Another Malu Fernandez or What??

Nakuha ko ito sa Manila Times site (dated August 30, 2007), Anong masasabi nyo?

HERE I STAND
By Geronimo L. Sy
Malu Fernandez: Hate ugly Filipinos



Don’t we ever run out of scandals? Lately it has been the fierce and fabulous author Malu Fernandez of People Asia magazine. Allegedly she already resigned from her writing job due to the numerous complaints against her article of June 2007 titled, “From Boracay to Greece!” It is a travel piece recounting her summer spent in the beautiful island of Boracay fighting off insects and protecting her immaculate pedicure from the white sands and then jetting off to Greece to see the goddesses but having to go through ugly Filipinos en route.

What exactly did she write? She said that to save on ticket going to Greece, she bravely took the economy class via Emirates with a stopover in Dubai, only to remember that the latter was the hub for OFWs. She “wanted to slash her wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.” She was tormented in her sleep with “endless yelling of “HOY! Kumusta ka na? At taga saan ka? Domestic helper ka rin ba? I thought I had died and God had sent me to my own private hell.” On the return trip [of course she had to fly back somehow], she “resigned [her]self to being trapped like a sardine in a sardine can with all these OFWs smelling of AXE and Charlie cologne while my Jo Malone evaporated into thin air.”

With these lines, Malu offended our sensibilities, went against political correctness and doomed herself to public condemnation.

Our sensibilities say that to travel for leisure is a privilege and a luxury. Millions of our countrymen brave foreign shores in search of the proverbial three meals a day. Hence to vacation in Bora or, rather and, Greece in one break is something we whisper a prayer for and count our blessings. How can Malu be so ungrateful, we ask not out of envy?

Malu writes for the sosi crowd. For outsiders, sosi means sosyal—a Filipinized word of “social” referring to high society and the rich and/or famous. It is obvious from her article that Malu is part of this class (otherwise she will not be a credible source so essential in sosi magazines). Well, she scrimped on her plane ticket to shop for more accessories and her nose spotted the difference of AXE and Charlie, scents of the masa (masses) and her exquisite Jo Malone. That is how socialites are.

She flaunted political correctness when she dared to be true to herself and called OFWs for who they are: A noisy lot intruding into personal space sacred to others in small places like economy seats. At least she is honest with her thoughts. She could have injected the value of empathy—understanding that it is beyond the OFWs themselves and largely attributable to socio-economic factors like education and professional attainment. She may perhaps have been trying to be cute about it or simply reflected the elite mentality.

She is publicly condemned for pointing out, albeit unintentionally, the stark truth that we are a society of pretenders—of OFWs buying branded goods and perfumes instead of saving up and matronas spending three hours at hair spas and then going to their favorite charity balls, of migrants fighting for survival and public servants swimming in pork barrel, of urban professionals concerned with the next gimmick or new car or exotic vacation and our national budget in perpetual deficit because of low tax base and tax evasion, of mall goers hugging dogs and cats and young children on the streets begging for alms. Damn, we sure deserve what we see and don’t see. Don’t we just hate Malu and hate ourselves the ugly Filipinos. How could we look away?

Malu, you are not alone, come back and write. Let us hate the ugliness of the OFWs in us, enough to do something about it.

A Moment with Papa Piolo

Until now, feeling ko I'm still in heaven kaya before ako bumalik sa lupa, just wanna share this with you ....

Cherry of Wrock texted me last time na Piolo will be having a station tour to promote his new album... I never expected na iinform ako ni cherry kasi joke ko lang naman last year na sabihan nya ako agad kapag nagvisit si Papa Piolo sa station nila. Anyway, Cherry really kept her promise and she informed me na nga kasi sya mismo ang mag iinterview kay Piolo.

The interview sked was 2pm pero dumating ako sa station ng 1:30 pm... oh my, nagstart na yun interview, buti na lang maaga ako dumating. I've waited dun sa reception area... pero after 15 mins... di na ako nakatiis at sinabi ko dun sa receptionist if pwede ko na silipin kasi pumunta talaga ako for Piolo (waaaahhh!!), the receptionist was hesitant for a while... buti na lang me lalaki don na nagsabi na sige, go ahead..

Pagdaan ko doon sa booth, I saw cherry, talking to Piolo (patapos na yun interview).. Ang gwapo grabe!! Inside the booth are some of Piolo's staffs (?-not friendly looking), nakita ako ni Cherry and she signaled me to wait. So umupo muna ako doon sa side pero indi na nawawala yun smile ko hehehhe. Lumabas si Cherry and sabi nya kakanta muna ng jingle si Piolo tapos lalabas na sya for picture taking.

Here are some of the videos, sensya sa imeem ko niload kasi got problems with youtube right now.. (videos para indi sabihing nagphotoshop lang ako hahahaha):

Piolo recording his jingle (sensya ha nakatalikod)




Here's a blooper with Cherry and Piolo (Cherry is holding a nescafe 3-in-1 kasi)...E di ba san mig coffee model ang fafa????





Picture taking... (sensya wala ako... if you'll notice the video is kinda shaky... ganon ako katensed that time heheh)




Jheng and Papa Piolo, hawig sya ni honey ko.. (waaaaa and taba ko na naman)



Before he left..



Nung paalis na sila, nagpaalam na rin ako kay cherry kasi babalik din ako ng office. Tamang tama, nakasabay ko pa si Piolo sa elevator... (staring him for the last time haaaaayy)...I wanted to kiss him kaso.. hiya ang lola nyo hehehehe

Sensya, na, so mababaw pero di ko mapigilan hehehe.

^.^

Taste of Asia Blogger's Party Part 2

Kagabi, 1st time kong umatend ng blogger's party (salamat sa MIS classmate kong si jozzua at kay Aileen.

Nung una pagbaba ko ng bus sa harap ng MOA, may 2nd thoughts ako kung tutuloy ako o hindi, pano ba naman wala ako kakilala doon, di ko naman sure kung makikita ko doon ang classmate ko.. pero sabi ko, andito na rin lang ako, sige na.. Ikot ikot muna hanggang sa marating ang lugar ng event.

Pagdating don, nagparegister ako, at meron pang binigay na isang listahan ng mga bloggers. Ang sabi, game daw yun, ang pinakamaraming napapirma, yun ang mananalo, ngek, eh ala nga ako kakilala magpapapirma pa..

Pagdating don, meron na rin mga tao (aba 730 pa lang ah... on time!), dun ako pumwesto sa malapit sa CliqueBooth. maya't maya, heto na at marami na ring nagpapirma, marami ako nakilala like si Rowena, Jehzeel, Yatot, Allen, Karlo, AJ at marami pang iba (sorry di ko dala yun kodigo ko hehehhe).





Maya't maya, nag aanounce na ng winners.. si ANiTOKiD ang winner ng grand prize sa SM hypermart blogwriting contest. Prize is trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! Congrats!!!!

Chowtime!! Ang daming foods, grabe... ang sarap heheh! Kung overflowing ang foods, overflowing din ang drinks!



Raffle time!!! Lahat ng naghulog ng calling cards sa bowl ay kasali sa raffle.... hmmm pano naman kami?? @,@ Syemre, dahil maraming prizes, pinayagan kaming magjoin and maglist ng aming name kahit sa anong klaseng papel (karamihan ay ginamit ang mga calling cards na pinamigay sa kanila ng co-blogger at sinulatan ng sariling name sa likod!!)

Anyway, isa ako sa mapalad na nabunot ng grocery items... bukod doon, nabunot din ako as consolation prize winner sa signature contest... YAY!!!





Rest of the pix:




Sa uulitin!