Much weirdness this week. I know I've been remiss in my blogging duties, so I figure I'd post something again to keep people in the loop.
Just a little anecdote I wanted to share from work this week.
A co-worker and I were off to speak with the IT guy of a certain school with regards to their website. We got there and got down to business.
The IT guy is formally dressed, crisp white shirt and black pants. His demeanor was equally formal and we didn't spend much time exchanging pleasantries.
The work was fairly simple, a slight modification job to invite more foreign nationals to take their masteral courses in the school, primarily Chinese and Korean nationals.
"You see," the guy explained, "the reason we're doing this is because 10% of all the foreign students we have here are Chekwa."
Chekwa. Not something I've heard in a while, but I do know that it's a derrogatory term for those of my racial background. I guess that the closest thing that I can compare the term to is to call African-Americans "Niggers", Latinos as "Wetbacks" and Asians as "Chinks".
Now I'm Chinese, even if I don't look like it to some people. Maybe my eyes are a little larger than the stereotype, I don't know. Anyway, I bristled slightly at the comment and let it pass. I'm professional about work.
Anyway, halfway through the meeting he does a double take and asks me, "Uh... are you Chinese by the way?"
I smile, "Yes. Both my parents were Chinese."
I watch his facade break slightly, realizing his earlier remark and what kind of impression it makes.
I keep smiling.
----
To be fair to the rest of the Philippines, the people here are hardly racist. It's just that there are some undercurrents of it, that don't stop people from working with each other, but do breed some form of stereotyping and skewed expectations.
----
Roach Fu!
To continue recounting the strange adventures of this week, I've also been nearly attacked by a particularly aggresive flying cockroach. I was on my PC when I noted something black fly over to my side of the room and perch on the electric fan. The rest of my family were all on the other side of the room and I called their attention to it.
"Crap! There's a roach!" the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I hate roaches. I get up from my seat, watching it as it positions itself pivoting on it's legs, it's antennae wriggling grossly in my direction.
A heartbeat.
It opens the wing case on it's back and take flight like a dart straight towards me!
"Get the hell away from me you flying freak!" I shout.
It flew low, just under knee level. The rest of my family was watching as it took off. On instinct I raised one leg and stomped down on it, catching it in mid-air and driving it's body to the ground. I lift up my leg and it's there, it's wing case open, wings splayed open like a butterfly on display.
An oily, gross 2 inch long butterfly.
I hate roaches.
----
Right now I'd like to take a moment to thank my Arnis instructor, Sir Ariel, who taught me the value of footwork, and drove home the point that I was getting fat. :)
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
If I had a Wishlist, this would be on it.
Serenity, the RPG. It just doesn't get any cooler than this. :)
Which Mage: the Awakening Path do you Belong to?
Mage: The Awakening. Paths Less Travled
brought to you by Quizilla
Ah, yes. Mind and Space. I just might make a character on this path for kicks. :)
Friday, September 09, 2005
Street Kid Discipline
I hit a street kid on the face with my umbrella on the way home from work today.
I had just gotten off the Metro Rail Transit on the commute home, and was crossing the street using the overpass to cross the highway. I was halfway through it when I heard a woman behind me talking.
"Huwag! Ayaw ko! Ayaw ko sabi!" No! I don't want to!
I turn around to see that the dirty street kid I just passed had stopped the woman, holding up a hand to beg. She shook her head and he made a grab for the plastic cup of juice she had with her. She pulled it away and he tried another grab for it. Her protests grew more panicked and distressed as the kid pressed on.
I took my umbrella in hand (it was one of those compact folding ones) and walked up to the kid from behind. I swatted it sideways across the side of his face, grabbing his attention before pointing the umbrella at his face.
"Tama na yan!" Quit it. I told him as he stood there, a look of surprise on his face as he held his cheek. The lady walked quickly behind me and towards the elevator.
The kid continued to stare as I took a few steps back, turning around to walk down the stairs.
I have to admit that it was pretty surreal. I don't like violence, but I didn't think that harassing a lady and trying to steal her drink was worth turning a blind eye to. There was also the risk that the rest of the street kids who made the rooftops of the Rail Station their home might come to his aid if he decided to fight and attack me.
So strange.
I had just gotten off the Metro Rail Transit on the commute home, and was crossing the street using the overpass to cross the highway. I was halfway through it when I heard a woman behind me talking.
"Huwag! Ayaw ko! Ayaw ko sabi!" No! I don't want to!
I turn around to see that the dirty street kid I just passed had stopped the woman, holding up a hand to beg. She shook her head and he made a grab for the plastic cup of juice she had with her. She pulled it away and he tried another grab for it. Her protests grew more panicked and distressed as the kid pressed on.
I took my umbrella in hand (it was one of those compact folding ones) and walked up to the kid from behind. I swatted it sideways across the side of his face, grabbing his attention before pointing the umbrella at his face.
"Tama na yan!" Quit it. I told him as he stood there, a look of surprise on his face as he held his cheek. The lady walked quickly behind me and towards the elevator.
