By Nathan Allen

Single people ache for marriage

Married people, to be single

Poor people want the luxuries of the rich

The rich, the simplicity of the poor

Light skinned long for dark

Dark skinned long for light

The jobless hurt for work

The working despise the jobs they have

Young people can’t wait to age

While the old wish they could go back

It almost seems

There’s no point in longing

Perhaps the solution

Is to try to be more content

Where you ARE

And somehow

Not let it get in the way

Of where you’re GOING

– Nathan Allen

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Filipinos: Think, Think, THINK!!

-By Nathan Allen

When I was in the Philippines, a friend of mine said “Nathan, you think too much”.  Actually, I heard this from a few Filipinos.  Really?  I mean, I know I tend to analyze things, but “thinking too much” is precisely I how I dreamed up a way to (modestly) travel the country for a year – then write an in-depth article on Filipino culture (an article that Filipinos seem to really appreciate). 

Filipinos:  I am asking you to think MORE. 

Eleanor Roosevelt said “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”  Sadly, perhaps due to colonization and other factors (I’ll get to these later), the Philippines may have established itself as a country full of “small minds” – and by that I mean people that were intentionally discouraged from being ambitious, and kept from their potential.  Those in power wanted to keep it that way, and to some extent I believe it’s still the same today.  The masses (who I’m addressing in this letter) are encouraged to keep consuming products and stay focused on (and distracted by) trashy, mindless TV and gossip.  I’ve seen it happen in the US.  It’s good for the economy, but bad for the culture (it makes things easier for a government to manipulate its people and keep them powerless).

CONSUMERS AND COPYCATS

The Philippines seems to be a country full of consumers and copycats.  What do I mean by that?  Media consumption – TV, radio, and Internet…and it’s all designed to manipulate you one way or the other.  Encouraged through the media is shopping – you’ve got to have the latest shoes, bags, and phones.  Otherwise, your value in society isn’t very high. 

Just like in the US, it’s a very shallow, endless cycle of consumption, but Philippines, what are you producing?  What are you contributing to the world in terms of original literature, art, and music?   From what I’ve seen, I think you have a LOT to offer…

You are widely known to be some of the best cover-artists in the world.  You can recreate almost any song – sometimes even better than the original!  Pinoy vocalist Arnel Pineda becoming the lead singer of the iconic American band “Journey” is a good example of this.  You’re such gifted musicians and vocalists, and your grasp of the English language is impressive – so where are your own musical contributions?  I know you have some classic Filipino songs, but I’m talking about international hits (and Fil-Am artists don’t count). 

Filipinos, perhaps hundreds of years of colonization have left you holding back your talent…and feeling like you don’t have a “voice” to speak up with – that your opinions don’t matter, and have no value.  That is understandable (given your country’s repressive history), but we live in a different world now, and I hope you can begin to take the first few steps away from that oppressive colonial past.  The way I see it, for you, the sky is the limit.

LIFT YOURSELVES UP, BUT DON’T FORGET WHO YOU ARE

Now, with your growing economy, you are heading in the same direction as many wealthy western countries.  You are “modernizing”, and that appears to be a good thing.  Do you know what the irony is, though?  In our countries, the “higher standard of living” is not what you might think.  Most of you have plenty of quality “social time”.  The amount of time we have to reflect and enjoy life with friends and family is shockingly little.  Unlike most of yours, our families are broken and very disconnected.  In the “developed” world, we seem to be losing our humanity – we barely make eye contact when we’re out in public!  Your family-oriented culture and sense of connectedness is something that you REALLY have going for you in the Philippines. 

In our countries we work too much, are completely stressed out, and have countless new diseases and psychological disorders that I believe are popping up because of life in our hectic modern world.  A therapist is practically a requirement for life in any large American city.  Filipinos, do you even know what a therapist is?  No?  Good!    The point is, these disorders (just like therapists) are rare in the Philippines.  This seems to be the price we pay for being “advanced and developed” nations.  The point is, I do hope you can break free from this “colonial” mentality, but aside from that…

Filipinos: Don’t try to be more like us, try to be more like YOU.  I believe what the the world needs now is more you, not more us.

In my last article about Filipino culture, I mentioned how a few people in Manila seemed to be ashamed to speak Filipino with me.  I was saddened by that; I hoped they would be proud of their culture.  I got the impression that they admired me so much – just for being white!  When I would go through security anywhere in Manila, I was the only one who wouldn’t be searched.  I seemed to get a free pass, again, because I was white.  That was something I loved about Cebu and the Visayas…there, the security searched me just like everybody else.  It was fair.  In general, people down there weren’t impressed with my white skin.  If I was going to impress them, I would have to earn it.  They were proud, and I loved that.  I don’t mean to promote regionalism here; I just would love to see all Filipinos develop that sense of cultural pride. 

