The Walking Dead

Last time I went home to the Philippines, I stumbled upon a couple of DVDs (all four seasons) of this famous Zombie apocalypse TV Series The Walking Dead lying around my brother’s room.  Since my bodyclock was still on Dubai time, I started watching it, and I just couldn’t stop.

This obsession though was different. I am not after blood and gore. I was never a big fan of zombies, let alone horror movies. So what was it about The Walking Dead that I found so engrossing?  Yes, there is this  archer dude called Daryll Dixon, but aside from him, there is something about the desperate need to survive, about fighting monsters everyday and beating the odds to live in a world that doesn’t make sense anymore – these are just some of the things that really resonate.

And what if World War 3 happens, civilization dies, the world you know is taken away from you?  Just as it is happening now in some countries. You don’t have to work for money, you don’t need a car, a house, you don’t need to study, you don’t have wi-fi, there are no nightclubs,  no alcohol,  no malls, no new movies, no airplanes, no laptops, no Iphone 6s,  no facebook statuses to update. What then ? What would you do?

The truth is we’ve all become so dependent of the superficial world, so much that most of us have numbed ourselves of reality.  

Dubai is a breeding ground for Zombies. People walking around, going to work daily from 9 to 6, waiting for the next paycheck, getting out of offices, drinking, partying, sleeping with strangers, eating excessive brunches, shopping, wasting away online, even travelling can sometimes be a form of escape. All measures being done to ensure we don’t confront harsh realities, like  the very real horrors of War in the Middle East, children dying in our neighbors – Gaza, Syria, Iraq, like the threat of Ebola, like the injustices happening daily around us, like being away from the ones we love,  or not having anyone to come home to, like the uncertainty of our futures, or being stuck at a dead end job not doing what you really want to do.

Maybe the idea of death on our heels, had me confronting issues about what I really want to do versus the fact that I don’ t have much time and we don’t really know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

Watching The Walking Dead made me realize that the best we can do with our limited time is to fight to stay human - sing a song, appreciate nature, adopt a pet, cook a meal, write, create art, smile, learn something new, educate somebody,  LOVE, or just actually allow yourself to FEEL something.

Maybe the whole point of being alive is to stay ALIVE, and to quote a line from one of my favorite characters, Beth,  “we all got work to do.” Let’s get to it.

Here's a clip from one my favorite episodes, and my favorite characters Beth and Daryll, where they hide in a funeral home after they almost lost everything  - 

Payola, Padulas, Pabaon, Para-paraan Pilipinas.

PR : “It is not what you say, but how you say it.”

I learned about the “real word” at an early age, and this has kept me away from any kind of career in broadcast journalism. Fresh out of college, I joined a fledging PR agency in Manila as a copywriter where I wrote about all kinds of stuff, mostly travel and lifestyle oriented.

Public Relations (PR) I soon learned was not an easy job, especially in the Philippines, where you have to deal with limited media outlets, and an elite circle of seasoned journos who has hogged the top slots for as long as they can.

Quickly I learned that its not enough to just to state the facts. Its not enough to send well-written press releases about interesting places and products.  I learned how to enhance a story and how a simple title can mean the difference between getting snubbed and getting published. I learned to be extremely patient, to wait on the phone, while my calls get transferred from one assistant to another.  I learned about the term VIP and VIP treatment.

I learned that in some cases, your best will not be enough, and that often times the bigger the editorial space you want, the bigger you might have to pay. Monetary or otherwise. I learned that this has always been the case.

I was introduced into the system and there was no turning back.  They say that the only thing true about the newspapers is the date. As I earned my first few paychecks on writing press releases, I also began to accept this cynicism.

I know for a fact that certain writers, columnists, or even high profile editors are open to do “favors”. Given that we are not dealing with hard news, I can only imagine what it would be like for those who actually did, those who had access to the front page, those who had the primetime news slots.

Payola: Pay to Play

From PR, I then moved on to a Record Label, where I soon learned about “Payola” .  Again I learned that this has always been the case. 

More often than not, it is not enough to just have a good song. It was PR all over again. You need to know the right people, you need this people to listen to you, and again you need to be patient enough to wait for them to reply, when they feel like it. It would help if you send them the occasional gifts – limited edition Artist merchandise, CDs, and of course the wine and dine factor. That’s all good, that’s all part of the job.

