WTF*

1. Global economic crisis.

Whether in Dubai or Pinas or wherever you might be, at some point or the other we are all affected with the crisis that is happening now. I am not much of an economist and I am really not certain of the occurrence of such. But with the news that I’ve heard and read, all I know is that it started when the US had changed its government, then the banks have closed, loans were limited, and a lot of employees were then unemployed.

Last week, three of our laborers were already sent home and a lot are still lined up for cancellation. Exchange rates are low. Projects and constructions have been slowed down. Companies are already tight on their finances even cutting off the wages of their workforce. And some have totally closed.

What/who have caused all these? Is it true that this is just a cycle in the economy and will eventually pick up and become stable again? If so, how soon will it be? A week, a month, a year or two?


2. Conflicts.

I grabbed a Gulfnews while we were having coffee at starbs. It was depressing to see the photographs taken in Israel – pictures of innocent babies, traumatized children, mothers, fathers, and elders – all are victims of the war between Israel and Palestine. It was even disheartening when I read the contents of the newspaper. Some said that they were just in their homes when a rocket exploded or they were just about to visit a dead relative on their way to the hospital when something blasts and caught them unaware. Homes, schools, and even mosques are being targeted on a daily basis. Dead bodies are piling up and hospitals have been operating non stop. Everyone has their own stories – of losing either one of their legs or losing all of their loved ones.

I was curious the other day that I searched some information about the dispute. I wanted to know where it is situated, who are the parties involved, their motives, and their reasons for the attacks. Honestly, I was more confused upon my research! There are a lot of personalities involved as much as the rockets that have been launched, arguments that are unsettled a much as the civilians that have suffered, and a lot of ideologies as much as the ruins that are left . . .

I know back home we have the same stories. We have the same disputes. The same scenarios. People are killing people. People are stealing from people. People are hurting people. I do not know what went wrong all along but can we just settle and live a peaceful future – without guns, or bombs, or tanks, or anything that can harm people and die? Can we just resolve the issues in a more diplomatic way so that bloodshed will be over? Or we’ll just let wrath and greediness eat us all alive!?

May God bless the Holy City and all the cities of God!


3. Climate change.

There are a lot of signs that we cannot neglect around us these days. We are all feeling the effects of the abuse that we have caused our environment.

Before the winter season here Dubai, it rained for like a week or two which was improbable for a middle-east country. Kabayans that are here for the longest time told me that they are only experiencing rain only once every year. That week was a first! It caught this gulf country unprepared with the floods that arise because they do not have a drainage system like the ones we have in Pinas [though I’m not saying we have the best one], classes have been cut, and traffic built up.

In the news, I’ve read that the Aberdares in Kenya has also been experiencing climate change nowadays due to deforestation. They are now having droughts and some lakes are drying up. Some years back it was just raining three times a year but now they are only experiencing rains for a one month per year.

I presume we are all looking at the early warning signs of global warming and there are still a lot to happen if we do not act on being responsible owners of our own world. Planet Earth that is about to have frequent and unusual temperature changes, ocean warming-sea level rise-and coastal flooding, glaciers melting and both the antartic and the arctic will be warm. And will eventually have the impacts on us people who abandoned our own home which includes spreading of diseases, decreasing of animal and plant species, downpours-heavy snowfalls-and umm flooding, more droughts and fires.

And so, we can now choose how we want to die in the near future – starve to death, become sick, heat stroke or frost bite, burned or drowned. . Or we can start all simple acts now to help save our environment. And have penalties for people abusing the natural resources that we have.

I may not be the perfect citizen there is. But I know I am trying. [:

. . . . .


Yes, it’s been eight long months and a lot of things are happening in all parts of the world
and sometimes I feel like I have to be home before anything else come about!