something I shot several years ago, a parade on Ayala Avenue, at the
Philippines's Central Business District (CBD) where I used to work
Two weeks ago, I learned something interesting that made me think of life in another perspective.
We all know the current goings on with regards to Iran/Israel/US, etc. But it hadn't really hit closer to home until I got into a longer conversation with one of my co-workers.
This co-worker is an older gentleman from Iran. And the reason he is now here was because of political/ethnic persecution in Iran around the time the Shah was assassinated and Iran began to be ruled by the ayatollah. He can't go back to Iran at all 'cause he says he'll be killed if he went back, because he's not Muslim. He belongs to a small ethnic/religious group from Iran and turns out that in Iran if you're not Muslim, it's not good. His dad was executed at that time, so his family had to leave Iran and he hasn't been back since. If he goes back Iran won't let him leave the country again and kill him. I am sure Iran is a beautiful country, with history and culture more established than yours and mine, but with people who are just like us and proud of their identity and country. However, based on this life experience of my co-worker and most likely countless other Iranians, of course one would think a nuclear Iran is indeed not a good prospect whether or not you're an Israeli. Lol.
Anyway, I was quite surprised to learn of this. I hadn't realized that being of another ethnic/cultural group that isn't Muslim would mean death in Iran. So yes, that made me put things in some more perspective about my life and the freedoms I enjoy whether back in the Philippines or here where I now reside. I left the Philippines not out of necessity (in fact I procastinated 'cause I had a pretty good life back there too) but just to have a better quality of urban or sub-urban life in pretty and natural surroundings (view of snowy mountains in the distance from your window can't be beat in this area) and better or more opportunities to indulge in my travel interests as often as I can.
shot from the rooftop of the condo I used to live in at the CBD
Yes, we have buildings that might be taller than yours, lots. Lol.
Knowing what I learned it made me put things in perspective with regards to the Philippines. The Philippines might have its own set of problems but no one there gets systematically killed with government or church sanction because they're Muslim, Christian, etc. The Philippines is a functioning democracy despite the fact that oligarchy still reigns. People still get to vote, and the press functions quite well with little or no censorship compared with its other Asian neighbors and they value these freedoms very much, while civil groups and NGOs thrive there, too.
I still love the Philippines and I am proud of how far along it has come for a developing country. It's more than 90% literate. And I am glad the locals there are also proud of themselves and their achievements. Whereas before the Philippines was mostly a source of low-skill resources, it has been for some years a source of highly skilled resources, too, such as engineers, teachers, doctors, nurses, and software engineers. Take out the locals with gossip and crab mentality and indeed there's much to be proud of. Soon maybe not as many would need to leave the country any longer to earn their living and provide for their families. And that leaving the country would be more of a choice rather than a necessity. With such a big population with large youth demographics indeed the Philippines can go a long way some more. You harness that population well with good gov't, there's no way else to go but up. Hehe!
