Today is Tuesday, Feb. 24th, 2009 and it is now 3:48 AM here in the Philippines.
Music wise, when I rushed back to Israel for the 2006 War, this song was blowing up all over NYC, "Suga Suga" by Baby Bash and Frankie J. Bash is not really my cup of ta but Frnkie J can sing his ass off and this song has a tight beat so...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYFKZPLAxdI
The second song is one that I had linked to on my BL Journal, but as I have said before, since those Journals are history i might as well recycle some of my favourite songs, as I listen to them again anyway. Jean is a pseudonymed Puerto Rican singer who grew up in Miami, Florida and usually sings in Spanish.
Indeed, once I was watching him in an interview, in Spanish, and the kid could hardly follow what was being said and when he was able to answer it was in Spanish that sounded llike a typical American accent. Grammar all wrong, etc.
However, he certainly redeems himself with this catchy song!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6szDIy6SUs
I have been reading, thanks to a mate in Israel, the controversial (or so the author had hoped) book by former US President Jimmy Carter: "Peace not Apartheid."
Carter was, is and apparently always will be a bloodt fool. He says absolutely nothing new or innovative in the book and clearly only useed the term "Apartheid" for its shock value and that to me is cheap and almost unforgivable.
"Apartheid" of course is the South African ideology based on the Christian Bible, and calls for strict separation of the races. Using it with relation to Israel is asinine. Not only are Arabs and Jews the same exact race, we are the same sub-grouping!!! Not to mention the fact that 20% of our own population is Arab!!!
As usual he tells us about his deep Christian beliefs and how disturbed he was when he took a junket to Israel in 73, a few months before the 73 War. It was his first trip to the region and e had expected to see a deeply religious nation (in Israel). This is how ignorant he was! Just 4 years before leading America!
I could pick apart the book but safe to say it was a total waste of time.
I am planning to head up to Cebu very soon. Rizza will be having her spring Break soon, and we will be back here but we have been apart for a good while now and she is getting antsy about it, as usual. She is desperate to have children, and while I understand it, things have required me to be here lately. I do no0 feel like going to Cebu but with the war pushed back away from us for a while, now is probablly the best time and after all, we will be coming back here soon.
I will probablly go with Dad via the ferry. He has not been back to Cebu since his mum died about 3 months ago. He usually goes atleast nce a month for a few days. He is a great son, typically Filipino in that regard. All the ethnicities and tribes here are similar in this regard.
Family is first and yet they are usually affected by disagreements that can develop into actual blood feuds,, "Rido" as they are known. We are in one as I have mentioned. Mom's elder brother Allan, or "Uncle Asshole" as i usually call him.
The last violence in ours was just after Xmas when a 2nd cousin was shot to death over it but the AFP (army) offencive against the NPA had calmed those waters quickly. Nothing makes families unite quicker than outsiders trying to encroach.
As we say in the Mid-East, "Me against my brother, my bother and I against the family, the family and I against the clan, the clan and I against the tribe, the tribe and I against the world." Pretty much true here as well. I suspect it might be the same in all tribal societies.
With the temporary peace in our valley, I am sure the Rido will flare up once more.
On Cebu, I will be heading back to the town of Danao, amongst other places. Danao is well known as the place to go to get blackmarket weaponry here. It reminds me in many ways, of NW Frontier Province in Pakistan near the Afghan border.
I had gone to Peshawar when in my early 20s. NW Province is off limits to non-residents, and while some of them can come and go at will given the right Baksheesh (brines), foreigners such as myself are verboten, no ifs, ands or buts.
I managed to call in a favour and got a permit, for 24 hours. We went to the Smugglers' Bazaar. for the Yanks, picture a "swap meet" or "flea market" where virtuallyall sellers are dealing drugs and weapons in total openess.
You would be dragged by the hand into a little store front, seaten, given sweet hot tea, and engaged in pleasentries and then they would offer generous samples of their wares. There are 6 types of heroin that I saw, every grade of cannabis and hasish, and so on.
What was so fascinating for me though, was that the gunsmithies. Working off a simple magazine photo they could fashion perfectly working firearms of any type!
Danao has no drugs market but it sure has gunsmithies. the Govt. tried to control them by allowing them to band together, form a coop and sell their goods under a taxation and permit system. Problem though was that aside from business dropping in a huge way (after all it is far simpler, if a bit more expensive to go to the mall and buy your pistol there (unless you needed an assault rifle which is difficult to arrange legally here).
So, while a few are above board, most are under the table. They can make anything you want. I ALLEGEDLY received 4 AKs last week, finally. the smuggling here is difficult for buyers so you have to wait for their sellers to deliver, for an added fee of course.
he AKs are perfect, I will photograph them soon enough I imagine. However, I wish to get a few more tools, we will see.
I have to go to Dad's father's home in their hometown of Compostela (not to be confused with Compostela on Mindanao). I love the "El Camino" resort there, even though it is flooded with Korean tourists. The food is great, and it is the only place I have found south of Luzon that has the breed of bananas that Westerns love so much.
I will not get into botanical terminology but the Philippine varieties are of a much different taste. They tast, to me, like apples! Over the years of coming here I never learned to like them but since moving here full time I have learned to ove them! HeY! ALOT better than dog or fruit bat, right?
El Dorado's prices are great, luxurious surroundings, a great place to spend time. If anyone reading ever plans on coming to the Philippines, consider that resort. When you hear the word "resort" here you better keep walking, nothing at all like Westerns imagine it, bu El Dorado is fantastic.
Onto Blood and Guts...
Sadly, the ICRC (Red Cross/Red Crescent) has announced that they are leaving Mindanao because their 3 workers are still in captivity having been kidnapped on Jolo, by Abu Sayyaf. they are being held by the faction led by Kumander Albader Parad.
ASG (A. Sayyaf) is presently, officially, holding 11 people but that means they are most likely holding several dozen given the fact that most do not want it publicised for various reasons.
The 3 teachers who were taking boat int Zamboanga were kidnapped at sea by ASG are still held , deep in the bush of Basilan. they are being heald by the faction led by Kumander (Commander) K Puruji Indama, and are being sighted in the mountains above the village of Tuburan.
On Friday, a "Chinoy" (Chinese Pinoy, "Pinoy" being the word for Filipino), or as we say in Bisaya "Tsinoy businessman was taken, with his daughter as they were entering their home. the daughter though is 10 years old. Late last night they were released in Maguindanao Province after their famly paid the ransom of several million Pesos. Just to give you an idea, 1 Pesos equals between 41 and 53 Pesos, usually holding around 44 these days. It has not been above 50 si9nce the summer of 2007.
Also taken Friday, but still being held, is a Sri Lankan man working for the NGO "Non-Violent Peace Force." He was taken from the home his organisation was renting in Lamitan, the capital on Basilan.
Other than kidnapping, ASG's last engagement of note was on 2/9 whe n hey mortared (81 MM) the 3rd Marine (Philippines) Battalion in Barangay Busbus on Jolo. Thereis no word on combatant deaths but 8 civlians did die in that terrible affair.
I will continue shortly, in another entry...
