March 29th was a big day here, it was the 42nd Birthday of the NPA, or "New People's Army." Founded in Tarlac, a province on Central Luzon it didn't spread south to. Mindanao until 1973. Today Mindanao, specifically the mountains where I live, is the heart of the NPA Insurgency.
The group functions as the armed wing of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines). The CPP was founded, officially, a year before the armed wing and is the handiwork of Jose Maria Sison, aka "Joma." Joma was a Poli Sci Professor at UP (University of the Philippines, the nation's top university).
A Maoist, he is so far up his own ass that Mao himself falls short of the "ideal." While my town, San Francisco, isn't directly effected by the NPA every town around us is under the NPA's parallel government.
Luckily for me, the NPA no longer targets foreigners. There are not many white faces here and those few that do appear aren't seen for long. Until the late 1990s the NPA specifically targeted Americans and owing to the Islamic Insurgents (MILF,MNLF-Misuari,MNLF-EC-15,MNLF-MM,BIFF and ASG/JI) I tend to use my American passport for identification. If I dared to use my Israeli, the one I actually travel on, the Muslims would trip over themselves trying to kidnap me. Which leads me to my next subject...
Yet another American has been kidnapped here. The city of Cagayan del Oro, or CDO, has a large expat comunity, or "large" by Mindanowan standards anyway. I don't like the town much, my eldest brother-in-law was working in a hospital there until he got his visa for the UK. He's in Manchester now, testing blood for the NHS, lucky him. I used to go there often enough even without my brother-in-law, Ariel, working there. Roads are not plemtiful here and so its a 12 hour trip by SUV to travel the 250 kilometers to the city. Still, it is Jackie's hometown as well as neing the military headquarters for my sector so anytime I had to deal with paramilitary issues I had to make the trip.
A 64 year old white guy from Ohio has disappeared leaving behind all his possessions. To show you how fucken stupid authorities here can be, the CDO Chief of Police is saying the guy simply slipped out on an unpaid hotel bill. Granted, 29,000 Pesos is very high (575 US) BUT the guy left everything including his cell phone and passport. What good is sneaking out when your stuck on Mindanao without a passport? You can't get it replaced unless you go to Manila and you cannot get to Manila unless you have a passport! It is a hellish experience if yours is lost or stolen but then that is why US citizens aren't supposed to be on the island (if you work for the US Govt. even as a postman you are forbidden by law to come here without written permission from your embassy. Other citizens are highly discouraged). Anyway, wherever the bloke is I hope he isn't suffering too much. There but for the grace...
Music wise I have been busy with the Amsterdam Acoustics weebsite. Basically its an "Unplugged" type of deal but so much better. You won't see LL Cool J rapping to bongos and maracas (thank G-D) but, for example I was just into The XX "Crystalised."
The XX are an English group, typical Emo-Goth kids but damn that song is in my head. If you aremt familiar with it forget the acoustic version, check out the studio version. The video is perfect. Before them I was watching Dead Confederate, the acoustic version of "Rat" is perfect.
Finally, Peter,Bjorn and John (I never get their names in proper order) have a new video up on Youtube of their appearance on the American late night show, "Conan." The song is "Second Try" and if you listen to the whole thing once you will probably not be able to get it out of your head for 3 days, at least I haven't been hahaha.
Joysa is begging me to go Luzon. It's been a month but I have been getting my does (female goats) and I inspect each one since I'm using them as breeding stock. I was invited to go boar hunting by Uncle Leo but there is no way I'm trekking in the bush in the middle of a tactical offencive by the army (began Jan. 10). My luck I'd be humming that Peter,Bjorn and John ditty as I stepped on a Claymore. What q stupid way to die, especially since I don't eat boar.
The group functions as the armed wing of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines). The CPP was founded, officially, a year before the armed wing and is the handiwork of Jose Maria Sison, aka "Joma." Joma was a Poli Sci Professor at UP (University of the Philippines, the nation's top university).
A Maoist, he is so far up his own ass that Mao himself falls short of the "ideal." While my town, San Francisco, isn't directly effected by the NPA every town around us is under the NPA's parallel government.
Luckily for me, the NPA no longer targets foreigners. There are not many white faces here and those few that do appear aren't seen for long. Until the late 1990s the NPA specifically targeted Americans and owing to the Islamic Insurgents (MILF,MNLF-Misuari,MNLF-EC-15,MNLF-MM,BIFF and ASG/JI) I tend to use my American passport for identification. If I dared to use my Israeli, the one I actually travel on, the Muslims would trip over themselves trying to kidnap me. Which leads me to my next subject...
Yet another American has been kidnapped here. The city of Cagayan del Oro, or CDO, has a large expat comunity, or "large" by Mindanowan standards anyway. I don't like the town much, my eldest brother-in-law was working in a hospital there until he got his visa for the UK. He's in Manchester now, testing blood for the NHS, lucky him. I used to go there often enough even without my brother-in-law, Ariel, working there. Roads are not plemtiful here and so its a 12 hour trip by SUV to travel the 250 kilometers to the city. Still, it is Jackie's hometown as well as neing the military headquarters for my sector so anytime I had to deal with paramilitary issues I had to make the trip.
A 64 year old white guy from Ohio has disappeared leaving behind all his possessions. To show you how fucken stupid authorities here can be, the CDO Chief of Police is saying the guy simply slipped out on an unpaid hotel bill. Granted, 29,000 Pesos is very high (575 US) BUT the guy left everything including his cell phone and passport. What good is sneaking out when your stuck on Mindanao without a passport? You can't get it replaced unless you go to Manila and you cannot get to Manila unless you have a passport! It is a hellish experience if yours is lost or stolen but then that is why US citizens aren't supposed to be on the island (if you work for the US Govt. even as a postman you are forbidden by law to come here without written permission from your embassy. Other citizens are highly discouraged). Anyway, wherever the bloke is I hope he isn't suffering too much. There but for the grace...
Music wise I have been busy with the Amsterdam Acoustics weebsite. Basically its an "Unplugged" type of deal but so much better. You won't see LL Cool J rapping to bongos and maracas (thank G-D) but, for example I was just into The XX "Crystalised."
The XX are an English group, typical Emo-Goth kids but damn that song is in my head. If you aremt familiar with it forget the acoustic version, check out the studio version. The video is perfect. Before them I was watching Dead Confederate, the acoustic version of "Rat" is perfect.
Finally, Peter,Bjorn and John (I never get their names in proper order) have a new video up on Youtube of their appearance on the American late night show, "Conan." The song is "Second Try" and if you listen to the whole thing once you will probably not be able to get it out of your head for 3 days, at least I haven't been hahaha.
Joysa is begging me to go Luzon. It's been a month but I have been getting my does (female goats) and I inspect each one since I'm using them as breeding stock. I was invited to go boar hunting by Uncle Leo but there is no way I'm trekking in the bush in the middle of a tactical offencive by the army (began Jan. 10). My luck I'd be humming that Peter,Bjorn and John ditty as I stepped on a Claymore. What q stupid way to die, especially since I don't eat boar.
