The Unassuming Seer

My first major aticle...

2006-09-06T20:13:00.000+08:00

I can't believe I'm now a proud writer for the La Sallian press. The publication has been keeping me busy but finally all the hard work paid off. Here it is.

Hurt Me Beautiful

In 1956, American anthropologist Horace Miner penned and published a memorable essay entitled Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. There, he described an obscure North American tribe’s unusual beliefs and barbaric practices, the main focus of which is the human body.

An example of such rituals is the insertion of a rod containing a bundle of hog hairs and special powders into the mouth to exorcise it of its “evils.” There are also rituals mentioned that are exclusive to specific sexes. Male members of the tribe, for instance, scrape and lacerate their faces with sharp instruments. Women on the other hand, bake their heads in small ovens in hour-long ceremonies in order to beautify themselves.

Indeed, no tribe could be ever more masochistic, or cruel, or inhumane. But if you think that Miner’s anecdotes aren’t shocking enough, wait until you reach this surprising revelation:

“Nacirema” is actually “American” spelled backwards.

That’s right. In fact, a quick run-through of the entire essay reveals a lot more surprising clues that point out to that truth. It would be interesting to further know that the so-called barbaric rites mentioned earlier are not so out of this world after all. In fact, people around the globe, not only Americans, do these everyday.

The insertion of a “bundle of hog hairs with special powder” actually pertains to the act of brushing one’s teeth. Facial mutilation wouldn’t sound so gruesome once you learn that the more hirsute members of the male population do it in front of their mirrors in a process called “shaving.” How about the women exposing their heads to extreme heat? They do it to style and dry their hair. Ever heard of a salon?

Harold Miner’s study has reached such acclaim, that it made it into the pages of various sociology books. While the subject of Harold Miner’s study is nothing short of allegorical, the essay did leave behind a groundbreaking insight – Could our hygienic routines be actually toned-down versions of much more brutal practices? A look at history and various global customs might hold the answer.

Original Sin
Vanity finds its literary celebration in the Myth of Narcissus. But history, too, gives us a detailed account of man’s thirst for physical beauty. Archaeological evidence reveals that the use of cosmetics to enhance the face and preserve its youthful features was a popular practice among the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, and Romans, with the first recorded usage at 4000 BCE. In the East, the Japanese geisha were famous for their use of flower essences and wax to paint their faces to perfection. In the west, make-up was very much in vogue among the upper classes of the medieval period. However, when cosmetics became very popular with actors and prostitutes in the 1800s, Queen Victoria banned its use among the elites.
Even the human body became an object of obsession. In medieval England, the corset was used to give the illusion of the perfectly-shaped body, in conformity with the fashion of the times. Because society dictated that women with smaller waists were considered to be more beautiful, there was a clamor for hourglass corsets, which shaped the torso in such a way that the bust and hips looked more pronounced while the waist remained small and flat. However, looking sexy according to medieval standards came at a heavy price. Corset-wearers risked breaking their ribs and twisting their nerves, not to mention incurring indigestion and respiratory damage.
Given the severe difficulty of wearing corsets, people sought a more natural way to achieve the perfect silhouette. Today’s popular practice of dieting was first developed in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the first successful target diets ever recorded was William Banting’s low-carb diet in 1863. Exercise regimens, such as vigorous ten-mile-a-day walks and ten-minute lung gymnastics supplemented corset-wearing and dieting.
No Pain, No Gain
Many people think that the torture of beauty has now drastically lessened. People are no longer forced to adhere to the cruelty of tight-laced corsets or foot binding shoes. However, beauty and pain often work hand in hand. Times may have changed and the severity of the conquest for beauty may have declined, but it has been replaced with modern torture devices ranging from simple to downright absurd.

