Philippines

Went to see the movie "Cavite" at the Lumiere.

It has an interesting enough plot, but much hand-held camera work (too much jiggling) and abrupt editing that is annoying. For a semi-amateur production I suppose it was good.

The main reason I wanted to see the film was because of my 18 months spent in the Philippines (age 19-21). It was a sad to see that the Philippines looks pretty much like it did 30 years ago.

Progress ? More people have cars -- there were more cars on the road instead of busses, jeepneys, and motorcycle-trikes, but the country still looks like a shit-hole. Haphazard construction everywhere, people living in corrugated metal shanties, electric lines sprouting willy-nilly, dirty exhaust and dust, chickens... The movie showed a cock fight, pretty much like one I saw in Baguio City -- a concrete block "arena" with much yelling and wagering.

Oh, and the slums still look the same -- people throwing their garbage and shit into the nearby waterway. Disgusting, with no hope for change because everyone accepts that the common public spaces are just garbage bins (unless you're in a private compound or exclusive area). This place makes the Tenderloin look like heaven, but it still doesn't make me want to live here anymore.