The kid continued to stare as I took a few steps back, turning around to walk down the stairs.
I have to admit that it was pretty surreal. I don't like violence, but I didn't think that harassing a lady and trying to steal her drink was worth turning a blind eye to. There was also the risk that the rest of the street kids who made the rooftops of the Rail Station their home might come to his aid if he decided to fight and attack me.
So strange.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Geek Joke
A little joke I read on RPG.net that made me laugh... even if it was really really groan worthy.
Courtesy of zedturtle:
----
So the ark has finally settled on dry land, and God has commanded all the animals to go forth and multiply. Everyone goes out and sets about their business, except for a couple of snakes. Noah notices this and asks them what's wrong.
"We're adders," they say, "we can't multiply."
Noah is stumped for a moment, but then rushes into the ark and grabs his tools. In a blur of activity, he saws a part of the ark off and refashions it. When he is down, the adders are looking at a wooden picnic table. Noah says, "Well, since you are adders, I've built you a log table."
----
Sorry, my inner geek is showing. :p
Courtesy of zedturtle:
----
So the ark has finally settled on dry land, and God has commanded all the animals to go forth and multiply. Everyone goes out and sets about their business, except for a couple of snakes. Noah notices this and asks them what's wrong.
"We're adders," they say, "we can't multiply."
Noah is stumped for a moment, but then rushes into the ark and grabs his tools. In a blur of activity, he saws a part of the ark off and refashions it. When he is down, the adders are looking at a wooden picnic table. Noah says, "Well, since you are adders, I've built you a log table."
----
Sorry, my inner geek is showing. :p
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Increasingly political content?
To those wondering about the sudden shift of content in my blog, I just want to say that I'm not happy about politics getting priority over saving lives.
The Philippine government is equally guilty of such things, I'd imagine, but it still sucks no matter where you are.
----
Just felt the need to post that article to vent.
I'll be back to regularly scheduled madness soon.
The Philippine government is equally guilty of such things, I'd imagine, but it still sucks no matter where you are.
----
Just felt the need to post that article to vent.
I'll be back to regularly scheduled madness soon.
Republicans: Blame New Orleans for not running away fast enough.
From the New York Times
White House Enacts a Plan to Ease Political Damage
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and ANNE E. KORNBLUT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 - Under the command of President Bush's two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan this weekend to contain the political damage from the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina.
It orchestrated visits by cabinet members to the region, leading up to an extraordinary return visit by Mr. Bush planned for Monday, directed administration officials not to respond to attacks from Democrats on the relief efforts, and sought to move the blame for the slow response to Louisiana state officials, according to Republicans familiar with the White House plan.
The effort is being directed by Mr. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, and his communications director, Dan Bartlett. It began late last week after Congressional Republicans called White House officials to register alarm about what they saw as a feeble response by Mr. Bush to the hurricane, according to Republican Congressional aides.
As a result, Americans watching television coverage of the disaster this weekend began to see, amid the destruction and suffering, some of the most prominent members of the administration - Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense; and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state - touring storm-damaged communities.
Mr. Bush is to return to Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday; his first visit, on Friday, left some Republicans cringing, in part because the president had little contact with residents left homeless.
Republicans said the administration's effort to stanch the damage had been helped by the fact that convoys of troops and supplies had begun to arrive by the time the administration officials turned up. All of those developments were covered closely on television.
In many ways, the unfolding public relations campaign reflects the style Mr. Rove has brought to the political campaigns he has run for Mr. Bush. For example, administration officials who went on television on Sunday were instructed to avoid getting drawn into exchanges about the problems of the past week, and to turn the discussion to what the government is doing now.
"We will have time to go back and do an after-action report, but the time right now is to look at what the enormous tasks ahead are," Michael Chertoff, the secretary of Homeland Security, said on "Meet the Press" on NBC.
One Republican with knowledge of the effort said that Mr. Rove had told administration officials not to respond to Democratic attacks on Mr. Bush's handling of the hurricane in the belief that the president was in a weak moment and that the administration should not appear to be seen now as being blatantly political. As with others in the party, this Republican would discuss the deliberations only on condition of anonymity because of keen White House sensitivity about how the administration and its strategy would be perceived.
In a reflection of what has long been a hallmark of Mr. Rove's tough political style, the administration is also working to shift the blame away from the White House and toward officials of New Orleans and Louisiana who, as it happens, are Democrats.
"The way that emergency operations act under the law is the responsibility and the power, the authority, to order an evacuation rests with state and local officials," Mr. Chertoff said in his television interview. "The federal government comes in and supports those officials."
That line of argument was echoed throughout the day, in harsher language, by Republicans reflecting the White House line.
In interviews, these Republicans said that the normally nimble White House political operation had fallen short in part because the president and his aides were scattered outside Washington on vacation, leaving no one obviously in charge at a time of great disruption. Mr. Rove and Mr. Bush were in Texas, while Vice President Dick Cheney was at his Wyoming ranch.
