Probably the most difficult question to answer is, "Why do you like her?" or "Why are you so attracted to him?" And at least once in our lifetime we encounter that question with no immediate and clear answer.
If you notice a lot, if not all, of our answers have to do with something that benefits us. We often say, "I like him because he's popular", "I like her because she's drop dead gorgeous." No matter how emotional or non-materialistic our answers might be, it always seem to point back to ourselves and our preferences. "I want to be with her because she makes me feel complete", "I don't want to see him getting hurt."
We can't deny that a lot of us have ideals and "templates" of the perfect person we want to be with. Humans often fail to realize that we fall into the trap of being fixated on that ideal. When a person does not fit our template, that unfortunate individual is immediately scrapped like garbage. People fail to see the true identity or "spirit" of a person. What I'm saying is summed up, in a shallow way, in the maxim, "Do not judge a book by its cover" Some like popular people thinking that the fame will rub off on them. Some like people with good looks simply because they don't want their eyes to burn. These examples of shallow, inauthentic love is easy to understand. But what about the not-so-shallow ones?
There are those relationships that were born out of authentic emotions and serious deliberations. But can we say that the reasons behind those commitments are ultimately selfish even if the two people are not aware of it? "I committed myself to her because my heart yearns for her." "I want to be with him because he makes me feel complete." Aren't these typical answers simply tell us that people only love to satisfy the emotional emptiness that they feel? Again, there is this element of going back to the self. Even the heroic phrase, "I will die for you because you are special to me," is nothing more than an acknowledgement of a personal preference, right?
If love means offering yourself to another, is there a way to do it that does not involve you benefiting from it (or at least going back to you)? Is it possible to love with no selfish reason? Is it possible to love with no reason at all?
Probably it's time to recognize the true spirit of another. The only love that I can think of with no selfish reason is to simply love an individual for who he/she really is.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Soul of a City
Last Sunday, I went to Manila with my family to buy some textiles in Divisoria. It's not everyday I get the chance to visit that city. Even if you say I live in Metro Manila, I still don't get to go to the actual city often. In fact, Quezon City is pretty far from the capital. The travel time from Diliman to Divisoria can take from an hour and a half to two hours. And that is if you travel on a Sunday when traffic is relatively light. On any other ordinary day, you would be better off walking on the hot dusty streets than riding a vehicle. The streets are so narrow and congested that the traffic is worse than a New York gridlock.
When we left Quezon City, we traveled on a four-lane highway known as Quezon Avenue. When the streets were reduced to three lanes and then two, I knew I was in Manila already. I always wondered what makes this city different from the rest of the big metropolis all over the world. What is it that Tokyo, London and New York have that Manila doesn't? Is it a subway system? Wider avenues? Sidewalks? All of these are valid guesses but probably the most immediate answer is that Manila has too many neglected buildings.
You may notice that as the economic superpowers across the globe changed the architectural standards of buildings to glass and steel, many of the structures in Manila are still made of concrete. They looked like forgotten ruins of the war after the Americans bombed it in an attempt to reclaim the city. It was as if everyone just forgot to clean up afterwards. Those structures are continuously being consumed by the corrosive air pollution. They are not a hundred percent habitable anymore and most of them are probably even classified as "Fire Hazard Structures". Buildings with shattered windows and stained concrete experience a slow and painful death as their usefulness slowly dwindle away.
Buildings, towers and skyscrapers are one of the defining elements of a great city. Not only do they make the skyline look great but their very function of sheltering residents and organizing businesses is a significant force that pushes the community to progress. Without good structures, organizations would easily collapse like... well.. the poorly engineered building they stayed in the first place. I'm tempted to say that these three dimensional products architecture and engineering born out of a two dimensional blueprint make up the very soul of a metropolis. If the buildings on this side of the city are not cleaned up soon, Manila will eventually die along with them.
When we left Quezon City, we traveled on a four-lane highway known as Quezon Avenue. When the streets were reduced to three lanes and then two, I knew I was in Manila already. I always wondered what makes this city different from the rest of the big metropolis all over the world. What is it that Tokyo, London and New York have that Manila doesn't? Is it a subway system? Wider avenues? Sidewalks? All of these are valid guesses but probably the most immediate answer is that Manila has too many neglected buildings.
You may notice that as the economic superpowers across the globe changed the architectural standards of buildings to glass and steel, many of the structures in Manila are still made of concrete. They looked like forgotten ruins of the war after the Americans bombed it in an attempt to reclaim the city. It was as if everyone just forgot to clean up afterwards. Those structures are continuously being consumed by the corrosive air pollution. They are not a hundred percent habitable anymore and most of them are probably even classified as "Fire Hazard Structures". Buildings with shattered windows and stained concrete experience a slow and painful death as their usefulness slowly dwindle away.
