A day in the life…

This is such a belated reaction.

I bet you already know this Malu Fernandez brouhaha. A friend of mine sent me the scanned pages from People Asia published last June that earned the ire of OFWs and their relatives. After reading it, I was pretty much surprised at how she wrote her travelogue.

Entitiled, "From Boracay to Greece!" it was a chronicle of her summer adventures in bug-and-mosquito-infested Bora and her Grecian escapade. As it is a travelogue, readers would expect her to write something informational about her vacation to these wonderful places.

But why the furor over this article?

Because instead of gaining info, a chunk of her "Fierce and Fabulous" column focused on how she was sent to her "own private hell" by being aboard the Emirates economy class with the hordes of Pinoy OFWs whose "endless yelling" and "Axe and Charlie cologne" gave her much trepidation.

"…I wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them," she said.

This article did not get past the eyes of OFWs and their relatives alike, and at any chance they could, threw things her way, including insults to her writing skills and even her heft. I’ve learned, through other sites and blogs, that she and her family had even received death threats because this article came into print.

She issued a not-so-apologetic apology, claiming that what she wrote was "humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek" and that her "acerbic wit" was not understood by people that did not belong to her socioeconomic class. More anger was thrown her way.

After that, Malu did write a statement where she was "deeply apologetic" for her "insensitivity" and said, "It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs." Her last sentence communicated her resignation from Manila Standard Today and People Asia where she wrote columns for, in the efforts that "this matter be laid to rest".

To tell you the truth, I was somewhat affected with what she wrote. Okay, so maybe she did apply "acerbic wit" in her article to entertain. But she should have exercised more caution in injecting "acerbic wit" to her writing. True, People Asia is targeted to the alta-sociedad, a culture which majority of the Filipinos do not belong. And they may find the article funny. But most of the time, it cannot be helped that people outside your socioeconomic class would get hold of something that’s not targeted to them. In advertising, that is what you call the "aspirational target market".

True, I haven’t flown in an economy class because I haven’t been outside the country ever in my whole life. But I think, being the jologs that I am, I would have been one of those noisy Pinoys aboard exhibiting my camwhore nature. What’s wrong with that? OFWs must miss being with their family that at any chance they see a fellow Pinoy somewhere, it makes them feel closer to home. Can you blame them?

Simon Cowell can get away with his acerbic nature, but understand that Pinoys and Westerners have different ways of dealing with this. Pinoys are naturally close-knit, that when one is hurt by the other, expect an immediate resbak from the former’s whole baranggay. They do not dismiss what they see as insult for a joke.

Balat-sibuyas? Maybe. But think about it… you can say something funny without resorting to saying something insulting. The masa was right in saying that you picked the wrong crowd to pick on, as they outnumber the alta-sociedad. At any given chance they feel they are being trampled on, they fight. Unfortunately for Ms. Fernandez, she became a clear and perfect target to vent their sentiments.

As a writer, it is only proper to exercise responsible journalism. There is no room for tactlessness. And, if I may add, writing with humor requires much talent that words must be subliminally used to hide your true meaning, yet allowing your very small target audience to catch the joke.

I suggest Malu Fernandez practice this to further improve her writing skills and avoid earning the ire of many Filipinos once again.

She’s back writing for Manila Standard Today. Her Monday column was about cosmetics’ shelf life.

Hope her make-up don’t lash at her.

PS. Lesson learned: Don’t fly coach if you can’t stand it. And you get what you pay for… or write about, for that matter. 

It’s a good thing to see your friends again after a long time. The situation of the meeting, on the other hand, is a different thing.

——–

When I received a text message that Ace Pasco, former Sports Editor of the Varsitarian, died because of stroke due to asthma, I was shocked (considering that I was receiving "Inday" jokes from the same texter) and verified this news to another friend.

"Totoo ba to?" I asked.

The reply I got was a simple "Totoo."

I was thinking, how could that be? He was just, what, 26 years old? He just got married and has a one-year old kid. He was on a roll with his sports writing stint at a local newspaper.

And then all gone, just like that.

He is to be buried during the weekend, so with a couple of friends we went to the funeral home in Marikina.

I was feeling weird, not because I was feeling the spirits around (I don’t have that kind of "power"), but because first, it was a reunion of sorts for the V people and second, he was one of two people I know who died before they reached 30.

——–

It was during my last year at the V when Ace came in as a sports writer. We were not close like barkada or something, but I got to know him as a guy who always had a smile on his face. Writing was his skill, sports was his passion. He and the other V guys regularly played basketball, whether in the Seminary Gym or wherever.

After I graduated I didn’t see much of him (since I rarely went to UST). The next time I saw him again, if I’m not mistaken, was here in Friendster.

Never thought that would be the last.

——–

Carly is right, people come and go.

It’s just all too weird why such young people have to be the first to leave.

Be at peace, Ace. We be missing you.