Thursday, July 06, 2006

Philippines on my mind

I must admit, reading local news about things that happen here in the Philippines like rebellion-related violence or crime can get depressing sometimes. Not to mention the things that most of us in Manila have to deal with on a daily basis: traffic, pollution, the wages that stay low while the price of everything continues to escalate.

Things like these make me want to pack up, grab my passport, and head off somewhere, anywhere, that's tranquil and pristine. Or maybe to cities in Europe where I could take in all the history I want (since history fascinates me, especially European history).

I still want to do these things, God yes. And I will! But that doesn't mean I'd want to leave the Philippines for good. In spite of all the shitty things that happen here: the circus that we call politics, the virtual submersion of Manila during the rainy season, the unbelievable snootiness of celebrities who think they're a class unto themselves -- this is still the place I call home.

So whenever I'm tempted to trash-mouth this land because of one thing or another, or whenever I hear or read about somebody casting aspersions on it, I think about how lucky I am to be living in a country with places like this:






And to be able to see spectacular skyscapes and sunsets like these:






The Philippines isn't perfect and the life she offers can be a bitch. But she's resilient and strong, she has a tender heart, she's heart-wrenchingly beautiful. And God help me, I love her.

5 comments:

flamin said...

I guess THIS is patriotism. You love some and you hate some. I don't believe in blindly loving a country, to a point where you overlook the flaws just to prove your point.

I feel the same about UAE too. Heck, any country! There are so many unfair things in the world, but that shouldn't hide the beauty of it.

Lovely post.

Lizza said...

Many thanks, MD.

You're right, there's always the good and the bad. Makes life more interesting, I think. :)

Tainted Female said...

This is a refreshingly positive way to see things, isn’t it?

I love the new layout, but you’ll have to forgive me for not commenting much because it’s a little heavy and takes forever to load on this silly dial up connection I’m stuck with these days.

Lizza said...

Tainted,
It takes forever to load? Darn it. Okay, I'll see what I can do.

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