Mr. Bush's communications director, Nicolle Devenish, was married this weekend in Greece, and a number of Mr. Bush's political advisers - including Ken Mehlman, the Republican National Committee chairman - attended the wedding.
Ms. Rice did not return to Washington until Thursday, after she was spotted at a Broadway show and shopping for shoes, an image that Republicans said buttressed the notion of a White House unconcerned with tragedy.
These officials said that Mr. Bush and his political aides rapidly changed course in what they acknowledged was a belated realization of the situation's political ramifications. As is common when this White House confronts a serious problem, management was quickly taken over by Mr. Rove and a group of associates including Mr. Bartlett. Neither man responded to requests for comment.
White House advisers said that Mr. Bush expressed alarm after his return to Washington from the Gulf Coast.
One senior White House official said that Mr. Bush appeared at a senior staff meeting in the Situation Room on Friday and called the results on the ground "unacceptable." At the encouragement of Mr. Bartlett, officials said, he repeated the comment later in the Rose Garden, the start of this campaign.
-----
To check out the article on the NY Times site (requires registration) check it out H ERE
White House Enacts a Plan to Ease Political Damage
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and ANNE E. KORNBLUT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 - Under the command of President Bush's two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan this weekend to contain the political damage from the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina.
It orchestrated visits by cabinet members to the region, leading up to an extraordinary return visit by Mr. Bush planned for Monday, directed administration officials not to respond to attacks from Democrats on the relief efforts, and sought to move the blame for the slow response to Louisiana state officials, according to Republicans familiar with the White House plan.
The effort is being directed by Mr. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, and his communications director, Dan Bartlett. It began late last week after Congressional Republicans called White House officials to register alarm about what they saw as a feeble response by Mr. Bush to the hurricane, according to Republican Congressional aides.
As a result, Americans watching television coverage of the disaster this weekend began to see, amid the destruction and suffering, some of the most prominent members of the administration - Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense; and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state - touring storm-damaged communities.
Mr. Bush is to return to Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday; his first visit, on Friday, left some Republicans cringing, in part because the president had little contact with residents left homeless.
Republicans said the administration's effort to stanch the damage had been helped by the fact that convoys of troops and supplies had begun to arrive by the time the administration officials turned up. All of those developments were covered closely on television.
In many ways, the unfolding public relations campaign reflects the style Mr. Rove has brought to the political campaigns he has run for Mr. Bush. For example, administration officials who went on television on Sunday were instructed to avoid getting drawn into exchanges about the problems of the past week, and to turn the discussion to what the government is doing now.
"We will have time to go back and do an after-action report, but the time right now is to look at what the enormous tasks ahead are," Michael Chertoff, the secretary of Homeland Security, said on "Meet the Press" on NBC.
One Republican with knowledge of the effort said that Mr. Rove had told administration officials not to respond to Democratic attacks on Mr. Bush's handling of the hurricane in the belief that the president was in a weak moment and that the administration should not appear to be seen now as being blatantly political. As with others in the party, this Republican would discuss the deliberations only on condition of anonymity because of keen White House sensitivity about how the administration and its strategy would be perceived.
In a reflection of what has long been a hallmark of Mr. Rove's tough political style, the administration is also working to shift the blame away from the White House and toward officials of New Orleans and Louisiana who, as it happens, are Democrats.
"The way that emergency operations act under the law is the responsibility and the power, the authority, to order an evacuation rests with state and local officials," Mr. Chertoff said in his television interview. "The federal government comes in and supports those officials."
That line of argument was echoed throughout the day, in harsher language, by Republicans reflecting the White House line.
In interviews, these Republicans said that the normally nimble White House political operation had fallen short in part because the president and his aides were scattered outside Washington on vacation, leaving no one obviously in charge at a time of great disruption. Mr. Rove and Mr. Bush were in Texas, while Vice President Dick Cheney was at his Wyoming ranch.
Mr. Bush's communications director, Nicolle Devenish, was married this weekend in Greece, and a number of Mr. Bush's political advisers - including Ken Mehlman, the Republican National Committee chairman - attended the wedding.
Ms. Rice did not return to Washington until Thursday, after she was spotted at a Broadway show and shopping for shoes, an image that Republicans said buttressed the notion of a White House unconcerned with tragedy.
These officials said that Mr. Bush and his political aides rapidly changed course in what they acknowledged was a belated realization of the situation's political ramifications. As is common when this White House confronts a serious problem, management was quickly taken over by Mr. Rove and a group of associates including Mr. Bartlett. Neither man responded to requests for comment.
White House advisers said that Mr. Bush expressed alarm after his return to Washington from the Gulf Coast.
One senior White House official said that Mr. Bush appeared at a senior staff meeting in the Situation Room on Friday and called the results on the ground "unacceptable." At the encouragement of Mr. Bartlett, officials said, he repeated the comment later in the Rose Garden, the start of this campaign.
-----
To check out the article on the NY Times site (requires registration) check it out H ERE
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