Category: Lifestyle

Filipinos’ notion of ‘simple life’ makes them look like simple-minded simpletons

June 4, 2014June 4, 2014 FallenAngel 37 Comments

I couldn’t help but notice that after “happiness”and “hope” comes yet another catchword/phrase that Filipinos like to use when making excuses for their chronic poverty and lack of development. It’s called “simple life”. How do these buzzwords fit into things? Why don’t we try using a few examples to illustrate? Happiness: “Life is so hard;…

Culture, Development, Lifestyle, Society

Is depicting Filipinos as domestic helpers racist?

June 3, 2014June 4, 2014 FallenAngel 49 Comments

Apparently, quite a few Filipinos seem to think so. Given the highly hypersensitive nature of the Filipinos, it was only natural that they would react with rage to the screenshot below found in certain Hong Kong textbooks. The blog site Hongwrong.com couldn’t help but make a parody of such depiction of “racial harmony” as is…

Culture, Development, Education, Lifestyle

Gwyneth Paltrow versus online haters like Cindy McCain

June 3, 2014 Ilda 27 Comments

Hollywood actress and founder of online lifestyle site Goop.com Gwyneth Paltrow has been receiving some flak for her statements made during a recent tech forum where she was one of the guest speakers. Not that this is the first time she has been the subject of controversy after stating her opinion about something, but this…

Culture, Glitz and Glamour, Lifestyle, Media, Society

Philippines to remain ‘paper’ tech tiger until local tech solutions applied

June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 benign0 2 Comments

The Philippines has “all the ingredients of an emerging tech tiger” — on paper, that is. Despite an enormous population “addicted to social media” and low labour costs, the “patchy at best” mobile internet coverage and “atrocious” internet speeds — a “measly 3.6 megabits per second (Mbps), well below the regional average of 12.4 Mbps”…

Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Tech Talk

The Philippines’ current situation: nakakapang-init ulo

May 29, 2014May 29, 2014 FallenAngel 6 Comments

As the rainy season draws near, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the social, economic, and political scenes in the Philippines these past few months brought Filipinos face-to-face with very heated situations. The rise in temperature when talking about the weather in the Philippines is enough to cause one to blow his/her top. We…

Culture, Development, Lifestyle, Politics, Society

Manila airport upgrade up against tough regional competition!

May 28, 2014 benign0 17 Comments

Everybody is excited over a proposal coming from San Miguel Corporation to build a new $10 billion airport to replace the hopelessly decrepit and congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). NAIA is the main international gateway for travelers to the Philippines and is the hub for all Philippine airlines. The airport is named after the…

Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Money Talks

Filipinos’ obssession with ‘happiness’ is what keeps them mired in chronic poverty

May 27, 2014May 27, 2014 benign0 58 Comments

Again, I’m seeing the Happy card being played a lot these days. Filipinos can’t get enough of that card. It’s a poor man’s Ace. You can’t make yourself rich overnight, but you can certainly make yourself “happy” in the next minute. And so that is why “Happy” is de facto the buzzword of the Loser…

Culture, Development, Lifestyle, Society

Overseas Foreign Workers: the economic backbone, and the heart of the true Filipino spirit

May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 Libertas 34 Comments

Back to the beginning. I first got to know about the Philippines as I was travelling in other countries and met a number of Filipino Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs). Over time I often helped some with English, form filling etc., and heard more about their lives, loves, and hardships, and was never once asked for…

Civics, Development, Economy, Government, Lifestyle, Society