Where are they now, the brave monks of Burma?

In the case of the recent crackdown of the peaceful protests in Burma, its military junta could be liable for investigation by the International Criminal Court under allegations of " attack directed against any civilian population", "extermination", "torture", "enforced disappearance" and "persecution" of the monks by the Bumese army. As of today more than 600 monks and 2,000 others are unaccounted for, mostly considered by the Asian Human Rights Commission as disappeared with serious possibilities that they are being tortured.

Buddhist monks are revered as the highest moral authority in Burma. They gave courage to Burmese people to come out in the streets again after more than a decade of silence and tolerance. Reports cite the skyrocketing cost of living as the main reason for the protests but the monks also wanted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi freed. The leader of the party overwhelmingly voted in Burma's only democratic elections in 1990 had been prevented from taking office together with elected parliamentarians from the National League for Democracy.

To put pressure on China, Burma's only supporter, to force it to end martial law and free Suu Kyi, there are calls from the west for a boycott of the 2008 Olympics. Petitions to this effect are circulating. Many believe it is now or never for Burmese democracy, with the last vestige of tolerance in protest over the military junta and therefore being exterminated themselves, who else would stand up to the junta?

But people say there is too much hardship to sustain any action, and people are starving so much that protesting with the monks meant that they had nothing left to lose but their very lives. This makes me very sad to the point of restless sleep. Surely people from around the world must help! We must stand up for them if they are crippled with hunger already. I've seen it done before, I believe it can be done again.

And so the struggle continues....

Have cause, will persevere

Quote for the day:

"It is the plan of the institution which asks (non-staff) members to partake in. It would be nice to have the members participate in the planning too"-- Manny Guzman

Martial Law 35 years ago

Manila, Philippines-Last Sept 21 as the world celebrated the International Day of Peace, human rights advocates here remembered the declaration of martial law 35 years ago by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), one of the oldest human rights groups in the country commemmorated the lives of martyrs and heroes of that period by inaugurating a Martial Law Memorial Wall. It was a solemn and quiet event, but it brought together some of the human rights advocates we thought would never meet again. It really reminded me that we may have our differences and our lives could branch apart, but we will always have those memories of the dark past and our common love for those who sacrificed themselves, to bind us together.
The Martial Law Memorial Wall can be seen at 45 Saint Mary Street Cubao Quezon City, Philippines. TFDP's telephone numbers are +632 437-8054

Don't miss it again

Repeat performance of Binky Lampano

Sept 12 Wednesday, Bistro 70s

There should be an alarm of some sort for when he is here in the Philippines

Catalina Manglinong (1916-2007)

Lola Taling died in her sleep last Sunday. Her granddaughter, an ex-girlfriend of mine, said there was hardly any pain- just a little difficulty in breathing, and then she was gone. The doctors at the hospital where she was taken could hardly find any cause of death other than a mild stroke. Well, she was 90 years old. Lola Taling’s lifeless face seemed to be smiling in a contended sleep. As if she didn’t mind leaving us at all. I told my friend that I don’t want to grow that old but if I did, I’d like to go that way too. Happy, fulfilled, and well-loved.

I first met Lola Taling when I ran away from home after a particularly bad fight with my mother. Ten years would pass before I’d make up with my mother again. I sought refuge at my girlfriend’s house, where she was staying with her lola, four siblings and a dog. It was my first sojourn into life outside my parents’ house. My fascination about how different other people were brought up was equaled only by my astonishment at how they could survive in a house with no responsibilities, no rules, and no order. As a result laundry piled in one corner outside the bedrooms, dishes piled in the kitchen sink, sometimes visited by a rat, and dirt gathered all over the house. The fact that their parents were abroad trying to find enough income to sustain them aggravated the individualistic attitude in this family. My girlfriend’s sister even brought her own supplies to the bathroom, and took them when she’s finished.

The thread that kept the family together was Lola Taling, whose pension money from the Veteran’s fund provided enough for three square meals a day and paid the bills. Everything else was left to each’s creative devise. My friend’s siblings were working students but money always seemed to be short. I and my friend already had full time jobs so I shared in the marketing, groceries and cooking. Lola does the laundry, cooking, cleaning and the occasional reprimanding. Despite all the hardships Lola Taling managed to provide motherly care and concern for all of us. Whenever we were alone she’d ask me why I ran away from home or what my family was like. She never quite believed that my parents could be so harsh on us. “But then again, maybe that’s what it takes…” she’d half-whisper, looking at the dust all around her.

Lola Taling never criticized my lifestyle, and always believed one could be happy with one’s life choices. She had a sweet laugh and gentle hands. She never turned away guests, even when unexpected. She always accommodated relatives in trouble, and gave what little money she could afford to lend. She started getting depressed when one by one her own siblings or friends died. She’d go to her hometown in Santa, Ilocos Sur to recuperate, and then get right back to being our dear old Lola. Sometimes she’d play sick and ask for a box of prunes, which I’d readily buy for her at the local grocery store.

