Where Do The Children Play
Well I think it’s fine, building jumbo planes.
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train.
Switch on summer from a slot machine.
Get what you want to if you want, ’cause you can get anything.
I know we’ve come a long way,
We’re changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?
Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass.
For your lorryloads pumping petrol gas.
And you make them long, and you make them tough.
But they just go on and on, and it seems you can’t get off.
Oh, I know we’ve come a long way,
We’re changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?
When you crack the sky, scrapers fill the air.
Will you keep on building higher
’til there’s no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?
I know we’ve come a long way,
We’re changing day to day,
But tell me, where do the children play?
— Cat Stevens
I just found it poignant that I should run into these kids on the day I blogged about football in the Philippines. Sam and I were walking to the bus stop this morning on the way to work, and there were these kids in the street with a football. There was this one kid, a boy, on one side and the rest of them, a girl and two smaller kids, on the other side, and they would kick the ball to each other, and sometimes the ball would roll into a canal but that didn’t worry them because they had a rag on the sidewalk that they used to wipe the slime off and play again, kicking the ball back and forth until it would end up in the canal againd and they’d wipe it off and start all over again . . .
Weekend Bloghopping
UPDATED! Sam blogs the 87th anniversary of the Order of Demolay. Gelay writes about the myriad uses of her iRiver (ibang klaseng iPod at mas astig as far as I can see). Myke Obenieta says that Lea Salonga says Nora Aunor is a genius, and I agree, even if I had always been a Vilmanian. Christine has great pictures and stories of friends and places in Singapore, while tiborce writes his take on Brokeback Mountain. Blogging sis Mari leads almost a double life as gorgeous working stiff by day and UP masteral student at night, with he he Heath Ledger at her side. BugsyBee essays into the hilarious but oh-so-true Pinoy trait of calling things by their brand names. My favorite beat reporter Jove Francisco talks about the dresscode in that big house by the river. The catterpillar blames Pablo Neruda. Father ubergeek Stephen Cuyos unveils his new blog OpenSource for Non-Geeks. Brian at redbaks just made “uto” to me again (and probably quite a few others too, go on and click and don’t say I didn’t warn you). One of my favorite photoblogs yields his ever-remarkable shots. And my economist friend has made the same move I did early this month, and although his spot is still closed I would like to welcome divergentpoles.com to bayanhost. May our tribe increase.
Justicia (one of the fabulous women in Christine’s pics above) briskwalks through Bukit Timah. Gigi relates an episode in her touchingly emotional past. Blogging sis Mec not only relates her weekend in Cagayan with hubby, but has also created a good guide for someone who may want to go on a similar trip. Blogging friend Rina has gone abroad looking forward to a lot of things as well as missing a lot of things. Friend Ralph, as always, manages to bring a childhood episode to vivid life. Schatzli tells us a little about the General Strike in Greece, and you may want to check out the really clever action gifs over at the yosigirl’s blog.
Photographer Benjie plays with a relic from his profession and gets sniffed at by his precocious daughter. All graphics artists should check out this post by graphics guru Norman Nimer about the PhilWeavers Murder by Design Conference. PinayExpat Ruth at Transposable Element muses about what the Philippines has become, and the comments are interesting too. PradaMama writes about a harrowing experience about a vicious black dog in a green Dodge Neon. Musician/lawyer Punzi postpones panicking to after a niece’s graduation.
Ronallan posts photos on the World TB Day celebration at the Quezon Memorial Circle. I didn’t even know it was world TB day, thanks Ronallan. One of my earliest blogging idols Appasionata waxes literary with her inimitable literary flair. Sachiko San provides me with a model on how I can get over this semi-depression I seem to be in, she’s come out fabulous in the end. SuperMom Sepik Mom tells us what her kids are in this summer, and how she herself is enjoying it! Teacher Sol poses the important question of how safe is it for kids to be doing research on the internet. Luchie shows us the real cool view outside her bedroom window, although she herself is sick with tonsilitis (Get Well Soon, Luchie!) and she has quite a few interesting things down the page as well.
If you know someone who has recently gone, or is going to an interview, ask them to read (a MUST READ! in fact) the Dutched Pinay’s Strange Interviews post. I learned quite a few things there, both as someone who interviews potential employees and may on occassion be the interviewee as well. The JSpot recommends Funchain, which I am checking out at this very moment. Hmmm, it looks very much like blogger… as a matter of fact it looks like blogger and friendster combined. Very interesting. You might want to check it out yourself.
ZJ narrates the trials and tribulations of being a community worker in Cambodia; ZJ is one of the people I tip my hat to, I can only dream about the life that she is living now. You can read more about ZJ and the work she is doing here. Sprint Communications just gave Kevin Lim a FREE Samsung A920 cellphone with unlimited phone and data services (free for 6 months), and he’s got a quick review on his blog. Schatzli in her other blog Wanderlust Sha posts her perfect shots of Greek sidewalk stalls. Bingskee warms us from her new stone on wordpress.com, eloquently pointing out the pitfalls of envy.
If you’re into horror and suspense movies, check out one of Wats0n’s recent posts. It’s enough to make your hair stand on end. Major Tom writes about an entirely different horror story, that of Garci doing the twist. Toni is among the growing number of bloggers redecorating their sites, her Wifely Steps now bears a spanking new theme, and one of her recent posts is about Cafe Lupe which I have promised myself to visit real soon! And Yuga, as always, has quite a number of tips on how you can promote your blog, in thought, in word and in deed.
Next weekend I’ll be hopping on to the House Recommendees.
Into A New Neighborhood
![[Blue Fish Network]](http://bluefishnetwork.co.uk/network/images/bluefishlogosmall.gif "[Blue Fish Network]")
I am so proud to have been admitted into the [Blue Fish Network], a UK-based, internationally-welcoming network of niche web sites and blogs outside the mainstream media. In it live some of the warmest people on the internet (You can check out their sites listed under the [Blue Fish Network] logo on the sidebar), and it is one of the few networks that are not supported by advertisements, which is probably what I like best about it. Many thanks to Andy Merrett for taking me in, and J-Spotter Angelo Racoma for the idea. Read more
At last! 15/hr Internet
It’s full of kids playing online games, and although the sign at the entrance says they open at 8am, it was well over 10am before they unlocked the front door. But at least the gaming computers have headsets attached to them, so I don’t get bombarded by gaming chaos while I’m blogging, so it’s actually better than the 25/hr cafe I was in at the mall at Tambo. I could turn into a regular here. They have 10 units, some with webcams and all with headsets, and the aircon is at a tolerable coolness.
Just a few days ago there was a big fire at the back of this place, which is the talipapa or mini wet market, a blaze big enough to warrant the presence of more than 10 firetrucks from voluntary firefighters coming from as far as Quezon City. The streets here are so narrow the other firetrucks had trouble placing themselves at a useful distance from the fire, and it raged for the better part of the afternoon before it was contained. A few people had been hurt and were taken away by a number of ambulances, and I hear one person died in the fire. A few shanties were hit, there was the confusion of a hurried evacuation of residents, but by five in the afternoon, the periphery looked like nothing untoward had happened. Put that to the hardiness of the Pinoy psyche; life goes on and so does everything that is associated with earning a living.
And so this internet cafe, as well as two others nearby, is back in business. And, for all intents and purposes (and some good timing), so am I.
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