Talking about moral economy and emotional interactions

In the book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche said that:

"Beggars should be abolished: it is irritating to give to them and it is irritating not to."

Do you agree?!

People act on sympathy and pity...the greatest emotional blackmail.

Going through a hodgepodge

As the famous line goes: You can buy (almost) everything in Quiapo.

Quiapo, being geographically located at the very center of Manila, is referred to as Manila's downtown. It is known for cheap prices on almost all items ranging from electronics to native handicrafts. The place is ALSO notorious for pickpockets, robbers, huslers, etc. These people know who to rob and when to get it. Being robbed in a crowded place is a cliche already. They can steal from you in a snap, you wouldn't even know your valuables are gone already.

My friend got her bag sliced while walking the street. She didn't even realize it until a few minutes later. Fortunately for me, I've been to this place hundred times already and never did I lose anything. I guess, I really look "poor" to them. :-)

Anyway, the photo (above) is Carriedo St., one of the most diverse streets in Quiapo and third among my favorites. Most of the items sold here are clothes, hanky,slippers, sheets, curtains, even undergarments. My favorite street (of course) is Hidalgo St., tagged as Photographers' Haven. Another favorite is the Arlequi St. Now for those who are regulars of Quiapo, you know why I particularly like this street. :-)

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I am still having an overdose of The Transformers, so much so that I am paranoid that every automobile I see would suddenly transform.

The transformers, more than meets the eye! The transformers, robots in disguise!

See? I can't even stop from singing...

Keeping the candles burning

This is (perhaps) the most diverse shot I've ever put together in one frame. A sleeping man on the job (left), a busy man putting candles in a bundle while smoking a cig (middle), and a lady melting used candles in tin cans (right). All of them competing for one job...selling candles under the beating heat of the sun.

But these are no ordinary candles. These are specially made to accompany people's prayers, wishes, longing, requests, and other personal favors from (G)god. The candles are color coded. The black ones are for the dead; the red are for personal wishes, the yellow are for such and such. I actually interviewed one of them before but I seem to forget things. ;-) The point is...you can choose a particular colored candle depending on your prayer intention. Personally, I really find this weird. I know that colors affect our lives, but I didn't know they could affect our prayers too.

If you look at it in another way, selling candles is actually a good business because burnt candles are being re-used. The vendors scrape them again from the racks (or candleholders) to be re-used (melting, combining, coloring) so they could sell it again.

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Buying idol

I am in no position to judge nor to reason why people must resort to buying and acquiring idols just to prove their faith; just to prove that they believe in something or someone.

I was raised by Catholic parents, attended a Catholic secondary school (that spends most of the entirety of the semester praying the rosary, novena, 3 o'clock habit, angelus, going to first Friday mass, etc.). I live in a predominantly Catholic country (the only one in SE Asia)...so I should know.

But simply, I am amazed because I used to believe in them. Idols.

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Scratching someone's back

Still from the glass window...a woman selling cigarettes and candies scratching, err...her back?

Now you know why I prefer sitting (and eating) by the window. I get to see the 'real' slice of life.

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I attended a meeting at the Asian Institute of Management a few hours ago. I sat between the President/CEO of some company and the Associate Director of some known institution. Somewhere inside the room is another woman in a somewhat senior-level position who is the sister of the Chancellor of a well known university and the daughter of a well known scientist. I figured that most of her relatives are well known people, except her. Well, I don't know her. She just came from America, she exclaimed (don't see the connection with the meeting but she mentioned it twice).

I was the only junior-looking staff inside that cold, silent room. Since I was the youngest there, and seemingly "a nobody" when it comes to position, the Asso Dir asked me if I could take the minutes of the meeting. I didn't say anything. Not meaning to be rude I guess. I was told to attend the meeting for a write-up not to be a tape recorder. I've encountered people like her in this field, so many times that I've learned the basic of looking cool even when you're mad. No, I wasn't mad, I was furious. Not because she's asking me to take the minutes but simply because she assumed I was the least of the group. Well, truly, I don't have a title before and after my name so I guess she was right.

My point is...conceptions, assumptions, and misconceptions.

If you're a junior staff sitting amidst a group of senior staff (age- and position- wise), you're likely to be the "ham of the sandwhich". Not that they mean it. But since most junior staff are often tag-a-longs during meetings, most people would take you as the "one who takes notes" of who will then turn it into a report for the boss. Oh well.

Anyway, the Associate Director saw my crooked smile so she sent in her secretary to take the minutes. End of story.

I see them (often) not knowing what they really think about people like me...

Are you bothered when you eat in a fastfood chain and looking outside the glass window, you'll see a bunch of street kids looking back at you?

I AM. This is perhaps the most disturbing and haunting experience everytime I eat at Jollibee or McDonalds.

The other day, after hours of rummaging around Palanca St. and Hidalgo St. (canvassing for a new equipment), I decided to take my lunch at Jollibee (there's not much of a choice unless you want to eat at Mini Stop). I always opt to sit near the window glass to see the view. As I was starting to take a hungry bite, I saw a bunch of kids near my glass window. They weren't asking for food or anything, they were just looking. It's like a muted scene from a movie. Inside my world was the noisy sound of the fastfood chain, crew shouting customers' orders, kids laughing with their parents, parents feeding their puffed up kids. And at the other side of this glass window, are these skinny, dirty kids, looking back at us. A muted scene that could never get to me.

Suddenly, the hungry bite turned into this lump of food trapped inside my esophagus...I can't make it down. I've been in this situation before but it never gets easier the second time or the third time around. I wonder what they think of people like me.

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