Buildings, towers and skyscrapers are one of the defining elements of a great city. Not only do they make the skyline look great but their very function of sheltering residents and organizing businesses is a significant force that pushes the community to progress. Without good structures, organizations would easily collapse like... well.. the poorly engineered building they stayed in the first place. I'm tempted to say that these three dimensional products architecture and engineering born out of a two dimensional blueprint make up the very soul of a metropolis. If the buildings on this side of the city are not cleaned up soon, Manila will eventually die along with them.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Fire? Where?
An unexpected incident suddenly disturbed the silence of the Rizal Library just this afternoon. A deep, loud and piercing alarm was heard throughout the building. The sound wasn't the kind you'd usually hear when school bells ring. It was more of like the sound of an alarm when a reactor is having a meltdown. You get the picture. At first I thought it was the fire drill. But then two things popped out of my mind. First, the drills were scheduled on a Wednesday. Today's a Thursday. Second, it's already 5:30pm. The drills were only supposed to happen from 8am to 5pm! After I saw some of the library officials frantically searching the nearby rooms and corridors of the library, it daunted on me. Holy crap this is for real!
We evacuated the building but fortunately, nobody panicked. In fact, nobody knew what the alarm was for and what exactly is going on. A lot of people even ignored it. If it weren't for the librarians who told them to evacuate, they would still be in their seats minding their own business.
I really don't know what happened back there. Maybe it was a malfunctioning alarm. Maybe it was a real fire. As far as I know, they didn't find anything there. Not even traces of smoke. After the alarm was disabled everyone returned inside. But I didn't want to go back in. I didn't want to take any chances.
We evacuated the building but fortunately, nobody panicked. In fact, nobody knew what the alarm was for and what exactly is going on. A lot of people even ignored it. If it weren't for the librarians who told them to evacuate, they would still be in their seats minding their own business.
I really don't know what happened back there. Maybe it was a malfunctioning alarm. Maybe it was a real fire. As far as I know, they didn't find anything there. Not even traces of smoke. After the alarm was disabled everyone returned inside. But I didn't want to go back in. I didn't want to take any chances.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Is Poverty a Blessing in Disguise?
Before anything else I would like to say first that I obviously don't approve of poverty, hunger and the violence that goes along with it. However, it does provide certain conditions that push other people to start their own business. These conditions, no matter how harsh, sometimes still bring out the entrepreneure in an individual.
In countries like the Philippines, there is generally a poor quality of education. This translates to fewer opportunities in the competition for employment. A person cannot easily get a decent job that pay considerably well since it demands great skills and high levels of professionalism. With nowhere to turn to, the person relies on himself to alleviate his life from the hardships of reality. They are almost immediately ready to take the risks since they are faced with very few or no choices at all. This is where the spirit of entrepreneurship comes in. One is able to be his own boss and make money in the process. Ofcourse having an enterpreneural mindset is one thing. Being able to grow and succeed is another. Not everyone who starts their own business succeeds - that's a fact. I cannot deny that there is still the need for education (formal or not) to complement this enterprising spirit. They still need to learn the tricks of the trade and transform situations to their own advantage. They need to know how to direct their business well so it won't crash and burn.
That's what I see with entrepreneureship and poverty. Some people are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be their own boss even if they didn't intend to. The socioeconomical conditions brought by poverty can awaken the entrepreneure inside them. But to have this drive is not enough. Having both the passion and a proper direction means that half of the battle is already won.
In countries like the Philippines, there is generally a poor quality of education. This translates to fewer opportunities in the competition for employment. A person cannot easily get a decent job that pay considerably well since it demands great skills and high levels of professionalism. With nowhere to turn to, the person relies on himself to alleviate his life from the hardships of reality. They are almost immediately ready to take the risks since they are faced with very few or no choices at all. This is where the spirit of entrepreneurship comes in. One is able to be his own boss and make money in the process. Ofcourse having an enterpreneural mindset is one thing. Being able to grow and succeed is another. Not everyone who starts their own business succeeds - that's a fact. I cannot deny that there is still the need for education (formal or not) to complement this enterprising spirit. They still need to learn the tricks of the trade and transform situations to their own advantage. They need to know how to direct their business well so it won't crash and burn.
That's what I see with entrepreneureship and poverty. Some people are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be their own boss even if they didn't intend to. The socioeconomical conditions brought by poverty can awaken the entrepreneure inside them. But to have this drive is not enough. Having both the passion and a proper direction means that half of the battle is already won.
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