Waxing, plucking, wearing high heels, skintight jeans and thongs are but a few simple ways that women inflict pain on themselves just to look attractive. Beneath the glamour of timely styles that are subtly enforced on women, are hidden physical pains that they hide from the inside out. The process of acquiring beauty in the modern times has not always been the same for every woman. Some people nowadays tend to look into the extremes of solutions. With the help of technology, it has made these solutions costly and sometimes hazardous. Botox, nose lifts, tummy tucks and liposuction are some of the various resolutions to a woman’s dire need for enhancement. These contemporary surgical procedures have gained much acceptance this era not because of the creation of a miracle product but because of two underlying psychological reasons. First, is that cosmetic surgery is not built out of vanity alone but of two more powerful feelings: rejection and envy. This industry thrives on mans refusal to accept his limits. It also makes a person think that contentment can only be possible through perfection and attainment of nature’s ephemeral charms— youth, beauty and fertility. The second reason is inferiority complex, a school of thought that was created in the early twentieth century by Viennese psychologist, Alfred Adler. It was this idea that gave an important bond to mental health and appearance. This meant that psychological suffering because of physical unattractiveness required medical intervention in order to ease emotional pain.

Metamorphosis
Why do people put up with these self inflicted punishments just for beauty? Author John Dewey suggested the answer in his book The Live Creature. He proposed that pain and suffering are necessary for a beautiful world because complacent pleasure is not satisfying.
Culture has always made a strong link between physical appearance and moral worth. In fairy tales are beautiful princesses and ugly witches whose appearances show their inner kindness or wretchedness. Beauty and happiness are ideas that are so tangled together that most people misinterpret one from the other. Most women place themselves in Cinderella’s shoes thinking, “Would the prince pick me?”. Thus, women go to further lengths just to achieve beauty believing it would end in happily ever after thinking, “If I am beautiful, then maybe he would.”

Perhaps, it would also make sense if it were put in the context of heaven itself. The thought of heaven is only pleasurable because it is placed in the context of an imperfect and hurtful world. Following this train of thought, would the idea of heaven in a perfect world still be as appealing? The same goes for beauty. There will always be a need for people to be in pain in order to achieve it. Otherwise, the beauty and pride of life will be something more trivial than striking.

There is nothing wrong with acknowledging pain as a requisite to the beauty, or all things favorable for that matter. After all, what would life be if man didn't toil for his/her rewards? But one must remember that the concept of perfection is abstract, much more subjective. In the end, the state of satisfaction ultimately rests on the interpretation of the individual.

Thinking Green!

2006-04-27T12:22:00.000+08:00

Now I have another excuse for the never changing green theme of my blog. Yes… recently I have decided to change my college. I chose to go to De La Salle University though I have been thinking of going to Ateneo for the longest time. Don’t ask. It is practically a 180 degree shift in my book actually. I believe that it was for the best. And whatever happens, I will have no regrets over this. It just amuses me that, in some strange way, I have grown up a lot and have realized that prestige can only take you so far in life. (Grunts) I don’t want to elaborate on that. I know that even with what I have (and it’s quite more than I thought) I could still get what I want. But do I even know what it is?

Living on a new slate is somewhat new to me. In high school, I was used to my usual mold, my friends and my abilities. But now, I am on my own. I have no label on my head that says where I belong. I have no choice but to do the initiation all over again. And I really am not getting any younger.

Thinking about how I’m getting older scares me. On this very moment, I’m surprised to realize how I am now going to college. Time flies by so fast. And there are things I regret from my earlier years. Maybe I should have been more active or just happy then. Maybe I should have lost that extra weight I have that seems to just stack up like pancakes every year. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so self righteous or pleasure seeking. There are plenty of maybes in my life. And whatever my excuses were, seem to be holding me back. I am unsure of my self right now. I really have no clear plan for my future. I don’t know what it is. And if there are some things that I am sure of, I really don’t know if I could reach them. I set to high a standard for what I want. And what’s so ridiculous about that is I don’t ever meet those standards myself.

Stepping into college alarms me. I really am not sure if I can step in my own shoes just yet. I have always been used to having someone around to help. This time I have to do it on my own. Maybe it will not be easy. Maybe I would really learn to love it. I don’t know. What I do know is that I will do it. Maybe I need to change a bit. And after a couple of years, I will be a better person because of it. No guts no glory right?

The adventures of Supergirl

2006-03-17T17:07:00.000+08:00

I left as if I had not gone. It was a release to me in a way. From the hectic life in school and the pressures of graduating, a girl can only take so much with her to make it through. Four days of freedom were given to me and I felt as if I had nothing else to return to. Guys it is true... I left school for a while to visit Hong Kong. It was a great experience actually. I wished that my country would be like Hong Kong… well actually I wish it to be anything but what it is.

