If I were a rich man…

All day long I’d bidee-bidee-bum..

I’ve tasked myself to watch, as many as possible, film adaptations of popular broadway musicals. My friends and I started off with one of the biggest and winningest and first in US history— the much-loved Fiddler on the Roof.

I guess my praises for the film/musical is like putting sand in the beach. But allow me to write what I like about it:

1) Fiddler on the Roof – the title itself speaks for many of us struggling to earn a decent a living, trying to save a few pennies to enjoy simple luxuries in this seemingly unfair world. If struggling is already difficult in itself, why add ‘playing beautiful music’ to your mountain of troubles? I guess that’s where the beauty lies. That we are called not just to survive, but to play rich music. While risking our life and limbs.

2) If I were a rich man… Ahhh, I can never nor will i ever remove this simple aspiration from my being. Who hasn’t dreamed of becoming rich? Or just a teeny weeny better off than one’s present condition? We all know Tevye’s litany of what-ifs, but what I like most is when he wishes to be rich so that he could have time to read the good old book, the Old Testament. Ayyyayaay…

3) Lets drink to whatever comes! Remember the scene in the bar when Lazer Wolf treated the whole house  because he though he could marry Tevye’s oldest, Tzeitel? The loyal clients  were wishing Lazer Wolf: And may your future be brighter ones, not like our present ones! and another one “and if your good fortune never comes, here’s to whatever comes!” This is very Filipino! Drinking all your concerns away!

4) Where your heart is, you’re (at) home! The scene where Tevye and his second eldest, were waiting for the train to Siberia was really endearing. Tevye couldnt understand why her daughter will leave the family to visit (and stay close to) her student-communist boyfriend imprisoned in stone cold Siberia. It is love, she replies. It is love that makes a person leave her home, and it is home when and where there is love. Deep, no?

5) To end I can never forget Tevye’s personal relationship with God. He was praying to God, complaining to HIm, joking with Him, wishing Him for a few things… Amazing! and Tevye’s is not even educated. Well perjhaps that’s the reason he’s close to God, hehe.

Anyway, those are my two cents. Enjoy the film or musical if you can see it. But honestly, if you were rich, filthy rich, what would you do?

Little Ways to Help the Environment

(LUIS LIWANAG/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

The city of Manila, among the 5 most populated cities in the world, faces constant floods during the rainy season as it lies below sea level. Drainage in residential areas and roads are small and often get clogged by garbage and free plastic bags.

Hence, why not make plastic bags more expensive to discourage their use? Ireland is getting the most accolade for reportedly eliminating 90% of its use and raising millions in revenues. Shoppers are encouraged to use reusable shopping bags (probably of cloth).

Major cities are following suit. Bombay, Taiwan, Singapore, and Bangladesh, to name a few. And because of this, demand for Bangladesh-made jute bags is skyrocketing. Whoa! Talk about market rewards for good behavior.

But I think more than the economic incentives, its the positive change in social habits that is more remarkable. In Ireland, Dubliners sort of ‘look down’ on you if you carry plastic shopping bags. National shame on you?

It’s high time Filipino/Manila lawmakers follow the same path. Charge plastic bags, in major supermarkets, bookstores, etc. This is a best way to reduce a top source of solid waste clogging water arteries in Manila.

Hungry for Leaders? FEAD the youth

I’m part of this innovative (and very tiring) leadership program for incoming college freshmen sponsored by the Foundation for East Asian Development (or FEAD). Early last month they took the grueling entrance tests in UA&P, followed by a more grueling panel interview (done by yours truly and another hilarious guy named Hans). It was a torture for some of them and we had to let those go. Sayang naman. But I learned a lot from their answers.

What impressed me most is that these kids (omg, they’re almost my sons!) are highly driven and they want to accomplish things. They are tech-savvy,  they love the internet and social websites, and a good number of them pray. They want to have clean fun and they want to change society for the better.

Wow. When I entered Diliman I just thought about what books to borrow and where to eat. Long live Idealism! I hope we could ’satisfy’ their cravings for leadership.