To my new President: My humble message for P. Noy

Dear P. Noy,

Congratulations! Yesterday you were sworn in as our country's 15th president. I cannot even begin to imagine how that must feel like. I think for a person to voluntarily subject him/herself to such immense duty and power, one must be extremely ambitious or delusional or compassionate or greedy or selfless - or an incomprehensible mixture of all of the above. But as they always say - it's a dirty job... and thank God some people actually want to do it!

Today, as you were getting ready for your inauguration, my family and I left home early to travel to Tanauan, Batangas and visit the Mabini Shrine. You see, my family are descendants of the Sublime Paralytic, and it felt like an appropriate time to pay homage to another great Filipino who paved the way for the democracy that we are enjoying now. As I stood before his tomb, I thought: What would our forefathers say if they saw the joke that we have turned this country into? How would they feel if they discover all those lives lost fighting our colonizers were lost so that we could steal from and deceive fellow Filipinos? I know you might have this at the back of your mind too, having lost your parents they way you did. But here before you is a chance to correct this; I hope you seize it, and make the most of it as you possibly can.

P. Noy, I did not vote for you. And while I believed that there is someone else out there more competent for the job, I watched in awe as the nation came together and rallied behind you. And this, I see, is your greatest gift. We have had many different kinds of presidents but none who seem to be quite as well-loved as you; you have inspired a hope in the Filipino people that, at least for the time being, caused many a kababayan to turn a blind eye to the obvious signs of our inefficiencies. That hope, quite honestly, should have already been gone considering years of our motherland's painfully slow progress and the suffering that many of our countrymen endure everyday from living in such a disorganized nation. I can understand how that hope has been replaced by apathy and a society that is often unimpressed with grand promises of a better tomorrow - we have seen far too many of those broken. But today, seeing the outpouring of support during your inauguration, I hope you can recognize just how desperate we are for good governance and how badly we need you to step up to the plate -- not after your first 100 days, not after the first half of your term -- but starting today, your first day as the President, and every single day hence.

I am sure many Filipinos feel and believe with all their heart that YOU are the answer. That YOU will change everything. Right now, you have the love of our people and with that, you can do no wrong. Not to point out the obvious, but yes, the country eagerly awaits for you to use this love and support well, to show them that they chose the right person to put in power. All eyes are on you and for once we actually care more for what you have to say than what your sister has to say. That is rare, and it might not last long, so you really need to get a move on.

P. Noy, I believe there is a group out there who are in-between; they are neutral Filipinos who, while they do not outright disparage or ridicule you, they are also not your most staunch or devoted of supporters. I belong to that group. We are a group that remains to be convinced, and quite frankly, we would love to be proven wrong. We would love to be shown that there never was any need to doubt you, Mr. President; that all your plans can be done and that you will do it.

I sincerely look forward to being proven wrong, because when that happens, P. Noy, it would mean that you have succeeded in pushing this country forward.

For now, I promise to be a good citizen; to not be a hindrance but an enabler for our country's development. And yes, you can expect me to send my OFW dollars back home. But I'm watching you. We all are.

With best regards and a whole lot of well wishes,
Teng

Hong Kong Chronicles: Day One

It's day one in Hong Kong, and what a day it has been. First item on the schedule was to unpack and clear what little space I have in my "home" for the next two months: a studio unit at The V right in the heart of Causeway Bay. And yes, I put "home" in quotation marks because it is barely the size of my bedroom in Beijing. The bed is next to the kitchen which is next to the closet which is next to the bathroom -- all these packed in a tiny little box of a room over looking a busy road right down the street from Sogo department store. Times Square is also only a 5-minute walk; that is, if you do not pause to enter a shop or buy something along the way, which is a virtual impossibility.

My room is not small; it is tiny. And for a homebody like me, I found the prospect of living here for the next couple of months quite daunting. I enjoy big spaces; a place I can call my own, where I can move around, hence the size of my previous apartments in Beijing. So as I lay on my bed contemplating these thoughts, I suddenly felt claustrophobic. I found it hard to breath and felt like I was having a panic attack. I couldn't even walk to clear my head, because three steps from the bed is the door, right outside is a narrow hall, and right downstairs was a crowded street, a normal occurrence for Hong Kong. So I laid there, closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and tried to calm myself (thanks Jaim for talking me through that!).

I had to step out, and so I found myself headed towards Times Square. I'll pick up some necessities from the supermarket, I thought to myself. As I passed the shops along the way, I started to relax. I realized I'm just going to have to get used to the fast pace of this city. I guess this is coming as a shock to me because of the relative laid-back environment that I came from. Life in Beijing seemed five times slower than here, and so I just need to step it up.

I lost myself in the crowd, all the stuff on display, the sights and smells of street foods, all the things on sale. I soon forgot my anxiety and found myself settling a little, realizing how and why shopping has become a way of life not only for those who visit this city, but even those who live here. I know this will be controversial but let me say it: shopping is therapeutic. When you buy something -- there is that moment where 'that thing you wanted' turns into 'that thing you own', and it gives you a feeling of control. And at a time when I was feeling like a fish out of water, that feeling of control was gold.

I know fully well that this is not sustainable. I can't go on a shopping spree every time I feel uncomfortable or stressed; specially not while I'm here, as you can buy anything and everything in Hong Kong, and oftentimes it will be a steal, and that's how you justify it. But let's just say that today, as my Tita Cynthia put it, shopping was a 'quick fix for my boo-hoos.'

Papa was also quick to pull me back to reality. As soon as I stepped back into my room, my mobile phone was ringing and Papa's words were, "O, magdahan-dahan ka. Wag masyado gumastos." I swear, that guy is psychic. Either that, or he knows me too well.

But now it's time to get ready for the actual reason I'm here. Tomorrow will be my first day working in the Hong Kong office. I just know it's going to be different - a good kind of different. Maybe tougher and more challenging, but that's how we grow, right? So I'm going to try to get to bed early, prepare myself both mentally and physically for the start of a new chapter.

A day after arriving, I have a feeling mine will be a gradual transition into the beat of this new city. Hong Kong's slogan is "Live it, love it!" -- I have yet to go through the first part, but I am sure the last part will come, all in due time.

And in the meantime, I've got my purchases to cheer me up. :)