On Quirino Grandstand Hostage - We're Friendly, I Promise.

In light of recent events, I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to the families of the casualties of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage that happened today. It is a tragedy of such huge proportions.  

• I bow my head in shame for the local police, for not having enough training to know what to do in situations like this. There should have been no civilian bloodshed. The state of the Philippine police is saddening, I hope to live to see the day when we would all feel safe having them around to protect us.
• I apologize for the recklessness of the media. In an attempt to get the best coverage, they pushed their way in to get as close as they could, forgetting all modicum of responsibility. The police had to request them to stand back, lower their lights and not reveal every move to the audience that included the hostage-taker who was watching inside the bus. 
• I am sorry for the lack of discipline of civilians. Instead of respecting the barricade around the area, a flock of people hurried to the scene and mobbed the bus once they got wind that the hostage-taker was taken down, to see the hostages being carried out of the bus.

No amount of apologies or would lessen the plight of the families of the hostages. Their lives were already compromised and their families orphaned. It was a tragedy, a horrible one at that. What it isn't, is an attack against Hongkong and neither it is a common occurence in this country. I hope with all my heart that it doesn't sever friendly relations between the Philippines and Hongkong or any other country.

 The news reported that the tourists' flight back to Hongkong should have been at 7pm today. All of them didn't make the flight back; some would fly back to their loved ones tonight or tomorrow, but some wouldn't get to. This candle is an offering to those who didn't get the chance to see home. May they find their peace.

Peter Pan Had It Wrong, Growing Up Ain't So Bad

"If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I won't grow up, never grow up, never grow up, not me." -Peter Pan

A few years ago, I got a gift from a distant relative when I came to visit. While that doesn't seem all that unusual, it has to be said that of about a dozen of us who visited, I was the only one given a present. I bashfully thanked them, and asked what it was for. (It wasn't my birthday.)

Their answer had me stunned. The couple said it was because to them, I had always maintained a child-like aura. They said it seemed as if I never lost my child's spirit. Their gift was so I know that it's a good thing to remain child-like. "Um, what?" was the phrase in my head when I heard it. I wasn't expecting that answer at all,  them telling me I was their child who they gave away at birth would have been more believable. 

The boy who refused to grow up.

For Peter Pan, the idea of growing up is ludicrous. It's unthinkable to want to grow up, or even to think about it. Sometimes we don't necessarily want to, but we have to. There are bills that need to be paid, responsibilities that need to be taken care of and the future to think of and worry about.

Today, I feel the oldest I've felt since.. ever. I've made a decision that will be part of my life until the next decade or so. All at once, it's a commitment, a risk, and a choice. It's a big step towards adulthood. I feel like a proper grown-up today, lulz. And while it is scary, it is also gratifying (and exciting!).

But Peter Pan had it wrong I think, being a grownup doesn't mean you won't climb trees anymore. You still would and could, but by then you may also choose to climb mountains. I'm hoping to still get a gift from that couple again this year. ~_~