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Hotel with my sister and my mom. The place was just divine. Our room was filled with gold ornaments (everything gold just imagine..) and there was this wide window where you can see the sea port and the gleaming emerald water. It was heaven but I left it frequently to find that there was so much more that I had to see.

First stop: Hong Kong Disneyland.. It was a fairly good place… compared to Enchanted Kingdom and Star City, who am I to complain? It was definitely a magical place but I preferred the one in L.A.. I really am not for cutesy things so basically my sister was the one who really loved it.

Second stop: Shopping in Mongkok.. It was the scariest place on earth.. I have never been in a place where sales clerks run after you just for you to buy their product. Beware of the Lethal sales ladies who believe that making you buy their product is a matter of life and death. Once they see you looking at their products ( even if you do not like it that much) they will never stop from hassling you to buy it. They would even give it at the lowest price which would make you want to buy it. But it was really worthwhile.. I did get some things that I fancy from those bargains. But I still go with my stand about the Ladies Market… it is not for the faint of heart!

Third stop: The Nightlife/ Ocean Park: Ohhh.. I could go on and on about this.. guys in Hong Kong though dignified in the morning, (work and all) are somewhat quite different in the evening. I did not like to be stared at that much. It made me feel so uncomfortable. I even saw one gripping his girlfriend’s butt in the dark at the Lion King show at Disneyland.

Fourth stop: Restaurants: The Hotel does charge too much for food. When you go out you find that what was supposed to be a 200 HK dollar meal at the Hyatt could be worth 16 if you know where to go. Unfortunately, you can not always be sure that these cheap joints have someone who knows how to speak English so well good luck on that..

I found this vacation would be beneficial to my future career as a diplomat. It was. It was hard to somehow deal with the people around. Equipped with Basic Mandarin speaking skills, I thought it would be a walk in the park. However, I did not remember one thing… Not all of these people knew how to speak Mandarin. Instead, they used Cantonese ( a language that I would never like to learn! It just does not sound nice.. the plik plok plak lingo.. ). They lived in a very fast paced world and unlike me or my fellow Pinoys, they did not have time for anything but work. They would walk so fast that if you did not try to keep up with them you would be left in the dust. They were not that friendly either. They seemed cold to me and I, although it had been just two days, missed the Philippine hospitality and closeness we have. It is really good to be Home..

Christmas Drama

2005-12-29T12:16:00.000+08:00

This just has to be the ultimate worst christmas I have ever had..
Lots of not so nice things have taken place and I can't tell you just how sucky things has been around home. I feel like this blog is my form of escape to all of it.. I just honestly hope everything will just dissapear like a bad dream. Just like how the storms settles or something..

the boredoom marathon

2005-12-01T12:59:00.000+08:00

Yes... the title seems weird but the cycle goes on and on. I feel like I'm in a rut recently and I don't generally understand why. School seems more boring now. Lots of things to do... not much time to do it all. The long awaited christmas vacation (soon after everything else) is the only thing that keeps my mind afloat. I have trouble in my studies because I find it hard to listen to anybody (with Christmas coming and etc.). I just want to take a break. NOW WOULD BE GOOD IF IT ISN'T TOO IMPOSSIBLE!

I'm thinking of the age old saying of reaping what you sow. Somehow, I wish that this saying would ultimately change my mindset over things.

Unnamed Stranger : I want you not

2005-11-18T17:31:00.000+08:00

It came as a shock to me but now I can think clearly about it. After months of constant struggle and persistence, I have realized that I do not want it anymore. For a long time, I have envisioned in my mind that I would do everything for it. But now I don't think I would. Especially now that I know what it tends to become when you reveal the truth behind it, I'm glad it was never mine. I'm glad that I didn't go further. I'm glad to be rid of it.

It's ironic though that I should feel like so. I feel quite stupid really. It makes me think that I don't really know what I want. Things seen from afar always look better than what you have,I guess. But when you see the core of it all, what it could really offer to you, you begin to realize that it is not what you thought it was. The grass was not greener on that other side. If only you had known that the things you had were better, then you wouldn't even think of leaving.