If you want more plays on a radio station, you just gotta have to be ready to pay the price.Sure there are organic hits, those that are lucky enough to hit the mainstream, but more often than not, we had to “push” it, and “pushing” requires all necessary efforts, monetary or otherwise. Anyway, one could argue that there is essentially nothing wrong in selling a product or in this case, a hit song, especially if its really good. 

Again, I find that music is a more subtle field, compared to hardcore entertainment, such as the local film industry. If you’ve ever been to a press junket of a local film, you will know how upfront these Entertainment writers can get. Sometimes they don’t even care to use an envelope. It was the norm. People just accepted that that’s just the way it is. 

Pampadulas, lagay, thank you note.

Mam, Ser....The VIP-Star treatment

The VIP culture also continued, and the VIP treatment was done not just with media but also with artists, celebrities that we had to take care of.  In the Philippines the stars are not just actors or singers, they all seem to live in some kind of pedestal and many have convinced themselves of it. Blessed are those, and there are still those, who are humble enough not to fit into this stereotype.

In my 5 years in the music label, I did my job quietly and never interfered with these local celebs, except on occasion. Maybe I’ve met a few who didn’t have that air of “entitlement”. Don’t get me wrong I respect them as artists, I am essentially after all, only a fan, and will forever remain a fan. Music is my soul food and I’m eternally for good music, but this sense of “entitlement”, this sense of VIP culture never sat well with me. Until one day, I just decided to leave the old scene.  Like that scene in my favorite movie Almost Famous - I chose Morroco.

Quitting the Game

As I look back in the years I’ve spent working in the Philippines, I've met the best and the worst kind of people. I remember a lot of good times, and many fun, challenging times, but also, having spent most of it in PR & Entertainment I realized that corruption is endemic, and it is everywhere. The system will not change until people stop playing along with it.  Until people stop accepting it as that's just the way it is. 

Perhaps my story is just small scale, but let me tell you this,  after all those years working in the “biz
 if I got any valuable lesson, is that never to trust the mainstream media. The game is always rigged, but you can always, at any given point, refuse to play. 

Don’t let these people bully you into buying in to the system. They are no better than you. Seek out the truth by reading about it and asking questions.  Find your own hits, find your own heroes. Do it yourself.  Do not just consume, but create. Share it with your friends.  This is the reason why I love Social Media. It gives us a voice, and lets us create and participate.

We all just have to be smart, stubborn and confident enough to say – You know what,  I don’t need your shit, thank you very much.

 

About a Girl

September 8, 2014 :

As I write this down, I am thinking of a girl from my high school class, her name is Recca. She died today. We all learned about her passing through another batchmate’s post on our facebook group. For a batch of about only 200, we all knew each other somehow, although I never really had a chance to get to know her better.

Recca Noelle Monte, Manila Science High School

Always among our top sections, Recca moved on to be an Iskolar ng Bayan in the state U and I never heard of her again, until today.

Today, I learned that Recca has passed away for reasons unclear, and that she was a “tibak”- an activist. She chose to live a life of active compassion, fighting injustice for the marginalized farmers and other oppressed communities in neglected areas in the Philippines.

Apparently, it was not enough for her to sit still in the comforts of the University.  She left and let go of an engineering diploma in her attempts to make real, concrete change in lives of many other Filipinos. Such as introducing the simple concept of Hydraulics and doing a D-I-Y solution in a community who waited decades to have electricity, obviously abandoned by our useless corrupt government. 

In her only article online she quoted the words “a true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love”, and I feel for her. 

We don’t have the details as to how she died, but I reckon it had something to do with having followed the great revolutionary road.  Recca’s life (and death) reminded me of Che Guevarra and Gandhi, of going out there and “being the change that you want to see in the world”.

Incidentally, and not to take away any credit, this had me thinking again about the reason why I want to write,  and why I will always be grateful to people who have given me a chance to air out my thoughts. I am especially thankful to those who read my insignificant blog among many others out there.  I hope you find in it some spark of motivation, or at least some sense of belonging, enough to realise that we all share the same struggles and aspirations. 

I remember having written an article not too long ago, and hearing the words “you are a movement” from our editor at Illustrado magazine after she read it. I was very humbled to hear this, but also I realised that it was true. She is right, the same way that Recca, that girl from my high school class, is right.

