeing him. Not because she could not recognize her anymore, in fact she knew his face and features all too well.
We can see then that all the “bright red thread in green foliage” turned “ashen and black” which means internal and even perhaps to some extent an external perception of death and sadness. Bright colors such as red and green turned to the color of the dead - it’s as if she saw a ghost who came to haunt her. Indeed that is what happened, perhaps for her, Odysseus was long dead and never to return again but since he has come back then she has to go to her “final enduring”.