Ahh.. The tragedy of an person with poor judge of character.. of everything.. When will I ever learn to look behind the mask? What was torture to me before is nothing compared to the taunts and selfishness I experience with it's presence. I was so foolish to ever want it. I can't believe I did.

A tribute to a legend

2005-11-14T22:42:00.000+08:00

I couldn’t believe it. It just seems so weird to me. Just yesterday I was watching him on TV, laughing at his jokes and anticipating his cunning remarks. Now, Eddie Guerrero is dead. Just like that he passed on without even knowing he would. I don’t know why he passed away. Whether he died terribly or never even knew he died. I just feel so sad.

I don’t know why I even care. But when I found out he died, something in me felt so miserable. I couldn’t talk for a while maybe because of shock or maybe because I refused to believe it. He really wasn’t my favorite wrestler to begin with but I felt for him. He has been somewhat a part of my life in a somewhat unusual way. Since I was about 6 years old, I have been watching wrestling. In those years, I have seen him start his career and showcase his undeniable talent in wrestling as well as acting. For years, I have been entertained by his character and skill. To not see him wrestle and share his passion makes his death such a big loss. He always had this energy about him when he would step into the ring. He had this kind of presence that would make you want to watch his every move. It’s so unfortunate to watch such a talented man end like this.

There is a lesson to learn from this, I believe. No matter how cliché it might seem, I’m just going to point it out again. Life is unfair sometimes. You lose though it was your best, you get rejected when you did what was right or maybe like Eddie, you loose your life even before it was your time. Nobody really knows their time and I don’t think we should. Things are more precious this way, I think. Death is one of the mysteries of life that you just can’t explain. What do we really know of death? How can we even begin to understand it if we do not encounter it.? Science may have explanations on why a person dies but what goes beyond is unthinkable to them. How are we supposed to live our lives shrouded in mystery? Most people try to find the answer and end up doubting themselves. People come so close that they never understand how they understood it before. Then, there goes the madness, reason ends when you reach the height of it.
Life, in the end, seems to be something that you should not think about. The answer to these questions may perhaps be to live the best way you could. You will never know the answer as long as you live and if it all was in vain then at least you would not feel discontented.

Life never goes the way you plan. It is never easy. It is something that makes us face our reality. No matter how big, successful or invincible you might feel remember that you are still human. You are a mortal who will pass the world once and die. Accepting this reality will guide you to the right answers to the questions and inhibitions of your life

The taming of a weasel

2005-11-09T20:36:00.000+08:00

Yes, I am a weasel. For the last six months I have done so many things that made me conclude that I am. Lately, I have been noticing how tactless I’ve been. It seems that there never comes a day that I don’t spew careless words out of my lips about someone. Somehow, I am imagining my mouth as a relentless machine gun of sarcasm verbally attacking the CHOSEN people that I come across with everyday. I’ve been hearing myself talk and I don’t like what I’ve been hearing. Thus, I will try not to rant, to scheme, to manipulate and to try to hide from my responsibilities. I just don’t want to be that kind of person. Hard as it may be, I just need to do this for myself. I question my nature though, but then again……….

Actually, I don’t even want to think about it so much. I have this tendency of analyzing things too much that it confuses me more. I just have all these questions in my head that no one can seem to answer. Silly Questions like: Did the chicken come before the egg or the egg before the chicken? (Technically, if there was no chicken there would be no egg but then again if there was no egg there would be no chicken and the madness goes on and on.) Things like this need no answer I guess. But then again, there are people like me who make everything more complicated than it actually is. Maybe, that’s why I suck in dancing. I AM THINKING TOO MUCH AGAIN!!!! IT’S IRONIC REALLY, BECAUSE I JUST TOLD MYSELF NOT TO THINK TOO MUCH. I believe this sick hobby of mine is part of the whole package of my being. I was meant to be this way. It seems to be both a gift and a misfortune to have. It is what makes me special yet it is also what makes me a weasel. All I know is that thinking too much always leads me into trouble. Can I fight my nature? Well, I just don’t know. Other than knowing what it does to me, I don’t know anything.