We are all, in our selves, a movement.  We have the power to mobilize our fellows to be that positive force that can inspire change that can pave the way for the next generation of dreamers and doers. 

In this mini-piece of writing, allow me to celebrate the life of Recca and the triumph of the proud, passionate, compassionate, ingenious Filipino spirit that cannot be contained.  

"Hindi nyo kami mabibiliang, 

At hindi din maikakahon

Madami kami, ngunit iisa lamang 

ang aming pasyon - 

Ang Awit ng Kabataan.

Ito na ang ating Panahon." 

Hello, I Love You

This summer, thanks to the kindness of certain friends, I found love. Unexpected, unconditional, irrepressible love, and at first sight too. His name is Yuki, (Japanese for Snow). He is a 1-year old adorable snowball of a Persian cat.

The day Yuki came home. 

He was rescued by my friend, Jane, who is a volunteer for Bin Kitty Collective, a blessed group of cat lovers and concerned individuals helping abandoned kitties in the UAE find loving homes.  Jane rescued Yuki from a harsh life in the streets of Abu Dhabi where his original owners left him wandering. As to why they would do such a thing to a sweet, beautiful,  (and obviously expensive) creature escapes reason, save for the fact that there is evil in this world, and that there are far too many transient stupid people in the UAE alone.

See I have never ever had a pet. Not for a lack of wanting, but mostly for a lack of space and fear of responsibility.  Truth be told, I have always wanted a cat.  Despite the many arguments about dogs being more loyal, more intelligent and generally more loving, I have always loved the mystery of felines and I somehow always prefer something (or someone) who is not so clingy and "dog-eager." Actually, this could be the reason why I am a single lady living with a cat, but I digress.

Yuki came home with me one hot summer day and everything changed - for both of us. It didn’t take him long to get settled.

Yuki has claimed this couch. The many scratches proves it. 

And this is also his territory. Favorite naptime spot.

He decided behind the Mac was the best place to chill. 

Perhaps only too grateful for having found a good home at last, he slept peacefully curled up in my bed that first night while I am left thinking – so this must be how newborn parents or newlyweds feel. You know that precarious moment when you realize you have just signed on a lifetime commitment (despite of and inspite of) and there is no turning back.  It’s a scary thought, but you know what, I think I can finally do it.

and this is Us, pretty much every morning. 

HAPPY WORLD CAT DAY! <3

For those interested in adopting/fostering cats or dogs, there are plenty of them waiting to find loving homes. Check out the Bin Kitty Collective  or K9 Friends

https://www.facebook.com/groups/188028987947593/?ref=ts&fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pages/K9-Friends-Dubai/135431973890?fref=ts

the day he decided to be like laundry. 

Choose Philippines

I was lucky enough to come home twice this year. On my most recent trip I decided to take a chance to fly with a low-cost Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific where I paid half of the usual fare of the other alternative for a direct flight.  I'm used to travelling on a budget so I don't mind the fuzz free deal, and the lack of leg room is not a much of a problem for petite girls like me. 

I had a great book (A Thousand Splendid Suns) to keep me entertained, and when I wasn't reading I was sleeping. Over all it was a smooth ride, but what struck me the most was the flight back to Dubai. I was seated near the cockpit, and I thought I saw a glimpse of a woman on the control boards, and when the Flight announcement came on I got the confirmation, a woman's voice came on. The captain was Filipina, her name was Mayra Florencio and here I was reading about the abused women in Afghanistan. At that moment I just felt so grateful and blessed to have grown up in a country where Filipinas can choose to be a Pilot if she can and wanted to.

Elated, I shared the story with pinoy friends, a lot of them are surprised, many of them are dubious about taking a Philippine carrier and surprisingly having a woman pilot. I can't blame them. Years of sub-par standards have plagued the Philippines, and no one I know has really flown with a female pilot, filipino or  otherwise, but as they say – “if you never try then you will never know.”  The irony is despite our so-called "Pinoy Pride" A lot of us who have left the country are stuck in this belief system of a hopeless Philippines. 

Going around Manila in 2014 I saw usual problems of traffic jams and poverty but there was also a lot of construction going on, mostly prime condominiums, shopping mall extensions, a lot of new restaurants, and a lot more foreign expats working in the city. Things looked positive. Above all, I flew to Dubai on a low-cost Philippine carrier with a Filipina pilot. I think that alone is PROGRESS.