Truly the “Pearl Of The Orient Seas”

Filipinos (from north to south), please know that your culture and who you are is something unique and special in the world – something precious that’s rapidly disappearing, in fact.  Please don’t be afraid to be proud – I know you prefer to be modest, but I don’t believe pride and modesty have to be enemies.  I believe you can be proud without thinking or acting like you are better than others.  Be proud of your culture; your heritage.

Philippines, I hope soon you will become known for being more than just a friendly country with affordable opportunities for foreign-owned businesses.  My hope is that you will gain a reputation as a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs…as creators.  I have never seen so much talent be so under-utlilized.  With your stunning beaches and lush mountain provinces, you are also poised and ready to take the world’s tourism industry by storm.   However, your ecosystem is delicate, and it needs to be protected and preserved.  I’d love to see your country pave the way for environmentally-friendly tourism. That would be an innovative and much needed contribution to the world!

At the very least, I hope you can share the Filipino way of life with the rest of the world, because we could certainly learn a lot from it.

The “Crab Mentality” – Is It Helpful?

Please put an end to the “crab mentality” – lift each other up, don’t pull each other down.  If your country is ever going to rise up and share its treasures with the world, you will have to foster an environment of praise and support for your countrymen. 

Filipinos:  You are some of the most talented, soulful, and generous people I have ever encountered. Please know that you DO have a voice, that your ideas DO matter, and that your contributions (whether they be musical, artistic, or intellectual) WILL be felt. 

Believe it, and the rest of the world will, too. 

Oh!  One more thing.  If you work in government, do not EVER forget your responsibility to represent the PEOPLE – a people and a culture with a lot to offer the world.  YOU represent them on the world’s stage. Do NOT let them down. 

– Nathan Allen

* UPDATE * – I have explained exactly what I was doing in the PHL and responded to your comments in a follow-up post.  Please click HERE to read it!

The post A FOREIGN BLOGGER’S LETTER TO THE PHILIPPINES appeared first on I Dreamed Of This.

By Nathan Allen

December 29, 2014

Last night I saw a Facebook post by a media company I follow.  The headline read:

“10 Ways The World Will Get Worse in 2015”. 

It featured a very depressing black and white photo of factories pumping thick, toxic fumes into the air.  The quality of their articles had been getting worse and worse, and I was so bothered by this last one that I finally felt the need to unfollow them. 

Yes, news and media companies are there to inform us, but we must not forget that at the end of the day, they are in fact businesses.  These businesses make money by getting our attention, and often, they get our attention by shocking and scaring us.  Fear gets our attention faster than anything does.

I was disappointed that they put such horrible energy out into the world – just as people are about to dive headfirst into a hopeful new year.

So what are the media companies not telling us?  I have spent the last 4 years traveling among some of the poorest people in the world – and I have to tell you, I am actually very optimistic about our future.

I started thinking about the article I wished I read instead. 

Then I decided to

write that article.

So here you go. 

Here are many, MANY reasons the upcoming year should put a big smile on your face…

Why Today is the Best Time in Human History to be

 Alive…and Why Tomorrow is Even Better

In my short lifetime, the world has gone through a radical transformation. Due to incredible leaps in medicine, technology, and communication, the quality of life for just about everybody on the planet has improved – and faster than any other time in human history.

Have a Look at the Big Picture:

• Equality is on the rise – there’s no doubt about it.  On top of that, we live in one of the most tolerant and compassionate eras in human history.
  

• If you look back 50 years, the average person now makes three times as much money (factoring in inflation), and consumes 33% more calories.  Food production is at an all-time high.  
  

• Today, two-thirds less of our children die by the age of 5, and we live 33% longer as well.  These numbers are still climbing…
  

• Wind, solar, and hydro energy now make up 22% of the world’s electricity.  The air (as well as both fresh and saltwater sources) in the U.S. is becoming cleaner as well.

• Our ozone layer (the one with a giant hole in it) is expected to make a dramatic recovery by 2050.

• International travel is more accessible and affordable than ever. 
  

• In only the last 25 years, the number of people living in extreme poverty has been cut IN HALF. 
  

• The Philippines, a country once known as the struggling “Sick Man of Asia”, is projected to be one of the top economies in Asia by 2050. 

• Death rates from infectious diseases have plummeted.

In 2015, kids are growing up more intelligent & tolerant – in a world

 marked by more peace and freedom than ever before.

