sigh

Lifted from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20110223-321792/Aquino-No-need-for-apology-to-Taiwan

With regards to the tension between Taiwan and the Philippines at this moment, here’s what President Aquino said:

But should Taiwan make good on its threat to freeze the hiring of Filipino workers, Aquino said: "We can look for other places for deployment. There are other territories for instance that have signified desire to hire OFWs. At the same time if we can provide jobs here, why not?'' Manila's economic and cultural office in Taipei will pursue efforts to resolve the deportation row, he added.

Um… Sir, that’s not optimism, that’s irresponsibility. You’re talking about people’s livelihoods; uprooting them from one culture and placing them on a foreign land. Why do Filipino citizens in Taiwan have to suffer for the government’s negligence? And why can’t we admit to erring? And how come we’re not addressing the president as President Aquino?

Learnings

I once heard someone say you only retain 20 percent of what you learn in school. Of course I tried to verify this on Google but came up empty, so either the percentage is off or I ate up a whole lot of farce and am spreading it around like the flu or like spam. Anyway, it seems the 20 percent that I remember is actually quite trivial. For example, one of the few things I remember from counseling class (there must have been a better name for that; I’m sure it gives the impression that we were all deviants, but that’s not the case) was a piece of advice about drying our hands. “I had a professor in college, but I don’t remember a single thing I learned in that class except for this: after you wash your hands, only use one paper towel to dry your hands off.” (not verbatim) Of course this is the only thing from that class that sticks with me. But it’s especially hard for me because I have big hands, and whenever I dry them off I’m reminded of this lesson and I limit myself to one paper towel, and it’s not enough. My hands are still wet when I exit the rest room. Thus I have to comfort myself by pretending that I’m saving the planet (while at the same time, I aggregate thousands of kilograms of garbage… from packaging… small exaggeration).

What I’m really trying to drive at is another nugget of information that I’ve retained over the years. This one is from health class, and it’s equally as trivial. The lesson, “get your vitamins from food, not from pills.” Not verbatim as well, and maybe not as trivial… But recently, this has been killing me. Recently I reflected on my diet and I was shocked by how little vegetables and fruit I consume on a daily basis. If my diet was the food pyramid, it’d be the cheddar cheese pyramid with chunks missing. I don’t get enough vitamins! I’m trying to think of ways to remedy this, and so far it’s either pills or cereal (which claims to pack over 11 vitamins and minerals)… and of course to eat more vegetables, but who wants to do that? This only came to mind because I got sick two weeks ago and I was told to take vitamin C. They didn’t say, “eat more oranges or strawberries,” they said something to the effect of, “swallow those pills!” But you know what, I say “Give me oranges! Give me strawberries!”

But fruit in the Philippines is expensive. So I’ve compromised. I found the middle ground. I found a way to help both the manufacturer and the farmer: manufactured apple cider. Contains 100 percent of my daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (whatever that means). Ahh… it feels good contributing to the world.

Filipino Chinese Guys

I don't like Filipino Chinese Guys.

I was at a welcome-back party earlier and the demographic was 80% Filipino Chinese males; 15% Filipino Chinese females; and 5% Filipino males. Of course I'm approximating these percentages, I'm still not well enough to do anything like counting. But to get to the point, there was something about the FCG's that bothered me. I don't know whether it was the clean cut and gelled hair they all had, or the muscular build they all seemed to possess, or that their skin was paler than the average Filipino, or that they're aristocratic in their behavior... Wait... this sounds familiar.

Let me rephrase my first statement. I don't like Twilight Vampires.

(Okay, that joke was two years too late. Shame on me)

Weekend

The first thing I'm going to do this weekend: Buy soup and chicken broth... the manufactured kind. I don't think I'm well enough to slaughter chicken.

Flu

I feel warm for the first time in two weeks.

I hate being sick. Symptoms of the flu include sore throat, fever, headache, muscle ache and soreness, and cough. I had all those and the a few that weren't mentioned including a heightened sense of smell and an inability to get warm. You'd think a heightened sense of smell would make you feel more like a super hero (say... like Daredevil) or pregnant, but with great powers comes whole lot of suckiness. When I leave the house all I smell is car fumes. I'd comment further, but the only thing that comes to mind is "I HATE IT! I HATE IT!" It's disgusting. It makes me want to move to the mountains.

So yeah, I feel warm for the first time in two weeks. I guess that's one of my biggest reliefs. I'd wear three layers to sleep and still wouldn't feel warm. It's numbing really, when all you feel is cold. I'm so glad I'm better.

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I also hate sore throats (which is what I started with). It kills me that I'm not allowed to drink things I crave for. No soy milk, orange juice, pineapple juice, juice juice... sigh