Nowhere is paradise

I know the Philippines quite well. Its people are so friendly and it has many tropical paradises. Still there is the corruption, the violence, the poverty, the natural disasters. These all take their toll. The place is falling apart and chaotic. Yet it shouldn't be like this as it has so much going for it. Its people are young and creative and capable. You can blame the corruption and other evils at play but that is not the whole story. Filipinos can blame their colonial history, outside forces and powers but just to do that is not to take responsibility and move forward.

It strikes me that people here and elsewhere in this part of the world just do not face the tough issues and do not have the staying power to focus on the hard work of righting issues and situations. That is my experience and take.

I have also experienced personally three times an arrogance amongst Filipinos. It came out each time within a relationship and in quite a strong way. So it does not just arise in everyday conversation but is expressed when there is already some trust or where you are known well enough. I think that the arrogance is a key to why the Philippines does so poorly.

Well, after yesterday, I had my fourth experience of Filipino arrogance. Once again, it was a one on one experience and was within a context of a relationship. The arrogance says that I am better as a Filipino and acts against any real engagement.

That speaks of the whole interpersonal dynamic in this place. They are lovely people but it is difficult to engage them at a deeper level or a real level. That is what the experience of trying to dialogue on issues and life at a deeper level is like here. In not meeting at the deeper level to discuss issues or the messy part of life, one does not enter into dialogue, there is no engagement and issues are not faced. For me, I just go away frustrated and feeling miffed.

Maybe that is what happens at the social level. There is just no real needed engagement occurring and so issues are not faced. Then the mess and the chaos just continue and get worse. Just my take, as I said before. The bottom line is that nowhere is perfect and we all have our other side - even me.