• While the media has hit an all time high for reporting crimes, actual crime itself has been steadily decreasing for the past 20 years.  Food for thought. 

• Though we still have progress to make, right now is quite probably the least dangerous and most peaceful era of human existence. 
  

• Yes, the wealthiest individuals keep getting richer, but the quality of life for the world’s poorest individuals has also risen dramatically. 

• We can now create our own opportunities.  We can use the Internet to expand our social circles, or master new skills – then create and market our own ideas and products.  

• When you look at the big picture, in general, the world is becoming more rational and humane.  Cruelty and torture are very much on the decline.

In 1850, only 10% of the world’s adult population could read

 or write.  Now, UNESCO estimates that number to be over 80%. 

Unbelievable progress.

It’s a changing world, and whether we realize it or not, things are going in a great direction.

Happy To Be Here, Now.

I used to wish I was born in a different era, but now realize just how lucky I was to experience life before and after the invention of the Internet.  I have perspective. 

When we needed information, we had to physically go to the library, and use this horrible thing called the Dewey Decimal System!  Haha. 

Now?  Wow.  What a time to be alive.  Anywhere, and at all times, we have instant access to seemingly endless amounts of information.  It’s hard to fathom just how convenient our lives have become!

My grandfather was born in 1911, in a small town in Arizona.  As a young boy, if somehow he was able to get his hands on an iphone 6, I think it would have made his head spin! 

Can you imagine how incredible an iphone 6 would be to

 somebody in 1920?

On this sleek, pocket-sized little screen, he could talk face-to-face with anybody – anywhere in the world.  After that, he could download – from thin air – any number of games, books, songs and videos with it. 

He could use it to take his own stunning photos and videos, and send them to Australia – instantly. He would be shocked to learn that this phone could joke and interact with him, and even track and monitor his health. 

This is how far we’ve come, and it’s just one tiny example of our incredible modern world.  This technology is everyday life now. 

The Internet is Powerful – Ask A Travel Blogger

Actually, before I had a blog, I was a music artist.  When I started out at 19 years old, my brother explained to me what the brand new “mp3” technology was.  At the time, I didn’t really understand – but I’m glad I took his advice and uploaded a song to mp3.com anyway.

To my amazement, it was quickly featured, and shot up the worldwide charts – even occasionally bumping my influences from the #1 spot.

Here I was, a lone, suburban teenager making music in my bedroom, but I had fan mail coming in from all over the world.  This is when the power of the Internet really dawned on me.

As I write this now, I’m in a sleepy seaside village in the Philippines.  Places like this – all over the world – have become my office.  I don’t need to write for a big media company – in this day and age, I have grown my own audience.  I am not the only one. 

 Travel bloggers are out there, all over the world. 

They are their own bosses, and have completely redefined the game of employment.  The lines between work and play are blurring.  It can take a lot of sacrifice and effort – but if we really want it, the Internet provides.

Bringing Down Barriers

The world wide web has brought us all together in a big way.  It has taught the citizens of the world that at the end of the day, we’re not all that different. 

Israeli peace activists used it to reach out to Iranians during conflict between the two countries.

One of their videos stated “For there to be a war between us, first we must be afraid of each other…for there to be a war between us, first we must hate. I’m not afraid of you, I do not hate you.”  It was very powerful.

We are connecting, we are learning, and we are growing. 

I’ve watched the face of poverty change.  I found that even the poorest people in India had cellphones, Facebook pages, and huge smiles on their faces. 

It seemed every rickshaw was playing the Korean song “Gangnam Style”, and every driver knew all the dance moves.

The Internet has given people a voice, and the chance to lift themselves out of poverty.  It has plugged them into the massive database of human knowledge and discoveries. 

My hope is that we will always work to keep the Internet free, and use it’s power for good.

Yes, when I take a step back and look at the world we live in today, it is TRULY AMAZING what humans are accomplishing.

…and despite what we’ve been told, I can also tell you that the world isn’t such a scary place.

Just remember, when the media serves you a bowl of doom

 and gloom, you don’t have to eat it. 

It’s not about pretending that bad things aren’t happening out there – it’s more about setting healthy limits for the amount of negativity

we allow into our world. 

The media will bombard us with it if we are not careful – and whether we realize it or not, the stress and anxiety it causes can slowly chip away at the quality of our lives.  Please don’t lose sight of the amazing world that the media is not showing us.  It is all around us – we are living and breathing it every day.

When you see something online that warms

your heart and makes you smile,

do the world a favor.

Share

that

instead.

 – Nathan Allen

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