When I was able to afford my own studio room near the university I said goodbye to Lola Taling and left the house. But I’ve never forgotten the prunes Lola loved, and I always remembered her whenever I see a box at the grocery store or on a table. Somehow I thought I could always buy her a box one of these days when I wasn’t busy, until I went abroad to work for several years. There was only one Christmas party a couple of years ago when I saw Lola Taling again. That was the last time I would talk to Lola Taling. She had almost forgotten me.

Watching the video prepared by my now former girlfriend at Lola Taling’s wake I realized that Lola truly had one happy and fulfilled life. She was loved by all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Not many people die in their own quiet glories but Lola did. And she will be missed.

For all my fab female friends!

from Corinne Bailey Rae....


Three little birds sat on my window and they told me I don’t need to worry
Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.
Maybe sometimes, we’ve got it wrong but it’s alright,
the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same.
Oooh, don’t you hesitate
Girl put your records on, tell me your favourite song,
You go ahead let your hair down.
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead let your hair down
You’re going to find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely, sipping tea in a bar by the roadside…
Just relax, just relax, don’t you let those other boys fool you.
Got to love that afro hairdo
Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid but it’s alright
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change
Don’t you think it’s strange….

…twas more than I could take,
Pity for pity’s sake, some nights kept me awake
I thought that I was stronger,
When you going to realize that you don’t even have to try any longer?
Do what you want to, girl
Just put your records on

BUTANDING is the local name for Whale shark

Pictures and signs at the tourist center run by the local government of Donsol, Sorsogon, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the community's NGOs refer to the marine adventure that draws thousands of tourists during summer season as "Swim with Whalesharks" experience. The "swim" part for snorkellers and divers mean the "ability to move away at a sudden change in direction or speed of the Whale Shark in order to avoid being smacked by the tail or dorsal"... and such other skills which would allow one to safely navigate the waters while seeing, because of the sheer size of the creature, only half of the Whale Shark at a time.

Not to worry, the tourist center is professionally run and provides each boat with a skipper, a spotter, and a Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO), whose job is mainly to help tourists get down into the water for a first hand look at the fish up close, steer the diver along strong currents, and, especially when one could not anticipate it, pull the diver away when the whaleshark makes a turn.

Butandings cast big shadows on the surface of the water so people can see them coming. The gentle creatures, although fully capable of overturning the boats, glide ever so quietly past them like submarines, in full view of those on the boat, as if they are so used to ogling crowds. Only the brave dare to go in and swim with them. Reminders that Butandings are wild marine creatures in their own environment, impose the sense that swimming with them is strictly an adult activity. But even adults are overwhelmed. Touching or riding Butandings are strictly prohibited although with their massiveness I cannot imagine anyone would dare.

The Lenten Holidays would be the busiest time for the Butandings as local and foreign tourists crowd the sea. Each boat allows 8 persons and each Butanding can only be followed by one boat at a time so as not to disturb them much. In peak seasons, 25 boats are allowed at sea for 3 hours at a time or shorter, to give the rest of the waiting tourists their chance. Each boat is guaranteed at least 3 sightings of Butandings-- that's how many they are during the feeding months of January to May. Taking turns diving in for that one-on-one experience with the gentle giant would be the best way to do it.

It goes without saying that Butandings are deep sea fish and therefore going out to see them means swimming in really deep waters. Fins help one to swim faster and goggles help one to see better, as plankton-rich waters of Donsol can be quite dense.

It was literally breathtaking, seeing it live. I had difficulty breathing with my equipment and I almost gave up the second and third dives because seeing one up close always shook my senses, my danger alarms keep going off, and my struggle against the "flight" instinct kept me from calmly observing the thing. Strangely, as if aware that "this one near my tail is not a fish but a human trying to swim straight and avoid my drift" the Butandings I swam with were never aggressive. When our four-year old boat-mate wanted to see what the fuss was all about, we lowered him into the water but didn't submerge him. As if curious to see what it was too, one baby Butanding, all nine meters of it, even swam by the boat, its tail showing above the water. Scared the shit out of our four-year-old of course, but we were all awed by this seeming generosity on the part of the whale.

All in all the experience was astounding. The tourist center claimed the Swim with Whalesharks as the best nature interaction adventure in the world. They even give out certificates indicating how many sightings each swimmer had. Outside the main reception office there are shops that sell shirts and souvenir items. Like the spotters, skippers and BIOs, these are local residents making a living when the fishing season is out. It's a big contribution to purchase something to help the local economy at the same time disseminate awareness about the delicate balance of life in these waters on which the existence of Whale Sharks depends.