It's funny how everytime I go to the Philippines I get smacked in the head with American pop culture, and sometimes just about the worst of it. First stop from the airport, as always: one of the three or four Starbucks cafes (actually, more like five or six) between the airport and my little hometown in the boonies. That Gwen Stefani song is playing everywhere, and there are big posters of Maroon Fucking Five at the single Odyssey in Los Banos.
The Asian edition of Time this week seems to be prominently displayed in bookstores all over Manila, since it has a Filipina -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose credibility took an even bigger blow in recent days with louder calls for her resignation -- on the cover. The headline, in large capital letters, reads:
"THE LORD PUT ME HERE"In case you are reminded of her Texan crony who was similarly fingered by God, the actual context of the quotation is a little more benign, and so the cover is somewhat misleading:
"I am the agent of change," she told Time in an interview last week. "I wish to be remembered as the one who made the tough decisions to turn the economy around, to get its act together ... Maybe that's why the Lord put me here at this time."Supposedly the people put her there, but even that's in question.
Otherwise I'm in a jetlag daze, as usual: Izzy and I woke up at 3 this morning, and I'm unsuccessfully scheduling my interviews (though I have one on Sunday). It also marks The Hunt For Paolo Manalo's Jolography, Part Two, and I already came up empty-handed at a National Book Store in Sta. Mesa. (Though I did find a reprint of Nick Joaquin's unfootnoted coffee table book A Question of Heroes, and Angelo Suarez's Else It Was Purely Girls, which I'm looking forward to reading.) I'm just too lazy to go to Diliman (though UP Press did put my book out, so maybe I get some sort of discount?).
you picked a great time to come home :)
Posted by: mlq3 on June 10, 2005 09:55 PMcan you please post more of your impressions about elbi? i miss it so. thanks!
hope you enjoy your stay there.
Posted by: mafs on June 13, 2005 08:41 AMthere are three copies of Jolography at National Main Branch in cubao, just beside Gateway mall. four copies actually, but i just bought one. :) or try UP Balay kalinaw (UP Press)
Posted by: gitz on June 13, 2005 08:42 PMsunny! omg i've finally gotten my copy of jolography, which i ordered from abebooks.com which then hooked me up with a bookstore in coimbatore, india! yes!
Posted by: barb on June 14, 2005 02:47 PMMLQ: Yup.
Mafs: Tahimik pa rin ang LB. =)
Gitz: I'm there!
Barb: India?