DIGNITY IN MISERY: A JAPANESE LESSON

It is said in times of crisis and tragedy, great men emerge and the best human minds help shape the destiny of nations.
National Heroes Jose P.Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini and et al were all products of an oppressive colonial period.
In modern times, the late senator Benigno “Ninoy“ Aquino became the rallying point during the 20-year dark period of the Marcos martial rule.
His assassination triggered an indignant people to rise in peaceful revolt to cause the downfall of the dictator.
EDSA I had made the Filipino people heroes that is now being emulated in many parts of the globe…in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain and more recently Libya.
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DIGNITY AMID RUINS AND CATASTROPHE: Aside from political upheavals, natural calamities and disasters also put to test people’s resolve and courage.
I have only the deepest admiration and respect for the people of Japan in the aftermath of the destructive and massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Stories and images abound of the Japanese people’s behavior and composure during their pain and sufferings.
In the face of hunger, mass confusion and chaos, they have maintained a strict sense of discipline, a valuable trait for which the Japanese is well known and should be a lesson for everyone.
Stores and establishments were never looted although the merchandises are there unattended and ready for the picking.
Japanese hotels and innkeepers for instance, refused to accept payments for lodgings specially from foreigners, according to some journalists that
cover the disaster.
Surprisingly too, We were touched by reports that Japanese men married to Filipinas opted to remain in Fukushima prefecture to help in containing a damaged nuclear reactor in danger of having a melt down.
They instead sent their wives and children to safer areas like Tokyo away from threats of radioactive contamination while they themselves are facing great risk.
These and many accounts of everyday “heroic acts“ by the Japanese
have earned them greater understanding from the world at large.
Before March 11, most of us knew of Japan or the Japanese people
as “ an economic animal“ interested only in selling cars, sushi,
cameras, TV, Nintendos and other high-tech gadgets.
The great temblor and tsunami of March 11,perhaps have taught us the real
meaning of honor, respect and most of all national discipline.
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Has it ever occur to you had the Philippines been colonized by the Japanese and not by the Spaniards or the Americans?
I was thinking aloud, if this had happened, maybe there would be neither corruption nor cheating in elections. Or Marcos would have not declared martial rule to prolong his presidency or the military generals would still be living a simple and honorable lifestyle.
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RAGTAG LIBYANS: The Libyan rebels challenging strongman Moammar
Gaddafi in the almost month-long uprising deserves all the help of the United States and other coalition nations.
If these ragtag armies are overrun by Gaddafi’s loyalist army, there will be
an unprecedented and brutal massacre of thousands of innocent civilians
who will be victims of Gaddafi’s vengeance.
Gaddafi’s history of violence not only among his own people but to others abroad is well known and documented.
In one of his mad rants, he spoke of erasing Switzerland from the map of Europe after one of his sons had a run in with the Swiss police and authorities.
One of Gaddafi’s daughter, by the way, used to be married to the equally
brutal African dictator the late Idi Amin of Uganda who is also known as the
“Butcher “ for ordering the mass slaughter of a tribal group and other people
opposed to his regime.
In the Philippines, the Libyan dictator also helped “fueled a number of Islamist and communist groups “ .
Gaddafi also helped financed the cruel Abu Sayaff Muslim bandit group
by paying the ransom of kidnap victims held by the group in the early 1990s
in Mindanao. Smart and sly, Gaddafi “shot down two birds with one stone “because in paying the almost $8.5 million ransom to the Abu Setoff, his image was boosted to the Western world who considers him a “pariah “and of course the gratitude of the Philippine government.
But in so doing, he injected fresh funds to the finances of the Abu Sayaff
to buy more arms to carry out their terror activities.
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FIRST BITE ! With a chop on the breastbone of a newly fried chicken,
Philippine Ambassador to Canada Minerva Falcon officially opened the first
Canadian franchise of a popular Filipino restaurant here in Canada, or
to be exact in the city of Vaughn last March 19 at the Steeles and Dufferin area.
Iconic Max’s chicken of Manila opened its doors to the Filipino community and Canadians as well , marking a first in the community’s restaurant business.
It took a six figure amount and months of market research according to Pidoy Pacis, well known Fil-Canadian businessman who is backstopping his
son Clyde in running the first ever grand restaurant owned by a Filipino-Canadian.
Clyde, who broached the idea of putting up a fine dining restaurant as against an equally very popular fast food hamburger chain from the Philippines, manages the Max of Manila (Canada franchise).
And perhaps, Clyde was right on the money because since its soft opening early this year, the resto is besieged by eager diners many of them
aching for the taste that they left back home..which is a plain, simple and
no frills honest to goodness fried chicken, moist but crispy.