Dubai may have their high-rise buildings and everything money can buy, but I still think the Filipinos, our people, are leagues ahead, If only we learn to give ourselves credit, if only we can be free of this old "colonial" mentality that everything else from “abroad” is better.

The real revolution begins in the mind, we should break free of the old chains and believe that the Philippines can soar to greatness if we wanted to.

Let’s choose Philippines. Happy Independence Day!

Brownmonkeys leads a Street Art Renaissance in Deira

Despite the seeming contradiction of street art and the strict anti-vandalism laws in the UAE, the urban art movement is slowly creeping its way into the heart of Dubai, lending a voice to a new generation of settlers and creating a counter-culture bent on exposing the soul of the city. 

At the forefront of this creative revolution is a group of Pinoy artists collectively known as the
Brownmonkeys, who were commissioned for Street Connection, a 10-day Art festival held  recently at the Al Ghurair Center aimed at reviving the city’s pioneering roots.

Ground zero to Dubai’s very first metropolitan center, Deira continues to be among the handful of old neighborhoods in the city that offers a real sense of urban community drawing in a diverse mix of nationalities, including a significant Filipino population. 

Busy, vibrant and pedestrian friendly, very few areas in Dubai can rival the authentic street cred of Deira such that various art installations, creative displays, live exhibits, graffiti, music, and street performances fell right at home in its inner city streets.

Visual artist Mark Ganzon shares his thoughts on the current popularity of Street art and takes their group’s involvement at the recent Street Con as a sign of good things to come.

“I feel that it (Street Art) is getting slowly accepted by the city which is good. At the moment the art scene in Dubai is a bit locked down in sterile environments of galleries. Street art is for the people.  It's for the average person walking down the street, for them to find something interesting other than just advertising billboards that they can relate to.

Rollan Rodriguez, founding member of the Brownmonkeys and curator of Street Con says they chose the venue in Deira because most people don’t realise “how rich Deira is in terms of culture and diversity – it’s a perfect incubator for art”. Describing it as the “original urban community”, Rodriguez also noted that the Street Con aimed to expose urban art to the wider public.

“Urban art is created by artists living, depicting or experiencing city life,” he explained. “This may be the illustration on your T-shirt, the design of your sneaker or the shape of your toys. The artist’s responsibility is to amplify these visual cues and reinterpret them.”

Indeed, the community in Deira has been very receptive, with the Street con gallery conveniently hosted just beside the grocery and the right across the mall. It served as a great platform for the artist to communicate their ideas and engage audiences of all ages and from different background. 

Locals, tourists, laborers, regular office workers, passersby, were treated to a burst of creative energy. Everyone was welcome to take part in the graffiti, toy decorating, sticker-making and even the live performances.

Filipina artist Victoria Viray-Ganzon describes the experience as enthusiastic.

“I loved the whole vibe, how it was very down to earth and very approachable. Unlike the typical gallery scenes, there were no high-brow art critics to ruin it for everybody else. You don’t need any knowledge of art history or to be an art buff to be able to participate and enjoy. It’s a fun activity and for us artists, it was a really good way to give back to the community.”

Victoria who is known for painting strong female characters was invited to work on a mural that would be the only permanent fixture in the Street Con exhibition. Her work showed off a stunning tribal goddess in a huge space, 6 x 4 meters, the largest piece she has have ever worked on in her career so far.

“I prefer to portray strong female characters in various states of emotion. The centerpiece lady in my mural is one of those characters. I imagine her as a goddess of sorts, watching over Deira.” 

Pinoy revelers were happy to see her working on her wall, with some referring to her as “Chichay”, a character from a famous teleserye. Victoria takes no offense though, as this can only mean that our kabayans are connecting with art based on their daily life, whether they were art enthusiasts or not.

 

Expressive and passionate, Filipinos are natural trendsetters who somehow tend to bring in the cool and happy vibe wherever we go. The Brownmonkeys bringing their urban art explosion to an old community is one example of how our creative pursuits always lead to a role as agents for social change, or simply to connect, to bring fun and color to the otherwise mundane world of the daily grind.

Here’s hoping to see more of our Brown and Proud art all over the city!


All Photos stolen with permission from Joseph Manata. xoxo